By Puteri Balkish
The Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques and King of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, will be conferred an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (Islam and Wasatiyyah) and Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Islamic University Malaysia in a special convocation ceremony at the Cultural Activity Centre (CAC) on 28 February 2017.
The honorary degree will be presented by His Royal Highness the Constitutional Head of IIUM, Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Abu Bakar Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mu’adzam Shah.
According to the Malaysian Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Rahman Dahlan, King Salman will leave a big impact and provide numerous opportunites for the people following his official visit to Malaysia.
After his two-year reign as the ruler of Saudi Arabia, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud is deemed as the most revolutionary, innovative leader as he has countlessly addressed some of the grave concerns pertaining to the country and upheld Saudi Arabia’s reputation as an ever progressing nation.
The King has brought upon a ‘paradigm shift’ as he altered the traditional succession procedure to transform the governance to their younger successors. Thus, the appointment of Prince Mohammed bin Nayef as crown prince.
Former United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Robert Jordan, described the King on CNN as “a reformer, a judge, a jury in some cases, and deal with dissent, as well as economic issues” – which explains His Majesty’s numerous capabilities.
King Salman was the Governor of Riyadh for over five decades and was appointed the Minister of Defence of Saudi Arabia in November 2011.
Born on 31 January 1935, in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, King Salman is one of the “Sudairi Seven” – sons of King Abdul Aziz that comes from the same birth mother – he is the most influential within the House of Saud. He is also known as the family ‘sheriff’ as he is alleged to have his own ‘jail’ where he keeps the delinquent royals.
King Salman is the third Prince to be named the heir by King Abdullah. He became a hafeez at the age of 10. He received his education from the Princes’ School of Riyadh, an institution established by King Abdul Aziz in 1356 for the education of the royal family and their predecessors.
King Salman studied religion and modern sciences.
Dating back since 1956, he presided over numerous humanitarian and charity bodies and organisations that provide help services and relief for nations and people suffering from natural and man-made catastrophes.
For his philanthropist acts, he was bestowed and presented innumerable decorations and medals comprising of countries like Palestine, Morocco, Yemen, Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, the Philippines, Senegal, the United Nations, and the King Abdul Aziz Medal – First Class.
Also, King Salman is a beneficiary of sundry honorary degrees and academic awards, including an honorary doctorate from the Islamic University of Medina, an honorary doctorate from the Islamic University in Delhi, the Bahrain Award for Human Work for the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Prince Salman academic award, and the Kant Medal by the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities.
He is indeed an amazing icon to look upon and a force to be reckoned with.***