In a special gesture, Saudi Arabia conferred its highest civilian honour — the King Abdulaziz Sash — on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The award is named after Abdulaziz Al Saud, the founder of the modern Saudi state.

• The Prime Minister was conferred the prestigious award by King Salman bin Abdulaziz at the Royal Court where they held extensive talks on a range of bilateral, regional and international issues.
• World leaders who have received the honour include Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, British Prime Minister David Cameron, US President Barack Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

Did You Know?

• The death penalty is commonly used in Saudi Arabia—it’s fourth in the world in number of executions, and people are killed for crimes including adultery and renouncing Islam.
• Diyya, commonly translated as “blood money,” is a system for criminals to compensate their victims’ families financially. Doing so allows the person that committed the crime to be let off from normal criminal justice.
• In 2018, the World’s Tallest Building title will belong to Kingdom Tower, the centerpiece of a new city being built on Saudi Arabia’s coast.
• Kingdom Tower is set to be the first building to reach more than a kilometer (3,280 ft) into the air and will include a hotel, observatory, and office space—as well as some apartments for those seeking a view.
• Until 2011, Saudi Arabia was the last country in the world to deny votes to women (except Brunei, where they deny votes to everyone). That year, King Abdullah ruled in favor of allowing women to vote in municipal elections.