M 172 PENGUASA DUA TANAH HARAM

Pada 23 Januari 2015, kira-kira jam 0100H, Raja Arab Saudi, Al Malik Abdullah bin Saud telah kembali ke rahmatullah.

Saudi Arabia state television has announced that King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud has died at the age of 90 after battling pneumonia.

He was the kingdom’s sixth absolute monarch and head of the ruling House of Saud monarchy for nearly a decade. Abudllah bin Abdulaziz al Saud’s younger brother, Crown Prince Salman bin Adbel Aziz, ascended to the throne and will now take over as the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.

Though Abdullah only officially took the throne in 2005, he had acted as ruling monarch for nearly a decade after his half-brother King Fahd Abdel Aziz suffered a debilitating stroke. Between his official and de facto years on the throne, Abdullah ruled Saudi Arabia during the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the Arab Spring and rise of the Islamic State group.

King Abdullah was often regarded as a reformer, compared to the previous Saudi Arabian conservative leaders and constituents.

Apabila membaca berita ini pada tarikh tersebut, aku terpanggil untuk menulis sedikit berkaitan dengan Pemerintahan Kerajaan Arab Saudi ini.

Ada eloknya kita (umat islam yang diwajibkan di atas tubuh kita untuk menunaikan Rukun Islam ke 5 di Baitullah (Makkah) untuk mengetahui serba sedikit sejarah hitam dan putih dua kota suci Islam yang kini diperintah dan ditadbir oleh Kerajaan Arab Saudi. Sekarang marilah kita melayari internet bagi mendapatkan maklumat lanjut tentang Arab Saudi.

Asas Penubuhan Negara Arab Saudi

Negara Saudi Pertama

Al-Dawla Al-Su'odiyah Al-Oula (الدولة السعودية الأولى)

Tempoh Kerajaan: 1744–1818    

Ibu negara: Di'riyah

Sejarah         

Negara Saudi Pertama didirikan pada tahun 1744 (1157 H.) ketika Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab menetap di Diriyah dan Raja Muhammad ibn Saud (dari Riyadh) setuju untuk mendukung dan mendukung Wahhab, dengan pandangan membersihkan kepercayaan Islamiah dari apa yang dianggap oleh mereka menjadi putar belit amalan Islamiah (lihat Wahabi). Dewan Saud dan sekutunya berkembang menjadi dominan di negara Arab, pertama menundukan Nejd, lalu memperluas kekuasaan mereka ke pantai timur dari Kuwait sampai Oman. Orang Saudi juga membawa tanah tinggi 'Asir di bawah kedaulatan mereka, dan pasukan Wahabi mereka mengadakan serangan di Iraq dan Syria, memuncak pada penjarahan bandar suci Syiah, Karbala tahun 1801.

Pada tahun 1802, pasukan Saudi memasukkan daerah Hijaz di bawah kekuasaan mereka dan merebut dua kota suci, Makkah dan Madinah. Hal ini menyebabkan kemarahan Empayar Uthmaniyyah, yang telah menguasai bandar suci itu sejak tahun 1517, dan memaksa Uthmaniyah bertindak balas. Tugas untuk menghancurkan Wahabi diberikan oleh Empayar Uthmaniyyah kepada wizurai kuat Mesir, Muhammad Ali Pasha.

Muhammad Ali mengirim pasukannya ke Hejaz melalui laut dan merebutnya kembali. Anaknya, Ibrahim Pasha, lalu memimpin pasukan Uthmaniyyah ke pusat Nejd, merebut bandar ke bandar, dan membuat pasukannya menghancurkan kampung yang melawan tanpa sedikit belas kasihan, kejadian yang masih diingat di Nejd sampai saat ini.

Akhirnya, Ibrahim mencapai ibu negara Saudi, Riyadh dan menyerangnya untuk beberapa bulan sampai kota itu menyerah pada musim dingin tahun 1818. Ibrahim lalu membawa banyak anggota kaum Al Saud dan Ibn Abd Al-Wahhab ke Mesir dan ibu kota Uthmaniyyah, Istanbul, dan memerintahkan penghancuran Di'riyah, yang keruntuhannya kini tidak pernah dilihat lagi. 

Imam Saudi terakhir, Abdullah bin Saud dihukum bunuh di ibu negara Uthmaniyyah, dan kepalanya dilempar ke Selat Bosphorus. Sejarah Negara Saudi Pertama berakhir, namun, Wahhabi dan kaum Al Saud hidup terus dan mendirikan Negara Saudi Kedua yang bertahan sampai tahun 1891, dan negara ketiga, Arab Saudi, yang masih ada hingga kini.

Pemimpin Negara Saudi Pertama

(1)   Imam Muhammad ibn Saud 1726–1744 (Putera Di'riyah), 1744–1765 (Imam Negara Saudi)

(2)   Imam Abdul Aziz bin Muhammad bin Saud 1765–1803 (1179–1218 H)

(3)   Imam Saud bin Abdul Aziz bin Muhammad al Saud (Saud Al Kabeer) 1803–1814 (1218–1233 H)

(4)   Imam Abdullah bin Saud 1814–1818 (dihukum bunuh di Istanbul)

Sekarang baru kita tahu, kenapa sehingga hari ini Kerajaan Arab Saudi tidak boleh berkerjasama atau berbaik-baik dengan Negara Mesir dan Turki walaupun untuk kepentingan islam atau melawan Zionist Israel.

Negara Arab Saudi Kedua

Negara Saudi Kedua merujuk pada tempoh pada abad ke-19 ketika kekuasaan Bani Saud mengalami pemulihan (restorasi) di Arab Tengah dan Timur setelah sebelumnya dijatuhkan oleh serangan Uthmaniyyah-Mesir pada tahun 1818.

Pada tahun 1818, Di’riyah, ibukota pusat gerakan Revolusi pemberontakan Wahhabi berjaya dikuasai pasukan Khilafah Uthmanniyah (Turki) dan pemimpin Wahhabi (Imam Kerajaan Saudi) Abdullah bin Sa’ud ditangkap dan dibawa ke Istambul serta dijatuhi hukuman bunuh (pancung) atas kesalahan sebagai  pimpinan pemberontakan.

Pada tahun 1821, Khalifah Uthmaniyyah telah menarik tenteranya dari wilayah Saudi (Riyadh). Pada tahun 1824, putera kepada almarhum Abdullah bin Saud yang bernama Turki bin Abdullah telah mengambil alih kepemimpinan kaum Wahhabi menduduki Riyadh. Turki sedikit demi sedikit meluaskan penaklukan sehingga tahun 1831 dapat menguasai daerah `Aridh, Kharj, Hotah, Mahmal, Sudayr Aflaj dan Hasa.

Pada tahun 1834, Turki bin Abdullah dibunuh oleh konspirasi dalam keluarga Sa'ud yang dipimpin oleh saudara sepupunya sendiri, Mishari yang diangkat sebagai wakilnya di Manfuhah. Setelah mengalami konflik antara sesama puak Saud, Faisal bin Turki berhasil naik menjadi pemimpin baru kaum Wahhabi.

Pada tahun 1837, Faisal bin Turki Al Saud telah ditangkap dan dipenjara di Mesir kerana menolak membayar upeti ke Mesir tetapi pada tahun 1863 Faisal berjaya melarikan diri dari Mesir dan kembali berkuasa di Riyadh tapi tetap mengakui kekuasaan Khilafah Islam Turki Ottoman dan rutin membayar upeti ke Mesir.

Pada tahun 1865, Faisal bin Turki Al Saud meninggal dunia dan anak-anaknya dari isteri yang berlainan bertelingkah berebut kuasa. Perebutan ini dimenangi oleh Sa’ud bin Faisal dan pada tahun 1871 mengisytiharkan diri sebagai pemimpin kaum Wahhabi. Tetapi Sa'ud hanya berkuasa lima tahun apabila meninggal dunia pada tahun 1875. Perebutan kuasa di kalangan keluarga berlaku kembali.

Anak Sa'ud bernama Abdullah AsSaud telah meminta bantuan kepada Muhammad bin Rasyid penguasa Ha’il. Bagaimanapun pada tahun 1887, setelah puak Muhammad Rasyid berjaya membantu Abdullah menyingkirkan pesaing-pesaingnya, mereka menangkap Abdullah dan menguasai Riyadh dengan mengisytiharkan diri sebagai wakil Khalifah Uthmaniyyah. Pada tahun 1889, Abdurrahman Al Saud, salah satu gabenor di bawah Rasyid telah memberontak tetapi berjaya ditumpaskan oleh Muhammad Bin Rasyid, Abdurrahman melarikan diri keluar dari Riyadh dan menetap di Kuwait dibawah perlindungan kekuasaan puak Al Sabah dibawah perlindungan Inggeris berdasarkan perjanjian tahun 1899.

Pada tahun 1902, Abdul Aziz bin Abdurrahman Al Saud memohon minta bantuan Inggeris untuk merebut kekuasaan di Riyadh dari puak Rasyid. Pada tahun 1906, AsSaud (Abdul Aziz) dengan bantuan dari Inggeris berhasil menguasai Qasim, yang mendekati pusat pemerintahan puak Rasyid di Nejd. Pada tahun 1913, Abd Aziz menguasai Hasa yang majoritinya penganut SYI’AH.  AsSaud mengadakan perjanjian dengan ulama Syi’ah yang menetapkan bahwa Ibn Sa`ud akan memberikan mereka kebebasan menjalankan keyakinan mereka dengan syarat mereka patuh kepada Ibn Sa`ud. Pada saat yang sama, Syi’ah tetap dianggap sebagai kalangan Rafidah yang KAFIR.

Pada tanggal 26 Desember 1915 (ketika Perang Dunia I bermula), AsSa`ud menandatangani perjanjian (treaty) dengan pihak Inggeris. Antara kandungan perjanjian ini ialah:

(1)   Inggeris mengakui kekuasaan Ibn Sa`ud atas Nejd, Hasa, Qatif, Jubail, dan wilayah-wilayah yang tergabung di dalam keempat wilayah utama ini. Inggeris akan membantu AsSaud jika wilayah ini diserang oleh mana-mana pihak.

(2)   Inggeris membantu AsSa`ud membekalkan 1000 senapang dan bantuan wang £20,000 sebaik sahaja perjanjian ini ditandatangani. 

(3)   AsSa`ud menerima subsidi bulanan £5,000 dan bantuan senjata yang akan dikirim secara teratur sehingga tahun 1924.

(4)   AsSa`ud tidak akan mengadakan perundingan dan membuat perjanjian dengan negara asing lainnya. 

(5)  AsSa`ud juga tidak akan menyerang atau campur tangan di Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar dan Oman – yang berada di bawah perlindungan Inggeris. 

(6)  AsSaud juga berjanji membiarkan berdirinya negara Yahudi di Palestina yang didukung oleh Inggeris. 

(7)   Inggeris tidak akan melibatkan diri secara langsung dalam hal ehwal politik Kerajaan AsSa`ud.

Pada tahun 1916, AsSa'ud mengadakan Perjanjian Penentuan Sempadan Wilayah dengan Inggeris. Pesuruhjaya Tinggi Inggeris, Sir Percy Cox dengan mengambil kertas dan pena menentukan batas-batas wilayah kerajaan-kerajaan di Timur Tengah sebagai kerajaan-kerajaan yang berdaulat di luar penguasaan Khilafah Uthmaniyyah.

Sementara itu, saingan AsSa`ud di Nejd, Muhammad bin Rasyid, tetap bersekutu dengan Khilafah Uthmaniyyah di Turki. Ketika Sultan Uthmaniyyah kalah dalam Perang Dunia I bersama-sama dengan Jerman, puak Rasyidi kehilangan sekutu utama. Perang antara AsSa`ud dan ArRasyid berterusan selama PD I dan sesudahnya.

Pada 2 Nov 1917, Menteri Luar Negeri Inggeris Arthur Balfour menerbitkan deklarasi Balfour kepada Lord Rothschild seorang aristokrat dan jutawan Yahudi yang menjanjikan berdirinya negara Yahudi di Palestin. Pada 11 Dis 1917, Inggeris dibawah pimpinan Jen Edward Allenby menduduki Palestin.

Setelah berbulan-bulan dikepung, pada 4 Nov 1921, Ha’il, ibukota kerajaan ArRasyidi, jatuh ke tangan AsSa`ud yang dibantu Inggeris. Penduduk oasis subur di utara itu pun mengucapkan bai’ah taat setia kepada AsSa`ud. Kejatuhan Ha'il ini diikuti oleh wilayah Asir di Hijaz Selatan (1922), Makkah dan madinah (1924) dan Jeddah (1925). Dengan penaklukan ini AsSaud mengisytiharkan diri sebagai Raja Hijaz dan selanjutnya sebagai Sultan Nejd pada tahun 1926. Agen perisikan Inggeris yang bernama Harry St. John Pilby tinggal di Jeddah sebagai penasihat dan penghubung dengan London. Pada tahun 1930 Philby secara rasmi di lantik menanggotai Dewan Penasihat peribadi Raja Saud.

Pada 20 Mei 1927, satu Perjanjian umum Inggeris-Arab Saudi telah ditandatangani di Jeddah. Perjanjian yang dirundingkan oleh Clayton itu:

(1)   mempertegas pengakuan Inggeris atas ‘kemerdekaan lengkap dan mutlak’ Kerajaan Ibnu Sa‘ud;

(2)   hubungan non-agressi dan bersahabat;

(3)   pengakuan Ibnu Sa‘ud atas kedudukan Inggeris di Bahrain dan di Kerajaan (Emir) Teluk;

(4)   kerjasama dalam menghentikan perdagangan budak. 

Dengan perlindungan Inggeris ini, Abdul Aziz (yang dikenal dengan Ibnu Sa‘ud) merasa aman dari berbagai ancaman.

Pada tahun 1928,  Suku Duwaish yang tidak senang terhadap sikap politik Ibnu Saud yang terlalu pro Barat dan menyetujui berdirinya Israel di Palestin melakukan pemberontakan. Dengan bantuan angkatan udara Inggris dilakukan pengeboman dan penumpasan pemberontakan suku Duwaish.

Akhirnya dalam tahun 1932 Abdul Aziz bin Abdurrahman bin Saud mengisytiharkan pembentukan Kerajaan 'Arab Saudi' atau Saudi Arabia (Al-Mamlakah al-‘Arabiyah as-Su‘udiyah) dengan wilayah kekuasaan yang sampai sekarang ini dikenal sebagai Kerajaan SAUDI ARABIA (KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA).

Negara Arab Saudi Ketiga (Moden)

Kerajaan Arab Saudi merupakan negara terbesar di Semenanjung Arab. Ia bersempadan dengan Jordan pada barat laut, Iraq pada utara dan timur laut, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, dan Amiriah Arab Bersatu pada timur, Oman pada tenggara, dan Yaman pada selatan. Teluk Parsi terletak ke timur laut dan Laut Merah ke barat. Ia mempunyai anggaran populasi dari 27.6 juta, dan saiznya kira-kira 2,150,000 km persegi (830,000 batu persegi).

Kerajaan ini kadangkala dipanggil "Tanah dari Dua Masjid Suci" dalam rujukan kepada Makkah dan Madinah, dua tempat paling suci dalam Islam. Dalam bahasa Inggeris, negara ini paling lazim dirujuk sebagai Arab.  Kerajaan ini telah diasaskan oleh Abdul-Aziz bin Saud, iaitu usaha dimulakan pada 1902 apabila dia menawan tanah moyang Al-Saud Riyadh, dan berakhir pada 1932 dengan pengisytiharaan, dan pengakuan Kerajaan Arab Saudi.

Arab Saudi merupakan pengeksport petroleum dan petroleum terbesar dunia yang mejanakan ekonomi Saudi. Minyak dikira untuk lebih dari 90 peratus dari eksport dan hampir 75 peratus dari hasil kerajaan, memberikan kemudahan kepada penciptaan negara kebajikan,  iaitu kerajaan menemui kesukaran untuk berdana semasa tempoh harga minyak rendah. Kumpulan hak asasi kemanusiaan seperti Amnesti Antarabangsa dan Pantauan Hak Asasi Kemanusiaan telah berulangkali meluahkan kebimbangan mengenai negeri hak asasi kemanusiaan di Arab Saudi, walaupun kebimbangan ini telah disingkirkan oleh kerajaan Saudi.

Kejayaan ketenteraan dan politik Abdul Aziz tidak dicerminkan ekonomiknya hingga simpanan besar minyak telah dijumpai pada Mac 1958. Program pembangunan, iaitu ditunda kerana serangan dari Perang Dunia Kedua pada 1939, bermula dalam kesungguhan pada 1946 dan pada 1949 penghasilan berada pada ayunan penuh. Minyak telah membekalkan Arab Saudi dengan kemakmuran ekonomik dan pengumpilan yang besar kepada komuniti antarabangsa.

Sebelum kematian beliau pada 1953 Abdul Aziz, sedar dari kesukaran yang dihadapi oleh pemerintah mutlak serantau yang bergantung pada rangkaian keluarga lanjutan, mencuba untuk mengawal pewarisan.

Saud mewarisi takhta pada kematian ayah beliau pada 1953. bagaimanapun, pada awal 1960an, Kerajaan tersebut berada dalam bahaya berpunca dari salah kendalian ekonomi dan kegagalan Saud untuk menangani secara berkesan dengan cabaran serantau dari Presiden Mesir Gamal Abdel Nasser. Akibatnya Saud telah digulingkan yang memihak kepada Faisal pada 1964.

Persaingan intra-keluarga merupakan salah satu faktor yang membawa kepada pembunuhan Faisal oleh anak saudara lelaki beliau, Putera Faisal bin Musa'id, pada 1975. Beliau telah digantikan oleh Raja Khalid hingga 1982 dan kemudian oleh Raja Fahd. Apabila Fahd mangkat pada 2005, abang-tiri beliau Abdullah menaiki takhta.

Institusi pusat dalam pemerintahan Kerajaan Arab Saudi ialah sistem monarki mutlak. Undang-Undang Asas yang digunakan sejak 1992 menyatakan bahawa Arab Saudi merupakan satu kerajaan yang diperintah oleh anak-anak dan cucu cicit Raja Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, dan Al-Qur'an merupakan perlembagaan negara itu, yang diperintah mengikut undang-undang Islam (Syari'ah). Pembentukan parti politik adalah dilarang dan pilihan raya umum tidak boleh diadakan.

Kuasa raja secara teorinya adalah terhad dalam lingkungan Syari'ah dan tradisi Saudi lain. Beliau juga harus mengekalkan konsensus keluarga diraja Saud, para ulama dan unsur penting lain dalam masyarakat Saudi, tetapi dekrinya tidak perlu mendapat persetujuan mereka. Ideologi negara ini ialah beraliran Sunnah Salafi. Mereka cuba mendapatkan pengikut dengan membiayai pembinaan masjid dan madrasah di seluruh dunia. Pemilihan raja dibuat dari kalangan keluarga diraja dan dipersetujui oleh golongan ulama. Keluarga diraja ini digelar Rumah Saud.

Politik

Institusi pusat dalam pemerintahan Kerajaan Arab Saudi ialah sistem monarki mutlak. Undang-Undang Asas yang digunakan sejak 1992 menyatakan bahawa Arab Saudi merupakan satu kerajaan yang diperintah oleh anak-anak dan cucu cicit Raja Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, dan Al-Qur'an merupakan perlembagaan negara itu, yang diperintah mengikut undang-undang Islam (Syari'ah). Pembentukan parti politik adalah dilarang dan pilihan raya umum tidak boleh diadakan.

Kuasa raja secara teorinya adalah terhad dalam lingkungan Shari'ah dan tradisi Saudi lain. Beliau juga harus mengekalkan konsensus keluarga diraja Saud, para ulama dan unsur penting lain dalam masyarakat Saudi, tetapi dekrinya tidak perlu mendapat persetujuan mereka. Ideologi negara ini ialah beraliran Sunnah Salafi. Mereka cuba mendapatkan pengikut dengan membiayai pembinaan masjid dan madrasah di seluruh dunia. Pemilihan raja dibuat dari kalangan keluarga diraja dan dipersetujui oleh golongan ulama. Keluarga diraja ini digelar Rumah Saud.

Peta Tanah Arab pada tahun 1914

	No.	Province	Capital
	1	Al Jawf (or Jouf)	Sakaka City
	2	Northern Borders (Al Hudud as Syamaliyah)	Arar
	3	Tabuk	Tabuk City
	4	Ha'il	Ha'il City
	5	Al Madinah	Medina
	6	Al Qasim	Buraidah
	7	Makkah	Mecca
	8	Al Riyadh	Riyadh City
	9	Eastern Province (AsSyarqiyah)	Dammam
	10	Al Bahah (or Baha)	Al Bahah City
	11	Asir	Abha
	12	Jizan	Jizan City
	13	Najran	Najran City

Monarchy System in Saudi Arabia 

The King of Saudi Arabia is Saudi Arabia's head of state and absolute monarch (i.e. head of government). He serves as the head of the Saudi monarchy — House of Saud. The King is called the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (خادم الحرمين الشريفين). The title, which signifies Saudi Arabia's jurisdiction over the mosques of Masjid al Haram in Mecca and Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina, replaced His Majesty (صاحب الجلالة) in 1986.

King Abdelaziz (also known as Ibn Saud) began conquering today's Saudi Arabia in 1902, by restoring his family as emirs of Riyadh. He then proceeded to conquer first the Nejd (1922) and then the Hijazz (1925). He progressed from Sultan of Nejd, to King of Hejaz and Nejd, and finally to King of Saudi Arabia in 1932.

The Kings since Ibn Saud's death have all been his sons, and all likely immediate successors to the reigning King Abdullah will be from his progeny. Sons of Ibn Saud are considered to have primary claim on the throne of Saudi Arabia. This makes the Saudi monarchy quite distinct from Western monarchies, which usually feature large, clearly defined royal familiesand orders of succession.

Saudi Arabia is ruled by Islamic Law and purports to be an Islamic State, but many Muslims see a hereditary monarchy as being a discouraged system of government in Islam.

The King of Saudi Arabia is also considered the Head of the House of Saud and Prime Minister. The Crown Prince is also the Deputy Prime Minister. The kings after Faisal have named a "second Deputy Prime Minister" as the subsequent heir after the Crown Prince.

The Founder of the Monarch of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abd al-‘Azīz ibn ‘Abd ar-Raḥman Āl Sa‘ūd (15 January 1876 – 9 November 1953), usually known outside the Arab world as Ibn Saud, was the first monarch of Saudi Arabia, the third Saudi State.

He reconquered his family's ancestral home city of Riyadh in 1902, touching off three decades of conquests that left him the ruler of nearly all of central Arabia. He consolidated his control over the Najd in 1922, then conquered the Hijaz in 1925. He united his dominions into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932. As King, he presided over the discovery of petroleum in Saudi Arabia in 1938 and the beginning of large-scale oil production after World War II. He fathered many children, including 45 sons, and all of the subsequent kings of Saudi Arabia.

Early Life and Family Origins.

Abdulaziz ibn Saud was born on 15 January 1876 in Riyadh in the region of Najd in central Arabia. He was the son of Abdul Rahman bin Faisal, last ruler of the "Second Saudi State", a tribal sheikhdom centered on Riyadh. His family, the House of Saud, had been a power in central Arabia for the previous 130 years. Under the influence and inspiration of Wahhabi Islam, the Saudis had previously attempted to control much of the Arabian peninsula in the form of the "First Saudi State", until its destruction by an Egyptian army in the early 19th century. The mother of Abdulaziz inn Saud was a Sudairi, Sarah Al Sudairi, and died in 1910.

In 1890, the House of Saud's long-term regional rivals, the Al Rashid, conquered Riyadh. Abdulaziz was 15 at the time. He and his family initially took refuge with the Al Murrah, a Bedouin tribe in the southern desert of Arabia. Later, the Al Sauds moved to Qatar and stayed there for two months. Their next stop was Bahrain, where they stayed briefly. Their final destination was Kuwait, where they lived for nearly a decade.

In the spring of 1901, Abdulaziz and some relatives – including a half-brother, Mohammed, and several cousins – set out on a raiding expedition into the Najd, targeting for the most part tribes associated with the Rashidis. As the raid proved profitable, it attracted more participants. The raiders' numbers peaked at over 200, though these numbers dwindled over the ensuing months.

In the autumn, the group made camp in the Yabrin oasis. While observing Ramadan, he decided to attack Riyadh and retake it from the Al Rashidi. On the night of 15 January 1902, he led 40 men over the walls of the city on tilted palm trees and took the city. The Rashidi governor of the city, Ajlan, was killed in front of his own fortress. The Saudi recapture of the city marked the beginning of the Third Saudi State.

Rise to Power

Following the capture of Riyadh, many former supporters of the House of Saud rallied to Ibn Saud's call to arms. He was a charismatic leader and kept his men supplied with arms. Over the next two years, he and his forces recaptured almost half of the Najd from the Rashidis.

In 1904, Ibn Rashid appealed to the Ottoman Empire for military protection and assistance. The Ottomans responded by sending troops into Arabia. On 15 June 1904, Ibn Saud's forces suffered a major defeat at the hands of the combined Ottoman and Rashidi forces. His forces regrouped and began to wage guerrilla warfare against the Ottomans. Over the next two years he was able to disrupt their supply routes, forcing them to retreat.

He completed his conquest of the Najd and the eastern coast of Arabia in 1912. He then founded the Ikhwan, a military-religious brotherhood which was to assist in his later conquests, with the approval of local Salafi ulema. In the same year, he instituted an agrarian policy to settle the nomadic pastoralist bedouins into colonies, and to dismantle their tribal organizations in favor of allegiance to the Ikhwan.

During World War I, the British government established diplomatic relations with Ibn Saud. The British agent, Captain William Shakespear, was well received by the Bedouin.  Similar diplomatic missions were established with any Arabian power who might have been able to unify and stabilize the region. The British entered into a treaty in December 1915 (the "Treaty of Darin") which made the lands of the House of Saud a British protectorate and attempted to define the boundaries of the developing Saudi state. In exchange, Ibn Saud pledged to again make war against Ibn Rashid, who was an ally of the Ottomans.

The British Foreign Office had previously begun to support Sharif Hussein bin Ali, Emir of the Hejaz by sending T.E. Lawrence (a.k.a. Lawrence of Arabia) to him in 1915. The Saudi Ikhwan began to conflict with Emir Feisal also in 1917 just as his sons Abdullah and Faisal entered Damascus. The Treaty of Darin remained in effect until superseded by the Jeddah conference of 1927 and the Dammam conference of 1952 during both of which Ibn Saud extended his boundaries past the Anglo-Ottoman Blue Line. After Darin, he stockpiled the weapons and supplies which the British provided him, including a 'tribute' of £5,000 per month. After World War I, he received further support from the British, including a glut of surplus munitions. He launched his campaign against the Al Rashidi in 1920; by 1922 they had been all but destroyed.

The defeat of the Al Rashidi doubled the size of Saudi territory because after the war of Ha'il, king Abdulaziz sent his army to occupy Al-Jouf and the army led by Eqab bin Mohaya (The head of Talhah tribe) . This allowed Ibn Saud the leverage to negotiate a new and more favorable treaty with the British. Their treaty, signed at Uqair in 1922, saw Britain recognize many of his territorial gains. In exchange, Ibn Saud agreed to recognize British territories in the area, particularly along the Persian Gulf coast and in Iraq. The former of these were vital to the British, as merchant traffic between British India and United Kingdom depended upon coaling stations on the approach to the Suez Canal.

In 1925, the forces of Ibn Saud captured the holy city of Mecca from Sharif Hussein bin Ali, ending 700 years of (Hashemite) rule. On 8 January 1926, the leading figures in Mecca, Madina and Jeddah proclaimed Ibn Saud the King of Hejaz. On 20 May 1927, the British government signed the Treaty of Jeddah, which abolished the Darin protection agreement and recognized the independence of the Hejaz and Najd with Ibn Saud as its ruler.

With international recognition and support, Ibn Saud continued to consolidate his power. By 1928, his forces had overrun most of the central Arabian Peninsula. However, the alliance between the Ikhwan and the Al Saud collapsed when Ibn Saud forbade further raiding. The few portions of central Arabia not under Saudi control had treaties with London. This did not sit well with the Ikwhan, who had been taught that all non-Wahhabis were infidels. Tensions finally boiled over when the Ikwhan rebelled in 1927. After two years of fighting, they were suppressed by Ibn Saud in the Battle of Sabilla in March 1929.

On 23 September 1932, Ibn Saud united his dominions into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with himself as its king. He transferred his court to Murabba Palace from the Masmak Fort in 1938 and the palace remained his residence and the seat of government until his death in 1953.

Ibn Saud had to first eliminate the right of his own father in order to rule, and then distance and contain the ambitions of his five brothers – particularly his oldest brother Muhammad who fought with him during the battles and conquests that had given birth to the state.

Oil and the Rule of Ibn Saud

Petroleum was discovered in Saudi Arabia in 1938 by American geologists working for Standard Oil of New York (SOCONY) in partnership with Saudi officials. Through his advisers St John Philby and Ameen Rihani. He granted substantial authority over Saudi oil fields to American Oil Companies (ARAMCO) in 1944, much to the dismay of the British who had invested heavily in the House of Saud's rise to power in hopes of open access to any oil reserves that were to be surveyed. Beginning in 1915, Ibn Saud signed the "friendship and cooperation" pact with Britain to keep his militia in line and cease any further attacks against their protectorates for whom they were responsible.

His newfound oil wealth brought with it a great deal of power and influence that, naturally, Ibn Saud would use to advantage in the Hijaz. He forced many nomadic tribes to settle down and abandon "petty wars" and vendettas. He also began widespread enforcement of the new kingdom's ideology, based on the teachings of Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab. This included an end to traditionally sanctioned rites of pilgrimage, recognized by the orthodox schools of jurisprudence, but at odds with those sanctioned by Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab. In 1926, after a caravan of Egyptians on the way to Mecca were beaten by his forces for playing bugles, he was impelled to issue a conciliatory statement to the Egyptian government. In fact, several such statements were issued to Muslim governments around the world as a result of beatings suffered by the pilgrims visiting the holy cities of Mekkah and Medinah. With the uprising and subsequent decimation thereafter of the Ikhwan in 1929 via British air power, the 1930s marked a turning point. With his rivals eliminated, Ibn Saud's ideology was in full force, ending nearly 1400 years of accepted religious practices surrounding the Hajj, the majority of which were sanctioned by a millennia of scholarship.

Abdulaziz established a Shura Council of the Hijaz as early as 1927. This Council was later expanded to 20 members, and was chaired by the king's son, Faisal.

Foreign Wars

Ibn Saud was able to gain loyalty from tribes near Saudi Arabia, tribes such as those in Jordan. For example, he built very strong ties with Prince Sheikh Rashed Al Khuzai from the Al Fraihat tribe, one of the most influential and royally established families during the Ottoman Empire. The Prince and his tribe had dominated eastern Jordan before the arrival of Shariff Hussein. Ibn Saud supported Prince Rashed and his followers in rebellion against the Hussein.

Prince Rashed supported Izzaddin al Qasim's defiance in 1935 which led him and his followers in rebellion against King Abdullah of Jordan. And later in 1937, when they were forced to leave Jordan, Prince Rashed Al Khuzai, his family, and a group of his followers chose to move to Saudi Arabia, where Prince Rashedi was living for several years in the hospitality of King Abdulaziz Al Saud.

Ibn Saud positioned Saudi Arabia as neutral in World War II, but was generally considered to favor the Allies. However, in 1938, when an attack on a main British pipeline in the Kingdom of Iraq was found to be connected to the German Ambassador, Fritz Grobba, Ibn Saud provided Grobba with refuge. It was reported that he had been disfavoring the British as of 1937.

At the last stage of the war, Ibn Saud met significant political figures. One of these meetings, which lasted for three days, was with the U.S. President F D Roosevelt on 14 February 1945. The meeting took place on board of the USS Quincy at the Great Bitter Lake in the Suez Canal. The meeting laid down the basis of the future relations between two countries.

The other meeting was with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the Grand Hotel du Lac on the shores of the Fayyoun Oasis, fifty miles south of Cairo. in February 1945. However, Saudis report that the meeting heavily focused on the Palestine problem and was unproductive in terms of its outcomes, in contrast to that with Roosevelt.

In 1948, Ibn Saud participated in the Arab-Israeli War but Saudi Arabia's contribution was generally considered token.

While the members of the royal family desired luxuries such as gardens, splendid cars and concrete palaces, Ibn Saud wanted a royal railway from the Persian Gulf to Riyadh and then an extension to Jeddah. This was regarded by all of his advisers living in the country as an old man's folly. Eventually, ARAMCO built the railway, at a cost of $70 million, drawn from the King's oil royalties. It was completed in 1951 and was used commercially after the king's death. It enabled Riyadh to grow into a relatively modern city. But when a paved road was built in 1962, the railway lost its traffic.

 THE KINGS OF SAUDI ARABIA SINCE 1932 

Al Malik Abdul Aziz bin AbdurRahman (or Ibn Saud)
(22 Sep 1932 – 9 Nov 1953)

Born
15 Jan 1876 (Riyadh)

Full Name
Abdulaziz bin AbdurRahman bin Faisal bin Turki bin Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Saud

Name of Wives (22 +)
1. Wadhah Bint Muhammad Bin 'Aqab; 2. Tarfah bint Abdullah Al Al Sheikh; 3. Lulua bint Salih Al Dakhil; 4. Al Jawhara bint Musaed Al Jiluwi; 5. Lajah bint Khalid bin Hithlayn; 6. Bazza I;
7. Jawhara bint Saad  as Sudairi; 8. Hassa Al Sudairi; 9. Shahida; 10. Fahda bint Asi Al Shuraim; 11. Bazza II; 12. Haya bint Sa'ad Al Sudair; 13. Bushra; 14. Munaiyir; 15. Mudhi;
16. Nouf bint Al Shalan; 17. Saida al Yamaniyah; 18. Khadra; 19. Baraka al Yamaniyah; 20. Futayma; 21. Mudhi binti Abdullah Almandeel Al Khalidi; and others

Name of  Children (45 sons ++daughters)
1. Turki; 2. Saud (2nd King); 3. Faisal (3rd King); 4. Muhammad; 5. Khaled (4th King); 6. Nasser; 7. Saad; 8. Saad; 9. Mansour; 10. Fahd (5th King); 
11. Bandr; 12. Musaid; 13. Abdullah (6th King); 14. Abdul Muhsin; 15. Mishail; 16. Sultan; 17. AbdurRahman; 18. Mutaib;  19. Talal; 20. Mishari; 22. Badr; 23. Turki; 24. Nawwaf; 25. Nayef; 26. Fawwaz; 27. Salman (7th King); 28. Majid; 29. Thamir; 30. Abdul Illah; 31. Mamdouh; 32. Sattam; 33. Ahmed; 34. Abdul Majeed; 35. Hazloul; 36. Masshur; 37. Muqrin (Crown Prince); 38. Hamoud....and others. Princess; al Bandari; Sultana; Lu'luah; al Jawhara; Haya; Seeta; Latifa and others.

Died/Burial
9 Nov 1953 (Taif)/al Oud, Riyadh



Al Malik Saud bin Abdel Aziz
(9 Nov 1953 - 2 Nov 1964)
(abdicated by his brother, Feisal)

Born

15 Jan 1902 (Kuwait City)

Full Name

Saud bin Abdulaziz bin AbdurRahman bin Faisal bin Turki bin Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Saud

Name of Wives (22 +)

1. Wadhah Bint Muhammad Bin 'Aqab; 2. .....

Name of  Children (115)

Prince Fahd; Prince Muhammad; Prince Mishari; Prince Mishaal; Prince Abdurrahman, Prince Badr, Prince Hussam; Prince Khalid; Prince Sultan; Prince Mansour; Prince Masshoor; Princess Hajr; Princess Noura; Princess Hessah, Princess Buniah; Princess Nouzhah + + + ... and Princess Basmah

Died/Burial

23 Feb 1969 (Athen, Greece)/al Oud, Riyadh

Struggle with Faisal

A fierce struggle between Ibn Saud's most senior sons, Saud and Faisal, erupted immediately after his death. The increase in oil revenues did not solve the financial problem associated with the debts Saud had inherited from his father, estimated to have been $US200 million in 1953. In fact, this debt more than doubled by 1958, when it reached $US450 million. The Saudi Riyal lost half of its official value against the United States Dollar. Both ARAMCO and international banks declined Saudi's demand for credit. Saud suspended the few government projects he had initiated, but continued his spending on luxurious palaces.

Saud and Faisal fought an internal battle over the definition of political responsibilities and the division of government functions. Saud is often associated among other things with plundering of oil revenues, luxurious palaces, and conspiracy inside and outside of Saudi Arabia while Faisal is associated with sobriety, piety, puritanism, financial wisdom, and modernization. Moreover, the conflict between the two brothers is often described as originating from the desire of Faisal to curb his brother's spending and solve Saudi Arabia's financial crisis

The battle between the two brothers was fought over the role to be assigned to the Council of Ministers. Saud abolished the office of Prime Minister by royal decree, thus enforcing his position as King and de facto prime minister. Saud thought of himself as both King and prime minister whereas Faisal envisaged more powers being in his own hand as Crown Prince and deputy prime minister.

Forced Abdication

King Saud's family members worried about Saud's profligacy and his inability to meet Nasser's socialist challenge. Corruption and backwardness were weakening the regime. Radio Cairo's anti-Saudi propaganda was finding a receptive audience.

King Saud and Prince Faisal continued their power struggle until 1962, when Prince Faisal formed a cabinet in the absence of the King, who had gone abroad for medical treatment. Prince Faisal allied with Prince Fahd and Prince Sultan. Prince Faisal's new government excluded the sons of Saud. He promised a ten-point reform that included the drafting of a basic law, the abolition of slavery and the establishment of a judicial council.

King Saud rejected Prince Faisal's new arrangement and threatened to mobilize the Royal Guard against his brother. Prince Faisal ordered the mobilization of the National Guard against King Saud. With the arbitration of the ulema and pressure from senior royalty, King Saud yielded and agreed to abdicate on 28 March 1964.

King Saud was forced into exile in Geneva, Switzerland, and then on to other European cities. In 1966, Saud was invited by Nasser to live in Egypt; another report claims that King Saud went to Egypt under refuge granted by Nasser and stayed there from 1965 to 1967. King Saud was also allowed to broadcast propaganda on Radio Cairo. Some of his sons, such as Prince Khalid, Prince Badr, Prince Sultan and Prince Mansur, joined him and supported his attempt to regain the throne. However, after the June 1967 Arab-Israel War, he lost the support of Egypt and settled in Greece until his death in 1969.

Al Malik Faisal bin Abdel Aziz

(2 Nov 1964 - 25 Mac 1975)

Born

April 1906 (Riyadh)

Full Name

Faisal bin Abdulaziz bin AbdurRahman bin Faisal bin Turki bin Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Saud

Name of Wives (22 +)

1. Al Jawhara binti Saud al Kabir; 2. Haya binti Turki al Turki; 3. Iffat al Thunayan

Name of  Children (45 sons ++daughters)

1. Abdullah (S); 2. Sara (D); 3. Lu'lu'ah (D); 4. Khalid (S); 5. Saud (S); 6. Sa'd (S); 7. AbdurRahman (S): 8. Bandar (S); 9. Latifa (D); 10. Munira (D); 11. alJuhara (D); 12. al Anud (D); 13. Mishail (D); 14. Fahda (D); 15. Nura (D); 16. Turki (S):  17. Haifa (D); 18. Hessa.

Died/Burial

25 Mac 1975 (Riyadh)/al Oud, Riyadh

Assassination

On 25 March 1975, King Faisal was shot point-blank and killed by his half-brother's son, Faisal bin Musaid, who had just come back from the United States. The murder occurred at a majlis (literally ‘a place for sitting’), an event where the king or leader opens up his residence to the citizens to enter and petition the king.

In the waiting room, Prince Faisal talked to Kuwaiti representatives who were also waiting to meet King Faisal. When the Prince went to embrace him, King Faisal leaned to kiss his nephew in accordance with Saudi culture. At that instant, Prince Faisal took out a pistol and shot him. The first shot hit King Faisal's chin and the second one went through his ear. A bodyguard hit Prince Faisal with a sheathed sword. Oil Minister Zaki Yamani yelled repeatedly to not kill Prince Faisal.

King Faisal was quickly taken to the hospital. He was still alive as doctors massaged his heart and gave him a blood transfusion. They were unsuccessful and King Faisal died shortly afterward. Both before and after the assassination the prince was reported to be calm. Following the killing, Riyadh had three days of mourning and all government activities were at a standstill.

One theory for the murder was avenging the death of Prince Khaled bin Musaid, the brother of Prince Faisal bin Musaid. King Faisal instituted modern and secular reforms that led to the installation of television, which provoked violent protest, one which was led by Prince Khalid, who during the course of an attack on a television station was shot dead by a policeman.

Prince Faisal, who was captured directly after the attack, was officially declared insane. But following the trial, a panel of Saudi medical experts decided that Faisal was sane when he shot the king. The nation's high religious court convicted him of regicide and sentenced him to execution. He was beheaded in the public square in Riyadh. The public execution took place on 18 June 1975 at 4:30 pm—three hours before sundown—before a throng of thousands at the Al Hukm Palace (Palace of Justice).

King Faisal's body was buried in Al Oud cemetery in Riyadh on 26 March 1975. His successor, King Khalid, wept over his body at his funeral.

Al Malik Khaled bin Abdel Aziz
(25 Mac 1975 - 13 Jun 1982)

Born

13 Feb 1913 (Riyadh)

Full Name

Khaled bin Abdulaziz bin AbdurRahman bin Faisal bin Turki bin Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Saud

Name of Wives (4)

1. Latifa binti Ahmed al Sudairi, 2. Tarfa binti Abdullah al Saud, 3. Nura binti Turki al Saud, 4. Sita binti Fahd al Damir

Name of  Children (4 sons /6 daughters)

1. Bandar, Abdullah, Faisal, Moudi, Hussa etc

Died/Burial

13 Jun 1982 (Taif)/al Oud, Riyadh

Al Malik Fahd bin Abdulaziz

(13 Jun 1982 - 1 Ogos 2005)

Born

16 Mac 1921 (Riyadh)

Full Name

Fahd bin Abdulaziz bin AbdurRahman bin Faisal bin Turki bin Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Saud

.

Name of Wives (12 +)

1. Al Anood bint Abdulaziz bin Mousad Al Saud; 2. al Jawhara bint Ibrahim; 3. Jawza bint Abdallah bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud; 4. Al Jowhara bint Abdullah Al Sudairi; 5. Modhi bint Turki bin Abdullah Al Saud ; 6. Joza'a bint Sultan Al Adgham Al Subaie; 7. Turfa bint Abdulaziz bin Mo'amar; 8. Watfa bint Obaid bin Ali Al Jabr Al Rasheed; 9. Lolwa al Abdulrahman al Muhana Aba al Khail; 10. Shaikha bint Turki bin Mariq Al Thit; 11. Seeta bint Ghunaim bin Sunaitan Abu Thnain; 12. Janan Harb...etc

Name of  Children (6 +)

1. Faisal; 2. Khaled; 3. Muhammad ; 4. Saud; 5. Sultan; 6. Abdulaziz; etc 

Died/Burrial

2 Ogos 2005 (Riyadh)/al Oud, Riyadh

Al Malik Abdullah bin Abdulaziz
(Regent: 21 February 1996 – 1 August 2005)
(1 August 2005 – 22 January 2015)

Born

1 Ogos 1924 (Riyadh, Nejd)

Full Name

Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin AbdurRahman bin Faisal bin Turki bin Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Saud

Name of Wives (22 +)

1. Alanoud Al Fayez, 2. Jawahir bint Ali Hussein, 3. Aida Fustuq, 4. Munira Al Otaishan,

5. Munira bint Abdullah Al Al Shaykh, 6. Tathi bint Mishan al Faisal al Jarba and more

Name of  Children (45 sons ++daughters)

1. Prince Khaled, 2. Prince Mutaib, Prince Mishaal, Prince Abdulaziz, Prince Turki, Prince Badr, Princess Nora, Princess Aliya, Princess Adila, Princess Maryam, Princess Sahab, Princess Sahar, Princess Maha, Princess Hala, Princess Jawahir, Princess Anoud, Prince Saud, Prince Bandar

Died/Burial

22 Jan 2015 (Riyadh)/al Oud, Riyadh

Almalik Salman bin Abdelaziz
(23 Jan 2015 - incumbent)

Born

31 Dec 1935 (Riyadh)

Full Name

Salman bin Abdelaziz bin AbdurRahman bin Faisal bin Turki bin Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Saud

Name of Wives (3)

1. Sultana binti Turki al Sudairi; 2. Sarah binti Faisal al Subaiie; 3. Fahda binti Falah bin Sultan al Hithalayn. 

Name of  Children (7 sons + 1 daughter)

1. Fahd, 2. Ahmad; 3. Sultan; 4. Abdelziz; 5. Feisal; 6. Hussna; 7. Saud; 8. Muhammad

 Biodata of  Al Malik Salman bin Abdelaziz 

Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was born on 31 December 1935) is the present King of Saudi Arabia. He has also been Minister of Defence since 2011, and he was Governor of Riyadh Province from 1963 to 2011. He is a member of the House of Saud. King Salman ascended the throne on 23 January 2015 on the death of King Abdullah, his half-brother.

Salman was born on 31 December 1935. He is reported to be the 25th son of Ibn Saud. His mother was Hassa as Sudairi. Therefore, Salman is a member of the Sudairi. He was raised in Murabba Palace. 

Salman received his early education in the Princes' School in Riyadh which was established by Ibn Saud to provide education for his children. He studied religion and modern science.

Salman's governmental experience dates back to the 1950s. King Abdelaziz appointed Prince Salman as his representative and the emir or mayor of Riyadh on 17 March 1954, when he was just nineteen ears old. Later, he was appointed by King Saud as mayor of Riyadh at the rank of minister on 19 April 1955. He resigned from his post on 25 December 1960.

Governor of Riyadh

Salman bin Abdulaziz was appointed governor of Riyadh on 4 February 1963. His tenure lasted for forty-eight years from 1963 to 2011. As governor, he contributed to the development of Riyadh from a mid-sized town into a major urban metropolis. He attracted tourism, capital projects, and foreign investment inside his country. He favored geopolitical and economic relationships with the West.

He was advised by young well-qualified technocrats recruited from King Saud University during his governorship. In January 2011, he ordered action against Riyadh beggars "who try to take advantage of the generosity of people". All foreign beggars were deported and Saudi beggars were placed in a rehabilitation program by the Ministry of Social Affairs.

Defence Minister

On 5 November 2011, Prince Salman was appointed Minister of Defence, replacing his full brother late Crown Prince Sultan, and late Prince Sattam was named as the governor of the Riyadh Province. Prince Salman was also named as a member of the National Security Council (NSC) on the same day.

It is speculated that his appointment as defence minister occurred due to his qualities. First, he has a conciliatory and diplomatic nature. It is well known that he actively deals with internal family problems and mediates disputes between family members. Second, Prince Salman belongs to the middle generation in the royal family; therefore, he could develop close ties with both generations socially and culturally. Last, as a result of his long-term governorship, he developed a network of relationships within Arab and international circles.

Crown Prince

The Royal Court announced on 27 August 2012 that Prince Salman was in charge of state affairs since King Abdullah was out of the country due to a personal holiday. Prince Salman launched a Twitter account on 23 February 2013. On 18 June 2012, Prince Salman was appointed as Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia shortly after the death of his brother, Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdelaziz. Prince Salman was also made deputy prime minister.

King of the Kingdom

Salman became King of Saudi Arabia on 23 January 2015, following the death of his brother Abdullah.

Prince Salman heads the family council, called The Descendants’ Council (Majlis al Uthra in Arabic), that was established by King Fahd in 2000 to solve family matters, realizing consensus and to reduce publically embarrassing behaviour of some family members. He is also the chairman of the following organizations: King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (KAFRA), King Abdulaziz Museum, the Prince Salman Center for Disability Research (PSCDR) and the Prince Fahd bin Salman Charitable Society for the Care of Kidney Patients. In September 2012, Prince Salman was named as the deputy chairman of the military service council. He is a strong advocate for philanthropy in poor Muslim nations such as Somalia, Sudan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. His financial support to Bosnia also contributed to radical Islamists in the region.

Influence

King Salman is well regarded as intelligent and hard-working. He is a trusted mediator in settling royal conflicts among the extended Al Saud – estimated at 4,000 princes. His administration of Riyadh Province was reportedly corruption-free. He is a prominent figure of the royal council, which allows him to select which princes will be delegated which responsibilities of the Kingdom.

King Salman and his family own a media group, including pan-Arab daily Asharq al Awsat and Al Iqtisadiah. Though he owns only 10% of the Saudi Research and Marketing Group (SRMG), he is often referred by auditors as its owner. He reportedly controls the organization through his son Prince Feisal, who was the chairman. The SRMG publishes such daily papers as Arab News, Asharq al Awsat and al Iqtisadiyah through its subsidiary Saudi Research and Publishing Company (SRPC).

In a similar vein, Prince Salman is reported to have some strong alliances with significant journalists. He is said to be close to al Arabiyya TV director and Asharq al Awsat journalist Abdelrahman Al Rashid and to Uthman al Umeir, who launched and is the owner of the liberal e-newspaper Ilaph. Prince Salman is thought to have connections with the Elaph website.

In November 2002, in reference to charitable organizations accused of terrorism, Prince Salman He stated that he had personally taken part in the activities of such organizations, but added "I know the assistance goes to doing good. But if there are those who change some work of charity into evil activities, then it is not the kingdom's responsibility, nor its people, which helps its Arab and Muslim brothers around the world."

Al Jazeera referred to Prince Salman's views reported in a 2007 US diplomatic cable. Salman said that "the pace and extent of reforms depend on social and cultural factors, ... that for social reasons—not [religious] reasons—reforms cannot be imposed by the [Saudi government] or there will be negative reactions, ... [and] that changes have to be introduced in a sensitive and timely manner." According to the cable, he said that "democracy should not be imposed" in Saudi Arabia, since the country "is composed of tribes and regions and if democracy were imposed, each tribe and region would have its political party."

Personal Life

Salman bin Abdulaziz married three times. He firstly married Sultana bint Turki Al Sudairi, who died at the age of 71 in late July 2011. She was a daughter of Prince Salman's maternal uncle, Turki bin Ahmad Al Sudairi, who was one of the former governors of  Asir Province. Sultana Al Sudairi supported the Prince Fahd bin Salman Charitable Society for the Care of Kidney Patients and other charitable organizations in the country. His children from this marriage are Prince Fahd, Prince Ahmed, Prince Sultan, Prince Abdelaziz, Prince Feisal and Princess Hussa (born 1974). His child from his second marriage with Sarah bint Faisal Al Subai'ai is Prince Saud. His children from his third marriage with Fahda bint Falah bin Sultan Al Hithalayn are Prince Mohammed, Prince Turki. Prince Khalid, Prince Nayif, Prince Bandar and Prince Rakan.

In August 2010, King Salman underwent spine surgery in the United States and remained out of the kingdom for recovery. He had one stroke and despite physiotherapy, his left arm does not work as well as his right. After his appointment as Crown Prince various analysts including Simon Henderson argued that he is suffering from dementia. In addition, he is believed to be suffering from Alzheimer's disease. 

His oldest son, Fahd bin Salman, died of heart failure at the age of 47 in July 2001.

Another son, Ahmad bin Salman, died after a heart attack in July 2002 at the age of 43. His second son, Sultan, became the first person of royal blood, the first Arab, and first Muslim to fly in outer space when he flew aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-51-G) in June 1985. He is the chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiques (SCTA). Abdulaziz bin Salman, another son, has been the deputy minister of oil since 1995. Faisal bin Salman is the governor of Madinah Province. One of his younger sons, Mohammad, is his private advisor at the ministry of defense and at the Crown Prince Court. Turki bin Salman became the chairman of the SRMG in February 2013, replacing his elder brother Faisal bin Salman. Prince Salman was the closest brother to the late Crown Prince Sultan, having remained at his side during his constant illness and recovery in New York and Morocco, nearly from 2008 to 2011. Prince Sultan described him as "the prince of loyalty" in a letter sent to him. Prince Salman was also King Fahd's most trusted advisor during his reign. His legal counsel was William Jeffress, Jr., of US-based Baker Botts LLP, in a lawsuit filed by families of victims of 11 Sep terrorist attacks from 2002 to 2010.

Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia 

The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia is the second most important position in Saudi Arabia, second to the King, and is his most likely successor.

Currently, the Crown Prince assumes power with the approval of the Allegiance Commission after he is appointed by the king. This system was introduced to the country in the Abdullah Era. In the absence of the king, an order is issued by the queen to have the prince manage the affairs of the state until the king's return. The order changes the prince's title temporarily from the Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister to Vice Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques until the return of the King to the Kingdom.

Crown Prince Under Al Malik Abdelaziz (Ibn Saud):

1. Saud bin Abdelaziz (11 May 1933 - 9 Nov 1953) - 20 years

Crown Prince Under Al Malik Saud bin Abdelaziz

1. Feisal bin Abdelaziz (9 Nov 1953 - 2 Nov 1964) - 11 years

Crown Prince Under Al Malik Feisal bin Abdelaziz

1. Muhammad bin Abdelaziz (2 Nov 1964 - 29 March 1965) - resigned - 5 months
2. Khalid bin Abdelaziz (29 March 1965 - 27 March 1975) - 10 years

Crown Prince Under Al Malik Khaled bin Abdelaziz

1. Fahd bin Abdelaziz (25 March 1975 - 13 June 1982) - 7 years

Crown Prince Under Al Malik Fahd bin Abdelaziz

1. Abdullah bin Abdelaziz (13 June 1982 - 1 August 2005) - 23 years

Crown Prince Under Al Malik Abdullah bin Abdelaziz

1. Sultan bin Abdelaziz (1 Aug 2005 - 22 Oct 2011) - died in office - 6 years
2. Nayef bin Abdelaziz (22 Oct 2011 - 18 Jun 2012) - died in office - 8 months
3. Salman bin Abdelaziz (18 June 2012 - 23 Jan 2015) - 2 years 6 months

Crown Prince Under Al Malik Salman bin Abdel Aziz

1. Muqrin bin Abdelaziz (23 Jan 2015 - 25 April 2015) - relieved - 3 months
2. Muhammad bin Nayef (29 April 2015 - 21 June 2017) - relieved - 2 years
3. Muhammad bin Salman (21 June 2017 - incumbent) 

Prince Muhammad bin Salman

(Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia)

Deputy Crown Prince

Saudi Arabia became a Kingdom in 1932. The Al Saud controlled vast parts of the region for two and a half centuries. The Saudi royalty collapsed twice in the 1800s due to discord over succession. In 1890s, the Al Sauds were completely supplanted by the ruling dynasty Al Rasheed — the Al Rashid. The kingdom began to fight to restore itself through King Abdulaziz and his capture of Riyadh in 1902. Ibn Saud conquered Arabia and formed alliances by marriage to members of its biggest tribes. This strengthened his power within the Al Sauds and expanded his legitimacy in Arabia. He presided over the discovery of oil in the region. He died in 1953.

Ibn Saud's first two successors were his two oldest surviving sons: Saud in 1953, and Faisal in 1964. The third son, Muhammad, was crown prince from 1964 to 1965 but then withdrew in favor of his full brother Khalid. Upon Khalid's succession in 1975, the new crown prince was Fahd, the oldest of the Sudairi Seven; this move bypassed Nasser and Saad, who had far less government experience than Fahd. Upon Fahd's succession in 1982, the new crown prince was Abdullah, again bypassing two others (Bandar and Musa'id). Abdullah ascended the throne in 2005 on his 81st birthday, and many other surviving sons of Ibn Saud were similarly elderly and many were bypassed as new crown princes were selected.

Salman became crown prince on 18 June 2012 after the deaths of two predecessors (Sultan and Nayef), and Muqrin was named deputy crown prince in 2014.  Muqrin is the youngest surviving son of Ibn Saud. Upon the death of King Abdullah on 23 January 2015, Salman ascended to the throne and Muqrin became crown prince.  At the same time, Muhammad bin Nayef, son of former crown prince Nayef, was appointed Deputy Crown Prince. Muhammad bin Nayef is the first grandson of Ibn Saud to enter the official line of succession.

At the time of Salman's succession as king in 2015, he was 79 years old, Crown Prince Muqrin was 69 years old, and Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad was 55 years old.

1.

Saudi Palace Intrigue Sparks Speculation

English

Bruce Riedel May 1, 2015

King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud's unprecedented changes in the Saudi line of succession that benefit his son is raising questions about what might come next in the royal family. A traditional and conservative institution, the House of Saud has seen more personnel changes in the last 100 days than at any previous time. These shifts come as Salman pursues the most assertive foreign policy in recent Saudi history, projecting military power as no king has tried since the 1930s.

Without warning, Salman removed the sitting crown prince, Muqrin, his half brother, and promoted the third in line, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, his nephew, to No. 2. Salman made his own son, Mohammed bin Salman, the new No. 3 despite a lack of experience as a senior policymaker. Muqrin has since publicly proclaimed his allegiance to the new team, but without providing any explanation for his removal.

Ref: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/05/saudi-salman-succession-saud-abdullah.html#ixzz4xlGZk9Z0

2. 

Addiction and Intrigue: Inside the Saudi Palace Coup

(Reuters) - On Tuesday June 20 (2017) Mohammed bin Nayef (the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), a powerful figure in Saudi Arabia’s security apparatus for the past two decades and the next in line to the throne, was summoned to meet King Salman bin Abdulaziz on the fourth floor of the royal palace in Mecca.

There, according to a source close to Mohammed (bin Nayef), as he is known, the king ordered him to step aside in favour of the king’s favourite son, Mohammed bin Salman Ibn Salman). The reason: an addiction to painkilling drugs was clouding Mohammed’s judgment.

“The king came to meet Mohammed and they were alone in the room. He told him: ‘I want you to step down, you didn’t listen to the advice to get treatment for your addiction which dangerously affects your decisions’,” said the source close to Mohammed.

The new details about the extraordinary meeting between the king and Mohammed that touched off the de facto palace coup help to explain the events that are reshaping the leadership of the world’s biggest oil exporting nation.

Reuters could not independently confirm Mohammed’s addiction issues.

A senior Saudi official said the account was totally “unfounded and untrue in addition to being nonsense”.

“The story depicted here is a complete fantasy worthy of Hollywood,” the official said in a statement to Reuters, which did not refer to Mohammed’s alleged use of drugs.

The official said Mohammed had been removed in the national interest and had not experienced any “pressure or disrespect”. Reasons for his dismissal were “confidential”.

Sources with knowledge of the situation said however that the king was determined to elevate his son to be heir to the throne and used Mohammed’s drug problem as a pretext to push him aside.

Three royal insiders, four Arab officials with links to the ruling house of Saud, and diplomats in the region, told Reuters that Mohammed was surprised to be ordered to step aside.

“It was a big shock to Mohammed,” said a Saudi political source close to Mohammed. “It was a coup. He wasn’t prepared.”

The sources said Mohammed did not expect to be usurped by the often impulsive Mohammed bin Salman, who Mohammed considered to have made a number of policy blunders, such as his handling of the Yemen conflict and cutting financial benefits to civil servants.

The high-stakes power grab has placed sweeping powers in the hands of the 32-year-old Ibn Salman, and appears designed to speed his accession to the throne.

Should he get the job, the young prince will preside over a kingdom facing tough times from depressed oil prices, the conflict in Yemen, rivalry with an emboldened Iran and a major diplomatic crisis in the Gulf.  

The source close to Mohammed acknowledged that he had health issues, which were aggravated after an al Qaeda attacker tried to blow himself up in front of him in his palace in 2009. The health issues were corroborated by three other sources in Saudi Arabia and Arab official sources with links to the royal family.

An Arab source with close Saudi links also provided a similar account of the meeting at which King Salman asked Mohammed to step down because of his alleged drug addiction.

These sources said Mohammed had shrapnel in his body that could not be removed and he depended on drugs such as morphine to alleviate the pain. One source said Mohammed had been treated in clinics in Switzerland on three occasions in recent years. Reuters was unable to confirm this independently.

A Palace Coup

The King moved ahead of a meeting of the Political and Security Council. The meeting was due to start at 11 pm, but a few hours before that, Mohammed received what he viewed as a routine phone call from Mohammed bin Salman. According to the source close to Mohammed, Ibn Salman told Mohammed that the king wanted to see him.

In the hours that followed the meeting in which Mohammed was dismissed, the House of Saud’s Allegiance Council, comprising the ruling family’s senior members, were informed of a letter written in the name of the king.

Drafted by palace advisers to Ibn Salman, it said Mohammed had a medical condition - drug addiction - and “we have been trying for over two years to persuade him to seek treatment but to no avail”.

“Because of this dangerous situation we see that he should be relieved of his position and that Ibn Salman be appointed in his place,” the Saudi source close to Mohammed quoted excerpts of the letter as saying.

The letter was read over the phone to members of the Allegiance Council, while Mohammed was kept isolated in a room all night, his mobile phone removed, and cut off from contact with his aides. His bodyguards from elite paramilitary interior ministry units were also replaced.

Calls by council members who backed Mohammed’s removal were recorded and played to him by a palace adviser to demonstrate the strength of the forces against him and to discourage any urge the 57-year-old crown prince might have to resist.

According to two Saudi sources with links to the royal house, only three members of the council opposed his overthrow: Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, a former interior minister, Abdulaziz bin Abdallah, a representative of the family of late king Abdallah, and Prince Mohammad bin Saad, a former deputy governor of Riyadh. The three could not immediately be reached for comment.

At dawn Mohammed gave up. He told a palace adviser that he was ready to see the king. The meeting was short. Mohammed’s agreed to step down and signed a document to that effect.

When Mohammed left the king’s quarters, he was surprised to see Ibn Salman waiting for him, the adviser said. Mohammed was embraced and kissed by MbS while television cameras rolled.

Soon afterward a pre-written statement was released announcing the king’s decision to make his son the next crown prince. This was the clip that would play on all Saudi and Gulf media over the coming hours and days.

House Arrest

Mohammed remains under house arrest to keep him out of circulation following his overthrow, with no visitors allowed except close family members. He is not taking calls, the source close to Mohammed said. In the past week he was only granted permission to visit his elderly mother with the new guards assigned to him.

The senior Saudi official said, however, that Mohammed had received guests, including the king and the new crown prince.

The source close to Mohammed said he would like to take his family to Switzerland or London but the king and Mohammed had decided that he must stay. “He wasn’t given any choice.”

The White House and CIA declined to comment. A senior administration official said Washington knew that Ibn Salman was the favourite of the king but “beyond that it’s very opaque”.

The elevation of Ibn Salman had been predicted by some Saudi and Western officials, but it came much sooner than expected with a rushed exit for Mohammed.

Since King Salman’s accession, there had been clear indications that Ibn Salman was favoured over Mohammed, setting the stage for the younger prince to eclipse the formal heir to the throne.

MbS was given unprecedented power by his ailing 81-year-old father, which he used to reorder the top jobs in the political, oil, security, security and intelligence sectors, often without the knowledge of Mohammed, according to diplomats and Saudi political and security sources.

Since Salman took the helm just over two years ago, Ibn Salman has placed his men in key positions. Ibn Salman has been interfering in Mohammed’s interior ministry, appointing, promoting and firing officers without informing him.

The succession quarrel, the sources said, began in 2015 when Mohammed’s personal court was disbanded and merged with the court of the king, preventing Mohammed from bestowing independent patronage and cultivating support. This was followed by the sacking of Saad al-Jabri, Mohammed’s security adviser.

When Donald Trump entered the White House, Ibn Salman cultivated contacts in Washington to offset the strong support that Mohammed had in the U.S. security and intelligence establishment because of his successes against al Qaeda.

The source close to Mohammed told Reuters the putsch went ahead after MbS struck up a strong relationship with Trump’s son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner.

A White House official declined comment when asked about Kushner’s relationship with Ibn Salman.

The official, referring to Mohammed’s removal as Crown Prince and Ibn Salman’ ascension to the post, said:

“The United States government also sought not to intervene or to be seen as intervening in such a sensitive internal matter. We have great respect for the King, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef and Prince Mohammed bin Salman and we consistently stressed our desire to maintain cooperation with the KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and its leadership. This message was communicated at all levels of government.”

With Ibn Salman’s sudden ascent, there is now speculation among diplomats and Saudi and Arab officials that King Salman is poised to abdicate in favour of his son.

Quoting a witness at the palace, one Saudi source said King Salman this month pre-recorded a statement in which he announces the transfer of the throne to his son. The announcement could be broadcast at any time, perhaps as soon as September.

Reporting by Reuters

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-palace-coup/addiction-and-intrigue-inside-the-saudi-palace-coup-idUSKBN1A41IS

VACANT

(Deputy Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia)

 The main source of this entry is Wikipedia.com