Suliman Saleh Olayan

Suliman Saleh Olayan, "founding chairman and long-time chief executive of The Olayan Group, died July 4[, 2002] in New York, where he had been undergoing medical treatment, at the age of 83. Born in 1918 and orphaned at a young age, he founded a single trucking company in 1947 in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province that evolved into the present-day diversified enterprise and major participant in the field of global investing. Geographically, the company expanded throughout the Middle East and, eventually to the U.S. and Europe. In addition to his business acumen, Mr. Olayan was known for his community and national efforts and interest in international relations. Among the honors he received were Knight Commander of the British Empire, Sweden's Royal Order of the Polar Star, and Spain's Order of Merit. He is survived by his wife, Mary Olayan, his son, Khaled, who has been named to succeed his father as group chairman, daughters Hayat, Hutham and Lubna, and 12 grandchildren."