Omar Al Saqqaf

Omar Al Saqqaf (1923–1974) was a Saudi Arabian diplomat and politician who served as the minister of state for foreign affairs being the first Saudi to hold the post. He was among the leading officials of Saudi Arabia in foreign relations and one of the trusted envoys of King Faisal. He died in New York City while serving as the minister of state.

Early life and education
Al Saqqaf was born in Medina in 1923. His grandfather, Sayyid Omar Al Saqqaf, was a merchant in Jeddah dealing with the pilgrim trade. He received a degree in political science from the American University of Beirut.

Career and activities
Following his graduation Al Saqqaf started his career at the Foreign Office of Saudi Arabia as the third secretary in 1948. From 1951 he assumed the post of acting charge d'affairs with the rank of counselor in different cities, including Karachi, Rome, Jakarta and London. He became chief of protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1956 and then, was named as the acting assistant undersecretary at the ministry. Next year, he was named as the Saudi Arabian ambassador to Ethiopia, and after serving in the post for one year, he was appointed deputy minister of foreign affairs. Then he served as the undersecretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Al Saqqaf was named as the state minister for foreign affairs in April 1968. In this capacity he led a group of Saudi officials before the Arab League summit in 1969, and they met with the officials from the Arab countries involved in the Six-Day War in 1967 to inform them that Saudi Arabia would not provide them more financial aid. Following the Black September events which led to the departure of the Palestinians from Jordan he headed the Saudi Arabian mission to settle the disputes between Jordan and the Palestinian groups. However, both sides were not cooperative, and as a result, Al Saqqaf claimed that if Jordanians would continue to be uncooperative, Saudi Arabia would close its borders with Jordan and suspend its annual financial support. He also added that if the Palestinian groups would not attempt to solve the problems with Jordan, Saudi Arabia would terminate its financial support to them.

Al Saqqaf was one of the active Saudi Arabian officials during the establishment of the Gulf states as independent countries in 1971. Al Saqqaf was among the close advisors of King Faisal throughout his career. Al Saqqaf's term ended in November 1974 when he died, and he was succeeded by Prince Saud bin Faisal Al Saud in the post in March 1975. In the period between November 1974 and March 1975 the ministry was headed by the acting minister Mohammed Ibrahim Massoud.

During the oil crisis in 1973 both Prince Fahd, later King Fahd, and Prince Sultan, minister of defense, claimed that Al Saqqaf and Ahmed Zaki Yamani, oil minister, had an anti-American stance and also, were the major reasons for King Faisal's hostile approach towards the USA.

Personal life and death
Al Saqqaf was married and had three children. He had a good command of the English and French languages.

Al Saqqaf was attending the United Nations General Assembly on the Palestine issue in New York City when he died of a cerebral thrombosis at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel on 14 November 1974 at age 51. His body was brought back to Jeddah for burial.

Awards
The Spanish President Francisco Franco awarded Al Saqqaf the Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit on 15 February 1974. Al Saqqaf was also the recipient of the Nile Sash of Egypt which was awarded to him on 30 July 1974.