Sir James was Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 1979 to 1984. An academic and brilliant Arabist, his warmth and wit and wisdom were treasured by his colleagues and his many, many friends in the UK and across the Arab world.
He was one of the founders of the Saudi British Society. In 2014 he received the Rawabi Prize for his contribution to Saudi British relations. He will be greatly missed.
The photograph below, taken at an SBS meeting a couple of years ago, shows Sir James Craig seated in the middle.
At the back: Sir Sherard Cowper-ColesFront, left to right: Sir Alan Munro, Sir James Craig, Sir Derek Plumbly.