Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

In this Arabic name, the surname is Al Saud.
Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Minister of Interior
Tenure18 June 2012 – 5 November 2012
Prime Minister
PredecessorNayef bin Abdulaziz
SuccessorMohammed bin Nayef
Deputy Minister of Interior
Tenure16 December 1975 – 18 June 2012
Prime Minister
SuccessorAbdul Rahman Al Rabiaan
Deputy Governor of Mecca Province
Tenure1971–1975
Appointed by
Born (1942-09-05) 5 September 1942 (age 82)
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Issue12, including Abdulaziz and Nayef
Names
Ahmed bin Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman bin Faisal Al Saud
HouseAl Saud
Alma mater
FatherKing Abdulaziz
MotherHassa bint Ahmed Al Sudairi

Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (Arabic: احمد بن عبد العزيز آل سعود Aḥmed bin ʿAbdulʿazīz Āl Suʿūd; born 5 September 1942) is a member of House of Saud who served as deputy minister of interior from 1975 to 2012 and briefly as minister of interior in 2012. He was detained in March 2020 on the orders of his brother and nephew, King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, respectively, and charged with treason.[1]

Early life and education

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Prince Ahmed was born in Riyadh on 5 September 1942.[2][3] He is the son of King Abdulaziz (Ibn Saud) and Hassa bint Ahmed Al Sudairi, and is the youngest of the Sudairi brothers.[4] Prince Ahmed is supposedly the 31st son of King Abdulaziz.[5][6]

Ahmed bin Abdulaziz completed secondary education in 1961.[7] He studied English and some science subjects at the University of Southern California.[7] He enrolled at the University of Redlands[8] in 1962 and graduated in 1968 with a bachelor's degree in government and political science.[9][10]

Early career

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After his graduation, Prince Ahmed dealt with business and was the chairman of the National Gypsum Company from 1969 to 1970.[7] In 1971, he was appointed the undersecretary of Makkah Province.[7] He also served as the deputy governor of Makkah Province during the reign of King Faisal.[6]

Deputy interior minister (1975–2012)

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Later, King Khalid appointed him as the deputy minister of interior on 16 December 1975.[7][11]

As deputy interior minister (also translated as vice minister), he served under Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud; at the time, Prince Muhammad bin Nayef was assistant interior minister.[12] The interior ministry played a key role in Saudi Arabia's state security apparatus (with a total 2003 internal security budget of US$7 billion), with a counterterrorism mandate, especially after the Riyadh compound bombings of May 2003.[12] A 2004 report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies noted that although corruption within the kingdom was common, "Prince Nayif and Prince 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."[12]

His main function as deputy interior minister was to deal with the different provinces of the Kingdom.[12] Ahmed bin Abdulaziz was also operational head of special security force, which reports directly to the interior minister. This force was established in 1979 after the Saudi Arabian National Guard's poor response to the seizure of the Grand Mosque in Mecca.[13]

In the early 1980s, in the wake of the riots in the Eastern Province in 1979, Prince Ahmed was tasked with introducing reforms to improve the province, where the kingdom's Shi'ite minority lives.[14][15] Prince Ahmad acknowledged that the Saudi government had neglected the region and had discriminated against Shi'ites; he also promised massive investments in the development of Al Hasa's economic infrastructure, educational system, and other services.[15] The other task of Prince Ahmed as deputy interior minister was to coordinate the contacts with ulema (the religious leaders).[16] He also served as the vice president of the supreme commission for industrial security and chairman of preparatory committee for national security.[7] In addition, he was the deputy chairman of civil defense council.[17]

In 2006, Prince Ahmed called for construction of a fence along the Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, which he said was not a "segregation wall" but a border security measure.[18]

Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi stated that Prince Ahmed was mostly involved in administrative matters instead of security during his tenure as deputy interior minister.[19] Ahmed bin Abdulaziz visited Pakistan in November 2005 for three days and examined the extent of destruction caused by the Kashmir earthquake from an airplane. He promised to provide Pakistan whatever needed for the rebuilding process after the earthquake. He encouraged all Muslim nations to provide aid to Pakistan. He also condemned terrorism and stated it was incompatible with Islam.[20]

Prince Ahmed said in a press conference in 2011 that for women, driving is against the law.[21] After his appointment as interior minister, it was argued that, like Salman, he was also a supporter of King Abdullah's cautious reform initiatives.[22]

Interior minister (June–November 2012)

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On 18 June 2012, one day after the burial of Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz, King Abdullah promoted Prince Ahmed to interior minister.[19][23][24] Abdul Rahman Al Rabiaan succeeded him as deputy interior minister.[25] At the same time, Abdullah elevated Defense Minister Prince Salman to the position of crown prince, keeping the defense portfolio.[24]

It was reported that Prince Ahmed would not change Saudi Arabia's major security policies, which focused on threats from al-Qaeda in Yemen and an unrest among the Shi'ite Muslim minority in Saudi Arabia.[19] Prince Ahmed was the chairman of the supreme hajj committee during his term as interior minister.[26]

Speculation about succession

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Further information: succession to the Saudi Arabian throne

Nawaf E. Obaid argued in 2002 that three members of the House of Saud were especially popular, although many of them were believed to be corrupt. Prince Ahmed was one of these popular members; the others were Prince Abdullah (then crown prince) and Prince Salman (then Riyadh governor).[27] Prince Ahmed was also seen as one of the potential candidates to the Saudi throne at the beginning of the 2000s.[28] His appointment as interior minister in 2012 was also regarded at the time as a signal for the succession to the Saudi Arabian throne, with Ahmed deemed the most likely candidate to rule Saudi Arabia after King Abdullah and Crown Prince Salman.[29]

Ouster and exclusion from the succession

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On 5 November 2012, Prince Ahmed was removed as interior minister, after a tenure of just a few months.[30] Mohammed bin Nayef, who had been deputy interior minister, was named his successor.[31] The ouster left Ahmed sidelined from power and without any major job.[32] The official reason for Prince Ahmed's removal was given as his request.[33] However, Ahmed's objection to dividing the security forces into independent units was one of the actual reasons for his dismissal.[34]

On 1 February 2013 Prince Muqrin was appointed second deputy prime minister and on 27 March 2014 to the new position of deputy crown prince.[32]

Purge

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See also: 2017–2019 Saudi Arabian purge

Activities from 2015 to 2019

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After being removed from power in 2012, Ahmed spent six years in retirement, frequently traveling to London.[35] In 2015, Crown Prince Salman became king, after the death of King Abdullah. At age 79, Salman's declining health fueled a bitter succession battle within the House of Saud over the succession.[36] A reformist faction within the Saudi royal family favored Prince Ahmed for the position of crown prince, arguing that by birthright, Ahmed held a more legitimate claim to the throne than either Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef (MBN) or his rival, the young Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), one of Salman's sons.[36] Some conservatives within the Saudi royal family favored Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz as a candidate for the throne.[36] Ultimately, MBS gained the upper hand, acquiring key portfolios, access to the king's advisors, and the lead role in commanding the Saudi military campaign in Yemen.[36]

MBS was appointed crown prince in June 2017, replacing MBN.[37][38] Ahmed bin Abdulaziz was one of three members of the Allegiance Council who did not support MBS's appointment as crown prince.[38] The others were Muhammad bin Saad Al Saud and Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.[38] The latter represented his older brother, Khalid bin Abdullah, at the meeting of the council.[38]

After becoming crown prince, MBS rapidly consolidated power, and removed potential rivals within the royal house.[37] In 2018 Ahmed bin Abdulaziz left Saudi Arabia for London. On 4 September 2018, after being confronted by protesters outside his residence in London, shouting slogans against the House of Saud's role in the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, Ahmed responded, "What does this have to do with the Al Saud? Those responsible are the king and his crown prince."[35][39] While in Europe, he was openly critical of MBS, and reportedly met with members of dissenting factions within the Saudi royal house,[39][40] which includes thousands of members.[35]

On October 30, 2018, after MBS came under increasing pressure following the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, Ahmed returned to Saudi Arabia after U.S. and European authorities obtained assurances of Ahmed's security from Saudi authorities.[40][35] Ahmed's return was viewed as a significant signal of maneuvering within the royal house, given his rank and seniority as Salman's last living full brother.[35]

Arrest and detention

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On 7 March 2020 Prince Ahmed was arrested along with his son, Nayef bin Ahmed,[41] and his nephews, MBN and Nawwaf bin Nayef.[37][42] The Saudi government claimed that the princes were plotting to overthrow Salman and MBS.[43][37][42] The detention of the senior princes was seen as a culmination of a purge that left MBS in unquestioned control of the kingdom.[44] Prince Ahmed apparently remains in detention, although in May 2022 Ahmed's eldest son, Prince Abdulaziz bin Ahmed (who has no formal government post), appeared with MBS as part of a Saudi delegation that traveled to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, in what was seen as a message intended to signal family unity.[45]

Family and personal life

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Ahmed bin Abdulaziz has two wives with whom he has five daughters and seven sons. One of his wives is Fahda bint Turki Al Sudairi.[46] His eldest son, Abdulaziz, is former secretary general of Arab Ophthalmology[47] and was born in Redlands, California, when Prince Ahmed was attending the University of Redlands.[46] Another son, Nayef, holds a PhD from Cambridge University[48] and was a colonel in the Saudi Armed Forces with responsibilities for strategic planning.[49] He served as the head of land forces intelligence and security authority until his arrest on 7 March 2020.[41] Another son, Prince Sultan, was appointed Saudi ambassador to Bahrain in September 2019.[50]

One of Prince Ahmed's daughters, Falwa bint Ahmed, is married to Salman bin Sultan, former assistant general secretary of the National Security Council.[51] Another, Noura, was the former wife of Faisal bin Abdullah Al Saud.[52] Noura bint Ahmed, who was born in Redlands, California, in November 1968 is the third child of Prince Ahmed.[46] Her mother is Fahda bint Turki Al Sudairi; she is the full sister of Abdulaziz bin Ahmed.[46]

On 29 November 2010, he attended the Crown Prince Cup, an annual horse race on behalf of Crown Prince Sultan who was in Morocco.[53]

Ancestry

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References

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  1. ^ Summer Said; Justin Scheck; Warren Strobel (6 March 2020). "Top Saudi Royal Family Members Detained". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  2. ^ "An unprecedented power war in the Al-Saud family, are Salman and his son close to the finish line?!". IUVM Press. 15 September 2018. Archived from the original on 3 December 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  3. ^ "Chairman of Supreme Council". Naif Arab University for Security Sciences. Archived from the original on 24 December 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  4. ^ Winberg Chai, ed. (2005). Saudi Arabia: A Modern Reader. Indianapolis, IN: University of Indianapolis Press. p. 193. ISBN 978-0-88093-859-4.
  5. ^ Abdullah Al Shihri; Brian Murphy (18 June 2012). "Salman bin Abdulaziz, Saudi Arabia's Defense Minister, Named Crown Prince". HuffPost. AP. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  6. ^ a b Ali Sharaya (19 June 2012). "Profile: Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz". Asharq Alawsat. Archived from the original on 18 May 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  7. ^ a b c d e f "Who is Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz?". Saudi Gazette. 21 June 2012. Archived from the original on 22 June 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  8. ^ J. E. Peterson (2003). Historical Dictionary of Saudi Arabia (2nd ed.). Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press. p. 21. ISBN 9780810827806.
  9. ^ "Profile: King Salman's youngest brother, Ahmed bin Abdulaziz". Al Jazeera. 9 March 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  10. ^ "Ahmed Al Saud gets degree from UR after long effort". Redlands Daily Facts. 23 September 1968. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  11. ^ "Political situation in Saudi Arabia" (British diplomatic document. FCO 8/2572. 1975 Jan 01 - 1975 Dec 31). Arabian Gulf Digital Archive. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  12. ^ a b c d Anthony H. Cordesman; Nawaf Obaid (2004). "Saudi internal security: A risk assessment" (PDF). Center for Strategic and International Studies. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 April 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  13. ^ Michael G. Gonzales (2009). Combating Deviants: The Saudi Arabian Approach to Countering Extremism and Terrorism (MA thesis). United States Army Command and General Staff College. doi:10.21236/ada505019.
  14. ^ "Challenges Facing The New Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia". Alifarabia. 30 October 2011. Archived from the original on 22 November 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2012.
  15. ^ a b Baron Reinhold (June 2001). Omnibalancing and the House of Saud (PDF) (MA thesis). Naval Postgraduate School, California.
  16. ^ Amir Taheri (2012). "Saudi Arabia: Change Begins within the Family". The Journal of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy. 34 (3): 138–143. doi:10.1080/10803920.2012.686725. S2CID 154850947.
  17. ^ "CDO Grants Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Medal of Commander". Gulf in the Media. Riyadh. Saudi Press Agency. 4 October 2009. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
  18. ^ "Border fence with Iraq 'not a segregation wall'". Gulf News. 2 October 2006.
  19. ^ a b c Angus McDowall (18 June 2012). "Saudi appoints Prince Salman as crown prince". Reuters.
  20. ^ "S. Arabia promises 'unlimited' help". Dawn. 9 November 2005. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  21. ^ Ahmad Al Omran. "Driving while female: More Saudi women stopped on the road". NPR. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  22. ^ Irfan Al Alawi; Stephen Schwartz (22 June 2012). "Weekly Standard: Hope for Reform in Saudi Arabia". NPR. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  23. ^ "Prince Salman named Saudi crown prince". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
  24. ^ a b Angus McDowall (18 June 2012). "Saudi appoints Prince Salman crown prince: state TV". Reuters. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  25. ^ Salem Al Najdi (10 October 2015). "كيف أشرك عبدالله بن عبدالعزيز السعوديين في الحكم؟". Riyadh Post (in Arabic). Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  26. ^ "Prince Ahmed: Elaborate plans in place for the Makkah rush". Saudi Gazette. Jeddah. 9 August 2012. Archived from the original on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
  27. ^ Nawaf E. Obaid (January–February 2002). "In Al Saud we trust". Foreign Policy. 128 (128): 72–74. doi:10.2307/3183359. JSTOR 3183359.
  28. ^ Amir Taheri (2004). "Saudi Arabia: Between Terror and Reform". American Foreign Policy Interests. 26 (6): 457–465. doi:10.1080/10803920490905523. S2CID 154222715.
  29. ^ Angus McDowall (19 June 2012). "Saudi succession in spotlight after new heir named". Reuters. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  30. ^ Abdullah Hazaa Othman; Oleg Evgenievich Grishin; Bakil Hasan Nasser Ali (2020). "The Conflict Wings in the Saudi Political System". Journal of Politics and Law. 13 (3): 64. doi:10.5539/jpl.v13n3p64. S2CID 225480634.
  31. ^ "Saudi Arabia's king appoints new interior minister". BBC. 5 November 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  32. ^ a b Caroline Alexander; Donna Abu-Nasr (1 February 2013). "Saudi Prince Muqrin Is Named Second Deputy Prime Minister". Bloomberg. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  33. ^ "Saudi king fires interior minister seen as contender for throne". World Tribune. Abu Dhabi. 7 November 2012. Archived from the original on 24 April 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  34. ^ Zvi Bar'el (25 June 2013). "In Saudi Arabia, the king is counting his days". Haaretz.
  35. ^ a b c d e David D. Kirkpatrick and Ben Hubbard (30 October 2018). "Senior Saudi Prince Returns to Kingdom as Royals Confront Khashoggi Crisis". New York Times.
  36. ^ a b c d Taylor Luck (10 November 2015). "Saudi succession: Rival princes jockey as global oil slump hits home". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  37. ^ a b c d Juan Cole. "It Seems That Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince MBS Is Continuing His Purge of Potential Rival Princes". Common Dreams. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  38. ^ a b c d Karen Elliott House (June 2017). "Saudi Arabia in Transition: From Defense to Offense, But How to Score?" (Senior Fellow Paper). Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. p. 5. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  39. ^ a b David Hearst (31 October 2018). "Senior Saudi prince flies home to tackle MBS succession". Middle East Eye.
  40. ^ a b "Mujtahidd: Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz returns to Saudi Arabia/". Middle East Monitor. 30 October 2018.
  41. ^ a b "At least 20 princes detained in mass purge by Saudi crown prince". Middle East Eye. 7 March 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  42. ^ a b Alasdair Sandford (7 March 2020). "Saudi Arabia: three senior royals 'detained' in latest clampdown". Euronews. AP. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  43. ^ "MbS moves to quash dissent with detainment of senior Saudi royals". Castlereagh Associates. 26 March 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  44. ^ Zachary Keyser (31 March 2021). "Saudi Arabia human rights abuses detailed in US State Dept. report". Jerusalem Post.
  45. ^ Aziz El Yaakoubi and Ghaida Ghantous, Saudi crown prince signals family unity as succession looms, Reuters (May 20, 2022).
  46. ^ a b c d "Prince Ahmed, Wife, Greet New Princess". Redlands Daily Facts. 22 November 1968. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  47. ^ Sharaf Sabri (2001). The House of Saud in Commerce: A Study of Royal Entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia. New Delhi: Sharaf Sabri. p. 151. ISBN 978-81-901254-0-6.
  48. ^ Joseph A. Kechichian (2001). Succession In Saudi Arabia. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 11. ISBN 978-0-312-23880-3.
  49. ^ "Underpinning Saudi National Security Strategy". JFQ. 2002. Archived from the original on 8 April 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  50. ^ "Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman appointed Saudi Minister of Energy". Saudi Gazette. 8 September 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  51. ^ "Family Tree of Salman bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud". Datarabia. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
  52. ^ "تعرف على أسماء أبناء الملك عبد الله الـ 36.. أكبرهم متعب الأول وأصغرهم الأمير بندر". El Balad (in Arabic). 23 January 2015. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  53. ^ "Crown Prince Cup". Saudi Gazette. 9 January 2010. Archived from the original on 15 September 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
[edit]
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Interior
June – November 2012 		Succeeded by
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