Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has awarded two Saudi students posthumously with the Order of King Abdulaziz of the First Degree for their bravery and service.

The two Saudi students drowned in the state of Massachusetts in the Chicopee River on June 29, 2018, while trying to rescue two children who were caught in the river's current, said a statement from the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington D.C., USA.

The King met with the families of the two students at his office in the Salaam palace in Jeddah, where he expressed his condolences and sympathies for their loss, and lauded the student's bravery and selfless act.

The families, in turn, expressed their sincere thanks for the condolences, and their appreciation for the King and the Crown Prince's efforts. The students, Theeb Alyami, 27, and Jaser Alrakah, 25, were cousins, studying civil engineering at a local university, just a few weeks shy of their graduation dates.

The award, which is one of the highest awards the Kingdom has to offer, is given in recognition of major services performed for: the country, one of its institutions, services and works of significant moral value, or to those who make great sacrifices. – TradeArabia News Service