Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud
Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia
Tenure	October 27, 2011 – present
Spouse	Maha al-Sudayri
Issue
Jowaher Noura Saud Muhammad
House	House of Saud
Father	King Abdul-Aziz
Mother	Hussa bint Ahmad Al-Sudayri
Born	1933 (age 78–79) Taif, Saudi Arabia
Religion	Sunni Islam

Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, also spelled Naif, (Arabic: نايف بن عبد العزيز آل سعود‎; born 1933) is the Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister of Saudi Arabia.

Nayef is one of the five surviving members of the Sudairi Seven. Nayef became Crown Prince after the death of his full brother Prince Sultan in October 2011.

[edit] Early life and education

Nayef was born in Taif in 1933. He received his education at "The Princes School" and at the hands of senior ulema (religious leaders). In addition, he has read widely in politics, diplomacy, and security.

During the period of 1952-1953, Nayef served as vice governor of Riyadh Province. In 1953, he was appointed as governor of Riyadh Province. He stayed in this post for only one year.^[1] In 1970, King Faisal appointed him to both deputy minister of the Interior and minister of State for Internal Affairs.^[2]

[edit] Minister of Interior

Styles of Crown Prince Nayef
Reference style	His Royal Highness
Spoken style	Your Royal Highness

[edit] Timeline

In March 1975, after King Faisal's assassination, then-Minister of Interior Prince Fahd became the crown prince. His full brother Prince Nayef was appointed as the Minister of Interior.

In December 1994, he ordered hundreds of terrorism-related arrests with the support of Prince Turki, head of Saudi intelligence services.^[3]

In April 2001, he, not Foreign Minister Saud al Faisal, went to Iran as Saudi envoy in an unprecedented move.

In November 2001, he issued all women in Saudi Arabia identity cards. Women were previously registered under their husband's or father's name.^[3]

After the September 11 attacks, he received U.S. criticism for not undertaking sufficient action against extremists.^[4]

In 2003, Prince Nayef, who is in charge of foreign labor, decreed that foreign workers and their family members should not exceed 20 percent of the Saudi population in 2013.^[5]

In July 2003, Senator Charles Schumer lobbied through Prince Bandar to remove Nayef as Minister of Interior.^[6]

Between 2003 and 2006, he led Saudi's confrontation against al Qaeda, which sponsored a series of domestic attacks on expatriate housing compounds, oil infrastructure, and industrial facilities.^[7] His political stance was strengthened because of increased media exposure and the successful end to terrorist attacks.^[7]

In March 2011, during the 2011 Saudi Arabian protests, 200 people who called for more information on their imprisoned relatives were denied a meeting with Nayef.^[8]

[edit] Influence

He had members of the Ministry of Interior placed in all overseas embassies.^[3]

His career was propelled by his full-brother King Fahd. Under Fahd, the Ministry of Interior became one of the most influential bureaucracies in Saudi Arabia. He served as a mediator in disputes between Fahd and Sultan. As Fahd's health deteriorated, his power gradually diminished as well. However, Nayef is currently the most influential of the Sudairi Seven. He has delegated the day-to-day responsibilities of his ministry to Deputy Minister Prince Ahmed and to his son, Prince Muhammad.

In 2003, he "threatened to cancel certain business deals with the French government" if the narcotics investigation of Prince Nayef bin Sultan bin Fawwaz al-Shaalan continued.^[9]

When meeting with US diplomats in 2009, he voiced support for aggressive activity against Iran after what he believed was a breach of the 2001 security agreement. He urged European nations to hand in terrorist suspects and asked for U.S. intercession. He said the most effective way to combat extremism was through Friday sermons.^[10]

[edit] Second prime minister

Since Crown Prince Sultan could not deal with demanding duties due to his extended absences for treatment and King Abdallah was about to travel to Doha to attend the League of Arab States Summit before going to London for the G20 Summit, it was imperative to leave a senior official in charge, which added burdens to the leukemia-suffering 76-years old Nayif.^[11] Therefore, on 27 March 2009, Nayef became Second Deputy Prime Minister. It caused a rare public split in the royal family. Prince Talal called on the King to clarify that the appointment did not necessarily mean that Nayef would become Crown Prince.^[12]

The appointment expanded Nayef's influence into all corners of Saudi domestic policy and allowed him to partake in the development of foreign policy.^[13] He is not expected to interfere in economic matters, but may influence the judiciary.^[7]

Nayef chaired many cabinet meetings when King Abdullah and Prince Sultan were away for health reasons.^[7] Critics said he was behind the cancellation of the nation's only film festival in the summer of 2009.^[7] In November 2010, he undertook all Hajj-related responsibities.^[14] In some government offices, his picture was added next to Abdul-Aziz, Abdullah and Sultan.^[13]

[edit] Crown prince

Nayef was appointed Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and First Deputy Prime Minister^[15] by King Abdullah on October 27, 2011, five days after the death of his full brother, Crown Prince Sultan^[16][17]

It is argued that mainly three factors played a role in selecting him as a crown prince. The first one is that Nayef solidly attempts to suppress domestic opposition with an iron fist, including the challenge posed by al Qaeda. The second factor is related to his conservative personality, indicating his close relationship with the clerical establishment in Saudi Arabia. The last factor is his cordial relations with foreign Muslim Brotherhood groups that are considered to gain power in the new societies created as a result of "Arab spring". Therefore, Nayef seems to be the right person to lead Saudi Arabia into integration with this dominant trend occurred recently.^[18]

[edit] Various positions

Nayef is the Supervisor General of the Saudi Committee for the Al Quds Intifada, which provides aid to Palestinian refugees. He heads the Supreme Council on Information, which oversees the media and regulates the internet.^[19] He also chairs the Supreme Committee on the Hajj and heads the Ministerial Committee on Morality and the Ministerial Oversight Committee on the World Trade Organization.^[19]

[edit] Views

Nayef is one of the most conservative forces in the Al Saud.^[7] Nayef views the potential erosion of the official Wahhabi-Salafi doctrine as a diminishing of the core legitimacy of the state itself and has resisted such moves, not from a pronounced sense of religious devotion, but rather a desire to maintain a firm grip on the levers of state power.^[20]

In November 2002, Nayef said, "It is impossible that 19 youths carried out the operation of September 11, or that bin Laden or Al Qaeda did that alone. … I think [the Zionists] are behind these events."^[21] He later proposed that Americans visiting the kingdom should be fingerprinted like visitors to the United States.^[22]

According to leaked cables, Nayef advocated a tougher approach than King Abdullah towards Yemeni President Saleh in 2009.^[23]

Again, based on leaked cables, it is argued that his views on Iran are more sophisticated and comprehensive than those of King Abdullah.^[24]

His motto is “no to change, yes to development”. He believes that no change is necessary in Saudi Arabia: “Change means changing something that already exists. Whatever exists in the Kingdom is already well-established; however, there is a scope for development – development that does not clash with the principles of the nation”.^[25] In a similar vein, in March 2009, he publicly stated that he saw no need for either elections or women in government.^[22]

From his residence in Algeria after Cleveland "planned health-tests" in March 2012, Nayef decided to address the controversy over women athletes at the Olympic games this summer and perhaps show a more progressive side. According to al Hayat newspaper, the crown prince said that women can represent Saudi at the Olympics in London as long as they do not contradict Islamic laws. His approval was conditioned on women competing in sports that "meet the standards of women's decency and don't contradict Islamic laws," though even this concession seemed surprising. Yet only a few days later, his pronouncement was thrown out. The head of the Saudi Olympic Committee, Nawwaf bin Faysal bin Fahd, explicitly ruled out sending women athletes to the London Olympics. "We are not endorsing any Saudi female participation at the moment in the Olympics or other international championships," he told a press conference in Jiddah. Nawwaf added that Saudi women taking part on their own were free to do so, and the Kingdom's Olympic authority would "help in ensuring that their participation does not violate the Islamic shari'a law." Though he did emphasize that this was in accordance with a previously-stated position, it did seem a rebuff to Nayif.^[26]

[edit] Personality

Nayef, before appointed second deputy prime minister in 2009, was generally described as elusive, ambiguous, pragmatic, unimaginative, shrewd, and outspoken. According to leaked cables, he has a reputation of being anti-Western, though willing to do business if there are shared interests. His conversative approach does not reflect his personal religious piety (indeed, he was rumored to be a heavy drinker in his younger days). However, his conservative views have allowed him to build support among social and religious conservatives. He seems to be reserved and even a bit shy. While at first avoiding eye-contact, he is susceptible to flattery and, later he warms up, occasionally reveals an almost impish sense of humor. Nayif is neither well-spoken nor articulate, and has a tendency to repeat platitudes in private as well as in public. He does appear to understand and speak at least some English. ^[27]

Nayef is considered by princes to be one of the kinder members of his royal generation in his approach towards nephews and nieces.^[28]

[edit] Personal life

Nayef has been active in philanthropy to Palestinians, Indonesians and Pakistanis.

Nayef together with his full brother and his deputy at the Ministery of Interior, Ahmad are reported to pay massive bonuses to successful security officers, but also have a reputation for honesty and using the massive security budget only for the mission and not to enrich themselves.^[29]

He is said to be suffering from diabetes mellitus and osteoporosis^[30] and cancer.^[31] In March 2012, he went to Morocco for "private vacation"^[32], then to Cleveland, USA for previously planned medical tests. This news arised some speculation about his health and Saudi succession.^{[33] [34]}

[edit] Family

• Noura Alfarraj Alsubaie (divorced). Their children is Nuf.

• al-Jawhara bint Abd al-Aziz bin Musaid Al Jiluwi. His children from this marriage are Noura, Saud, Muhammad^[7] and Sara.

• Maha bint Mohammed bin Ahmad al Sudairy. His children from Maha bint Mohamed bin Ahmad al Sudairy are: Jawahir, Nawwaf, Mishail, Hayfa and Fahd.

In June 2009, Maha bint Mohammed claimed diplomatic immunity in France after running up unpaid shopping bills of more than £15 million including £60,000 on designer lingerie.^[35] In August 2010, she bought about $20,000 worth of glassware and silverware.^{[36] [37]}

His daughter,Jawahir, is married to late King Fahd's son, Mohammed bin Fahd who is the governor of Eastern Province ^[38]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud

• "The Saudi Paradox" – Foreign Affairs article on then-Crown Prince Abdullah and Prince Nayef
• "Quotes regarding democracy and women in government^{[dead link]}
• Ministry of interior of Saudi Arabia
• Washington Times

Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud سلطان بن عبد العزيز آل سعود
Crown Prince First Deputy Prime Minister Minister of Defense
Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz
Full name
Sultan bin Abdul Aziz bin Abdul-Rahman bin Faisal bin Turki bin Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Saud
House	House of Saud
Father	King Abdul-Aziz
Mother	Princess Hessa Al-Sudairi
Born	30 December 1929(1929-12-30) Riyadh, Kingdom of Nejd and Hejaz
Died	21 October 2011(2011-10-21) (aged 80) New York City, United States
Burial	26 October 2011 Al-Oud cemetery, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Religion	Islam

This article contains Arabic text, written from right to left in a cursive style with some letters joined. Without proper rendering support, you may see unjoined Arabic letters written left-to-right instead of right-to-left or other symbols instead of Arabic script.

Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud "Sultan Al-Khair" (Arabic: سلطان بن عبدالعزيز آل سعود‎) ( 30 December 1929^[1] – 21 October 2011^[2]) was the crown prince of Saudi Arabia at the time of his death. He served as the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense and Aviation. He was one of the Sudairi Seven. Sultan was first in the Saudi line of succession until his death.^[3][4]

[edit] Early life and education

Sultan was born in Riyadh. He was the 12th son of King Abdul-Aziz^[5] and his mother was Hassa Al-Sudairi (1900–1969).

Sultan, along with many of his brothers, received his early education in religion, modern culture, and diplomacy at the royal court.

His career in public service began in 1947 when he was appointed governor of Riyadh, whose main task is resolving the disputes among the 7.000 members of royal family.^[6]

In 1947, he oversaw ARAMCO's construction of the Kingdom's rail link between Dammam and Riyadh.

Sultan was appointed as the kingdom’s first minister of agriculture in 1953 and minister of transport in 1955.^[7]

Although his direct military experience was brief, heading the Royal Guard in Riyadh in the early 50s, he felt a lifelong connection to the military and the cause of Saudi independence from an early age.^[8] Major General Carl Von Horn, Swedish commander of the UN observer mission during the Yemeni civil war, described the Prince as "a volatile and emotional young man" in the early days.^[8]

[edit] Minister of Defense and Aviation

In 1962, King Faisal appointed Sultan as Minister of Defense and Aviation. He presided over the development of the Saudi armed forces.

Sultan purchased U.S. tanks, fighter planes, missiles and AWACS (airborne warning and control systems). However, as a result of problems assimilating technology within its armed forces, a relatively high proportion of the military equipment is stored or under maintenance, despite a large portion of Saudi's $34 billion defense budget being spent on maintaining military equipment.^[9] Sultan allegedly became extraordinarily wealthy from kickbacks by Western businesses that handled multibillion-dollar defense contracts.^[10] He was involved in many scandals, including the Al-Yamamah deal.^[11] However, his influence remained unhindered until his health began to deteriorate.^[11] During his tenure, Saudi Arabia became the largest importer of U.S. arms. He was a strong proponent of U.S.-Saudi partnership.^[12]

As well, Sultan authorized a deal with the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) in 1965. His program, called Operation Magic Carpet, traded £16 million for six second-hand Lightnings^{[disambiguation needed ]}, six Hawker Hunters, and a set of missile launchers going to Royal Saudi Air Force. Geoffrey Edwards^{[disambiguation needed ]} served as the official intermediary. British pilots also came over, privately contracted.^[8]

In 1996, Sultan opposed Pentagon plans to relocate U.S. troops to safer locations after the Dhahran complex bombings.^[13]

[edit] Second Deputy Prime Minister

In 1982, King Fahd appointed Sultan as Second Deputy Prime Minister.

Opposition to Sultan’s appointment as second deputy prime minister came in particular from two other half brothers, Musaid and Bandar, both of whom, like Abdullah, were born in 1923 and therefore were older than Sultan, who was born in 1924. The protestations of Musaid could be ignored because it was his son who had assassinated King Faisal. But the interests of Bandar were more difficult to disregard. Not only did he want to be the next in line but he also wanted to have Sultan’s job as minister of defense. A family dispute developed, and Bandar’s claim on the defense ministry was ultimately rejected on the grounds that he had no previous administrative experience. But, as compensation, two of his sons were given important jobs: Mansour bin Bandar as commander of the Jeddah Air Base and Faisal bin Bandar as governor of Al-Qassim Province.^[14]

Sultan was an expert on the Yemen civil war and Soviet involvement in the Horn of Africa in 1985.^[15]

Sultan had been rumored to have had colon cancer in 2003. A foreign correspondent was forced to leave the country after reporting his health problems.^[16]

[edit] Crown Prince

Styles of Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud
Reference style	His Royal Highness[17]
Spoken style	Your Royal Highness

On 1 August 2005, Sultan was designated heir apparent despite having a discord with King Abdullah.^[18]

A leaked March 2009 diplomatic cable from WikiLeaks stated that U.S. diplomats viewed Sultan as "for all intents and purposes incapacitated".^[19] He was possibly suffering dementia, specifically Alzheimer's disease.^[20]

[edit] Morocco vacation

In February 2009, Sultan underwent surgery in New York. He then convalesced at Agadir, Morocco. He went back to Saudi Arabia, but soon returned to Morocco in August. During his vacation, the Saudi cabinet increased officer salaries, a traditional domain of Sultan.^[21][22]

In 2009, King Abdullah took charge of all defense purchases and reduced the power of the Defense Ministry. In October 2010, Abdullah personally conducted much of the negotiations for the U.S. arms package worth over $60 billion.^[23]

In November 2010, Sultan received Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri to discuss the future of Lebanon's government.^[24] He had been receiving treatment for the previous two years for what analysts and diplomats believed to be cancer.^[25] At the end of the month, he returned to Saudi Arabia because King Abdullah left for the United States for surgery.^[26] His return was seen as a legal formality necessary under Saudi law, which stipulates that only one of the kingdom's top two officials can be abroad at a given time.^[27]

[edit] Various positions

Sultan was Saudi Arabia's Inspector General. He was Chairman of the Board of Saudi Arabia's national airline, Saudi Arabian Airlines. As Chairman, he approved a ban on smoking inside all Saudi airports.^[28] In 1986, he founded the Saudi National Commission for Wildlife Conservation.^[29]

[edit] Scientific prizes sponsored by Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz

• Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz prize for water. He was the founder and patron of the Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz International Prize for Water, a bi-annual international scientific award for water research.^[30]
• Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Chair for environmental engineering, department of civil engineering, King Fahd University for Petroleum and Minerals. It is the first chair in the university.
• The scientific agreement between Prince Sultan bin Abdullaziz and Oxford University for academic and cultural co-operation, which enables Saudi students for bachelor, master and PHD degrees in the field of human sciences.^[31]

[edit] Charity works

• Sultan bin Abdulaziz al Saud Foundation

A non-profit charity organization set up and funded by him in 1995 for social objectives. The foundation includes the following centers in different countries:

• • Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Humanitarian City^[32]
  • Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Science and Technology Center
  • Charity housing projects
  • Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Special Education Program at the Arabian Gulf University in Bahrain
  • Prince Sultan Center for Speech and Hearing in Bahrain
  • King Abdulaziz Center for Islamic Studies at Bologna University
  • Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Arab and Islamic Studies Program at the University of California, Berkeley

• Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Private: Committee for Relief.

This private committee organizes relief and medical convoys and sets up camps to combat diseases like Malaria and blindness. It has carried out several developmental, social and medical projects, like, digging wells, building schools, public libraries, mosques, hospitals, establishing dialysis centers. It also sponsors Muslim preachers in Ethiopia, Chad, Niger, Malawi, Mali, Comoro Islands, Djibouti and Indonesia.^[33]

[edit] Controversy

[edit] Donations

In April 2005, Sultan donated £2 million to the Ashmolean Museum. This is regarded as one of the most controversial donations Oxford University has received. A year after his donations to establish an art museum, Oxford University agreed to ‘expedite’ the scholarship application process for Saudi students, and identify colleges for ten Saudi students from Prince Sultan University (PSU). When this arrangement became public, it led to criticism from both academics and students stating that it was no academic worth to the university, bypassing Oxford’s governing council, and breaching the admissions process for prospective students.^[34]

A press release issued by Oxford University on 20 April 2005, said that:

HRH Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud has given the Ashmolean Museum a substantial donation to provide a fitting home for the Museum’s internationally renowned collection of Islamic art. The total value of the gift is £2 million, which will also provide for ten scholarships at the University of Oxford for Saudi Arabian students.

The press release added further that ‘the new gallery, part of the ambitious redevelopment of one of the world’s oldest museums, will be named the “Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud Gallery”’. Saudi Arabia’s Arab News on 21 April 2005, reported that Sultan’s donation was a ‘move to promote understanding between Islam and the West’, adding that ‘Saudi and British officials’ had said that the new gallery ‘will help to portray Islamic culture and civilization in right perspectives.’^[35]

[edit] Personal life

Sultan had thirty-two children by his multiple wives. His son Khalid was a key Saudi general in the 1991 Gulf War. After Sultan's death, he was assigned as the deputy Minister of Defence.^[8] His another son Bandar was Ambassador to the United States from 1983 to 2005. Fahd, another son of him, is Governor of Tabuk. Salman (born 1976), his another son, is assistant secretary-general of the National Security Council.^[36] Faisal, his fourth eldest son, is the Secretary General of Sultan bin Abdulaziz al Saud Foundation.^[37]

His other sons are Faisal, Turki, Nayef, Badr, Mohammed, Saud, Ahmad, Nawwaf, Abdullah, Mishaal, Mansour, Fawwaz, Abdulmajid.

One of his daughters, Reema, is married to Muhammad bin Nayef, son of the Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz.^[38] Another daughter is married to Turki bin Nasser.

[edit] Wives

This article may contain original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding references. Statements consisting only of original research may be removed. More details may be available on the talk page. (October 2011)

• Princess Monera bint Abdul-Aziz bin Mousad Al Saud, mother of Khalid, Fahd, Faisal and Turki (deceased)
• Princess Huda bint Abdullah Alshaikh, mother of Saud, Nayef, Nawwaf, Badr
• Princess Areej bint Salem Al Maree
• Princess Jowaher bint Mohammed bin Saud bin Nasser Al Farhan Al Saud (divorced)
• Princess Mouda bint Saud Al Kabeer Al Saud (divorced)
• Princess Mounira bint Machaal bin Saud Al Rashid (deceased)
• Princess Leila bint Thanian Al Saud (divorced)
• Princess Mouda bint Salman Al Mandeel Al Khaldi (divorced)
• Princess Ghadir bint Shawaan Al Shibani (divorced)
• Princess Maha bint Abdullah Al Binyan (divorced)
• Princess Abir bint Fahd Al Faisal Al Farhan Al Saud, mother of Fawaz (divorced)

[edit] Characteristics

He was regarded as a workaholic with a reputation as "the epitomy of corruption". His lavish spending is legendary: he doles out money at banquets in keeping with tribal custom. A conservative expected to put a brake on Abdullah's timid reforms assuming he becomes king. He was considered to be a pro-American whose son, Prince Bandar, is a former US envoy.^[39]

[edit] Wealth

Sultan’s fortune is estimated at $270 billion, which he distributed between his sons prior to his death in October 2011 in order to shore up their political position in the competitive princely arena.^[40][41]

[edit] Health issues

In 2004, Sultan was diagnosed with colon cancer and underwent several corrective surgeries. He underwent an operation to remove an intestinal polyp.^[42] In April 2009, he started to suffer from Alzheimer's disease.^[43][44] He spent several months in New York City at NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital and underwent surgery. He then convalesced at Agadir, Morocco, and remained abroad most of the time, undergoing medical treatments.^[45]

[edit] Death

According to a statement made by the Saudi Royal court on Saturday, 22 October 2011, Sultan died at dawn of an unspecified illness. According to media reports, Sultan had been battling cancer for some^[vague] years and had been seeking medical treatment in the United States since June 2011.^[46][47] According to unnamed U.S. officials cited by the The New York Times, he died at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan.^[48]

His funeral was held at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah mosque in Riyadh on 26 October 2011, in the presence of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz.^[46]

[edit] Views

Sultan took a lifetime anti-communist and anti-Soviet view, based on his dislike of Soviet state atheism as well as Soviet interest in Gulf oil and access to ports that he felt risked Saudi independence. He rebuked U.S. President Jimmy Carter for what he saw as "pusillanimity" in the face of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.^[8]

In a October 23 2001 interview in Kuwaiti newspaper As Seyassa, concerning 9/11 attacks, Sultan stated “Who stands behind this terrorism and who carried out this complicated and carefully planned terrorist operation? Osama bin Laden and those with him have said what indicates that they stand behind this carefully planned act. We, in turn, ask: Are bin Laden and his supporters the only ones behind what happened or is there another power with advanced technical expertise that acted with them?”.^[49]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

	Saudi Arabia portal
	Biography portal
	Politics portal

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud

• Saudi Info website
• Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water – Official Website
• King Fahd's death, succession
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Sultan bin Abdulaziz al Saud Foundation