Most of the time, Saudi Arabia is in the news due to politics. However, do you know anything about the country’s royal family? You may know that the country is rich in oil, but it’s high time you learn the real story. Since all that money from the oil has stayed within the House of Saud or the royal family, it’s time you get to know a little bit more about them. Meet the family behind the monarchy in the biggest country in the Middle East.
The King
It is but natural that we start with King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Back in January of 2015, King Abdullah died, so his half-brother Salman succeeded to the crown. King Salman has thirteen children and most of them reside in Saudi’s capital, Riyadh, where the King had served as governor in the past. According to the report of one CIA informant, Salman, “ensured any family transgressions were dealt with smoothly and quietly, with no publicity.”
Prince Sultan Bin Salman Al Saud
The next royal on the list is not your average prince! Back when he was 28 years old, Prince Sultan Bin Salman Al Saud went on the STS-51-G Discovery where he was a payload specialist. The Prince went down in history as the first Muslim and first Arab to ever go into space! Actually, he is King Salman’s second son. Unfortunately, his older brother passed away in the year 2000 because of heart failure. The mother of this prince is Sultana bint Turki Al Sudairi, who died back in 2011.
