Bandar bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

Bandar bin Abdulaziz
Full name
Bandar bin Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud
House House of Saud
Father King Abdulaziz
Mother Bazza II
Born 1923 (age 91–92)
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Religion Islam

Bandar bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (born 1923) is a Saudi royal and the tenth son of King Abdulaziz, the first monarch in Saudi Arabia.

Early life

Though Saud was born in Riyadh in 1923,[1][2] Talal Kapoor reports his birth year as 1921.[3] His mother Bazza II is known as a Syrian or Moroccan woman who died in 1940.[4][5] Bandar was the tenth son of King Abdulaziz and his full brother was Prince Fawwaz.

Succession

Reluctance to partake in government may be why Bandar stepped aside from the line of succession. His only government service was as the director general of the Interior Ministry.[1] The other reason may be that his mother is a Moroccan.[6] Opposition to Prince Sultan's appointment as second deputy prime minister by King Fahd in 1982 came in particular from two half brothers, Musaid and Bandar, both of whom were older than Sultan, who was reportedly born in 1924.[6] Musaid's reaction was ignored because it was his son who had assassinated King Faisal in 1975. Bandar's interests, however, were more difficult to neglect. Not only did he want to be the next in line but he also wanted Sultan's job as minister of defence and aviation.[6] As a result, a family dispute arose, and Bandar's claim concerning the Defence Ministry was rejected due to the fact that he had no previous administrative experience. As compensation, however, two of his sons were given important jobs: Mansour bin Bandar was made the commander of the Jeddah Air Base and Faisal bin Bandar the governor of Al-Qassim Province.[6]

Career and later life

His only official position is the Director General of the Interior Ministry. His various business concerns include Tabuk Cement Co. and Riyadh Recreational Hotels Co.[1] Saud's sons have served in both government and military posts. His son, Faisal, was previously deputy governor of Asir Province,[7] and served as the governor of Al-Qassim Region from 1992 to January 2015 when he was appointed governor of Riaydh. Another son, Abdulaziz, was deputy chief of the Intelligence Presidency and his term lasted until 5 October 2012 when he resigned from the post.[8][9][10] Bandar's third son, Khalid bin Bandar, served as the president of general intelligence and as the governor of Riyadh Province.[11] He was a lieutenant general and commander of the Royal Land Forces.[12][13] A fourth son, Mansour, is an air force officer.[6] He served as the commander of the F-15 squadron at the Dhahran airbase in early 1980s.[7] It is reported that Mansour had intense business contacts with Turki bin Nasser while both were serving in the royal air force. It is further argued that Mansour declined a posting as the base commander in Taif due to his business activities in the Eastern Province.[7]

In accordance with both family and tribal tradition, Bandar is believed to enjoy a great deal of influence in the Kingdom.[14]

Ancestry

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Sharif, Sabri (2001). The House of Saud in Commerce: A Study of Royal Entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia. New Delhi: I. S. Publication. ISBN 81-901254-0-0.
  2. ↑ "9 Saudi challenges". Zawya. 31 October 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
  3. ↑ Kapoor, Talal (8 October 2012). "Succession Issues - A Generational Change In Dynamic". Datarabia. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
  4. ↑ "Biography of Bazzah". Datarabia. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
  5. ↑ Henderson, Simon (1994). "After King Fahd" (POLICY PAPER). Washington Institute. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Henderson, Simon (August 2009). "After King Abdullah. Succession in Saudi Arabia" (PDF). Policy Focus 96.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "The role of Saudi princes in uniform". Wikileaks. 27 May 1985. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  8. ↑ "Saudi Arabia replaces deputy chief of intelligence". Al Arabiya. 5 October 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  9. ↑ "U.S. President congratulates Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques". Ain al Yaqeen. 11 November 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2012.
  10. ↑ "Prince Abd alaziz bin Bandar Relieved of Post". Saudi Press Agency (Jeddah). 5 October 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  11. ↑ "Saudi king names Prince Khalid bin Bandar as new Riyadh governor". Middle East Online. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
  12. ↑ "Prince Khalid bin Bandar in Turkey". Saudi Press Agency. 19 May 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  13. ↑ "Khaled appointed Riyadh governor, Turki his deputy". Arab News (Jeddah). 15 February 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  14. ↑ "Probe launched against religious affairs ministry". The Express Tribune. 8 November 2010.