Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Sa'ud
Thunayyan
Farhan
Mishari
Al Farhan Branch
Al Mishari Branch
Muhammad
(1744-65)
Ibrahim
Abdul Aziz
(1765-1803)
Abdullah
Thunayyan
Abdullah
(1841-43)
Sa'ud
(1803-14)
Turki
(1823-34)
Al Thunayyan Branch
Abdullah
(1814-18)
Khalid
(1838-41)*
Faisal
(1834-38; 1843-65)
Juluwi
Sa'ud
(1953-64)
Legend
Red
Blue
Green
Faisal
(1964-75)
Khalid
(1975-82)
Sa'ud
(1871; 1873-75)
Abdul Aziz
(1902-53)**
Fahad
(1982-2005)
Abdullah
(2005-15)
Al Juluwi Branch
Salman
(2015 - )
Today, the surname Al Saud is carried by any descendant of Muhammad bin Saud or his three brothers
Farhan, Thunayyan, and Mishari. Al Sauds other family branches are called cadet branches. Members of the
cadet branches hold high and inuential positions in government though they are not in line of succession to Saudi
throne. Many cadet members intermarry within the Al
Saud to reestablish their lineage and continue to wield inuence in the government.[7][8]
The family is estimated to be composed of 15,000 mem- Sons and grandsons of King Abdulaziz are referred to
bers, but the majority of the power and wealth is pos- by the style "His Royal Highness" (HRH), diering from
sessed by a group of only about 2,000.[3][4]
those belonging to the cadet branches, who are called His
[7][8]
The House of Saud has gone through three phases: the Highness (HH).
First Saudi State (17441818), marked by the expansion
of Wahhabism; the Emirate of Nejd, the Second Saudi
State (1824-1891), marked with continuous inghting; 2 History
and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (1932-present), which
wields considerable inuence in the Middle East. The
family has had conicts with the Ottoman Empire, the 2.1 Origins and early history
Sharif of Mecca, the Al Rashid family of Ha'il and their
vassal houses in Najd, and numerous Islamist groups both The earliest recorded ancestor of the Al Saud was Mani'
ibn Rabiah Al-Muraydi who settled in Diriyah in 1446
inside and outside Saudi Arabia.
1447 with his clan, the Mrudah.[9] Although the Mrudah
are believed to be descended from the Rabi'ah tribal confederation, it is unclear whether they trace their ances1 Title
try to the Banu Hanifa or the 'Anizza branches of the
Rabi'ah.[9] Mani was invited by a relative named Ibn Dir.
House of Saud is a translation of Al Saud. The latter Ibn Dir was the ruler of a set of villages and estates that
is an Arabic dynastic name formed by adding the word make up modern-day Riyadh.[10][11][12] Manis clan had
Al, meaning family of or House of,[5] to the per- been on a sojourn in east Arabia, near al-Qatif, from an
sonal name of an ancestor. In the case of the Al Saud, unknown point in time. Ibn Dir handed Mani two estates
this is Saud ibn Muhammad ibn Muqrin, the father of called al-Mulaybeed and Ghusayba. Mani and his family
the dynastys 18th century founder, Muhammad bin Saud settled and renamed the region al-Diriyah, after their
(Muhammad, son of Saud).[6]
benefactor Ibn Dir.[13][14]
1
HISTORY
The Mrudah became rulers of al-Diriyah, which pros- Constantinople, and razed the Saudi capital Diriyyah.
pered along the banks of Wadi Hanifa and became an important Najdi settlement. As the clan grew larger, power
struggles ensued, with one branch leaving for nearby 2.3 Second Saudi state
Dhruma, while another branch (the Al Watban) left for
the town of az-Zubayr in southern Iraq. The Al Migrin Main article: Emirate of Nejd
became the ruling family among the Mrudah in Diriyah. A few years after the fall of Diriyah in 1818, the Saudis
The name of the clan comes from a certain Shekh Saud
ibn Muhammad ibn Muqrin who died in 1725.[15]
2.2
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 the Hijaz or 'Asir, for example) and less religious zeal, although the Saudi leaders continued to go by
the title of imam and still employed Sala religious scholars. The second state was also marked by severe internal
conicts within the Saudi family, eventually leading to the
dynastys downfall. In all but one instance, succession occurred by assassination or civil war, the exception being
the passage of authority from Faisal ibn Turki to his son
Abdullah ibn Faisal ibn Turki.
2.4
Saudi Arabia
3
into many of the noble clans and tribes within his territory, including the chiefs of the Bani Khalid, Ajman, and
Shammar tribes, as well as the Al ash-Sheikh (descendants of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab). He also arranged for his sons and relatives to enter into similar marriages. He appointed his eldest surviving son, Saud as heir
apparent, to be succeeded by the next eldest son, Faisal.
The Saudi family became known as the royal family,
and each member, male and female, was accorded the title amir (prince) or amira (princess), respectively.
Ibn Saud died in 1953, after having cemented an alliance
with the United States in 1945. He is still celebrated ofcially 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 Arabias centennial in 1999 (according to the
Islamic lunar calendar).
Ibn Saud
Upon Ibn Sauds death, his son Saud assumed the throne
without incident, but his lavish spending led to a power
struggle with the new crown prince, Faisal. In 1964, the
royal family forced Saud to abdicate in favor of Faisal,
aided by an edict from the countrys grand mufti. During
this period, some of Ibn Sauds younger sons, led by Talal
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.
Ibn Saud spent the next three decades trying to reestablish his familys rule over as much of the Arabian
Peninsula as possible, starting with his native Najd. His
chief rivals were the Al Rashid clan in Ha'il, the Sharifs
of Mecca in the Hijaz, and the Ottoman Turks in al-Hasa.
Ibn Saud also had to contend, however, with the descendants of his late uncle Saud ibn Faisal (later known as the
Saud al-Kabir branch of the family), who posed as the
rightful heirs to the throne. Though for a time acknowledging the sovereignty of the Ottoman Sultans and even
taking the title of pasha, Ibn Saud allied himself to the
British, in opposition to the Ottoman-backed Al Rashid.
From 1915 to 1927, Ibn Sauds dominions were a protectorate of the British Empire, pursuant to the 1915 Treaty
U.S. President Barack Obama oers condolences on death of
of Darin.
Saudi King Abdullah, Riyadh, 27 January 2015
By 1932, Ibn Saud had disposed of all his main rivals and
consolidated his rule over much of the Arabian Peninsula. He declared himself king of the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia that year. Previously, he had gone through several titles, starting with Sultan of Najd and ending with
King of Hijaz and Najd and their dependencies. Ibn
Sauds father, Abdul Rahman retained the honorary title
of imam. In 1937 near Dammam, American surveyors
discovered what later proved to be Saudi Arabias vast oil
reserves. Before the discovery of oil, many family members were destitute.[18]
4 SUCCESSION
Political power
The head of the House of Saud is the King of Saudi Arabia who serves as Head of State and monarch 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
Aairs are usually held by members of the Saud family,
as are most of the thirteen regional governorships. Most
portfolios, however, such as Finance, Labor, Information, Planning, Petroleum Aairs 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 Kingdoms critical military and governmental departmental posts. Ultimate power in the Kingdom has always rested upon the
Al Saud, though support from the Ulema, the merchant
community, and the population at large has been key to
the maintenance of the royal familys political status quo.
Long term political and government appointments, such
as those of King Abdullah, who was Commander of the
National Guard from 1963 to 2010, former Crown prince
Sultan bin Abdulaziz, who was Minister of Defence and
Aviation from 1962 until his death in 2011, Prince Mutaib Minister of Municipal and Rural Aairs from 1975
to 2009, former Crown Prince Nayef who was the Minister of Interior from 1975 to 2012, and the current King
Salman, who was governor of the Riyadh Region from
1963 to 2011, have perpetuated the creation of efdoms
where senior princes have, often, though not exclusively,
co-mingled their personal wealth with that of their respective domains. They have often appointed their own
sons to senior positions within their own efdom. Examples of these include Prince Mutaib bin Abdullah as
assistant commander in the National Guard until 2010;
Prince Khalid bin Sultan as assistant minister of defence
until 2013; Prince Mansour bin Mutaib as assistant minister for Municipal and Rural Aairs until he replaced his
father in 2009; and Prince Mohammed bin Nayef as assistant minister in the Interior Ministry. 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 efdom. Examples of these include Prince 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 Riyadh Governor
during King Salman's term; and Prince Ahmed, who held
the deputy ministers portfolio under Prince Nayefs interior ministry.
Unlike Western royal families, the Saudi Monarchy has
not had a clearly dened order of succession. Historically, upon becoming King, the monarch has designated
an heir apparent to the throne who serves as Crown Prince
of the Kingdom. Upon the Kings death the Crown
Prince becomes King, and during the Kings incapacitation the Crown Prince, likewise, assumes power as regent.
Though other members of the Al Saud hold political positions in the Saudi government, technically it is only the
King and Crown Prince who legally constitute the political institutions.
4 Succession
Succession has been from brother-to-brother since the
death of the Founder of modern Saudi Arabia. Ibn Saud
was succeeded by his son Saud. Saud was succeeded by
his brother Faisal. Faisal was succeeded by his brother
Khalid who, in turn, was succeeded by his brother Fahd.
Fahd, as before, was succeeded by his brother Abdullah
and Abdullah succeeded by his brother Salman, the current King. Salman appointed his half-brother Muqrin
as Crown Prince in January 2015 and removed him in
April 2015. Even Abdulazizs 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. King Salman ended the brother-tobrother succession and appointed his 56-year-old nephew
5
Muhammad bin Nayef as Crown Prince in April 2015.
He appointed his young son Mohammad, who is believed
to be 30 years old (in 2015), as Deputy Crown Prince,
thus making the next succession from cousin-to-brother,
as Mohammad is the cousin of Crown Prince Muhammad.
Wealth
7 Heads
Opposition
7.1
1710[27] 1765)
7.2
7.3
Mamdouh bin Abdulaziz (born 1940) Former governor of Tabuk region who was removed from the
post by King Fahd for insubordination. Later he was
made director of Saudi Center of Strategic Studies.
Ahmed bin Abdulaziz (born 1942) Deputy minister of interior from 1975 to 2012; minister of interior from June 2012 to 5 November 2012.
7
Mashhur bin Abdulaziz (born 1942)
Muqrin bin Abdulaziz (born 1945) Director
general of the General Intelligence Directorate
from 2005 to 2012; former governor of Ha'il and
Madinah 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.
8.2
8.3
[5] Wynbrandt, James; Gerges Fawaz A. (2010). A Brief History of Saudi Arabia. p. xvii. ISBN 978-0-8160-7876-9.
[6] Wahbi Hariri-Rifai; Mokhless Hariri-Rifai (1990). The
heritage of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. p. 26. ISBN
978-0-9624483-0-0.
[7] Amos, Deborah (1991). Sheikh to Chic. Mother Jones.
p. 28. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
[8] Saudi Arabia: HRH or HH?". American Bedu. 23 March
2010. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
[9] Stig Stenslie (21 August 2012). Regime Stability in Saudi
Arabia: The Challenge of Succession. Routledge. p. 53.
ISBN 978-1-136-51157-8.
[10] Counter-Narratives: History, Contemporary Society, and
Politics in Saudi Arabia and Yemen by Madawi AlRasheed (Editor), Robert Vitalis (Editor) p. 64
[11] History of the Kingdom. Ministry of Foreign Aairs.
Retrieved 20 March 2015.
[12] Al Saud Family Saudi Arabia History. Arab Royal Family. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
[13] G. Rentz (2007). al- Diriyya (or al-Dariyya)". In P. Bearman; Th. Bianquis; C.E. Bosworth; E. van Donzel; W.P.
Heinrichs. Encyclopaedia of Islam. Brill. Retrieved 8
September 2007.
See also
Bedouin
Al ash-Sheikh
Bani Hareth
Bani Yas
Banu Thaqif
Banu Yam
King of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Royal Guard Regiment
10
References
11
10.1
Further reading
Alexei Vassiliev, The History of Saudi Arabia, London, UK: Al Saqi Books, 1998
David Holden & Richard Johns, The House of Saud,
Pan, 1982, 0-330-26834-1
Madawi Al-Rasheed, A History of Saudi Arabia,
Cambridge University Press, 2002, ISBN 0-52164412-7
The House of Saud by David Holden and Richard
Johns. Contains 538 pages, plus bibliography, index, and family history, also sections of Black and
White plates. (Detail taken from The House of Saud,
a reprint. First published by Sidgwick and Jackson
in 1981 with an ISBN 0-283-98436-8.)
David Fromkin, A Peace to end all peace, Holt,
1989, ISBN 978-0-8050-8809-0. Supplements the
foregoing material with a history of the dealings between the House of Saud and the British during and
just after World War I.
Craig Unger, House of Bush House of Saud, Scribner, 2004, ISBN 0-7432-5337-X
11
External links
EXTERNAL LINKS
12
12.1
12.2
Images
10
12
12.3
Content license