Saudi Arabia - Who's Who in the House of Saud

NewYorkTimesviaGoogle ^ | 12.22-2002 | ARAM ROSTON

[swarthyguy]

In the past year, even as news of Al Qaeda's maneuvers and of Iraq's possible harboring weapons of mass destruction have dominated headlines, the Saudi royals have played a shadowy supporting role. Al Qaeda considers them its enemies, but are they unwittingly (or not so unwittingly) supporting it? Are they for toppling Saddam or not? Who are the Saudis, exactly?

In truth, they are many and varied. The country's king is decrepit, his younger brother Prince Abdullah serves in his place and many of the three dozen sons of the nation's founder, King Abdul Aziz, are jostling for power and influence in the hope that they might one day be king. Here are some of the key players:

King Fahd, 81

He has been king since 1982 and remains head of state and prime minister, but since the mid-90's, he has been incapacitated by a series of strokes. In 1990, following Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait, King Fahd chose the path of action suggested by Dick Cheney, then secretary of defense, and allowed the U.S. military to secure Saudi Arabia. Fahd's move, reportedly made without traditional consensus within the royal family, confirmed the foundation of the kingdom's relationship with the U.S.: security in exchange for oil. It also earned the contempt of Osama bin Laden, who insisted that his mujahedeen warriors could have protected the kingdom.

Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud, 79

Another son of King Abdul Aziz, Abdullah has run the country since his older brother's incapacitation. He reportedly still consults him, but given Fahd's condition, it is unclear if that's a formality or a farce. He is the selected heir apparent and commander of the Saudi Arabian National Guard, which protects the royal family. Although he was once viewed by analysts as ''anti-Western,'' that view changed after the gulf war. In April, President Bush invited him to his Texas ranch, after Abdullah announced a Saudi peace initiative that involved Arab recognition of Israel in exchange for a Palestinian state.

Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, 78

Best known as the minister of defense and aviation. According to the rules of fraternal succession, he could be next in line to be king after Prince Abdullah. He purchases the best weapons money can buy, including U.S. tanks, fighter planes, missiles and Awacs (airborne warning and control systems). Yet, in spite of billions spent, the Saudi military is considered inadequate, and much of the gear reportedly sits abandoned. Sultan, who has been dubbed Mr. 10 Percent, supposedly became extraordinarily wealthy from kickbacks from Western businesses that handled multibillion-dollar defense contracts.

Prince Salman, 66

Best known as the governor of Riyadh. He arbitrates disputes among the more than 7,000 members of the royal family. ''He's a heavyweight,'' says David Long, a former State Department official. ''He's probably king material.'' Although Prince Salman is the 16th eldest, and his brother Prince Sultan should be considered before him, succession is determined by consensus within the family, and Salman's a probable choice. Diplomats consider him a voice of reason. However, he is being sued by the families of the victims of Sept. 11, who charge that he financed charities linked to terrorism.

Prince Nayef, 69

Best known as the minister of the interior, he is considered ''a tough cop,'' as one longtime State Department official puts it. ''Brutal'' may be applicable, too. According to the State Department, ''Ministry of Interior officials are responsible for most incidents of abuse of prisoners, including beatings, whippings, sleep deprivation and at least three cases of drugging of foreign prisoners.'' Nayef has been more outspoken than other princes. In a recent interview with a Kuwaiti newspaper, he said that the ''Zionist-controlled media'' had used the Sept. 11 attacks to drive a wedge between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. He is the supervisor general of the Saudi Committee for the Al Quds Intifada, which helps the families of suicide bombers.

Prince Saud al-Faisal, 61

Best known as the foreign minister and for being the son of the revered King Faisal. He went to Princeton University. His influence stems from his lineage and his bearing, but also from marriage -- his wife is Prince Abdullah's granddaughter. Still, his position may be precarious, according to Henry Siegman of the Council on Foreign Relations, who knows several members of the Saudi royal family. There is ''speculation'' that the crown prince is unhappy that Prince Saud ''has not managed to lessen the anger within the United States at Saudi leadership after Sept. 11.''

Prince Nawaf bin Abdul Aziz, 69

Best known as the new director of foreign intelligence. Despite his lack of qualifications, he succeeded his nephew Prince Turki right before Sept. 11. In March, Nawaf, who is considered an ally of Crown Prince Abdullah, suffered a stroke at the Arab League meeting in Beirut. He is out of the hospital, but it's unclear how much influence he has.

Bandar bin Sultan, 52

Best known as ambassador to the U.S. for the last 25 years. He has been closely allied with Republican and Democratic administrations and is said to be an extraordinary host at his estates in Aspen, Colo., and Maclean, Va. His mother was a concubine, but his marriage to Haifa, the daughter of King Faisal, may have given his career a lift, at least until recently. In November, federal investigators confirmed that Haifa wrote 30 checks to a Jordanian woman and that some of that charity supported two of the Sept. 11 hijackers. Diplomats are waiting to see the impact on Bandar's so-far-stellar career. One former U.S. intelligence officer, who has worked closely with Saudis, says, ''If Bandar was to be replaced today, I'll bet he'd stay here.''

Prince Turki al-Faisal, 57

Best known as director of Saudi foreign intelligence for nearly 25 years. Some say the agency is an impressive spy apparatus with tentacles everywhere, but Simon Henderson, author of ''After King Fahd,'' suggests that they are primarily there to ''dole out some money'' when problems arise. Prince Turki was fired days before Sept. 11 supposedly because he failed to ''solve'' the Osama bin Laden problem. In the 1980's, Turki formed an alliance with bin Laden during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. After bin Laden became a liability and then a threat to the Saudi regime, Turki reportedly tried to get the Taliban to hand him over in 1998. Mullah Omar reneged on the deal, the story goes. In another version of it, according to a lawsuit filed by the families of the victims of Sept. 11, Turki paid off the Taliban to make sure Osama didn't attack Saudi Arabia. He was recently made the Saudi ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Muhammad bin Fahd, 52

He is governor of the Eastern Province. He's quite famous outside Saudi Arabia for his role in a scandal involving Jonathan Aitken, the disgraced and destitute former British defense procurement minister. Aitken served time for perjury, after accepting gifts from bin Fahd in 1993. Despite the scandal, according to a London-based dissident, Saad el-Fagih, Muhammad is ''the most visible of his brothers and a secret pretender to the Saudi throne.'' While his power stems mostly from being the son of the afflicted king, he has leveraged that into significant wealth through dealings with Western companies in Saudi Arabia.

Abdul Aziz bin Fahd, 29

Best known for being another of King Fahd's sons and minister of state. The relative youngster virtually grew up on television; as one scholar notes, he almost always sits right behind the monarch at public ceremonies. His father's demise may undercut his advancement. Still, others say that the fact that his mother comes from a wealthy merchant family may boost his career.

Khalid bin Sultan, 53

At the Defense Ministry run by his father, Prince Sultan, Khalid was best known for commanding the Arab coalition forces during the first gulf war, and for sticking to General Schwarzkopf like a shadow. During the war, Khalid became famous -- and also reportedly rich -- raking in commissions. ''The sums even embarrassed his father,'' Henderson wrote in ''After King Fahd.'' Khalid resigned after the war, but was just reappointed as his father's deputy.

[rovenstinez]

No women: Princess Abu Niña?

[swarthyguy]

From top left to bottom right
King Fahd,
Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud,
Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz,
Prince Salman,
Prince Nayef,
Prince Saud al-Faisal,
Prince Nawaf bin Abdul Aziz,
Bandar bin Sultan,
Prince Turki al-Faisal,
Muhammad bin Fahd, Abdul Aziz bin Fahd,
Khalid bin Sultan.

Photo credits: Fahd: Eric Hadj/Sipa Press. Abudullah: Courtney Kealy/Getty Images. Sultan: Richard Ellis/Getty Images. Salman: Fiona Hanson/Associated Press. Nayef: Hasan Jamali/Associated Press. Saud: Mark Wilson/Getty Images. Nawaf: AAR/Sipa Press. Bandar: Kenneth Lambert/Associated Press. Turki: Alex Wong/Getty Images. Muhammed: Dod/Associated Press. Abdul: Abd Rabbo/Sipa Press. Khalid: Christian Pinson/Sipa Press.

[ZeitgeistSurfer]

All of them most excellent friends of this country who only want us to buy their oil at a fair price and have no other designs on us at all. Right.

[McGavin999]

Thanks for the pictures swarthyguy. I've been trying to sort these guys out for days. There was an article last night about Prince Turki al-Faisal dying and was trying to put a face to it.

[sauropod]

resource ping.

[swarthyguy]

Prince Turki isn't dead; he's in London pining for a saudi Khalifa. The dead Turki was younger, 50.

[pabianice]

At the rate they're crapping out, "Who Was in the House of Saud."

[McGavin999]

Good grief, how are we supposed to keep track of these guys? I really do wish they'd change their names to John, Jim, Pete, Walter etc. I just can't keep track of them. I thought the guy who died yesterday was 57. Not the former intelligence chief?

[swarthyguy]

Don't know much either, Only started following Saudis late last year....it's a looking glass wilderness of mirrors power structure..true loyalties are inscrutable...and speculation abounds about even the ostensibly proamerican ones..

[dighton]

I'll trade two '89 Saud al-Faisal cards for a '95 Sultan bin Abdul Aziz.

Nice post.

[swarthyguy]

Expired Turki -

Saudi prince Turkey Bin Faisal Bin Saad Bin Abdul Rahman al-Saud died in Swiss hospital at age 50.

Pining for the dunes of araby, no doubt.

[dennisw]

A thread last night got up to 45 posts before HAL2000 said the famous Turki was not the one who died yesterday.

[McGavin999]

Ooooookay. I guess this guy's name really was Turkey bin Faisal and not Turki bin Faisal. I thought they just mis-spelled it.

[M Kehoe]

The House of Saud is very fortunate. If not for oil, they would all still be herding goats and camels. Or smuggling slaves.

5.56mm

[dennisw]

The House of Saud is very fortunate. If not for oil, they would all still be herding goats and camels. Or smuggling slaves.

Same for the other Islamic oil producing nations. No oil and your Islamic nation is guaranteed to be an impoverished pest hole. The Pallies engage in the fiction that their lives would be great without Israeli "oppression". Just take a look at how lousy Muslim life is in Syria, Jordan and Egypt with no Jews around for miles.

[swarthyguy]

Swishsters Ping. FYI.

[XBob]

where does Yamani (the old oil minister) fit?

[marron]

thanks for the ping...

[wretchard]

The senior managers of the House of Saud are going out from old age. The middle managers, Bandar bin Sultan, Prince Turki al-Faisal, Muhammad bin Fahd and Khalid bin Sultan are a mixed bag, and may not hang together in a crunch. Bandar has lived too long in America. The rest seem to be lazy 10 percenters. When the old men finally die, there is nothing, except the continuance of their privilege, to give them common cause.