THE French government has conferred the “Knight of the Legion of Honor” award to Sheikh Khaled Juffali in recognition of his prominent activities and efforts aimed at strengthening trade relations between Saudi Arabia and France. The world-renowned Order is the highest decoration bestowed in France, and recognizes distinguished services.



General Jean-Louis Georgelin, Grand Chancellor of the Legion of Honor and Chancellor of the National Order of Merit, who had flown in from Paris to chair the ceremony, presented Sheikh Khaled Juffali with the medal during the event  recently held in Riyadh, in the presence of French Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Bertrand Besancenot. The French Legion of Honor was also awarded to a select group of Saudi personalities.



The special awards ceremony was attended by a number of senior officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and members of diplomatic missions accredited to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.



A French Embassy official said that more than 500 Saudis have been awarded one of the two distinctions since France first established official diplomatic relations with the Kingdom in the 1930s  for their significant contributions to developing bilateral relations. — SG