Order of Abdulaziz al Saud

Order of King Abdulaziz
Insignia of the Order of Abdulaziz Al Saud (2nd grade) Star of the Order of Abdulaziz Al Saud
Awarded by Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Type	order of merit with 5 degrees
Status	currently constituted
Statistics
Established	20 March 1971
Precedence
Next (higher)	Great Chain of Badr
Next (lower)	Order of King Faysal
Ribbon bar of the Order of King Abdulaziz Al Saud

The Order of King Abdulaziz is a Saudi-Arabian Order of Merit. The order was named after Abdulaziz Al Saud, the founder of the modern Saudi state.^[1]

History

In 1971, the introduction of orders was announced in a decree.^[2][3] It was instituted by King Faisal on 20 March 1971.^[4] However, the order had been awarded before that date unsystematically.^[5] These earliest versions were produced by Bichay in Cairo, Egypt.^[5] The early version of the order was called Great Chain of Badr. The Saudi king, Fons honorum of the orders, confirmed the decree in his Royal decree.^[6]

The Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud

The collar is regarded as a separate order. It also confers the highest rank in the Order of Abdulaziz Al Saud, and, unlike the Great Chain of Badr, is awarded to non-Muslim heads of state.

The Order of Abdulaziz Al Saud

The order is awarded to citizens of Saudi Arabia and foreigners for meritorious service to the Kingdom. The Council of Ministers makes the nominations but the King makes awards to foreigners himself when he finds this appropriate. Saudi recipients are always included in the fourth degree of the order and can subsequently be promoted.

The number of Saudi conferments is limited and awardees have to start their career in the order in the lowest 4th class. A member can be promoted every five years. Those rules do not apply for ministers and appointees for bravery, who can be awarded in a higher class instead.

The statutes of the order stipulate a limit on the number of inductees each year—20 grand sashes of the distinguished class, and 40, 60, 80 and 100 members of subsequently the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th class.

Classes

The Classes include:

• Special Class (comparable with Grand Cordon). A sash with pendant is worn on the right shoulder, plus a star on the left chest;
• Distinguished First Class (comparable with "Grand Officer"). The insignia is worn on a necklet, plus a golden star on the left chest;
• First Class (comparable with "Commander 1st Class"). The insignia is worn on a necklet, plus a silver star on the left chest;
• Second Class (comparable with "Commander"). The insignia is worn on a necklet;
• Third Class (comparable with "Officer"). A badge is worn on a ribbon with a rosette on the left chest;
• Fourth Class (comparable with "Knight"). A badge is worn on a ribbon on the left chest.

The Saudis avoid the words like "cross" (as in "Grand-Cross") and "knight".

The order is sometimes referred to as the:

• King Abdulaziz Order of Merit
• King Abdulaziz Al Saud Excellence Medal
• King Abdulaziz Medal

Notable recipients

Saudi royals

• Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud – King Abdulaziz Medal (First Class; 2002)^[7]
• Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud^[8]
• Fahd bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Saud^[9]
• Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud (2011)^[10]
• Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud – King Abdulaziz medal (First Class)^[11]
• Sara bint Faisal bin Abdulaziz – King Abdulaziz Medal (First Class; 2013)^[12]
• Sattam bin Abdulaziz Al Saud – King Abdulaziz medal (First Class)^[13]
• Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud – King Abdulaziz medal (First Class)^[14]
• Turki bin Nasser Al Saud – King Abdulaziz Medal (First Class)^[15]
• Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud– King Abdulaziz Sash (Special Class; 1976)^[16]

Politicians and officials

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi being conferred the award by King Salman.

• Narendra Modi – Prime Minister of India, Order of Abdulaziz Al Saud (Special Class, 3 April 2016)^[17]
• Shinzō Abe – Prime Minister of Japan, Order of Abdulaziz Al Saud (Special Class)^[18]
• Silvio Berlusconi – former prime minister of Italy, Order of Abdulaziz Al Saud (First Class; 22 November 2009)^[19]
• David Cameron – Prime Minister of the United Kingdom^[20]
• Mohammad Al Jasser – Saudi minister, medal of King Abdulaziz (First Class)^[21]
• George W. Bush – Former U.S. President, medal of King Abdulaziz (First Class; 2008)^[1]
• Barack Obama – U.S. President, Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud (2009)^[22][23]
• Vladimir Putin - President of Russia (2007)^[24]
• Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah – Kuwaiti royal and politician, medal of King Abdulaziz (First Class)^[25]
• Najib Tun Razak – Malaysia Prime Minister, medal of King Abdulaziz (First Class, Jan 19, 2010)^[26]
• Abdel Fattah el-Sisi – Egyptian President, medal of King Abdulaziz (First Class; August 2014)^[27]
• Joko Widodo - Indonesian President, medal of King Abdulaziz (Third Class, September 2015)^[28]

Military

• Tariq Majid – Pakistan's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (2009)^[29]
• Pervez Musharraf – Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff
• Raheel Sharif – Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff^[30]
• Ali Shamkhani – Former Minister of Defence of Iran^[31]
• Sir Alan William John West – Chief of British naval staff, (2004) medal of King Abdulaziz (First Class)^[32]
• Katsutoshi Kawano – Chief of Staff of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, (February, 2014)
• Stephane Abrial – former SACT
• Denis Mercier – former Chief of Staff of the French Air Force

Others

• Sir Alan Munro – British diplomat^[33]

References

1. "Bush Visits Saudi Arabia for Talks With King Abdullah". AP. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
2. No.122 van 24 1-1391
3. No.123 of 24 1-1391
4. "Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: King Abdulaziz Order of Merit". Medals. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
5. Raw Rees, Owain (May 1999). "The Awards of King Saud". Jeddah: King Saud website. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
6. No.4 of 25 1-1391
7. "Medals". Al Waleed Al Saud Official website. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
8. "His Royal Highness Prince Bandar bin Sultan". Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
9. Al Mulhim, Abdulateef (24 April 2013). "Prince Fahd bin Abdullah: An admiral and a desert lover". Arab News. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
10. جريدة الرياض (12 December 2011). "جريدة الرياض : وزير الدفاع يقلد الفريق الوقداني والفريق خالد بن بندر وسام الملك عبدالعزيز". Al Riyadh. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
11. "Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz". Saudi Embassy. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
12. "Saudi Arabia: Princess Sara honoured Medal of First Class". Gulf States Newsletter (946). Retrieved 9 August 2013.
13. "His royal highness Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz". Riyadh Government. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
14. "Head of King Khalid Award announces names of winners". Ain Alyaqeen. 25 November 2011. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
15. "His Royal Highness Prince Turki bin Nasser bin Abdulaziz Al Saud". Saudi Environmental Society. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
16. Arabou
17. "Modi conferred highest Saudi civilian honour". Hindustan times. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
18. "石油備蓄で基地提供提案 安倍首相、サウジ国王に". 47news. 29 April 2007. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
19. Italia-Arabia/A Berlusconi la più alta onorificenza reale saudita Ilcittadinomb
20. "Cameron, weapons dealer turns peace maker". Press TV. 8 November 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
21. "The world's 50 most influential Arabs". The Middle East. 1 May 2009. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
22. "Obama gets some bling... in the form of Saudi Arabia's highest honour". Daily Mail. 3 June 2009.
23. Andrew Miga (30 August 2013). "Hillary Clinton tops Obama in gifts from foreign leaders". Deseret News. AP. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
24. Atul Aneja Putin goes calling on the Saudis. The Hindu. 20 February 2007
25. "Sabah Dynasty". Royal Ark. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
26. "Najib receives award". PR Newswire. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
27. "Saudi king decorates Egypt president with highest medal". Press TV. 11 August 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
28. "Jokowi Receives King Abdul Azis Medal". Tempo.co. 12 September 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
29. "Mohayya, Chief of General Staff, conferring King Abdul Aziz Al Saud Excellence Medal which is the highest military award of Saudi Armed Forces, to General Tariq Majid, CJCSC on behalf of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud". ISPR. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
30. "Gen Raheel meets with Saudi political, military leadership". Dawn. 5 February 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
31. علی شمخانی، دبیر شورای عالی امنیت ملی ایران شد Shafaqna
32. "Today in History". SeaWaves. 20 November 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
33. "Committee Members". The Saudi British Society. Retrieved 10 February 2013.

See also

• Photos of the Order
• Guy Stair Sainty and Rafal Heydel-Mankoo, World Orders of Knighthood and Merit" (ISBN 0971196672), London 2006.