TheHouse of Al Saud (Arabic:آل سُعُود,romanized: ʾĀl SuʿūdIPA:[ʔaːlsʊʕuːd]) is the rulingroyal family ofSaudi Arabia. It is composed of the descendants ofMuhammad bin Saud, founder of theEmirate of Diriyah, known as theFirst Saudi State, (1727–1818), and his brothers, though the ruling faction of the family is primarily led by the descendants ofIbn Saud, the modern founder of Saudi Arabia.[2] It forms a subtribe of the larger prominent ancientBanu Hanifa tribe of Arabia,[3] from which well known 7th century Arabian theologistMaslama ibn Ḥabīb originates.[4] The most influential position of the royal family is theKing of Saudi Arabia, anabsolute monarch. The family in total is estimated to comprise 15,000 members; however, the majority of power, influence and wealth is possessed by a group of about 2,000 of them.[5][6] Some estimates of the royal family's wealth measure their net worth at $1.4 trillion.[7] This figure includes the market capitalization ofSaudi Aramco, the state oil and gas company, and its vast assets in fossil fuel reserves, making them the wealthiest family in the world and the wealthiest in recorded history.
The House of Saud has had four phases: theSheikhdom of Diriyah (1446–1744); theEmirate of Diriyah (1727–1818), marked by the expansion ofSalafism; theEmirate of Nejd (1824–1891), marked with continuous infighting; and the current state (1902–present), which evolved into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932 and now wields considerable influence in theMiddle East. The family has had conflicts with theOttoman Empire, theSharif of Mecca, theAl Rashid family ofHa'il and their vassal houses inNajd along with numerousIslamist groups both inside and outside Saudi Arabia and Shia minority in Saudi Arabia.
Thesuccession to the Saudi Arabian throne was designed to pass from one son of the first king, Ibn Saud, to another. The monarchy washereditary byagnatic seniority until 2006, when aroyal decree provided that future Saudi kings areto be elected by a committee of Saudi princes.[8]King Salman, who reigns currently, first replaced the next crown prince, his brother Muqrin, with his nephewMuhammad bin Nayef. In 2017, Muhammad bin Nayef was replaced byMohammed bin Salman, King Salman's son, as the crown prince after an approval by theAllegiance Council with 31 out of 34 votes. The king-appointed cabinet includes more members of the royal family.
Title
Genealogical table of the leaders of the Āl Saud
House of Saud is a translation ofʾĀl Saud, anArabic dynastic name formed by adding the wordʾĀl (meaning "family of" or "House of", not to be confused withAl meaning "the")[9] to the personal name of an ancestor. In the case of the Al Saud, the ancestor isSaud ibn Muhammad ibn Muqrin, the father of the dynasty's 18th century founder Muhammad bin Saud (Muhammad, son of Saud).[10]
The surname "Al Saud" is carried by any descendant of Muhammad bin Saud or his three brothers Farhan, Thunayyan, and Mishari. Al Saud's other family branches like Saud Al Kabir, the Al Jiluwi, the Al Thunayan, the Al Mishari and the Al Farhan are calledcadet branches. Members of the cadet branches hold high and influential positions in government though they are not in the line of succession to the Saudi throne. Many cadet members intermarry within the Al Saud to re-establish their lineage and continue to wield influence in the government.[11][12]
The earliest recorded ancestor of the Al Saud wasMani' ibn Rabiah Al-Muraydi, who settled inDiriyah in 1446–1447 with his clan, the Mrudah.[13] The Mrudah are believed to be descended from theBanu Hanifa branch of the largerRabi'ah tribal confederation[13][clarification needed]. The Banu Hanifa played an important role in shaping the Middle East and Arabia from the 6th century.
Mani' was invited to Diriyah by a relative named Ibn Dir, who was the ruler of a group of villages and estates that make up modern-dayRiyadh.[14][15][16] Mani's clan had been on a sojourn in east Arabia, nearAl-Qatif, from an unknown point in time. Ibn Dir handed Mani two estates, called al-Mulaybeed and Ghusayba. Mani and his family settled and renamed the region Al Diriyah after their benefactor Ibn Dir.[17][18]
The Mrudah became rulers of Al Diriyah, which prospered along the banks ofWadi Hanifa and became an important Najdi settlement. As the clan grew larger, power struggles ensued, with one branch leaving for nearbyDhruma, while another branch (the "Al Watban") left for the town ofaz-Zubayr in southernIraq. The Al Muqrin became the ruling family among the Mrudah in Diriyah.
The First Saudi State was founded in 1727. This period was marked by conquest of neighboring areas and by religious zeal. At its height, the First Saudi State included most of the territory of modern-daySaudi Arabia, and raids by Al Saud's allies and followers reached intoYemen,Oman,Syria, andIraq. Islamic scholars, particularlyMuhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab and his descendants, are believed to have played a significant role in Saudi rule during this period. The Saudis and their allies referred to themselves during this period as theMuwahhidun orAhl al-Tawhid ("the monotheists"). Later they were referred to as theWahhabis, a particularly strict, puritanicalIslamic sect, named for its founder.
Leadership of Al Saud during the time of their first state passed from father to son without incident. The first imam, Muhammad bin Saud, was succeeded by his eldest son,Abdulaziz in 1765. In 1802, Abdulaziz's forces led 10,000 Wahhabi soldiers in an attack on theShi'ite holy city ofKarbala, in what is now southern Iraq and whereHussein ibn Ali, the grandson ofMuhammad is buried.[19] The Wahhabi soldiers killed more than 2,000 people, including women and children.[19] They plundered the city, demolishing the massive golden dome above Hussein's tomb and loaded hundreds of camels with weapons, jewelry, coins and other valuable goods.[19]
The attack on Karbala convinced the Ottomans and the Egyptians that the Saudis were a threat to regional peace.[20] Abdulaziz was killed in 1803 by an assassin, believed by some to have been a Shi'ite seeking revenge over the sacking of Karbala the year before. Abdul-Aziz was in turn succeeded by his son,Saud, under whose rule the Saudi state reached its greatest extent. By the time Saud died in 1814, his son and successorAbdullah bin Saud had to contend with an Ottoman-Egyptian invasion in theWahhabi war seeking to retake lost Ottoman Empire territory. The mainly Egyptian force succeeded in defeating Abdullah's forces, taking over the then-Saudi capital ofDiriyyah in 1818. Abdullah was taken prisoner and was soon beheaded by the Ottomans in Constantinople, putting an end to the First Saudi State. The Egyptians sent many members of the Al Saud clan and other members of the local nobility as prisoners toEgypt andConstantinople, and razed the Saudi capital of Diriyyah.
A few years after the fall ofDiriyah in 1818, the Saudis were able to re-establish their authority in Najd, establishing the Emirate of Nejd, commonly known as the Second Saudi State, with its capital in Riyadh.
Compared to the First Saudi State, the second Saudi period was marked by less territorial expansion (it never reconquered theHijaz or'Asir, for example) and less religious zeal, although the Saudi leaders continued to go by the title ofimam and still employedSalafi religious scholars. The second state was also marked by severe internal conflicts within the Saudi family, eventually leading to the dynasty's downfall. In all but one instance, succession occurred by assassination or civil war, the exception being the passage of authority fromFaisal ibn Turki to his sonAbdullah ibn Faisal ibn Turki.
After his defeat at Mulayda, Abdul Rahman bin Faisal went with his family into exile in the deserts of easternArabia among theAl Murrabedouin. Soon afterward, however, he found refuge inKuwait as a guest of the Kuwaitiemir,Mubarak Al Sabah. In 1902, Abdul Rahman's son, Abdulaziz, took on the task of restoring Saudi rule in Riyadh. Supported by a few dozen followers and accompanied by some of his brothers and relatives, Abdulaziz was able to capture Riyadh'sMasmak fort and kill the governor appointed there byMuhammad bin Abdullah Al Rashid. Abdulaziz, reported to have been barely 20 at the time, was immediately proclaimed ruler in Riyadh. As the new leader of the House of Saud, Abdulaziz became commonly known from that time onward as "Ibn Saud" in Western sources, though he is still called "Abdulaziz" in the Arab world.
Ibn Saud spent the next three decades trying to re-establish his family's rule over central Arabia, starting with his native Najd. His chief rivals were the Al Rashid clan in Ha'il, theSharifs of Mecca in theHijaz, and theOttoman Turks inal Hasa. Abdulaziz also had to contend with the descendants of his late uncleSaud ibn Faisal (later known as the "Saud Al Kabir" branch of the family),pretenders to the throne. Though for a time acknowledging the sovereignty of theOttoman Sultans and even taking the title ofpasha, Ibn Saud allied himself to the British, in opposition to the Ottoman-backed Al Rashidis. From 1915 to 1927, Abdulaziz's dominions were aprotectorate of theBritish Empire, pursuant to the 1915Treaty of Darin.
Ibn Saud won final victory over the Al Rashidis in 1921, making him the ruler of most of central Arabia. He consolidated his dominions as theSultanate of Nejd. He then turned his attention to the Hijaz, finally conquering it in 1926, just months before the British protectorate ended. For the next five and a half years, he administered the two parts of his dual realm, theKingdom of Hejaz and Nejd, as separate units.
By 1932, Ibn Saud had disposed of all his main rivals and consolidated his rule over much of theArabian Peninsula. He united his dominions into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that year. His father, Abdul Rahman, retained the honorary title of "imam". In 1937, nearDammam, American surveyors discovered what later proved to be Saudi Arabia's vastoil reserves. Before the discovery of oil, many family members were destitute.[21]
Ibn Saud sired dozens of children by his many wives. He had at most four wives at a time, divorcing many times. He made sure to marry into many of the noble clans and tribes within his territory, including the chiefs of theBani Khalid,Ajman, andShammar tribes, as well as theAl ash-Sheikh (descendants ofMuhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab). He also arranged for his sons and relatives to enter into similar marriages. He appointed his eldest surviving son,Saud asheir apparent, to be succeeded by the next eldest son,Faisal. The Al Saudi family became known as the "royal family", and each member, male and female, was accorded the titleamir ("prince") oramira ("princess"), respectively.
Ibn Saud died in 1953, after having cemented an alliance with the United States in 1945. He is still celebrated officially as the "Founder", and only his direct descendants may take on the title of "his or her Royal Highness". The date of his recapture of Riyadh in 1902 was chosen to mark Saudi Arabia's centennial in 1999 (according to the Islamiclunar calendar).
Upon Ibn Saud's death, his son Saud assumed the throne without incident, but his lavish spending led to a power struggle with his brother, Crown Prince Faisal. In 1964, the royal family forced Saud to abdicate in favor of Faisal, aided by an edict from the country'sgrand mufti. During this period, some of Ibn Saud's younger sons, led byTalal ibn Abdul Aziz, defected to Egypt, calling themselves the "Free Princes" and calling for liberalization and reform, but were later induced to return by Faisal. They were fully pardoned but were also barred from any future positions in government.
Faisal was assassinated in 1975 by a nephew,Faisal bin Musaid, who was promptly executed. Another brother,Khalid, assumed the throne. The next prince in line had actually beenPrince Muhammad, but he had relinquished his claim to the throne in favor of Khalid, his only full brother.
Khalid died of a heart attack in 1982, and was succeeded byFahd, the eldest of the powerful "Sudairi Seven", so-called because they were all sons of Ibn Saud by his wifeHassa Al Sudairi. Fahd did away with the previous royal title of "his Majesty" and replaced it with the honorific "Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques", in reference to the two Islamic holy sites inMecca andMedina, in 1986.
A stroke in 1995 left Fahd largely incapacitated. His half-brother, Crown PrinceAbdullah, gradually took over most of the king's responsibilities until Fahd's death in August 2005. Abdullah was proclaimed king on the day of Fahd's death and promptly appointed his younger brother,Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the minister of defense and Fahd's "Second Deputy Prime Minister", as the new heir apparent. On 27 March 2009, Abdullah appointedPrince Nayef Interior Minister as his "second deputy prime minister" and Crown Prince on 27 October.[22] Sultan died in October 2011 while Nayef died inGeneva, Switzerland on 15 June 2012. On 23 January 2015, Abdullah died after a prolonged illness, and his half-brother, Crown Prince Salman, was declared the new king.
Many princes and government officials were arrested in 2017 in an allegedanti corruption campaign by the king and crown prince. Then-United States PresidentDonald Trump expressed support for the arrests.[23]
The head of the House of Saud is the King of Saudi Arabia who serves asHead of State andmonarch of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The king holds almost absolute political power. The king appoints ministers to his cabinet who supervise their respective ministries in his name. The key ministries of Defence, the Interior and Foreign Affairs are usually held by members of the Saud family, as are all of the thirteen regional governorships.[24] Most portfolios, however, such as Finance, Labour, Information, Planning, Petroleum Affairs and Industry, have traditionally been given to commoners, often with junior Al Saud members serving as their deputies. House of Saud family members also hold many of the kingdom's critical military and governmental departmental posts. Ultimate power in the kingdom has always rested upon the Al Saudis, though support from theUlema, the merchant community, and the population at large has been key to the maintenance of the royal family's politicalstatus quo.[25]
Long-term political and government appointments have resulted in the creation of "power fiefdoms" for senior princes,[26] such as those of King Faisal, who was foreign minister almost continuously from 1932 to 1975; King Abdullah, who had been commander of theNational Guard since 1963 (until 2010, when he appointed his son to replace him);[27] former CrownPrince Sultan, minister of defence and aviation from 1962 until his death in 2011; former Crown PrinceNayef who was the minister of interior from 1975 to his death in 2012;Prince Saud who had been minister of foreign affairs since 1975;[28] andKing Salman, who was minister of defense and aviation before he was crown prince and governor of theRiyadh Province from 1962 to 2011.[29] The current minister of defense isPrince Mohammad bin Salman, the son of King Salman and crown prince.[30]
Such terms of service have enabled senior princes to mingle their personal wealth with that of their respective domains.[citation needed] They have often appointed their own sons to senior positions within their own portfolios. Examples of these include PrinceMutaib bin Abdullah as assistant commander in the National Guard until 2010; PrinceKhalid bin Sultan as assistant minister of defence until 2013; and Prince Mansour bin Mutaib as assistant minister for municipal and rural affairs until he replaced his father in 2009. In cases where portfolios have notably substantial budgets, appointments of younger, often full, brothers have been necessary, as deputies or vice ministers, ostensibly to share the wealth and the burdens of responsibility, of each fiefdom. Examples of these includePrince Abdul Rahman who was vice minister of defence and aviation under Prince Sultan;Prince Badr, deputy to King Abdullah in the National Guard;Prince Sattam, who was deputy governor of Riyadh during King Salman's term; andPrince Ahmed, who held the deputy minister's portfolio under Prince Nayef's interior ministry.
Unlike Westernroyal families, the Saudi monarchy has not had a clearly definedorder of succession. Historically, upon becoming king, the monarch has designated anheir apparent to the throne who serves as crown prince of the kingdom. Upon the king's death, the crown prince becomes king, and during the king's incapacitation the crown prince, likewise, assumes power asregent. Although other members of the Al Saudis hold political positions in the Saudi government, it is only the king and crown prince who legally constitute the political institutions.[citation needed]
The royal family is politically divided by factions based on clan loyalties, personal ambitions and ideological differences.[31] The most powerful clan faction is known as the 'Sudairi Seven', comprising the late King Fahd and his full brothers and their descendants.[32] Ideological divisions include issues over the speed and direction of reform,[33] and whether the role of the ulema should be increased or reduced. There were divisions within the family over who should succeed to the throne after the accession or earlier death of Prince Sultan.[32][34] When Prince Sultan died before ascending to the throne on 21 October 2011, King Abdullah appointed Prince Nayef as crown prince.[35] The following year, Prince Nayef also died before ascending to the throne.[36]
Succession has been from brother to brother since the death of the founder of modern Saudi Arabia. Abdulaziz was succeeded by his son Saud who was succeeded by his half-brother Faisal. Faisal was succeeded by his brother Khalid who, in turn, was succeeded by his half-brother Fahd. Fahd was succeeded by his half-brother Abdullah, and Abdullah by his half-brother Salman, the current King. Salman appointed his half-brotherMuqrin as Crown Prince in January 2015 and removed him in April 2015. Even Abdulaziz's youngest son was to turn 70 in 2015. Abdulaziz, in 1920, had said that the further succession would be from brother to brother, not from father to son.[citation needed]
King Salman ended the brother-to-brother succession and appointed his 56-year-old nephew Muhammad bin Nayef as crown prince in April 2015, thus making the next succession from uncle to nephew. At the same time, King Salman appointed his son, Mohammad bin Salman, as deputy crown prince, thus making the next succession from cousin to cousin, as Muhammad bin Salman is the cousin of Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef. However, in June 2017, Salman elevated Mohammad bin Salman to crown prince, following his decision to strip Muhammad bin Nayef of all positions, making his son heir apparent to the throne, and making the next succession from father to son, for the first time since 1953, whenSaud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud succeeded his father, the founder of Saudi Arabia,Ibn Saud.[37][38]
Amid international outcry over thekilling of Jamal Khashoggi, members of the Saudi royal family were allegedly distressed over the prospect of the crown prince becoming the next king. It was reported that dozens of princes and members of the Al Saud family were interested in seeing Prince Ahmed become the next king instead. During his London tour, Prince Ahmed criticized the Saudi leadership. He was also one of the three members of the ruling family to oppose Mohammad bin Salman becoming the crown prince in 2017.[39]
In June 2015,Forbes listed businessman PrinceAl-Waleed bin Talal, a grandson of Abdulaziz, the first king of Saudi Arabia, as the 34th-richest man in the world, with an estimated net worth of US$22.6 billion.[40]
As of 2020, the combinednet worth of the entire royal family has been estimated at around US$100 billion, which makes them the richest royal family among all monarchs, as well as one of the wealthiest families in the world. Some estimates of the Royal Family's wealth put the figure as high as $1.4 trillion, which includes holdings inSaudi Aramco.[41]
Due to itsauthoritarian and quasi-theocratic rule, the House of Saud has attracted much criticism during its rule ofSaudi Arabia. There have been numerous incidents, including the WahhabiIkhwan militia uprising during the reign of Ibn Saud.Osama Bin Laden, a critic of the US, was also a critic of Saudi Arabia and wasdenaturalized in the mid 1990s.[42]
On 20 November 1979, theGrand Mosque seizure saw theal-Masjid al-Haram inMecca violently seized by a group of 500 heavily armed and provisioned Saudi dissidents led byJuhayman al-Otaybi and Abdullah al-Qahtani,[43] consisting mostly of members of the former Ikhwan militia ofOtaibah[44] but also of other peninsular Arabs and a few Egyptians enrolled in Islamic studies at theIslamic University of Madinah. The Saudi royal family turned to the Ulema, who duly issued afatwa permitting the storming of the holy sanctuary by Saudi forces, aided byFrench special ops units.[45] According toLawrence Wright, theGIGN commandos did first convert to Islam prior to the raid.[46] Most of those responsible, including Al-Otaybi himself, were soonbeheaded publicly in four cities of Saudi Arabia.[citation needed]
In January 2016, Saudi Arabiaexecuted the prominent Shiite clericSheikh Nimr, who had called for pro-democracy demonstrations, along with forty-seven other Saudi Shia citizens sentenced by theSpecialized Criminal Court on terrorism charges.[47]
Since May 2017, in response to protests against the government,[disputed –discuss] the predominantly Shia town ofAl-Awamiyah has been put under full siege by the Saudi military. Residents are not allowed to enter or leave, and the Saudi military indiscriminately shells the neighborhoods withairstrikes,mortar[48] fire along withsnipers[49] shooting residents.[50] Dozens of Shia civilians were killed, including a three-year-old.[51] The Saudi government claims it is fighting terrorists in al-Awamiyah.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman kept his own mother away from his father for more than two years, fearing that she would stop the king from giving eventual power to him. PrincessFahda bint Falah Al Hithlain, third wife of King Salman, was said to be in America for medical treatment. However, according to American intelligence, this was refuted, stating that she was not in the country.[52]
Some Royals have been criticised for various human rights violations, including theassassination of Jamal Khashoggi, treatment of workers,[53] the Saudi-led intervention in Bahrain and theYemen war.[54]
TheReuters news agency reported on 23 June 2020 that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had allegedly threatened and intimidated a former intelligence officer, Saad al-Jabri, along with his family of adult children, from returning to Saudi Arabia from exile inCanada. Al-Jabri was a long-time aide to the former crown prince, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, who was ousted in 2017. Al-Jabri allegedly has access to documents containing information sensitive and pivotal for the crown prince's leadership.[55]
A group of intellectuals from Saudi Arabia, exiled in the US, the UK, and elsewhere, launched a political party in opposition to the royal family ruling the kingdom. The launch of the party was announced in September 2020 and was launched on the 2nd death anniversary ofJamal Khashoggi. TheNational Assembly Party (NAAS – people in Arabic) was launched with the aim of gathering the support of people, both inside and outside Saudi Arabia, against the ruling royals King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Madawi al-Rasheed, a scholar, is also the co-founder of NAAS. Other members of the party include scholar Abdullah al-Aoudh, comedian and vloggerOmar Abdulaziz, and activistYahya Assiri. The party's launch took place online from London as theBasic Law of Saudi Arabia prohibits the formation of political parties. Forming a political party is consideredsedition, punishable with lengthy jail terms.[56]
Some members of the royal family have ill-treated their employees, even while visiting other countries. For example, Princess Buni Al Saud, a niece of King Fahd, pushed the staff down the stairs. Another princess attacked her worker with the help of a bodyguard.[57] A Saudi prince and his children abused their maids when they were in France.[58]
Muqrin bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (born 1945) – Director general of theGeneral Intelligence Directorate from 2005 to 2012; former governor ofHa'il andMadinah provinces. He was appointed second deputy prime minister on 1 February 2013 and he was made crown prince on 23 January 2015 when his half-brother Salman became king. On 28 April 2015 Muqrin was granted resignation based on his request to start the next generation of the royals.
The Royal Flag consists of a green flag, with anArabic inscription and a sword featured in white, and with thenational emblem embroidered in gold in the lower right canton.[60]
The script on the flag is written in theThuluth script. It is theshahada or Islamic declaration of faith:
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا الله مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ الله
lā ʾilāha ʾillā-allāh, muhammadun rasūlu-allāh
There is no other god butAllah, Muhammad is the messenger of God.[61]
The Royal Standard consists of a green flag, in the center of the national emblem embroidered with gold.
^G. Rentz (2007). "al- Diriyya (or al-Dariyya)". In P. Bearman; Th. Bianquis; C.E. Bosworth; E. van Donzel; W.P. Heinrichs (eds.).Encyclopaedia of Islam. Brill.[permanent dead link]
^H. St. John Philby (1955).Saudi Arabia. London: Ernest Benn. p. 8.Archived from the original on 19 December 2020. Retrieved29 February 2016.
^Kostiner, Joseph (2009).Conflict and cooperation in the Persian Gulf region. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften. p. 236.ISBN978-3-531-16205-8.
^David, Steven R. (2008).Catastrophic consequences: civil wars and American interests. Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 33–34.ISBN978-0-8018-8989-9.
^J.A. Kechichican (1990). "Islamic Revivalism and Change in Saudi Arabia: Juhayman al-'Utaybi's 'Letters to the Saudi People'".The Muslim World.50:1–16.doi:10.1111/j.1478-1913.1990.tb03478.x.
^Yaroslav Trofimov (22 September 2007)."Did 'Siege of Mecca' Give Birth to Al-Qaida?" (Interview). Interviewed by Jacki Lyden. NPR (National Public Radio).Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved5 April 2018.
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