Category Archives: Saudi Arabia Royals

King Fahd of Saudi Arabia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

King Fahd of Saudi Arabia; Credit – Wikipedia

Arabic Naming Conventions

  • Al – family/clan of…
  • bin or ibn – son of…
  • bint – daughter of…

King Fahd of Saudi Arabia was born on March 21, 1921, in Riyadh, Sultanate of Nejd, now in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Fahd was one of the twelve children of King Abdulaziz, the first King of Saudi Arabia, and Hassa bint Ahmed Al Sudairi (1900 – 1969), one of his many wives. Like Sarah Al Sudairi, the mother of King Abdulaziz, Hassa was a member of the influential Al Sudairi family. Abdulaziz married her twice. They first married in 1913, divorced after a few years, and then remarried in 1920. In the period between their first and second marriages, Hassa married Abdulaziz’s younger half-brother Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman, and had one son from this marriage. Abdulaziz remained in love with Hassa and forced his half-brother to divorce her so that he could remarry her.

Fahd and Salman, the two members of the Sudairi Seven who became kings; Credit – By Qrmoo3 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=66343065

Hassa bint Ahmed Al Sudairi and King Abdulaziz had seven sons and five daughters. No other wife of King Abdulaziz produced more sons than Hassa. In Arab culture, the most prominent wife is the one who gives birth to the largest number of sons and so Hassa became Abdulaziz’s most valued wife. Their sons are known as the Sudairi Seven.  The oldest son Fahd was King of Saudi Arabia from 1982 to 2005, the second and fourth oldest sons Sultan and Nayef both served as Crown Prince but predeceased their half-brother King Abdullah, and the sixth-oldest son Salman succeeded Abdullah as King of Saudi Arabia in 2015. The Sudairi Seven were the largest bloc of full brothers among Abdulaziz’s sons and wielded a substantial amount of coordinated influence and power.

King Fahd had eleven younger full siblings:

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Five sons of King Abdulaziz board a plane at Herne Airport in Hampshire, England on August 31, 1945: Left to Right: Saudi Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Nawaf, Abdullah, Fahd, Mohammed, Faisal

Abdulaziz had a polygamous household comprising several wives at a time and numerous concubines. It is thought he had a total of 22-24 wives. Abdulaziz was the father of almost a hundred children, including 45 sons of whom 36 survived to adulthood. Fahd had many half-siblings, too numerous to list here. See Wikipedia: Descendants of Ibn Saud (Abdulaziz). The six Kings of Saudi Arabia who followed King Abdulaziz were all his sons. Four of them were the half-brothers of Fahd, and one, Salman, was Fahd’s full-brother. King Fahd succeeded his half-brother King Khalid and was succeeded by his half-brother King Abdullah.

Fahd and his siblings were much younger than the previous Kings of Saudi Arabia and Abdulaziz’s other older children. By 1926, Abdulaziz had reached his goal of consolidating the Arabian peninsula and was then King of the dual Kingdoms of Hejaz and Nejd. In 1932, the two kingdoms of the Hejaz and Nejd were united as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Therefore, during the childhood of Fahd and his siblings, the situation was more settled and stable.

Abdulaziz’s older sons were educated by tutors. However, by the time Fahd and his brothers were ready to be educated, their father had established the Princes’ School on the second floor of Deera Palace in Riyadh. Following his education at the Princes’ School, Fahd attended the Religious Knowledge Institute in Mecca where he studied Wahhabi Islam.

King Fahd was married at least thirteen times but divorced eight of his wives. He had six sons and four daughters. Only five wives had children.

Princess Al-Anoud bint Abdulaziz bin Musaed bin Jalawi Al Saud (1923 – 1999), had five sons and one daughter

Al Jawhara bint Ibrahim Al Ibrahim, had one son, she divorced from her first husband to wed King Fahd

Princess Noura bint Turki bin Abdullah bin Saud bin Faisal Al Saud (died 2018), had one daughter, divorced

  • Princess Al Anoud bint Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

Princess Tarfa bint Abdul Aziz bin Fahd bin Muammar, had one daughter, divorced

  • Princess Lulwa bint Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

Princess Watfa bint Ubaid bin Ali Al-Jabr Al-Rasheed, had one daughter, divorced

  • Princess Al-Jawhara bint Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (died 2016)
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Crown Prince Fahd smiles as he poses for media prior to his talks at Elysee Palace in Paris with French President Valery Giscard d’Estaing, July 21, 1975

In 1953, Fahd made his first official state visit, attending the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom on behalf of his half-brother King Saud. He was the first Minister of Education, serving from 1954 – 1962. He then served as Minister of Interior from 1962 – 1975.

On March 25, 1975, King Faisal of Saudi Arabia was shot and killed by his 30-year-old nephew Prince Faisal bin Musaid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at the Royal Palace in Riyadh. (See Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of King Faisal of Saudi Arabia.) Faisal was succeeded by his half-brother Khalid and Fahd was immediately appointed Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. King Khalid suffered from ill-health before and during his reign and Crown Prince Fahd was often in charge of ruling the country. Upon the death of King Khalid on June 13, 1982, Fahd became King of Saudi Arabia. His half-brother, the future King Abdullah, was appointed Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia on the same day. In 1986, King Fahd adopted the title Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques replacing His Majesty, to signify an Islamic rather than a secular authority.

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Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, King Fahd of Saudi Arabia and Queen Elizabeth II attend a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace on March 1, 1987

In 1990, Iraqi forces under Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, placing the Iraqi army on the Saudi-Kuwaiti border. King Fahd agreed to host American-led coalition troops in Saudi Arabia and later allowed American troops to be based there. This decision brought him considerable criticism and opposition from many Saudis and his full-brothers, the Sudairi Seven, who objected to the presence of foreign troops on Saudi soil.

King Fahd suffered a debilitating stroke on November 29, 1995. He became noticeably frail and had to use a cane and then a wheelchair. Although he still attended meetings and received selected visitors, Crown Prince Abdullah took on much of King Fahd’s responsibilities and acted as the de facto regent of Saudi Arabia.

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Members of the Saudi royal family pray over the body of King Fahd at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh, August 2, 2005

On May 27, 2005, King Fahd was admitted to the King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for unspecified medical tests. He died on August 1, 2005, and was succeeded by his half-brother Abdullah. King Fahd’s body was carried to the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh for the funeral prayers. Many foreign dignitaries attended the funeral on August 2, 2005, including American Vice President Dick Cheney, French President Jacques Chirac, King Juan Carlos of Spain, Prince Charles of the United Kingdom, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, King Abdullah II of Jordan, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. King Fahd’s body was then carried the short distance to the Al Oud cemetery. Only Saudi royal family members and Saudi citizens were present as the body was lowered into the grave.

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The grave of King Fahd

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Ar.wikipedia.org. 2020. أسرة فهد بن عبد العزيز آل سعود. [online] Available at: <https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A3%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A9_%D9%81%D9%87%D8%AF_%D8%A8%D9%86_%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B2_%D8%A2%D9%84_%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF> [Accessed 3 September 2020].
  • Ar.wikipedia.org. 2020. فهد بن عبد العزيز آل سعود. [online] Available at: <https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%81%D9%87%D8%AF_%D8%A8%D9%86_%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B2_%D8%A2%D9%84_%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF> [Accessed 3 September 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Fahd Of Saudi Arabia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahd_of_Saudi_Arabia> [Accessed 3 September 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Sudairi Seven. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudairi_Seven> [Accessed 3 September 2020].
  • House of Saud. 2020. Fahd Of Saudi Arabia – House Of Saud. [online] Available at: <https://houseofsaud.com/profiles/fahd-of-saudi-arabia/> [Accessed 3 September 2020].

King Khalid of Saudi Arabia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

King Khalid of Saudi Arabia; Credit – Wikipedia

Arabic Naming Conventions

  • Al – family/clan of…
  • bin or ibn – son of…
  • bint – daughter of…

King Khalid of Saudi Arabia was born in Riyadh, Emirate of Nejd, now in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on February 13, 1913. He was the second of the two sons and the second of the three children of the future King Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia and Al Jawhara bint Musaed bin Jiluwi Al Saud (1891–1919), one of Abdulaziz’s many wives. Al Jawhara bint Musaed was one of Abdulaziz’s favorite wives. They were married in 1908 when she was seventeen years old. In 1919, when Khalid was only six years old, his mother died during the 1918-1920 influenza pandemic which also killed Prince Turki bin Abdulaziz, the eldest of all Abdulaziz’s sons. Abdulaziz was devastated when Al Jawhara bint Musaed died. Her room in the palace was kept the way it was when she died and only Abdulaziz’s beloved sister Princess Noura was allowed to enter the room.

Khalid had two full-siblings, a brother and a sister:

Abdulaziz had a polygamous household comprising several wives at a time and numerous concubines. It is thought he had a total of 22-24 wives. Abdulaziz was the father of almost a hundred children, including 45 sons of whom 36 survived to adulthood. Khalid had many half-siblings, too numerous to list here. See Wikipedia: Descendants of Ibn Saud (Abdulaziz). The six Kings of Saudi Arabia who followed King Abdulaziz were all his sons and so five of them were the half-brothers of Khalid. King Khalid succeeded his assassinated half-brother King Faisal and was succeeded by his half-brother King Fahd.

Throughout his life, Khalid had a close relationship with his brother Muhammad. Until he died in 1988, Muhammad was a close confidant and senior adviser to Khalid while he was king and then to his half-brother King Fahd, Khalid’s successor. Like Abdulaziz’s other sons, Khalid studied Sharia law and the Quran. Under the supervision of his father, Khalid learned archery, horse-riding, tribal lineages, and the art of wars, politics, diplomacy, and administration in the traditional Arabian ways.

In 1902, Khalid’s father Abdulaziz had recaptured control of Riyadh, bringing the city under the control of the Al Saud. For the next 24 years, Abdulaziz consolidated the territory of the Arabian peninsula. In 1926, Abdulaziz reached his goal and was then King of the dual Kingdoms of Hejaz and Nejd. On September 23, 1932, the two kingdoms of the Hejaz and Nejd were united as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

When he was just fourteen years old, Khalid was sent by his father as his representative to the desert tribes to hear their concerns and problems. During the reign of his father, Khalid was entrusted with many duties as his representative, especially in the field of diplomacy. Prince Khalid became an international figure as a result of his visits and service as a Saudi representative.

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Prince Khalid in 1943 looking at horseshoes from the royal stables

Khalid married six times but two of the marriages did not last long and are not listed below.

Latifa bint Ahmed Al-Sudairy, no children

Tarfa bint Abdullah bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud, no children

Noura bint Turki bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (1916 – 2011), two children

  • Prince Bandar bin Khalid Al Saud (1935 – 2018)
  • Prince Abdullah bin Khalid Al Saud (born 1935), Chairman of the King Khalid Foundation

Seetah bint Fahd Al Damer (1922 – 2012), eight children

During the rivalry between King Saud, Saudi Arabia’s second king, and Crown Prince Faisal, which ultimately led to King Saud’s forced abdication in 1964, Prince Khalid supported Crown Prince Faisal. Khalid’s elder brother Muhammad was Crown Prince during the first few months (November 1964 – March 1965) of King Faisal’s reign. He then voluntarily stepped aside from the succession to allow his younger brother Prince Khalid, to become the heir apparent to the Saudi throne. On March 29, 1965, Khalid officially became the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. He was also appointed the first Deputy Prime Minister. There is speculation that Khalid was chosen Crown Prince because it created intra-family consensus due to Khalid’s lack of interest in political machinations. Khalid asked King Faisal to remove him as Crown Prince several times. King Faisal always rejected the request because he felt Khalid’s presence as Crown Prince was necessary to keep peace within the House of Saud.

On March 25, 1975, 68-year-old King Faisal was shot and killed by his 30-year-old nephew Prince Faisal bin Musaid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at the Royal Palace in Riyadh. (See Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of King Faisal of Saudi Arabia) Khalid, who did not even want to be Crown Prince, succeeded to the throne of Saudi Arabia.

Although King Khalid initially was reluctant to rule Saudi Arabia, he gradually warmed to his role and worked on improving the education, health-care, and infrastructure of Saudi Arabia during his seven-year reign. King Khalid had personal characteristics that made him a respected king. He was admired as an honest man who managed to have good relations with the traditional establishment of Saudi Arabia, and therefore, he was granted support by Saudi princes and other powerful forces of the country.

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Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom meets King Khalid during a visit to the Gulf States on February 18, 1979 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Khalid suffered from ill-health and perhaps that was one of the reasons that he was reluctant to take on the role of King of Saudi Arabia. In 1970, while he was Crown Prince, Khalid suffered a massive heart attack and in 1972, he had cardiac surgery at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio in the United States. After he became king, Khalid had hip replacement surgery at Wellington Hospital in London, England in 1976, and a second cardiac surgery in 1978 at the Cleveland Clinic. In 1980, King Khalid had a minor heart attack. Because of King Khalid’s ill health, his half-brother and successor Crown Prince Fahd was often in charge of ruling the country.

King Khalid died on June 13, 1982, aged 69, in Ta’if, Saudi Arabia from a heart attack. On the day of his death, King Khalid’s body was brought from Ta’if to Mecca, Saudi Arabia where funeral prayers were said at the Great Mosque. He was then buried at the Al Oud cemetery in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Al Oud cemetery – burials are in unmarked graves covered with mounds of stones; Credit – timenote.info

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Ar.wikipedia.org. 2020. خالد بن عبد العزيز آل سعود. [online] Available at: <https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AE%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF_%D8%A8%D9%86_%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B2_%D8%A2%D9%84_%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF> [Accessed 3 September 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Khalid Of Saudi Arabia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khalid_of_Saudi_Arabia> [Accessed 3 September 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. King Abdulaziz Of Saudi Arabia. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-abdulaziz-ibn-saud-of-saudi-arabia/> [Accessed 2 September 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2019. King Faisal Of Saudi Arabia. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-faisal-of-saudi-arabia/> [Accessed 2 September 2020].
  • House of Saud. 2020. Khalid Of Saudi Arabia – House Of Saud. [online] Available at: <https://houseofsaud.com/profiles/khalid-of-saudi-arabia/> [Accessed 3 September 2020].
  • Timesmachine.nytimes.com. 1982. KHALID, QUIET KING AND DESERT HUNTER. [online] Available at: <https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1982/06/14/208230.html?pageNumber=12> [Accessed 3 September 2020].

King Saud of Saudi Arabia

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2020

Credit – Wikipedia

Arabic Naming Conventions

  • Al – family/clan of…
  • bin or ibn – son of…
  • bint – daughter of…

Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the second King of Saudi Arabia, was born on January 15, 1902, in Kuwait City, Kuwait while the Al Saud family was in exile. His father was Abdulaziz ibn Abdul Rahman Al-Saud, also known as Ibn Saud, the founder and the first king of Saudi Arabia. Saud’s mother, Wadhah bint Muhammad bin Hussein Al-Orair (died 1969) from the Qahtan tribe, was his father’s second of many wives. Abdulaziz’s first wife died six months after her marriage. Abdulaziz had a polygamous household comprising several wives at a time and numerous concubines. It is thought he had a total of 22-24 wives. Abdulaziz was the father of almost a hundred children, including 45 of whom 36 survived to adulthood.

In 1902, the year of Saud’s birth, his father Abdulaziz recaptured control of Riyadh, bringing the city under the control of the Al Saud. For the next 24 years, Abdulaziz consolidated the territory of the Arabian peninsula. In 1926, Abdulaziz reached his goal and was then King of the dual Kingdoms of Hejaz and Nejd. On September 23, 1932, the two kingdoms of the Hejaz and Nejd were united as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. On May 11, 1933, Abdulaziz appointed his eldest surviving son Saud as Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.

Saud’s brother Turki who died at the age of 18; Credit – Wikipedia

Saud had five full siblings. His elder brother Turki bin Abdulaziz Al Saud died in 1919 at the age of 18 during the influenza pandemic of 1918-1920.

  • Turki I bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (1900 – 1919)
  • Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (died young)
  • Munira bint Abdulaziz Al Saud(died 1972)
  • Nura bint Abdulaziz Al Saud
  • Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (died young)

Saud had many half-siblings, too numerous to list here. See Wikipedia: Descendants of Ibn Saud (Abdulaziz). The six Kings of Saudi Arabia who followed King Abdulaziz were all his sons and so five of them were the half-brothers of Saud. King Saud succeeded his father King Abdulaziz and was succeeded by his half-brother, King Faisal who had deposed him.

Saud was brought up in a home that included his parents, his brothers, and his paternal grandparents Abdul Rahman bin Faisal Al-Saud and Sarah bint Ahmed Al-Sudairy. Saud and his older brother Turki were very close. Their paternal grandparents had a great impact in their upbringing. When he was five-years-old, Saud, began studying Sharia law and the Quran. Under the supervision of his father Abdulaziz, Saud learned archery, horse-riding, tribal lineages, and the art of wars, politics, diplomacy, and administration in the traditional Arabian ways. From an early age, Saud accompanied his father on war-related or political, administrative, and diplomatic missions. Eventually, Abdulaziz entrusted Saud to conduct these missions on his own. In 1915, thirteen-year-old Saud led his first political mission delegation to Qatar and fought in his first battle.

King Saud with his son Prince Mashhoor in 1957; Credit – Wikipedia

Saud had an estimated 115 children and many wives, too numerous to list here. See Wikipedia: Wives and Children of King Saud.

During the years of the reign of his father King Abdulaziz, Saud and his half-brother Faisal,  who was four years younger and succeeded Saud as King of Saudi Arabia, had great responsibilities in the establishment and operation of the new kingdom. On October 13, 1953, Saud was appointed Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia. A month later, on November 9, 1953, King Abdulaziz died in his sleep from a heart attack with his son Prince Faisal, a future King of Saudi Arabia, at his bedside. In his will, King Abdulaziz stipulated that his sons should respect their different maternal ties, never turn against one another, and respect Islam and Wahhabi teachings. The kingdom was to be brought into modern times without destroying traditional values.

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Saud’s half-brother Faisal as Crown Prince in 1957

Prince Faisal had served as his father’s Foreign Minister beginning in 1930. Upon the death of his father King Abdulaziz and the accession of his half-brother King Saud in 1953, Faisal was appointed Crown Prince. King Saud remained Prime Minister and Faisal was appointed Deputy Prime Minister as well as continuing as Foreign Minister. However, unrest within the royal family over King Saud’s rule forced him to appoint Faisal as Prime Minister. An ongoing power struggle between the two half-brothers led to Faisal’s resignation as Prime Minister and Foreign Minister in 1960. The continued discontent with King Saud’s reign allowed Faisal to become Prime Minister and Foreign Minister again in 1962.

During his reign, King Saud was responsible for the creation of numerous government ministries, as well as the creation of King Saud University in the capital city of Riyadh. Saud wanted to empower his 53 sons by placing them in government positions. This upset his many half-brothers, who thought that Saud’s sons were too inexperienced, and they began to fear that he would select one of his sons to succeed him. Saud was also seen to use large sums of state funds for his own family and palaces at a time when Saudi Arabia was struggling to rise economically.

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King Saud with American President Dwight Eisenhower

King Saud and Crown Prince Faisal continued their power struggle when, in 1962, Prince Faisal formed a cabinet in the absence of King Saud, who had gone abroad for medical treatment. Faisal allied himself with his half-brothers Prince Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Interior Minister and the future King of Saudi Arabia, and Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Minister of Defense (from 1963 until his death) and the Crown Prince from 2005 until he died in 2011. The new government excluded any sons of King Saud.

When King Saud returned to Saudi Arabia, he threatened to mobilize the Royal Guard against his half-brother. In response, Faisal demanded King Saud make him regent and turn over all royal powers to him. Faisal had the support of the ulema, the elite Islamic scholars. Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Al ash-Sheikh, the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, a relative of Faisal on his mother’s side, issued a fatwa saying King Saud should accede to Faisal’s demands. When King Saud refused, Faisal ordered the National Guard to surround Saud’s palace. In March 1964, Saud finally agreed to name Faisal regent with full executive powers, reducing himself to a figurehead. In November 1964, the ulema, the cabinet, and senior members of the Saudi royal family forced Saud to abdicate and Faisal became king in his own right.

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Former King Saud with his daughter Princess Nazha bint Saud, his baby grandson Prince Abdulaziz, and an unnamed child on the left, October 10, 1968

Saud was forced into exile but lived quite comfortably with a retinue of forty people. He first settled in Geneva, Switzerland, then lived in palaces in Paris, France, and on the French Riviera. Saud then settled in Egypt in a magnificent palace in Heliopolis, and then in Greece at a large estate in Athens. On February 23, 1969, former King Saud died in Athens at the age of 67 after suffering a heart attack in his sleep. His body was taken back to Saudi Arabia where the funeral ceremony took place at the Great Mosque in Mecca. He was quietly buried next to his father at Al Oud cemetery in Riyadh.

Al Oud cemetery – burials are in unmarked graves covered with mounds of stones; Credit – timenote.info

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Ar.wikipedia.org. 2020. أسرة سعود بن عبد العزيز آل سعود. [online] Available at: <https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A3%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A9_%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF_%D8%A8%D9%86_%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B2_%D8%A2%D9%84_%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF> [Accessed 2 September 2020].
  • Ar.wikipedia.org. 2020. سعود بن عبد العزيز آل سعود. [online] Available at: <https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF_%D8%A8%D9%86_%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B2_%D8%A2%D9%84_%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF> [Accessed 2 September 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Saud Ibn Abd Al-Aziz. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saud_ibn_Abd_al-Aziz> [Accessed 2 September 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Saud Of Saudi Arabia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saud_of_Saudi_Arabia> [Accessed 2 September 2020].
  • Es.wikipedia.org. 2020. Saúd Bin Abdulaziz. [online] Available at: <https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sa%C3%BAd_bin_Abdulaziz> [Accessed 2 September 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. King Abdulaziz Of Saudi Arabia. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-abdulaziz-ibn-saud-of-saudi-arabia/> [Accessed 2 September 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2019. King Faisal Of Saudi Arabia. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-faisal-of-saudi-arabia/> [Accessed 2 September 2020].
  • Timesmachine.nytimes.com. 1969. King Saud Of Saudi Arabia Dies; Ruled Oil-Rich Land 1953-64; King Saud Of Saudi Arabia Dies; Ruled Oil. Rich Land 1953-64. [online] Available at: <https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1969/02/24/77443810.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0> [Accessed 2 September 2020].

King Abdulaziz (Ibn Saud) of Saudi Arabia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Credit – Wikipedia

Arabic Naming Conventions

  • Al – family/clan of…
  • bin or ibn – son of…
  • bint – daughter of…

Abdulaziz ibn Abdul Rahman Al Saud was the first King of Saudi Arabia. Sometimes known as Ibn Saud, he was born on January 15, 1876, in Riyadh, Emirate of Nejd, now in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. His parents were Abdul Rahman bin Faisal Al Saud, Emir of Nejd (1845 – 1928), and Princess Sarah bint Ahmed Al-Sudairy (died 1910), one of his father’s nine wives.

Abdulaziz had five full siblings and 18 half-siblings. His full siblings were:

The current royal family of Saudi Arabia, known as the Al Saud, has its roots in Nejd, the geographical central region of today’s Saudi Arabia. In 1744, the founder of the dynasty, Muhammad bin Saud, joined forces with the religious leader Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, founder of Wahhabism, a strict puritanical form of Sunni Islam that is the official, state-sponsored form of Islam still practiced in Saudi Arabia today. This alliance formed the ideology for Saudi expansion and has remained the foundation of the Saudi Arabian dynasty

The first Saudi state was established in 1744 in the area around Riyadh, and it expanded until it controlled most of present-day Saudi Arabia. In 1818, Mohammed Ali Pasha, the Ottoman Empire Viceroy of Egypt, won a victory against the Saudi state, greatly reducing its territory. A much smaller second Saudi state, located mainly in Nejd, was established in 1824. The Al Saud battled for control of the interior of what was to become Saudi Arabia with another Arabian ruling family, the Al Rashid. In 1891, the Al Rashid were victorious and the Al Saud were driven into exile in Kuwait.

A family member who had a profound effect on Abdulaziz was his paternal aunt Jawhara bint Faisal. Starting when he was a young boy, she instilled in him a strong sense of family. During the years when the Al Saud were living in exile in Kuwait, Jawhara bint Faisal told Abdulaziz stories of his ancestors and encouraged him not to be satisfied with the family’s current situation. She was instrumental in Abdulaziz’s decision to return to Nejd from Kuwait and regain the family’s territories. Jawhara bint Faisal remained one of Abdulaziz’s most trusted and influential advisors all her life and was deeply respected by all of his children. Abdulaziz visited his aunt every day until she died around 1930.

Abdulaziz in 1910; Credit – Wikipedia

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Ottoman Empire still controlled most of the Arabian peninsula with tribal leaders having local control. In 1902, Abdulaziz recaptured control of Riyadh, bringing the city under the control of the Al Saud. In 1913, with the support of the Ikhwan, a tribal army inspired by Wahhabism and led by Faisal Al-Dawish, Abdulaziz captured more territory from the Ottomans.

In 1916, with the encouragement and support of the British, who were fighting the Ottomans in World War I, Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca, led a pan-Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire to create a united Arab state. Although the Arab Revolt of 1916 – 1918 failed in its objective, the Allied victory in World War I resulted in the end of Ottoman Empire and its control in Arabia and Hussein bin Ali became King of Hejaz, the western portion of the Arabian peninsula.

Abdulaziz did not become involved in the Arab Revolt but instead continued his battles with the Al Rashid. In 1921, he finally defeated the Al Rashid in Nejd and took the title Sultan of Nejd. From 1924 – 1925, Abdulaziz, again with the help of the Ikhwan, the tribal army inspired by Wahhabism, fought Hussein bin Ali for the Kingdom of Hejaz and ultimately declared himself King of Hejaz. In 1926, Abdulaziz upgraded his title in Nejd to King of Nejd. For the next five years, he administered the two parts of his dual kingdom as separate units.

Abdulaziz inspects the cannons he seized from the Ottoman Empire in 1922; Credit – Wikipedia

After the conquest of Hejaz, the leadership of the Ikhwan sought to expand its brand of Islam into the British protectorates of Transjordan, Iraq, and Kuwait and began raiding those territories. Abdulaziz opposed this because he believed it was dangerous to come into direct conflict with the British. Eventually, the Ikhwan became disenchanted with Abdulaziz’s policies which favored modernization and the increase in the number of non-Muslim foreigners in the dual kingdom. As a result, the Ikhwan turned against Abdulaziz and, after a two-year struggle, they were defeated and their leaders were killed at the Battle of Sabilla in 1929. On September 23, 1932, the two kingdoms of the Hejaz and Nejd were united as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and that date is now a national holiday called Saudi National Day. Before he declared himself King of Saudi Arabia, Abdulaziz had to distance and contain the ambitions of his five brothers, particularly his elder half-brother Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman.

In 1933, Abdulaziz appointed his second but eldest surviving son Saud as Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. Abdulaziz’s eldest son Turki bin Abdulaziz had been the Crown Prince of the Kingdoms of Nejd and Hejaz but Turki died at age 18 during the 1918-1920 influenza pandemic and his younger full-brother Saud had been appointed Crown Prince of Nejd and Hejaz. Abdulaziz had many quarrels with his elder half-brother Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman as to who should be appointed Crown Prince. Muhammad had wanted his son Khalid to be appointed Crown Prince.

Embed from Getty Images 
Abdulaziz (center) with five of his sons and a group of palace servants in Riyadh, circa 1930

Abdulaziz had a polygamous household comprising of several wives at a time and numerous concubines. It is thought he had a total of 22-24 wives. He was the father of almost a hundred children, including 45 sons of whom 36 survived to adulthood. His children are too numerous to list here. See Wikipedia: Descendants of Ibn Saud (Abdulaziz).

The six Kings of Saudi Arabia who followed King Abdulaziz were all his sons.

King Abdulaziz (seated) with his son Crown Prince Saud; Credit – Wikipedia

Eventually, Abdulaziz left most of his duties to his son Crown Prince Saud and spent most of his time in the city of Ta’if, located on the slopes of the Hejaz Mountains and known as the unofficial summer capital of Saudi Arabia. In the final years of his life, Abdulaziz suffered from heart disease, arthritis, and partial blindness. On November 9, 1953, Abdulaziz died in his sleep from a heart attack at his palace in Ta’if with his son Prince Faisal, a future King of Saudi Arabia, at his bedside. He was buried in Al Oud cemetery in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia next to his beloved sister Noura who died in 1950. Abdulaziz was very close to Noura and often identified himself with “I am the brother of Noura.”

Al Oud cemetery – burials are in unmarked graves covered with mounds of stones; Credit – timenote.info

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Ar.wikipedia.org. 2020. عبد الرحمن بن فيصل بن تركي آل سعود. [online] Available at: <https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%AD%D9%85%D9%86_%D8%A8%D9%86_%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%B5%D9%84_%D8%A8%D9%86_%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%83%D9%8A_%D8%A2%D9%84_%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF> [Accessed 31 August 2020].
  • Ar.wikipedia.org. 2020. عبد العزيز آل سعود. [online] Available at: <https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B2_%D8%A2%D9%84_%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF> [Accessed 31 August 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Abdul Rahman Bin Faisal. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdul_Rahman_bin_Faisal> [Accessed 31 August 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Ibn Saud. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_Saud> [Accessed 31 August 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Saudi Arabia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi_Arabia> [Accessed 31 August 2020].

Assassination of King Faisal of Saudi Arabia (1975)

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Arabic Naming Conventions

Al – family/clan of…
bin or ibn – son of…
bint – daughter of…

On March 25, 1975, King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, aged 68, was shot and killed by his 30-year-old nephew Prince Faisal bin Musaid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at the Royal Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

King Faisal of Saudi Arabia; Credit – Wikipedia

King Faisal of Saudi Arabia

Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was born on April 14, 1906, in Riyadh, then in the Emirate of Nejd and Hasa, now the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. His father was Abdulaziz ibn Abdul Rahman Al Saud, also known as Ibn Saud, the founder and the first king of Saudi Arabia. Faisal’s mother was Tarfa bint Abdullah bin Abdullatif Al ash-Sheikh, one of his father’s 22-24 wives.

Faisal was introduced to politics at an early age. In 1919, at the age of thirteen, Faisal was sent to meetings in the United Kingdom and France as the head of the Saudi delegation. After Abdulaziz’s eldest son Turki, Faisal’s half-brother, died in 1919 during the influenza pandemic, Faisal became the second eldest of Abdulaziz’s sons after his half-brother Saud. Besides speaking Arabic, Faisal was fluent in English and French. Faisal had four wives and a total of seventeen children.

Faisal served as Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Prime Minister, and Crown Prince. After a power struggle with Faisal’s half-brother King Saud, the cabinet and senior members of the Saudi royal family forced Saud to abdicate, and Faisal became the third King of Saudi Arabia in 1964.

For more information about King Faisal see Unofficial Royalty: King Faisal of Saudi Arabia

The Assassination

On March 25, 1975, at the Royal Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, King Faisal was holding a reception. Prince Faisal bin Musaid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud joined the Kuwaiti delegation that had lined up to meet King Faisal. The king recognized his nephew Prince Faisal and bent his head forward so that his nephew could kiss the king’s head as a sign of respect. Prince Faisal took out a revolver from his robe and shot King Faisal twice in the head. The third shot missed and he threw the gun away. King Faisal fell to the floor. A bodyguard hit Prince Faisal with a sheathed sword but Saudi oil minister Ahmed Zaki Yamani yelled repeatedly not to kill the prince. Then bodyguards with swords and submachine guns subdued Prince Faisal and arrested him.

King Faisal was rushed to Riyadh Hospital where he was treated by an American doctor. Head wounds from the .38 caliber bullets fired at point-blank range were the cause of death. King Faisal’s death was announced shortly after 12 noon. A sobbing announcer read the official statement over Saudi radio: “ With great sorrow and sadness, on behalf of His Highness, the Crown Prince, the royal family and the nation announces the death of His Majesty King Faisal who died in Riyadh Hospital of wounds sustained in an attack on his life by mentally deranged Prince Faisal ibn Musaid Abdulaziz.”

Funeral of King Faisal; Credit – King Faisal Foundation https://kff.com/en/King-Faisal

On March 26, 1975, King Faisal was buried in Al Oud cemetery in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in a simple unmarked grave alongside hundreds of other unidentified graves. Leaders of the Arab world including Presiden Anwar el-Sadat of Egypt, King Hussein of Jordan, President Hafez al Assad of Syria, and Yasir Arafat, head of the Palestine Liberation Organization attended the funeral. King Faisal’s successor, his half-brother King Khalid, wept over his body at the funeral.

Who was the assassin Prince Faisal bin Musaid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud?

Prince Faisal bin Musaid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud; Credit – Wikipedia

Born on April 4, 1944, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal bin Musaid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was the son of Prince Musaid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. His father was one of the forty-five sons (of whom 36 survived to adulthood) of Abdulaziz ibn Abdul Rahman Al Saud, also known as Ibn Saud, the founder and the first king of Saudi Arabia. Prince Musaid was the half-brother of King Faisal and therefore, Prince Faisal was the king’s nephew.

Prince Faisal attended university in the United States. For two semesters, he attended San Francisco State College studying English. He then attended the University of Colorado at Boulder where he received a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1971. While in the United States, he lived with his American girlfriend Christine Surma for five years. He kept in touch with her when he returned to Saudi Arabia.

Why did Prince Faisal bin Musaid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud kill King Faisal?

At the time of the assassination, there were some conspiracy theories but an investigation later determined that Prince Faisal acted alone. The most probable reason for the assassination has to do with Prince Faisal wanting revenge for the death of his brother Prince Khalid. Five years earlier, Prince Faisal’s brother, Prince Khalid was killed by Saudi security agents as he led a demonstration of religious zealots against a television station in Riyadh. Strict Islamic law forbids the portrayal in any form of the human image. Prince Khalid was portrayed as a fanatic who called television “the instrument of the devil” and opposed all reforms introduced by King Faisal. The details of his death are disputed. Some reports allege that he died resisting arrest outside his own home. There was never an investigation into Prince Khalid’s death.

What happened to the assassin Prince Faisal bin Musaid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud?

Immediately after the assassination, in an official statement, it was said that Prince Faisal bin Musaid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was mentally deranged. However, at a later date, a panel of medical experts ruled that he had been sane at the time of the assassination and could stand trial. His American girlfriend, Christine Surma, who lived with him for five years while he was in the United States, denied accusations that Prince Faisal was mentally ill.

Prince Faisal was tried, convicted, and executed on June 18, 1975. The trial took place in a sharia court that met in a closed session. Within hours, the sharia court reached their verdict that Prince Faisal was guilty of having shot his uncle King Faisal to death. Public beheading is the traditional form of execution for a convicted murderer in Saudi Arabia and the sentence was carried out a few hours later.

Deera Square where public executions and amputations take place; Credit – Wikipedia

At 4:30 PM on June 18, 1975, the sentence was carried out in front of a crowd of 10,000 in Deera Square in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Deera Square, also known as Al-Safaa Square, Justice Square, and locally as Chop Chop Square, is located in front of the Palace of the Governor of Riyadh (also known as the Justice Palace) which faces the Grand Mosque of Riyadh (also known as the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque).

Prince Faisal bin Musaid, wearing a white robe, was led by a soldier to the execution site and was reported to have walked unsteadily. Prince Faisal was then blindfolded and the large crowd watched silently until he was beheaded with one swing of a sword with a golden hilt. The crowd then broke into chants of “God is great!” and “Justice is done!”

Afterward, Prince Faisal bin Musaid’s head was displayed for a short time on a wooden stake before being removed by ambulance together with the body for burial. The beheading was witnessed by the Governor of Riyadh, Prince Salman, a younger half-brother of King Faisal. Prince Salman, the only member of the royal family to witness the execution Salman became the seventh king of Saudi Arabia in 2015.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Ar.wikipedia.org. (2019). اغتيال فيصل آل سعود. [online] Available at: https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A7%D8%BA%D8%AA%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%84_%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%B5%D9%84_%D8%A2%D9%84_%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].  (Arabic Wikipedia – Assassination of Faisal Al Saud)
  • Ar.wikipedia.org. (2019). فيصل بن عبد العزيز آل سعود. [online] Available at: https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%B5%D9%84_%D8%A8%D9%86_%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B2_%D8%A2%D9%84_%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019]. (Arabic Wikipedia – Faisal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud)
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Faisal bin Musaid. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faisal_bin_Musaid [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Faisal of Saudi Arabia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faisal_of_Saudi_Arabia [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2019). King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-faisal-of-saudi-arabia/ [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].
  • New York Times. (1975). Assassin’s Fate and Motives Unknown. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/1975/03/27/archives/assassins-fate-and-motives-unknown.html?searchResultPosition=3 [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].
  • New York Times. (1975). Faisal, Rich and Powerful, Led Saudis Into 20th Century and to Arab Forefront. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/1975/03/26/archives/faisal-rich-and-powerful-led-saudis-into-20th-century-and-to-arab.html?searchResultPosition=1 [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].
  • New York Times. (1975). FAISAL’S KILLER IS PUT TO DEATH. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/1975/06/19/archives/faisals-killer-is-put-to-death-prince-is-beheaded-before-a-crowd-of.html [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].
  • New York Times (1975). Moslem World Feels Shock And Loss Over King’s Death. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/1975/03/26/archives/moslem-world-feels-shock-and-loss-over-kings-death.html?searchResultPosition=7 [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].
  • New York Times. (1975). MOTIVE UNKNOWN. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/1975/03/26/archives/motive-unknown-assassin-described-as-mentally-deranged-in-official.html?searchResultPosition=5 [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].

King Faisal of Saudi Arabia

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2019

King Faisal of Saudi Arabia; Credit – Wikipedia

Arabic Naming Conventions

  • Al – family/clan of…
  • bin or ibn – son of…
  • bint – daughter of…

Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was King of Saudi Arabia from 1964 until his assassination in 1975. He was born on April 14, 1906, in Riyadh, then in the Emirate of Nejd and Hasa, now the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. His father was Abdulaziz ibn Abdul Rahman Al Saud, also known as Ibn Saud, the founder and the first king of Saudi Arabia. Abdulaziz had a polygamous household comprising several wives at a time and numerous concubines. It is thought he had a total of 22-24 wives. Abdul Aziz was the father of almost a hundred children, including forty-five sons of whom 36 survived to adulthood. Faisal’s mother was Tarfa bint Abdullah bin Abdullatif Al ash-Sheikh. She was from Al ash-Sheikh clan and her father was Abdullah bin Abdullatif Al ash-Sheikh.  Tarfa married Abdulaziz in 1902 and had at least three children with him:

  • Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (1903 – 1904), son, died in infancy
  • Noura bint Abdulaziz Al Saud  (1904 – 1938), daughter, married her half first cousin Khalid bin Muhammad, son of Abdulaziz’s half-brother Muhammad Al Abd al-Rahman
  • Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia (1906 – 1975)
Embed from Getty Images 
King Abdulaziz with some of his sons in 1930

Faisal had many half-siblings, too numerous to list here. See Wikipedia: Descendants of Ibn Saud (Abdulaziz).  The six Kings of Saudi Arabia who followed King Abdulaziz were all his sons and so five of them were the half-brothers of Faisal. King Faisal succeeded his half-brother, King Saud, who he had deposed, and was succeeded by his half-brother King Khalid.

Faisal was introduced to politics at an early age. In 1919, at the age of thirteen, Faisal was sent to meetings in the United Kingdom and France as the head of the Saudi delegation. After Abdulaziz’s eldest son Turki, Faisal’s half-brother, died in 1919 during the influenza pandemic, Faisal became the second eldest of Abdulaziz’s sons after his half-brother Saud. Besides speaking Arabic, Faisal was fluent in English and French.

Faisal married his first wife Sultana bint Ahmad bin Muhammad Al Sudayri while he was quite young. His eldest son Prince Abdullah Bin Faisal Al Saud was born when he was only sixteen years old. Faisal had four wives and a total of seventeen children. Unusual at the time, most of Faisal’s sons attended university abroad, either at Cambridge or Oxford in the United Kingdom or at Ivy League universities in the United States. Faisal’s daughters were taught by European tutors and received additional education in Switzerland. By contrast, only six of the 108 children of Faisal’s half-brother and predecessor King Saud finished high school.

First wife: Sultana bint Ahmad bin Muhammad Al Sudayri: Faisal and Sultana’s marriage was prearranged while Faisal was traveling abroad. They never met until the marriage ceremony. They had one son and three daughters and later divorced.

Second wife: Iffat Al-Thunayan (1916 – 2000) was born and raised in Turkey. Her ancestors were from the Al Thunayan branch of the Al Saud family but were taken to Istanbul or Cairo by Egyptian forces in 1818. Faisal met Iffat in Istanbul while he was in Turkey for an official visit and they married in 1932. Iffat was given the title Queen because of her beloved status in Saudi Arabia. Faisal and Iffat had five sons and four daughters.

Third wife: Al Jawhara bint Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Al Kabir was Faisal’s first cousin, the daughter of Noura bint Abdul Rahman Al Saud who was the sister of King Abdulaziz. Faisal and Al Jawhara had one daughter,

  • Princess Munira bint Faisal Al Saud

Fourth wife: Haya bint Turki bin Abdulaziz Al Turki was a member of the Al Turki clan. Faisal and Haya had two sons and one daughter

Embed from Getty Images
Prince Faisal of Saudi Arabia arrives in New York with his 9-year-old son Mohammed in 1946

Faisal served as his father’s Foreign Minister beginning in 1930. Upon the death of his father King Abdulaziz and the accession of his half-brother King Saud in 1953, Faisal was appointed Crown Prince. At the same time, the position of Prime Minister was created and King Saud held that position with Faisal being the Deputy Prime Minister as well as continuing as Foreign Minister. However, unrest within the royal family over King Saud’s rule forced him to appoint Faisal as Prime Minister. An ongoing power struggle between the two half-brothers led to Faisal’s resignation as Prime Minister and Foreign Minister in 1960. The continued discontent with King Saud’s reign allowed Faisal to become Prime Minister and Foreign Minister again in 1962.

King Saud and Crown Prince Faisal continued their power struggle when Prince Faisal formed a cabinet in the absence of King Saud, who had gone abroad for medical treatment. Faisal allied himself with his half-brothers Prince Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Interior Minister and the future King of Saudi Arabia, and Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Minister of Defense (from 1963 until his death) and the Crown Prince from 2005 until his death in 2011. The new government excluded any sons of King Saud.

When King Saud returned to Saudi Arabia, he threatened to mobilize the Royal Guard against his half-brother. In response, Faisal demanded King Saud make him regent and turn over all royal powers to him. Faisal had the support of the ulema, the elite Islamic scholars. Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Al ash-Sheikh, the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, a relative of Faisal on his mother’s side, issued a fatwa saying King Saud should accede to Faisal’s demands. When King Saud refused, Faisal ordered the National Guard to surround Saud’s palace. In March 1964, Saud finally agreed to name Faisal regent with full executive powers, reducing himself to a figurehead. In November 1964, the ulema, the cabinet and senior members of the Saudi royal family forced Saud to abdicate and Faisal became king in his own right. Saud was forced into exile, first in Egypt and then in Greece where he lived until his death in 1969.

Embed from Getty Images
King Faisal and Queen Elizabeth II in 1967

King Faisal implemented a policy of modernization and reform and he was popular with the Saudi people. On March 25, 1975, 68-year-old King Faisal was shot and killed by his nephew Prince Faisal bin Musaid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The assassination occurred at a majlis, an event where the king opens up his residence to the citizens to enter and petition the king. King Faisal was buried in Al Oud cemetery in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on March 26, 1975. A Sharia court found Prince Faisal guilty of King Faisal’s murder on June 18, 1975, and he was publicly beheaded hours later.

Embed from Getty Images
Many heads of state attended King Faisal’s funeral

Works Cited

  • Ar.wikipedia.org. (2019). فيصل بن عبد العزيز آل سعود. [online] Available at: https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%B5%D9%84_%D8%A8%D9%86_%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B2_%D8%A2%D9%84_%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF [Accessed 12 Nov. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Faisal of Saudi Arabia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faisal_of_Saudi_Arabia [Accessed 12 Nov. 2019].
  • Lacey, Robert. (1981). The Kingdom: Arabia & The House of Sa’ud. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman; Credit – Wikipedia

Arabic Naming Conventions

  • Al – family/clan of…
  • bin or ibn – son of…
  • bint – daughter of…

Since the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932 by Abdulaziz “Ibn Saud”, the first King of Saudi Arabia, all six of his successors have come from among his 45 sons. In Saudi Arabia, there is no clear line of succession. All vacancies to the throne have been filled by the Crown Prince. Crown Princes have been appointed according to male line seniority from among the sons of Abdulaziz “Ibn Saud”. If Crown Prince Mohammad, a grandson of Abdulaziz “Ibn Saud”, becomes king, he will be the first king of the next generation.

Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud became Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia on June 21, 2017, when his cousin Prince Muhammad bin Nayef Al Saud, the first grandson of Abdulaziz “Ibn Saud” to be named Crown Prince, was relieved of all his positions by royal decree. Previously Crown Prince Mohammad was Deputy Crown Prince.

Crown Prince Mohammad was born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on August 31, 1985. He is the eldest of the six sons of King Salman of Saudi Arabia and his third wife Princess Fahda bint Falah bin Sultan bin Hathleen.

Crown Prince Mohammad has five younger brothers:

Crown Prince Mohammad has six older half-siblings from his father’s first marriage to Princess Sultana bint Turki Al Sudairi (died 2011):

  • Prince Fahd (1955 – 2001), married Princess Nuf bint Khalid bin Abdallah Al Saud, had four children, died of heart failure
  • Prince Sultan (born 1956), married Princess Haifa Bint Saud Al Faisal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, had three children, former Royal Saudi Air Force pilot who flew aboard the American Space Shuttle Discovery in 1985 as a payload specialist – first member of a royal family, first Arab and first Muslim to fly in space
  • Prince Ahmed (1958 – 2002), married Princess Lamia bint Mishaal, had five children, died of heart failure
  • Prince Abdulaziz (born 1960), married Princess Sara bint Khalid bin Musa’ad bin Abdulaziz, had three children
  • Prince Faisal (born 1970), married Princess Luloh bint Ahmed bin Mousaed bin Ahmed Al Sudairi, had four children
  • Princess Hassa (born 1974)

Crown Prince Mohammad has one younger half-sibling from his father’s second marriage to Princess Sara Bint Faisal Bin Daidan Abu Ateen Al-Subaie (divorced):

  • Prince Saud (born 1986), married Chorouk bint Mohammad Almejfel, had one child

Crown Prince Mohammad received his primary and secondary education at the Princes’ School in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He then received a bachelor’s degree in law from King Saud University in Riyadh where he was second in his class.  In 2007, Mohammad became a full-time adviser to the Saudi Bureau of Experts.  He continued in this position until he was appointed a special advisor to his father who was then the governor of Riyadh Province.

In 2008, Crown Prince Mohammad married his first cousin Princess Sara bint Mashhoor bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The couple has five children:

  • Prince Salman
  • Prince Mashhour
  • Princess Fahda
  • Princess Nora
  • Prince Abdulaziz

In 2012, Mohammad’s father Salman was named Crown Prince following the death of his brother Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. On January 23, 2015, King Abdullah died (reigned 2005 – 2015) and 79-year-old Crown Prince Salman became King. Prince Mohammad bin Salman was then appointed Minister of Defense. King Salman’s brother Deputy Crown Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz Al Saud became Crown Prince but he died three months later. Prince Muhammad bin Nayef, the son of the Crown Prince that Salman had replaced in 2012, was named Crown Prince, and Salman’s son Mohammad was named Deputy Crown Prince. On June 21, 2017, Prince Muhammad bin Nayef was replaced as Crown Prince by Prince Mohammad bin Salman in a move, according to the New York Times, that was “upending decades of royal custom and profoundly reordering the kingdom’s inner power structure.”

Crown Prince Mohammad is the power behind the throne. There has been much media speculation as to the state of King Salman’s health. Some media reports have suggested that the King is suffering from some form of dementia, possibly Alzheimer’s Disease. There has been no formal statement from the Royal Court regarding these claims.

Crown Prince Mohammad has instituted several successful reforms including restrictions on the powers of the religious police, allowing women to drive, the first Saudi public concerts by a female singer, the first Saudi sports stadium to admit women, and an increase in women in the workforce.  Despite this, his leadership and his violation of human rights have been criticized internationally.

On November 4, 2017, there was an announcement that at the request of Crown Prince Mohammad, billionaire Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz al Saud, a grandson of Abdulaziz “Ibn Saud”, along with over forty Saudi princes and government ministers, was arrested on charges of corruption and money laundering. The New York Times wrote: “The sweeping campaign of arrests appears to be the latest move to consolidate the power of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the favorite son and top adviser of King Salman. The king had decreed the creation of a powerful new anti-corruption committee, headed by the crown prince, only hours before the committee ordered the arrests.”

In October 2018, Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and a critic of the crown prince went missing after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Turkish officials believe that Khashoggi was murdered at the consulate and many intelligence agencies around the world believe that the crown prince ordered the murder.

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Works Cited

  • Aljazeera.com. (2017). Profile: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. [online] Available at: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2017/06/profile-saudi-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-170621130040539.html [Accessed 8 Nov. 2017].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Mohammad bin Salman. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_bin_Salman [Accessed 8 Nov. 2017].
  • Kirkpatrick, D. (2017). Saudi Arabia Arrests 11 Princes, Including Billionaire Alwaleed bin Talal. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/04/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-waleed-bin-talal.html [Accessed 8 Nov. 2017].
  • Ar.wikipedia.org. (2017). محمد بن سلمان آل سعود. [online] Available at: https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF_%D8%A8%D9%86_%D8%B3%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86_%D8%A2%D9%84_%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF [Accessed 8 Nov. 2017]

King Salman of Saudi Arabia

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Credit – Wikipedia

Arabic Naming Conventions

  • Al – family/clan of…
  • bin or ibn – son of…
  • bint – daughter of…

Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and Head of the House of Saud, was born on December 31, 1935, to King Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia and one of his wives, Hassa bint Ahmad Al Sudairi. He and his six full brothers were known as the ‘Sudairi Seven’. Raised at the Murabba Palace, Salman received his early education at the Princes’ School in Riyadh.

Salman’s father King Abdulaziz had a polygamous household comprising several wives at a time and numerous concubines. It is thought he had a total of 22-24 wives. Abdulaziz was the father of almost a hundred children, including 45 sons of whom 36 survived to adulthood. The six Kings of Saudi Arabia who followed King Abdulaziz were all his sons.

Salman in his youth, date unknown. Source: Wikipedia

At the age of 19, he was appointed Deputy Governor of Riyadh and later served Governor of Riyadh from 1963 until 2011. From November 2011, he served as Defense Minister under his half-brother, King Abdullah. He was also appointed Second Deputy Prime Minister replacing his brother, the late Crown Prince Sultan. In 2012, following the death of another brother, Crown Prince Nayef, Salman was named Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister.

Salman became King of Saudi Arabia on January 23, 2015, following the death of his half-brother King Abdullah. He named his younger half-brother, Muqrin, as Crown Prince. However, in April 2015, he removed Muqrin and instead named his nephew, Muhammad bin Nayef, as Crown Prince.  In June 2017, King Salman removed his nephew Muhammad bin Nayef from all positions and named his son Mohammad bin Salman as Crown Prince. Previously, he had been Deputy Crown Prince.

Soon after taking the throne, Salman streamlined the government, consolidating several different areas into two main organizations – The Council of Political and Security Affairs, and the Council for Economic and Development Affairs.

King Salman has made headlines for his extravagant trips to the United States and the southern coast of France, traveling with an entourage numbering in the hundreds. He has also been the source of much media speculation as to his health. Some media reports have suggested that the King is suffering from some form of dementia, possibly Alzheimer’s Disease. There has been no formal statement from the Royal Court regarding these claims. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is considered the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia and has led many reforms within the country, as well as creating a number of controversies, including the 2017 arrest of members of the Saudi royal family and the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

King Salman has married three times. His first wife was his first cousin, Sultana bint Turki Al Sudairi (died 2011) with whom he had six children:

His second wife was Sarah bint Faisal Al Subai’ai (divorced), with whom he had one son:

His third wife was Fahda bint Falah bin Sultan Al Hithalayn, with whom he had six sons:

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King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

KIng Abdullah of Saudi Arabia; Credit – Wikipedia

Arabic Naming Conventions

  • Al – family/clan of…
  • bin or ibn – son of…
  • bint – daughter of…

King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was born on August 1, 1924, in Riyadh, then in the Sultanate of Nejd, now in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  His father was the first King of Saudi Arabia, Abdulaziz,  also known as Ibn Saud. His mother was Sheikha Fahda bint Asi Al Shuraim. King Abdullah had two younger full sisters: Nuf bint Abdulaziz and Seeta bint Abdulaziz (1930-2011) and many half-siblings.

King Abdulaziz had a polygamous household comprising several wives at a time and numerous concubines. It is thought he had a total of 22-24 wives. Abdulaziz was the father of almost a hundred children, including 45 sons of whom 36 survived to adulthood. The six Kings of Saudi Arabia who followed King Abdulaziz were all his sons.

King Abdullah received a formal religious education at the royal court. From his father, he developed a deep respect for religion, history, and Arab heritage. He spent years living in the desert with Bedouin tribes and learned their values of honor, simplicity, generosity, and bravery. It is thought that his mother’s descent from the powerful Shammar tribe and a speech impediment led to a delay in having equal status with the other sons of King Abdulaziz.

In 1962, the then Prince Abdullah was chosen by King Faisal to command the Saudi National Guard. Upon the succession of King Khalid in 1975, he was appointed Second Deputy Prime Minister. When King Fahd came to the throne in 1982, he was named Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister. As First Deputy Prime Minister, Crown Prince Abdullah presided over cabinet meetings and governed the country as deputy to King Fahd.

Abdullah_commander

Prince Abdullah as Commander of the Saudi National Guard; Credit – Wikipedia

Abdullah bin Abdulaziz was proclaimed the sixth King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on August 1, 2005, upon the death of King Fahd bin Abdulaziz. The Kings since King Abdulaziz’s death had all been his sons: Saud, Faisal, Khalid, Fahd, Abdullah, and Salman.  Saudi Arabia does not have a clearly defined succession, but the sons of King Abdulaziz were considered to have a primary claim on the throne.  In 2006, King Abdullah set up the Allegiance Council composed of the sons and grandsons of King Abdulaziz, to vote by a secret ballot to choose future kings and crown princes.

King Abdullah had more than 11 wives and had more than 36 children. For more information about his family see Wikipedia: King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia – Personal Life.

Throughout his life, King Abdullah had a love of the desert and a love of horsemanship. He was a breeder of pure Arabian horses and the founder of the equestrian club in Riyadh. Another lifelong passion was reading which he considered very important. He established two libraries, the King Abdulaziz Library in Riyadh, and one in Casablanca, Morocco.

Abdullah in a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry in 2014; Credit – Wikipedia

King Abdullah died on January 23, 2015, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at the age of 90, three weeks after being hospitalized for pneumonia. He was buried at the Al-Oud Cemetery in Riyadh. Although the sons of King Abdulaziz were aging and some members of the Saudi royal family thought it was time for the next generation to come to the throne, Abdullah was succeeded by his 79-year-old half-brother Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

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