Dubai, Jan 13: Saudi Arabia’s oldest known man, Nasser bin Radan Al Rashid Al Wadaei, has died at the age of 142, according to local reports.
Funeral prayers were held in Dhahran Al Janoub, in the southern region of the Kingdom, before he was buried in his home village of Al Rashid.
More than 7,000 people attended the funeral. Al Wadaei was born before the unification of Saudi Arabia and lived through the reigns of the Kingdom’s leaders from King Abdulaziz, the founder of the modern Saudi state, to King Salman.
His life spanned more than a century of major political, social and economic change in the country.
According to family accounts, he performed the Hajj pilgrimage more than 40 times and was known for his strong religious devotion.
He is survived by 134 children and grandchildren. He reportedly married for the last time at the age of 110 and later had a daughter.
News of his death attracted widespread attention across Saudi social media, with many describing him as a symbol of faith and resilience.–(Gulf News)
