Noura bint Abdul Rahman Al Saud ( ar, نورة بنت عبد الرحمن آل سعود ''Noura bint ʿAbd ar Raḥman Āl Suʿūd''; 1875 – July 1950) was the eldest daughter of
Abdul Rahman bin Faisal, Emir of Nejd
Abdul (also transliterated as Abdal, Abdel, Abdil, Abdol, Abdool, or Abdoul; ar, عبد ال, ) is the most frequent transliteration of the combination of the Arabic word '' Abd'' (, meaning "Servant") and the definite prefix '' al / el'' (, mea ...
, and the elder sister and adviser 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 ...
.
Madawi Al Rasheed argues that she is the first example of Saudi royal women who are introduced to support the view of the progressive royalty.
Early life
Noura was born in Riyadh in 1875.
She was the eldest daughter of Abdul Rahman bin Faisal bin Turki and full sister of Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman, who would establish the modern Saudi Arabia and rule as its first king.
Noura's other full siblings included Faisal, Bazza, Haya and Saad.[ Their mother was a member of the Sudairi family, Sara bint Ahmed,][ who died in 1908 or in 1910.][ Noura's maternal grandmother was Hessa bint Muhanna bin Saleh Al Nuwairan.] Noura also had a number of half-siblings from her father's other marriages, including Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...
, Abdullah
Abdullah may refer to:
* Abdullah (name), a list of people with the given name or surname
* Abdullah, Kargı, Turkey, a village
* ''Abdullah'' (film), a 1980 Bollywood film directed by Sanjay Khan
* '' Abdullah: The Final Witness'', a 2015 Pakis ...
, Ahmed, and Musaid.
Noura and her brother Abdulaziz attended a mosque school in Riyadh when their father was in Hail province under the Al Rashid rule. There she learned to read and write from her early years which was a very rare quality for an Arab girl at that period of time. In 1891 Noura left Riyadh with her family members when her father was forced to exile.[
]
Relations and activities
King Abdulaziz and Noura were very close to each other.[ It is well known that on several occasions, King Abdulaziz identified himself in public by proclaiming "I am the brother of Noura."] Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman, another of her younger brothers, also used to say the same.[
Noura was reported to have the "minds of 40 men" and great wisdom.][ She encouraged Abdulaziz to regain the leadership of the region when the family was in exile in Kuwait.][ Her charismatic personality and strong political ideas led to King Abdulaziz's paying attention to her opinion about many crucial issues.][ Eventually, she became one of his main advisors and even took his place in running the state when he was unable to do so.
She was also known to be quite progressive and outspoken. For instance, when the telephone was first introduced to the country, many Islamic clerics rejected it and considered it to be a tool of the devil, but she actively supported its use and argued that it was an amazing device that they would not be able to live without.][ She also played an important role in teaching her nephews and nieces the system of social norms. It is reported that whenever one of them misbehaved as a child, the King would send him to their aunt for discipline. In addition, Noura was a pioneer in charity activities and the founder of the first charity program for the poor and orphans in the country.][
Dame ]Violet Dickson
Hajjiyah Dame Violet Penelope Dickson, DBE (née Lucas-Calcraft; 3 September 1896 – 4 January 1991) was the wife of British colonial administrator H. R. P. Dickson. She lived in Kuwait for 61 years, half of them as a widow, and published s ...
, a Briton, met Noura in 1937 and stated that she was the most charismatic and important personality in the Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate ...
at that period.[ Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, a British royal who visited Saudi Arabia in 1938, also met Noura and stated that she "is about sixty and said to be his ing Abdulaziz'schief adviser, a fine, handsome woman."
]
Personal life
Noura bint Abdul Rahman married Saud bin Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Faisal
Saud Al Kabeer bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ( ar, سعود الكبير بن عبدالعزيز آل سعود ''Suʿūd Al Kabīr ibn ʿAbdulʿazīz Āl Suʿūd''; 1882–1959) was a grandson of Saud bin Faisal bin Turki and a cousin and important supp ...
, known as Saud Al Kabir, in 1905. He was from the Al Kabir branch of the House of Saud, consisting of descendants of Saud bin Faisal bin Turki
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 ...
, Emir of Nejd
The Emirate of Nejd or Imamate of Nejd was the Second Saudi State, existing between 1824 and 1891 in Nejd, the regions of Riyadh and Ha'il of what is now Saudi Arabia. Saudi rule was restored to central and eastern Arabia after the Emirate of D ...
from 1871 to 1875[ and elder brother of Noura's father Emir Abdul Rahman bin Faisal.][
In 1903, the Al Kabir branch began to question Abdulaziz's right to rule and took refuge from their mothers' tribe, ]Ajman
Ajman ( ar, عجمان, '; Gulf Arabic: عيمان ʿymān) is the capital of the emirate of Ajman in the United Arab Emirates. It is the fifth-largest city in UAE after Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Al Ain. Located along the Persian Gulf, i ...
.[ Later Abdulaziz pardoned Saud, the most powerful surviving Al Kabir family member. Saud Al Kabir then married Noura.] In other words, Saud Al Kabir's loyalty to Abdulaziz was secured as a result of his marriage to Noura bint Abdul Rahman. Since then, the Al Kabir branch has become influential, but they have been mostly kept away from political power.[ On the other hand, Saud Al Kabir served as the 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 ha ...
following the foundation of Saudi Arabia in 1932.
Noura and her husband had three children: two daughters, Hessa and Al Jawhara, followed by a son, Mohammed. Prince Mohammed was a senior and respected prince due to his powerful tribal
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to conflic ...
knowledge and connections. Princess Al Jawhara was the third spouse of Noura's nephew King Faisal.[ Noura's grandchildren include the Saudi businessman Sultan bin Mohammad Al Kabir and Princess Mashael, daughter of King Faisal and Al Jawhara.][
Noura's family lived in Sharia Palace, ]Al Kharj
Kharj ( ar, الخرج) is a governorate in central Saudi Arabia. It is one of the important governorates in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and is located in the southeast of the capital Riyadh, within an area of 19,790 km2 ~ 4,890,215.5 acres, and ...
. Following the establishment of the Kingdom the family moved to the newly built Al Shamsiah Palace, outside Riyadh, which is in the Al Murabba neighborhood.
Death
Noura died in July 1950 at the age of 75, a few years before King Abdulaziz. She was buried in Al Oud cemetery
Al Oud Cemetery () is a public cemetery in al-Oud, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, known for being the resting place of many kings, crown princes and royals of the second
The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units ...
in Riyadh.[ King Abdulaziz was buried in the same cemetery next to her in 1953.]
Legacy
Princess Noura University was named in 2008 by King Abdullah in her memory.[ The university is considered to be one of the largest universities of its type and can accommodate 50,000 female students. It reflected King Abdullah's appreciation for his aunt Noura bint Abdul Rahman.][
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saud, Noura Abdul Rahman
Noura
Noura
1875 births
1950 deaths
Noura
Daughters of monarchs
Noura
Noura