Khalid bin Faisal Al Saud

Khalid al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz
Governor of Makkah Province
In office 29 January 2015 – Present
Predecessor Mishaal bin Abdullah Al Saud
Monarch King Salman
Minister of Education
In office 22 December 2013 – 29 January 2015
Predecessor Faisal bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Saud
Successor Azzam bin Mohammad Al Dakheel
Monarch King Abdullah
King Salman
Governor of Makkah Province
In office 16 May 2007 – 22 December 2013
Predecessor Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz
Successor Mishaal bin Abdullah Al Saud
Monarch King Abdullah
Born (1940-02-24) 24 February 1940
Riyadh
Spouse Al Anoud bint Abdullah bin Mohammad bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud
Issue Bandar
Sultan
Saud
Full name
Khalid bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

Khaled-al Faisal bin Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman bin Faisal bin Turki bin Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Saud
House House of Saud
Father King Faisal
Mother Haya bint Turki bin Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al Turki Al Saud
Religion Islam

Khalid al-Faisal Al Saud (Arabic: خالد الفيصل بن عبد العزيز آل سعود‎) (born 24 February 1940) is the current Governor of Makkah Province in Saudi Arabia. He has governed the Makkah region twice, from 2007 to 2013 and again since 2015. He was Minister of Education from 2013 to 2015. He was also the Governor of Asir Province from 1971 to 2007. He is a member of the House of Saud.

Early life and education

Prince Khalid was born in Riyadh on 24 February 1940.[1] He is the third son of King Faisal. His mother is Haya bint Turki bin Abdulaziz Al Turki,[2] a member of AlTurki clan.[3]

In 1948, Prince Khalid began to attend Model school in Taif to receive secondary education.[1] Like King Faisal's other children, Prince Khalid was educated abroad after completing secondary education in Saudi Arabia. He attended the Hun School of Princeton, New Jersey and graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in political economy from the University of Oxford in 1966.[4][5]

Political career

After returning to Saudi Arabia, Prince Khalid served as director general of the presidency of youth welfare in the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs in 1967.[5] His term lasted until April 1971 when he was appointed as Governor of Asir Province.[1] Khalid al Faisal was Governor of Asir Province in southwestern Saudi Arabia from 1971 to 2007.[5] He was credited with bringing the province a measure of modernity and prosperity. At the end of the 1990s and the beginning of the 2000s, he sought to use its natural beauty and cool climate to attract Arab tourists. But many inhabitants were resentful that the oil-based welfare state has not provided for them.[6]

As governor, he held majlis (open-house meeting with regular citizens) twice a day.[7] The region also had its first telephone line under his governorship.[8]

According to a leaked Wikileaks cable, Prince Khalid went to extraordinary lengths to renovate his late father's palace to host a party for Prince Charles, during the Prince of Wales' visit to the kingdom in 2006.[9][10] The cable revealed that at the time, Khalid had been living in the old palace which was in dire need of renovation. He directed a Western business associate to renovate the palace in three weeks and rewarded the businessman with $13,000 when Prince Charles was impressed with the palace. Khalid has since built a new palace while the old palace has been converted into a university.[11]

On 16 May 2007, Khalid was appointed Governor of Makkah Province by King Abdullah,[12] replacing Prince Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz, who died in office.[13] The province includes the Muslim holy city of Makkah and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia, Jeddah. In 2010, he ordered hotels, restaurants, shops and wedding halls in the province to drop all their non-Arabic names and use Arabic only for signboards.[14]

As governor, he played a major role in managing the annual Hajj in Makkah, the world's largest religious pilgrimage.[15] According to leaked diplomatic cables, he traveled to Beirut in 2009 to meet with Lebanese parliamentarians.[16] In June 2011, Prince Khalid presided at the opening of the Rabigh's expansion of its desalination plant.[17]

On 22 December 2013, Prince Khalid was appointed as Minister of Education, replacing Faisal bin Abdullah Al Saud in the post.[18] On 29 January 2015, Prince Khalid was appointed once again the Governor of Makkah Province by King Salman.

Other roles

Prince Khalid is managing director of the King Faisal Foundation, one of the largest philanthropic and charitable organisations in the world.[5] The Foundation runs Alfaisal University in Riyadh, where Khalid is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees.[19] He is the founder and current president of the organisation Painting and Patronage.[20] He is a member of Allegiance Council.[21] Prince Khalid is also the president of the Arab Thought Foundation.[22]

In 2009, Prince Khalid headed a Saudi delegate in Beirut that met the Lebanese parliamentarians.[23]

Influence

Prince Khalid is widely believed to be respected in the family, appreciated for his combination of both modern and traditional sensibilities.[24]

He has been mentioned as a future king when succession in the Al Saud passes on to the grandsons of King Abdulaziz.[25] He was also considered to be among the possible contenders after Prince Nayef's death in June 2012.[26][27] However, the sons of King Faisal, Turki Al Faisal and Saud Al Faisal, are said to be regarded unfavorably within the royal family due to their perceived air of intellectual superiority.[28] On the other hand, Prince Khalid is stated to have some advantages in contrast to his brothers as a result of his long-term tenure as governor in that he is much known to the people on a personal level.[29]

Views and alliances

Khalid Al Faisal criticized negative coverage of Saudi Arabia by the Western media. He spoke out against misconceptions that characterize Saudi society as backwards and uneducated.[30] During his tenure in Asir province, he was close to then Crown Prince Abdullah.[31]

Personal interests

Prince Khalid is an avid painter,[25] poet, and patron of the arts.[5] In 1999, he founded Painting and Patronage to "build and foster valuable bridges of cultural, artistic and educational understanding between the Arab world and the international community".[32] While he was Governor of Asir, Khalid founded the Literary Club of Abha, the Abha Singing Festival, the Abha Prize for cultural excellence, and the Al-Miftaha Visual Arts Village in the capital city Abha.[5] As Governor of Makkah, he established the Cultural Council of Makkah.[5]

He is a close friend of Prince Charles, who is one of the most prominent supporters of Painting and Patronage.[25]

Personal life

Prince Khalid is married to Al Anoud bint Abdullah bin Mohammad bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud.[33][34] Her mother is Nura bint Saud bin Abdulaziz, a daughter of King Saud. Her father, Abdullah, is a son of Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman who is King Abdulaziz's step brother.[35]

Prince Khalid's eldest son, Prince Bandar, is the chairman of the board of directors of Al Watan, a reformist newspaper.[36] His second son, Prince Sultan is a naval officer in Saudi army. His third and youngest son Prince Saud is the deputy governor for investment affairs at the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA).[37]

Honors and awards

Khalid al Faisal was celebrated by the World Travel Awards as the World Travel Personality of the Year in 2010. This award is given to a personality whose achievements support the industry.[38]

He was named the best Arab personality in the field of solving issues related to Arab youth in 2012. The award was given by the Arab Youth Media Forum, which is currently being held in Manama under the sponsorship of Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa.[39]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Sabri, Sharaf (2001). The House of Saud in commerce: A study of royal entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia. New Delhi: I.S. Publications. ISBN 81-901254-0-0.
  2. ↑ "Family Tree of Faisal bin Abdulaziz bin Abd al Rahman Al Saud". Datarabia. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
  3. ↑ Abir, Mordechai (1988). Saudi Arabia in the Oil Era: Regime and Elites: Conflict and Collaboration. Kent: Croom Helm.
  4. ↑ Neil MacFarquhar (13 September 2002). "Threats and responses; 'Feeling of Frustration' Makes Arab World an Explosive Region". New York Times. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Biography". HRH Prince Khalid Al Faisal. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  6. ↑ Caryle Murphy; David B. Ottoway (25 September 2001). "Some Light Shed on Saudi Suspects. Many Raised in Area of Religious Dissent" (PDF). The Washington Post. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
  7. ↑ Ibrahim, Youssef M. (29 April 1989). "Abha Journal; Saudi Leaders Lend an Ear to Anyone". New York Times. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  8. ↑ "Saudi Oil Billions Gush into Islamic Tradition". Tyrone Daily Herald. National Geographic Service. 5 November 1980. p. 11. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  9. ↑ Lynch, Colum (2 December 2010). "Foreign Policy: The Mixed Bag Of Royal Diplomacy". National Public Radio. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  10. ↑ "Britain's Prince Charles and Camilla visit Saudi Arabia". Agence France Presse (Orange). 24 March 2006. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  11. ↑ "Tales of a Prince: CG Meets with Governor of Asir". Wikileaks. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  12. ↑ "About Saudi Arabia". Saudi Embassy, Washington D.C. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  13. ↑ "Appointment Prince Khalid bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as Governor of Makkah". Saudi Press Agency. 16 May 2001. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  14. ↑ Ibtisam Sheqdar (9 October 2010). "Makkah governor gives six months to change non-Arabic signs". Arab News. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  15. ↑ Butt, Riazat (18 November 2010). "Saudi emir admits concerns over hajj". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  16. ↑ "Asad's visit: Saudi-Syrian Rapprochement back on track?". Wikileaks. 1 October 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  17. ↑ Michael Palmer. (2 June 2011). Rabigh desal plant Phase 2 expansion complete Utilities. Retrieved 6 December 2013
  18. ↑ Saudi King Appoints New Minister of Education Al Arabiya. 22 December 2013
  19. ↑ "Board of Trustess". Alfaisal University. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  20. ↑ "President". Painting and Patronage. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  21. ↑ "King Abdullah names members of the Allegiance Commission". Saudi Embassy Washington. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
  22. ↑ "Beyond borders". Jeddah Economic Forum. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
  23. ↑ "Asad's visit: Saudi-Syrian Rapprochement back on track". Wikileaks. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
  24. ↑ Teitelbaum, Joshua (1 November 2011). "Saudi Succession and Stability" (PDF). BESA Center. Retrieved April 2012.
  25. 1 2 3 Henderson, Simon (22 October 2010). "Foreign Policy: A Prince's Mysterious Disappearance". National Public Radio. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  26. ↑ Lippman, Thomas W. (16 June 2012). "Saudi Arabia Moves Closer to A New Generation of Leaders". Al Monitor. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
  27. ↑ "10 Saudi Royals Who Could Become the Next Crown Prince". Riyadh Bureau. 2013. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  28. ↑ Henderson, Simon (August 2009). "After King Abdullah: Succession in Saudi Arabia" (PDF). Washington Institute for Near East Policy. p. 18. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  29. ↑ Peterson, J. E. (Autumn 2001). "The Nature of succession in the Gulf" (PDF). Middle East Journal 55 (4): 580–601. Retrieved 14 May 2012.
  30. ↑ Muhammad Humaidan (11 September 2010). "Bad press for Saudi growth denounced". Arab News. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  31. ↑ "The Late Saudi King Fahd: A Mixed Legacy". Wikileaks. 1 August 2005. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
  32. ↑ "About Us". Painting and Patronage. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  33. ↑ "10th Anniversary of Effat University" (PDF). Effat University. 10 November 2009. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  34. ↑ "Princess Al Anoud to support charity event". Arab News. 1 May 2010. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  35. ↑ "Family Tree of Abdallah bin Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman Al Abd al Rahman". Datarabia. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  36. ↑ "Who's Who: The House of Saud: Prince Bandar bin Khalid bin Faisal al Saud". Public Broadcasting Service. 7 October 2004. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  37. ↑ "Board Members". SAGIA. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  38. ↑ "A History of the Travel Personality of the Year Award". Travel News. 14 March 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  39. ↑ Al-Sulami, MD (29 February 2012). "Makkah governor named best Arab personality by a forum". Arab News. Retrieved 21 April 2012.

External links

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