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.
Princess Maha Al-Sudairi
Princess Maha Bint Mohammed Bin Ahmad Al-Sudairi, cousin and ex-wife of the deceased Prince Nayef, is famous in the world for a variety of reasons. One of them is the fact that Vanity Fair featured her in a spread. The princess is notorious for lavish spending. As a matter of fact, in 2012, she lived with a posse at Paris’s Shangri-La Hotel for five months. Then, she even attempted to leave without settling the $7 million bill! Fortunately, they paid off the debt by 2013, but Princess Maha is not allowed to leave Saudi Arabia now.
Princess Maha Al Sudairi
Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal
Ah, Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud! In addition to being a nephew of the deceased King Adbullah, the prince was also Saudi Arabia’s richest man at some point! The best part of this is that he plans to give to charity all of the money he has made from his investments! However, in early 2018, he had a financial settlement, which consequently led to the prince being dropped out of the list of World Billionaires. In late 2017, Prince Al-Waleed along with other officials were arrested during a purge carried out by the government. However, he settled and was released last January 2018. He used to be married to Princess Ameerah.
Prince Al Waleed Bin Talal
Prince Fahad Al Saud
Despite the fact that this royal isn’t really close to the throne in comparison with the others, his name has become quite popular. The former king was the brother of his grandfather. Anyway, Prince Fahad is a Stanford graduate and he was hired by Facebook Arab as their Head of User Operations. But that’s not all! The prince also founded the tech company NA3M or New Arab Media. They make games which Saudi Arabians can relate to and enjoy. The prince resides in Los Angeles and he also consults for the Saudi Arabian government on youth programs and cyber-technology. He serves as his country’s Foreign Ministry’s Head of Student Affairs.
Prince Fahad Al Saud
Real Life GoT
It’s difficult to keep track of all the Saudi Arabian princes, but as you learn more about them, you will realize that things sound like Game of Thrones! Back in 1975, many people loved former King Faisal, who had a close relationship with the United States and who worked on Saudi Arabia’s modernization. He seemed to have genuine care for the people. Unfortunately, Prince Faisal Ibu Musaed, his nephew, hated him and the prince shot the king three times on March 25th 1975. Sadly, the medics weren’t able to save the king. However, his dying wish was for his nephew’s life to be spared. The prince was found guilty by the country’s high religious court and was sentenced to death by public beheading regardless of his uncle’s last wishes.
Real Life GoT
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
Now, on to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s famous Crown Prince! His father is King Salman and in June 2017, Prince Mohammed was appointed by the King as Crown Prince. The prince replaces Muhammad bin Nayef, the King’s nephew, as the heir to the throne. Prince Mohammed has not even reached his mid-thirties yet but his powers over the country’s oil-dependent economy is already unprecedented.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman
Progressive Moves
Once King Salman succeeded to the throne, a lot of people noticed that he made sure his son was elevated to become the heir to the throne. Now, both the King and the Crown Prince have grabbed headlines for the progressive stances they take despite their nation being very conservative. For example, in June 2018, King Salman lifted the driving ban on women in the country. The royal decree that says women who would like to get a drivers’ license should be allowed to have one, made huge waves. Actually, Saudi Arabia had been the last country that prohibited women from driving.
Progressive Moves
A New Kind of Prince
Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is the nation’s First Deputy Prime Minister and also the world’s youngest defense minister! Many people are celebrating the policies of the Prince which go even further than just letting women drive. In February in 2018, the law was revised for women in the country. They were finally given the right to set up their own business even if they do not have a man’s permission. Aside from this, Prince bin Salman has initiated an entertainment authority which has hosted a variety of things like monster truck rallies, pro wrestling shows, and comedy shows. The Prince has also spoken of the possibility of offering ‘green cards’ to non-Saudi foreigners.
A New Kind Of Prince
Big Plans
The Prince is spearheading the modernization of a country that is known for its conservative religious authority and absolute monarchy. His rather bold plan is aptly called Vision 2030. It is his hope that Saudi Arabia is weaned off its dependency on oil and the nation is opened to tourism. The Prince said, “I’m young. 70% of our citizens are young. We don’t want to waste our lives in this whirlpool that we were in the past 30 years. We want to end this epoch now. We want, as the Saudi people, to enjoy the coming days, and concentrate on developing our society and developing ourselves as individuals and families, while retaining our religion and customs. We will not continue to be in the post-’79 era. That age is over.”
Big Plans
Unlike Any Other Monarchy
Sure, Saudi Arabia is quite unique for a variety of reasons. One of the things people find quite intriguing about the royals and the nation is the fact that Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy. The country is the last significant monarchy in the world. Since September 23rd, 1932, when Saudi Arabia became a nation, the country has been ruled by the Al Saud family.
Unlike Any Other Monarchy
Clans
The division of the royal family into different clans is based on the wives former King Al-Saud had. King Salman, the current king, belongs to the Sudairi clan. Interestingly, the clans have to take turns when it comes to the throne. This means that the king succeeding Salman is not supposed to be from the Sudairi clan. Despite this, when Mohammed bin Salman was appointed as the deputy crown prince, the throne’s future was secured in what people call the Sudairi Seven clan, which means the seven full brothers come from the House of Saud.
Clans
Funding
Many are curious about where these royals’ funding come from. It is reported on Wikileaks that the government gives all of Al-Saud’s sons money every month. Even the grandkids and great grandkids and so on, get monthly funding but not as much as what the older generations receive. The amounts have risen over the years. However, many princes and government officials were still arrested during the 2017 purge on corruption charges filed by the Crown Prince and the King.
Funding
Princess Misha’al bint Fahd
Sadly, this is no fairy tale. Princess Misha’al got married to her cousin because of family pressure. However, the Princess and another guy in Beirut fell in love and they began an affair. When the two attempted to escape Saudi Arabia, the pair were caught. Tragically, at age 19, the Princess was executed in public for her indiscretions.
Princess Mishaal Bint Fahd
Princess Ameera
Ameera was just 18 years old when she met the 46 year old Prince Al-Waleed. The pair fell for each other and got hitched. Many know that Princess Ameera Al-Taweel does not cover up in the usual conservative way and she also stands up for the rights of women. Despite the fact that she got a divorce from Prince Al-Waleed back in 2013, the two have remained friends, and she refers to him as an inspiration.
Princess Ameera
Official Title
King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is the name of the current king of Saudi Arabia…what a mouthful! The King also holds the official title “Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.” He succeeded the throne in January 2015.
Official Title
Ranking In The World
Did you know that in 2013, the 8th most influential and powerful person was Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah? Not much surprise there. This award was determined by Forbes magazine. According to the quote in the esteemed mag, “King Abdullah holds the keys to Islam’s two holiest sites, and the world’s second largest oil deposit of some 265 billion barrels, amounting to about 18% of global reserves”. Among the richest countries worldwide, Saudi Arabia holds the 20th spot, with the country’s market value of $727 billion putting it there.
Ranking In The World
Making History
Nour Al-Fayez made history when she became the first woman to be appointed to the inner circle of Saudi Arabia’s government called the Majlis al-shura. Her appointment as Deputy Minister for Women’s Education was from King Abdullah himself…Incredible!
Making History
Law Reverse
There used to be a law in the country that prohibited Saudi women from working outside of their homes. Men were the employees and shop owners of all stores…including shops which sell lingerie! Because of this, Saudi women felt really uncomfortable purchasing their under garments, which pressured King Abdullah to revise the law. In 2012, he did just that and now, men are no longer allowed to work at any lingerie shop in the country.
Law Reverse
Standing Out
Sattam bin Abdul Aziz married only one wife and was the first to do such a thing. He was also the first to get a United States university degree. The founder, Ibn Saud, had been really proud of his son because of his achievements. In 1965, Sattam got his degree in Business Administration from the University of San Diego.
Standing Out
Final Year
In the year 1975, Time Magazine awarded Saudi’s King Faisal as the Man of the Year. The late King received the award in the year he was assassinated.
Final Year
Knighthood
Saudi Arabia’s first king is also called the Father of the nation. Back in 1935, Ibn Saud joined England’s the Order of the Bath and England’s Queen Elizabeth granted him knighthood.
Knighthood
Last Nation
Believe it or not, Saudi Arabian women were not allowed to vote before the year 2015. In 2011, King Abdullah revised the law to state that women would have the right to suffrage four years later. Saudi Arabia is the last nation on the planet to allow women to vote.
Last Nation
Historic Year
Prior to the 2012 Olympics in London, there was a possibility that the entire Saudi Arabian team was going to be disqualified due to gender discrimination since Saudi women were not allowed to participate. However, when Crown Prince Nayef passed away in 2012, the much more liberal Prince Salman decided to let female athletes compete. This made history because it was a first for Saudi women athletes. They were finally given the chance to compete in the games at the Olympics!
Historic Year
Almost Never Happened
Saudi Arabia actually almost did not become a country. It’s a good thing that in the year 1902, the land came into the possession of the Al Sauds. The rest, as they say, is history!
Almost Never Happened
Rescuing Bin Ladens
Osama bin Laden, the man behind the 9/11 attacks, had a lot of children. After the attack, 24+ members of the bin Laden family were moved out of the United States. At the time, the Saudi ruler King Fahd said, “There are bin Laden children all over America, take measures to protect the innocents.”
Rescuing Bin Ladens
Trying To Hide Their Family Secrets
The Saudi family really doesn’t like bad press. The ruling family spent $500 million trying to prevent the production of a documentary. In 1976, King Khaled’s grandniece Princess Mishaal was killed for falling in love with a man whom her family didn’t accept. The Princess was shot fatally and her lover was beheaded…how gory.
Trying To Hide Their Family Secrets
Change Of Plans
It may come as a surprise but beheadings are actually still the form of execution preferred in Saudi Arabia. However, the country is mulling over switching to firing squads, not because beheading people is quite inhumane, but because of the lack of skilled swordsmen to carry out the task. We’ll give you some time to let the idea sink in.
Change Of Plans
Private Holidays
Imagine that you have a net worth of $17 billion. Can’t do it? Neither can we, but King Salman is estimated to be worth this whopping amount. He basically has the world as his playground! He owns a French villa in Vallauris Golfe-Juan, a seaside town in the southeastern part of the European country. During his holiday every year, the local beach is closed off by the King. How irritating it must be for the locals.
Private Holidays
Favorite Son
Parents should not have a child they favor over others. However, if parents happen to have a favorite, they should not show it, right? Well, this does not apply to the founding King of the Saudi nation. He had made it clear that Salman is his favorite son. Too bad for the King’s other children.
Favorite Son
Recent Royal Family Beheading
In 2016, a member of the royal family was beheaded publicly after he got convicted of fatally shooting another man during a fight.
Clearly, the royal family takes things seriously, especially killings for reasons that are “unimportant”. The family beheaded Prince Turki bin Saud bin Turki bin Saud al-Kabeer in public in 2016 after the young Prince killed a man during a brawl. To the royal family, this isn’t enough reason to kill, so they punished the young man with the most serious punishment there is.
Recent Royal Family Beheading
Top Of The Line Protection
Protection is a very serious matter for the Saudis. It is typical for bodyguards to be very loyal, a really unique act that a lot of other countries don’t have. Saudi princes have bodyguards called Khawi, who are men from African countries. The Saudis take the men in when they are still young boys and they grow up together with the princes. This makes sure that the two (the boy and the prince) are similar in age and have utmost loyalty. There is a very deep bond between the Saudi family and all of their bodyguards. Their relationship is akin to that of close friends or even family.
Top Of The Line Protection
Royal Rules
Being royal isn’t easy. There are a lot of rules that are in place for members of the royal family. Case in point: drugs and alcohol are forbidden. If a family member needs rehab, they usually travel abroad to seek help. Some rehabs for the royals exist in Saudi Arabia, but the public do not know about these facilities. They are kept a secret due to the known rule which prohibits the royal family from drinking or doing drugs. If the public learned about them, it would become a huge issue. Why? Because the public are not allowed to drink, so they think the royals should also be prohibited.
Royal Rules
Special Agreement
In Saudi Arabia, there is a religious police called The Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice who patrol the streets. They are in charge of ensuring people are dressed according to what is acceptable, and that women and men stay separated. The police has an agreement with the royal family because the royals do not have to follow the rules that are set for citizens.
Special Agreement
Case Of The Missing Princesses
Just before his death, King Abdullah’s four daughters were put under house arrest by their own father. It was because they had been speaking up for the rights of women, which is not allowed in Saudi Arabia. People are not really sure of the conditions the girls were in when they were being held in the prison-like place.
Case Of The Missing Princesses
Princess Ameerah’s Activism
Princess Ameerah’s beauty is exceptional. In addition, the Princess is really active in showing support for the things she believes in. She is quoted to have said, “Everyone knows me, I sit with extreme conservatives; I sit with extreme liberals. My agenda is not to create negativity but unity.”
Princess Ameerahs Activism
No Homosexuality
In Saudi Arabia, homosexuality is considered to be among the worst crimes and it is punished by execution. In 2010, Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz bin Nasir al Saud killed his own gay lover while the two were in the UK. The British Court convicted and jailed the Prince for life. However, he got sent back to the Saudi nation in exchange for five Britons. The Prince now walks free and was never punished for the awful crime that he did.
No Homosexuality
Corruption Charges
The anti-corruption committee of Saudi Arabia carried out a major crackdown in 2017. They arrested 17 princes as well as top officials for suspicion of corruption.
Corruption Charges
The Next Day
On November 7th, 2017, it was confirmed that the royals’ personal bank accounts as well as those of the senior officials were frozen after arrests were made related to the anti-corruption sweep of the government.
The royal family’s bank accounts were frozen following the arrests that were involved in the government’s anti-corruption sweep. Clearly, the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA) wasn’t messing around. It didn’t matter whoever it was.
The Next Day
Princess Princess
Princess Ameerah wasn’t born royalty. Rather, she married into the royal family. In 2012, she was interviewed by The Wall Street Journal and the Princess explained, “It’s so ironic because my name means ‘Princess’ in Arabic and when I got married to Prince Talal, people referred to me as ‘Ameerah Ameerah’ or ‘Princess Princess’.”
Princess Princess
Red Prince
Prince Talal Bin Abdulaziz’s political views are quite liberal, so he earned the name The Red Prince. During the 1960s, the Prince called to abolish the absolute monarchy. However, his family refused.
Red Prince
How They Met
When Ameerah was just 18 years old, she met Prince Waleed bin Talal al Saud. She made a request to have an interview with the prince. The pair clicked and they were married only 9 months later. Even though they have gotten divorced, they speak quite highly of each other and their relationship is still great.
How They Met
Salman’s Foreign Policy
Following King Salman’s coming into power, Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy has now gotten more aggressive. The King severed ties with Qatar and Iran and even started a war in Yemen.
Salmans Foreign Policy
Passing The Throne
Saudi Arabia practices “agnatic seniority” which means that the younger brother of the monarch is next in line for the crown over the own sons of the monarch.
Passing The Throne
Biggest Arms Deal
When Saudi Arabia secured the $350 billion arms deal, it went down in history as the country’s biggest ever! King Salman secured the deal during Donald Trump’s visit.
Biggest Arms Deal
Highest Honor
The Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud is the highest honor in Saudi Arabia. U.S. President Donald Trump was presented with the award for the monstrous arms deal that Saudi Arabia and the U.S. had brokered.
Highest Honor
Luxurious Life
The royal family of Saudi Arabia are extremely wealthy. In fact, they have jets and helicopters that help them live quite a luxurious life.
Luxurious Life
Talk About Over-packing
For a trip to Indonesia of just nine days, King Salman brought with him luggage that had a total weight of 459 tons. This included two electric elevators and two Mercedes-Benz s600 limousines. There is no such thing as over packing for this King.
Talk About Over Packing
Illegal Activities
Prince Nayef bin Fawwaz Al Shalaan was caught smuggling 4,400 lb of cocaine into Europe from Colombia. However, the French authorities received a command to let the Prince go or else the business deals between Saudi Arabia and France would be broken. The Prince was set free, whereas his accomplices are still rotting in jail.
Illegal Activities
Stealing From The People
Even though the family has it all, they still steal from commoners. Back in 2011, a Wikileak uncovered the royal family’s involvement in unjust deals. Currently, they are facing accusations of having black market deals.
Stealing From The People