Washington, Jeddah, Asharq Al-Awsat – The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz was included in a list compiled by Newsweek of “10 leaders [who] have managed to win respect.” The list also included British Prime Minister David Cameron, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen, Brazilian President Lula da Silva, South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak, Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and President of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed.

The Newsweek article lauded King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz as a “reformer” who has “given the go-ahead to modernize schools, has appointed women to high office, and invested in science and technology education and nuclear power initiatives.” The article also confirms that the Saudi monarch has proven to be “a stalwart ally against Islamic extremism” and called on Muslims “to embrace the spirit of tolerance, moderation, and balance.” The article added that King Abdullah is “still going strong.”