RIYADH: Abdullah Omar Naseef, former secretary-general of the Muslim World League and deputy chairman of the Saudi Shoura Council, passed away at the age of 86.
The funeral prayer was held on Sunday at Al-Juffali Mosque in Jeddah, followed by burial at Al-Asad Cemetery.
Colleagues, friends, and members of the public expressed their condolences and paid tribute to his life and work.
Faisal bin Muammar, founding secretary-general of the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue and the King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue, wrote on X: “My deepest condolences and sympathy on the passing of Abdullah Omar Naseef, who departed this life after a distinguished journey filled with scholarly and humanitarian contributions.
“We had the honor of working together on numerous occasions — in the National Dialogue, the World Scouting Organization, and other forums — where he was always a symbol of balance and wisdom, a model of noble character, and a man whose social and humanitarian legacy will be fondly remembered.”
Naseef held several key local and international positions, including president of King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, chairman of the International Islamic Relief Organization, president of the World Muslim Congress, and secretary-general of the International Islamic Council for Dawah and Relief.
He also served on the World Scout Committee, led the International Union of Muslim Scouts, and was a board member of the Saudi Arabian Scout Association.
In 1991, Abdullah Omar Naseef received the King Faisal Prize for Service to Islam for his leadership and contributions to Islamic education and international cooperation. (Supplied)
Naseef was active in the Muslim World League, representing Saudi Arabia at international conferences from 1983 to 1993. He promoted Islamic causes and encouraged dialogue among nations and religions.
As deputy chairman of the Shoura Council, he was respected for his insight and commitment to national interests.
He co-founded Dar Al-Islam in New Mexico, the Islamic College in Chicago, and the Islamic Academy in Cambridge, and served as vice president of the International Islamic University in Islamabad, Pakistan.
He chaired the boards of several institutions, including the Islamic Cultural Centers in Geneva and Sydney, the Institute for the History of Arabic and Islamic Sciences at the University of Frankfurt, the International Islamic University in Chittagong, Dar Al-Ihsan University in Bangladesh, and the Islamic University of Niger.
He also served as vice president of the Saudi National Dialogue Committee for 10 years, secretary-general of the World Islamic Council for Dawah and Relief from 1998 to 2019, president of the International Union of Muslim Scouts, and chairman of the Abdullah bin Omar Naseef Charitable Foundation.
In 1991, he received the King Faisal Prize for Service to Islam for his leadership and contributions to Islamic education and international cooperation.
Born in Jeddah in 1939, Naseef earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from King Saud University in 1964 and later became a fellow of the Geological Societies of London and America.
