Thousands gathered in Riyadh for King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz’s funeral. The 90-year-old leader died Thursday.

At his service he was wrapped in a beige cloth and laid in an unmarked grave. Masses of people came to pay their respects. His burial followed Islamic tradition. His 79-year-old brother has now taken the throne.

A Bay area man had the opportunity to meet and work with King Abdullah.

“I am very emotional today, I absolutely loved the man,” said Bawa Jain, the Secretary General of the World Council of Religious Leaders.

Jain, from Wesley Chapel, has met leaders from all over the world with the purpose of bringing peace.

“Let’s bring religious leaders to the UN, work with them in the UN on critical social issues,” Jain said.

Jain met King Abdullah at the World Conference on Dialogue in 2008. Honored, Jain was asked to chair the first session.  

“My wife is from the Middle East and she’s an Arab, so I said 'you’re an Arab, my wife is an Arab, so I am your son-in-law,'” he said smiling.

Jain says throughout the years he’s witnessed firsthand King Abdullah unleashing new freedoms for Saudi Arabia.

“He was a revolutionary, he was in before his time, and he brought in many changes, positive changes.”

Changes like creating the first college for women.  

“Women have jobs, women have positions, women are being educated now, that wasn’t happening before,” said Jain.

Jain says economic growth and education were some of the king’s greatest accomplishments.

“The campus of King Abdullah University of Technology and Science was the first campus where women and men are there together.”

On a global level Jain says King Abdullah wanted peace and stability in the world. That included a meeting with the Vatican. It was the first meeting of the Roman Catholic Church and a Saudi Monarch.

“He knew well that we reach out to our Christian brothers, we need to bridge the differences.”

Jain says he looks forward to his continued relationship with Saudi Arabia. He says he believes King Abdullah’s legacy will continue.