02-28-2012, 01:19 PM
Nut al-Khidmat al-Awal / General Service Medal, 1959-2003
This represents a continuation and restructuring of the royal General Service Medal after the 1958 revolution. Like that campaign medal it was awarded for just what the name suggests, "general service", and was a difficult medal to avoid receiving. Unlike its royal predecessor, there were no clasps representing individual campaigns.
Established: By Law No. 30 of 1959. Manufactured by Huguenin (La Loche, Switzerland).
Obverse: A bright bronze medal, 53x34 mm, with a crescent and semicircular wreath with an Arabic inscription “Al-Khidmat al-Awal” or “General Service”. Crossed rifles in the background, with their muzzles joined by ten rays which attach to the straight bar of the ribbon suspension. The back side of the suspension bar, normally concealed within the ribbon, bears the maker’s mark, “HUGUENIN SWITZERLAND”.
Reverse: Within a circle, the date “1344 H.” or “1344 A.H.” (= 1927 C.E.), the date of the original establishment of the medal. The name of King Faisal I was removed (obvously) from the reverse in 1958, after the establishment of the republic
Ribbon: 30 mm, white with 7 mm green edge stripes (7 mm green, 16 mm white, 7 mm green). This ribbon closely conforms to the original ribbon specifications for the earlier General Service Medal (in color, but not in proportions).
This represents a continuation and restructuring of the royal General Service Medal after the 1958 revolution. Like that campaign medal it was awarded for just what the name suggests, "general service", and was a difficult medal to avoid receiving. Unlike its royal predecessor, there were no clasps representing individual campaigns.
Established: By Law No. 30 of 1959. Manufactured by Huguenin (La Loche, Switzerland).
Obverse: A bright bronze medal, 53x34 mm, with a crescent and semicircular wreath with an Arabic inscription “Al-Khidmat al-Awal” or “General Service”. Crossed rifles in the background, with their muzzles joined by ten rays which attach to the straight bar of the ribbon suspension. The back side of the suspension bar, normally concealed within the ribbon, bears the maker’s mark, “HUGUENIN SWITZERLAND”.
Reverse: Within a circle, the date “1344 H.” or “1344 A.H.” (= 1927 C.E.), the date of the original establishment of the medal. The name of King Faisal I was removed (obvously) from the reverse in 1958, after the establishment of the republic
Ribbon: 30 mm, white with 7 mm green edge stripes (7 mm green, 16 mm white, 7 mm green). This ribbon closely conforms to the original ribbon specifications for the earlier General Service Medal (in color, but not in proportions).
