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. He is a son of King Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia 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 Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ( ar, سلمان بن عبد العزیز آل سعود, , ; born 31 December 1935) is King of Saudi Arabia, reigning since 2015, and served as Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2022. The 25th son of Kin ...

Early life

Prince Abdul Elah was born in 1939. He is the son of King Abdulaziz and

Haya bint Saad Al Sudairi Haya bint Saad Al Sudairi ( ar, هيا بنت سعد السديري ''Hayā bint Saʿad Āl Sudayrī''; 1913 – 18 April 2003) was one of the spouses of King Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia. She was a member of the powerful Sudairi family. Her elder ...

, 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 th ...

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 The Qassim Province ( ar, منطقة القصيم ' , Najdi Arabic: ), also known as the Qassim Region, is one of the 13 provinces of Saudi Arabia. Located at the heart of the country near the geographic center of the Arabian Peninsula, it has ...

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 Buraidah ( ar, بريدة ') is the capital and largest city of Al-Qassim Region in north-central Saudi Arabia in the heart of the Arabian Peninsula. Buraydah lies equidistant from the Red Sea to the west and Persian Gulf to the east. Its known fo ...

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 Religious police are any police force responsible for the enforcement of religious norms and associated religious laws. Most religious police in modern society are Islamic and can be found in countries with large Muslim population, such as Saudi ...

, 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 in 1998 replacing Sultan bin Abdurrahman Al Sudairi in the post and was in office until 2001 when Fahd bin Badr Al Saud 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 wi ...

. He is a member of the

Allegiance Council The Allegiance Council ( ar, هيئة البيعة ''Hay’at al-Bay‘ah''), also known as the Allegiance Commission or Allegiance Institution or Succession Commission, is the body responsible for determining future succession to the throne of ...

. On 8 October 2008, he was appointed as adviser to King Abdullah with the rank of minister. Prince Abdul Elah became an advisor to

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