Abdul Elah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ( ar, عبد الإله بن عبد العزيز آل سعود ''ʿAbd al ʾIlāh bin ʿAbd al ʿAzīz Āl Saʿūd''), also spelled ''Abdulillah'', born 1939) is a member of the
Saudi royal family
The House of Saud ( ar, آل سُعُود, ʾĀl Suʿūd ) is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia. It is composed of the descendants of Muhammad bin Saud, founder of the Emirate of Diriyah, known as the First Saudi state (1727–1818), and ...
. He is a son of
King Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia
Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud ( ar, عبد العزيز بن عبد الرحمن آل سعود, ʿAbd al ʿAzīz bin ʿAbd ar Raḥman Āl Suʿūd; 15 January 1875Ibn Saud's birth year has been a source of debate. It is generally accepted ...
and was an advisor to another of Abdulaziz's sons,
King Abdullah. Prince Abdul Elah is the second oldest surviving son of Abdulaziz, the eldest being
King Salman.
Early life
Prince Abdul Elah was born in 1939.
He is the son of King Abdulaziz and
Haya bint Saad Al Sudairi, a member of the powerful Sudairi family who died in
Riyadh
Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the R ...
on 18 April 2003 at the age of 90. He is a full brother of
Prince Badr and
Prince Abdul Majeed.
Career
Prince Abdul Elah was appointed governor of
Al Qassim Province on 19 March 1980 replacing Fahd bin Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman in the post. In May 1991 he did not allow two radical clerics in
Buraidah to deliver
Friday sermons.
The incident caused conflict, and the thousands of people, led by the local
ulema
In Islam, the ''ulama'' (; ar, علماء ', singular ', "scholar", literally "the learned ones", also spelled ''ulema''; feminine: ''alimah'' ingularand ''aalimath'' lural are the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious ...
and the
religious police, protested against him.
[ Sheik ]Abdulaziz bin Baz
Sheikh Abd al Aziz ibn Abdullah ibn Baz ( ar, عبد العزيز بن عبد الله بن باز, ʿAbd al ʿAzīz bin ʿAbdullāh bin Bāz, 21 November 1912 – 13 May 1999) was a Saudi Arabian Islamic scholar who served as the Grand Mufti of S ...
who was the head of the Supreme Religious Council, sent a letter to Prince Abdul Elah backing the preachers.[ Prince Abdul Elah's tenure ended in March 1992. Then, he was appointed governor of ]Al Jawf Province
Al-Jawf Province ( ar, منطقة الجوف Minṭaqat al-Jawf pronounced lˈdʒoːf, also spelled Al-Jouf, is one of the provinces of Saudi Arabia, located in the north of the country, containing its only international border with Jor ...
in 1998 replacing Sultan bin Abdurrahman Al Sudairi in the post and was in office until 2001 when Fahd bin Badr Al Saud
Fahd bin Badr Al Saud ( ar, فهد بن بدر عبد العزيز آل سعود) is a Saudi Arabian politician who served as the governor of Al Jawf Province from 2002 to 2018. He is a member of the House of Saud and the son of Prince Badr bin ...
was appointed as governor of the province.[
Prince Abdul Elah accompanied King Abdullah on diplomatic trips abroad, when Abdullah was ]Crown Prince
A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...
. He is a member of the Allegiance Council.[ Prince Abdul Elah became an advisor to King Salman in January 2015.
Prince Abdul Elah has also business activities. He is an entrepreneur and chairman of several companies, including the Arabian Jewelry Company, National Investment Company, and the National Automobile Company.]
Succession
Although Prince Abdul Elah was considered a candidate for the throne by virtue of seniority, he had some drawbacks such as his ill-starred government career. Since he was twice removed from governorships, there were doubts about his competency. He was passed over in favor of Prince Muqrin for the post of Deputy Crown Prince.
Personal life
Prince Abdul Elah is married to Noura bint Abdul Rahman Al Sudairi and to Princess Salwa Al Ahmed, a medical doctor. His children, two sons and three daughters, are Abdulaziz (born 1965), a stakeholder in Al-Rajhi Bank
The Al Rajhi Bank ( ar, مصرف الراجحي) (previously known as Al Rajhi Banking and Investment Corporation) is a Saudi Arabian bank and the world's largest Islamic bank by capital based on 2015 data.
The bank is a major investor in S ...
, Abdul Majid and Fahda (twins, born 1993), Noura (born 2002) and Mashael (born 1970).
Ancestry
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saud, Abdul Elah Abdulaziz
Abdul Elah
Abdul Elah
Abdul Elah
1939 births
Abdul Elah
Living people
Abdul Elah