The International Dialogue Centre based in Vienna (KAICIID) mourns the loss of His Royal Highness, Prince Saud Al-Faisal, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a strong advocate of peace and dialogue.  

The KAICIID Board of Directors and Secretary General extend their deepest condolences to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Prince Saud's family and to the people of Saudi Arabia grieving this immeasurable loss.

“Throughout his life, Prince Saud Al-Faisal worked towards the goal of peace in the Middle East and the world. His support and faith in dialogue as a means to peace were instrumental in the founding of KAICIID. His wisdom, humanity and leadership will be greatly missed” said KAICIID Secretary General, Faisal Bin Muaammar.

Prince Saud Al-Faisal was a renowned diplomat, who dedicated four decades of his life to serving his country as a Minister of Foreign Affairs.  His Royal Highness was one of the earliest supporters of the idea of an international center that would build bridges between people through interreligious and intercultural dialogue. On many occasions, he expressed his support for KAICIID and his engagement to building bridges between followers of different faiths. He deeply believed in the importance of promoting the values of tolerance, understanding and respect, and of preventing the abuse of religion.

At the last ministerial-level meeting of the KAICIID Council of Parties in September 2014, Prince Saud was one of the signatories of the KAICIID Declaration of Principles “In the Face of Conflict”, a historic declaration condemning violent conflict in the world, more so violence committed in the name of religion. The declaration outlines the responsibilities of the Centre, of religious leaders, and of the international community at large, in violent conflict situations, especially when lives and livelihoods are placed at risk, and affirms dialogue as a path to lasting peace and social cohesion.