Hillary
and I are saddened by the passing of His Majesty Abdullah bin
Abdulaziz. I had many dealings with His Majesty during and after my
presidency, as did Hillary both inside and outside the State Department,
and we are grateful for his support of efforts for peace in the Middle
East; our close economic cooperation; the Kingdom’s humanitarian efforts
around the world; especially its contributions after the earthquake in
Haiti; and his efforts to modernize Saudi Arabia’s economy and education
systems – as embodied by King Abdullah University, the Kingdom’s first
coeducational institution of higher education. Hillary and I are also
grateful for his personal friendship and kindness toward our family and
we join the Saudi people in mourning his loss and send our heartfelt
condolences to the Royal Family.
