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 recognises distinguished services, said a statement.

The French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia presented Sheikh Khaled Juffali with the medal during a ceremony that was recently held in Riyadh, in the presence of 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.

The ‘French Legion of Honor’ was also awarded to a select group of Saudi Arabian personalities, said the statement.

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, it said.

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, said a French Embassy official. - TradeArabia News Service