Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was born on December 31, 1935 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The boy was the twenty-fifth son of ibn Saud. The mother was Hassa Al Sudairi. He received his primary education at the Princes' School in Riyadh, which was founded by Ibn Saud for his children. Studied religion and modern science. Memorized the complete Qur'an at the age of ten. At the age of eighteen, his father, King Abdul Aziz, appointed him as his representative and emir (mayor) of the city of Riyadh in March 1953.

Since 1954, Salman ibn Abdul has been the acting mayor of the city of Riyadh. In 1955, he took the position of mayor of Riyadh. From 1963 to 2011, he served as governor of the province of Riyadh.

In accordance with the rules of succession of power in the Saudi kingdom, the throne is passed down in the ruling family from brother to brother according to seniority. To regulate the process of transfer of power by inheritance, the Oath Council was created in 2006, which, in the event of the death of the king, enthrones an heir and appoints the next crown prince.

Since 2011, he has headed the Ministry of Defense of Saudi Arabia. Since 2012, he has been Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister, retaining the position of Minister of Defense. Salman ibn Abdul was congratulated on receiving the title of Crown Prince Russian President Vladimir Putin, expressing the hope “that the activities of the Crown Prince will contribute to the comprehensive development of Russian-Saudi relations in the interests of the peoples of the two countries, peace and stability in the zone Persian Gulf and in the Middle East as a whole."

In March 2014, King Abdullah said that Salman's health was a serious concern and he might even refuse to lead the country. In June 2014, Salman met with the visiting Saudi Arabian leader Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov, who conveyed the best wishes from the Russian President to the heir. Salman, for his part, called the relations between the two countries good.

Under Salman, the legal status of women in the country has changed. By his decree of September 26, 2017 the king allowed women to drive cars. Before this, since 1957, women were deprived of this right, which led to protests.

King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud October 4, 2017 went on a state visit to Russia. The leaders reviewed joint steps to further enhance bilateral cooperation in the trade, economic, investment, cultural and humanitarian spheres.

Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud January 23, 2015 took over as King and Prime Minister after the death of his half-brother, King Abdullah. He is the seventh king of Saudi Arabia. Salman announced Prince Muqrin, who holds the position of deputy head of the Council of Ministers of Saudi Arabia, as the heir to the throne.

The president Russian Federation Vladimir Putin October 14, 2019 arrived in Saudi Arabia on a state visit that will last several days. The Russian President is expected to discuss with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ways to strengthen strategic cooperation between Riyadh and Moscow in all areas of mutual interest.

Awards for Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

Order of King Abdulaziz
Order of King Faisal
Grand Cross of the National Order of the Niger
Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit (Spain)
Chain of the Order of the Aztec Eagle
Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit (Guinea)
Grand Cordon of the Order of the Nile
Order of the Turkish Republic, 1st class
Order of Zayed
Order of al-Khalifa
Order of Mubarak the Great
Order of the Crown of Malaysia
Order of the Star of the Republic of Indonesia
Order of the Crown of Brunei
Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum
Order of Hussein ibn Ali 1st class
Order of the Lion (Senegal)
Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 1st degree

Family of Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

Father - Abdul-Aziz ibn Abdurrahman Al Saud.
Mother - Hasa bint Ahmad al-Sudairi.

First wife - Sultana bint Turki Al Sudairi. She died at the age of 71, at the end of July 2011. She was the daughter of Salman's maternal uncle, Turki ibn Ahmad Al Sudairi, who was one of the former governors of Asir province. Children:
Prince Fahd (1955-2001).
Prince Sultan (born 1956).
Prince Ahmed (1958-2002).
Prince Abdulaziz (born 1960).
Prince Faisal (born 1970).
Princess Hassa (born 1974).

Second wife - Sarah bint Faisal Al Subai-ai.
Son - Prince Saud (born 1986).

Third wife - Fahda bint Falah ibn Sultan Al Hitalain.
Children:
Prince Muhammad (born 1985).
Prince Turki (born 1987).
Prince Khalid (born 1988).
Prince Naif.
Prince Bandar.
Prince Rakan.

Salman's eldest son from his first marriage, Fahd bin Salman, died of heart failure at 47 in July 2001. Another son, Ahmad bin Salman, died after a heart attack in July 2002 at 43.

His second son, Sultan bin Salman, became the first royal, the first Arab and the first Muslim to fly into space. Abdul Aziz bin Salman, another of his sons, has been deputy oil minister since 1995. Faisal bin Salman is the governor of Al-Madinah province. One of his younger sons, Muhammad, was his personal adviser in the Ministry of Defense. Turki bin Salman became chairman of the Saudi Research and Marketing Group in February 2013, replacing his older brother Faisal bin Salman.

The order for the brutal murder of Saudi journalist and oppositionist Jamal Khashoggi - who, according to preliminary data, was dismembered and almost dissolved in acid on the territory of the Saudi consulate in Istanbul - was personally given by Crown Prince Muhammad, heir to the throne of Saudi Arabia, the future Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. This is exactly what most observers think, including American politicians - although according to official information, the journalist died in a fist fight with other subjects of the king whom he met at the consulate. Tellingly, Muhammad was not previously considered a cruel and ruthless dictator - on the contrary, he was called a reformer, capable of renewing and reforming an extremely conservative country. decided to trace the life path of the controversial future king.

After the arrest of several hundred officials and businessmen - members of the royal family, accused of corruption - there was talk in the world that revolutionary changes were awaiting the Wahhabi monarchy of the Persian Gulf. Many imams lost their homes, women were allowed to drive cars, go to stadiums and cinemas. In the eyes of Western countries, until recently, Muhammad personified the ideal modern ruler of a Middle Eastern state: he is young, daring, progressive and ambitious, and he also has one wife. He has repeatedly stated that the kingdom will return to moderate Islam, open to the whole world, and will be modernized along Western lines. In particular, the new wave politician arrogantly declared that by 2020 he would be able to live without oil.

January 2015. All prominent princes, ministers and representatives of the clergy come to the palace of the newly-crowned Saudi King Salman. They take turns placing their hand on the Koran and assuring the monarch of their devotion and fidelity. The coronation ceremony is watched from the corner by the master of palace intrigue - his son Prince Muhammad bin Salman, dreaming that in the near future all these royal relatives will honor him, assuring him of sincere love and friendship. The ambitious politician was not mistaken: after some time he would indeed become the most influential in the House of Saud and would actually concentrate all power in the Wahhabi kingdom in his hands.

Childhood, adolescence, youth

Little is known about the childhood years of Muhammad bin Salman, or, as he was nicknamed in Saudi Arabia, “MBS” or “Mr. Everything”, all information about the life of the most influential person in the kingdom has to be gleaned from his official biographies, which look too sleek. It is known that the future crown prince was born into the family of one of the many Saudi princes - Salman, the son of King Abdul Aziz. In these essays he is presented as a bearer of progressive ideas.

From the age of 12, he attended all kinds of meetings in which his father took part. Instead of going abroad to study like most of his brothers, he decided to stay in his homeland. After graduating from King Saud University in 2007, he received a Bachelor of Laws. Muhammad recalls that before this he planned to get married, go abroad, then return to the kingdom and start business. However, his father decided otherwise.

Of all the plans, the prince carried out only one - he managed to get married. A well-educated representative of the royal family was assigned to the civil service. For two years he worked as an adviser to the Council of Ministers. According to his former colleagues, the prince was quite ambitious and impatient: what previously took two months, he demanded to be completed in a couple of days. The prince assures that he did not dream of the throne then: numerous relatives had rights to the throne.

In the eyes of Western countries, until recently, Muhammad personified the ideal modern ruler of a Middle Eastern state

After that, he became an adviser to his father, the governor of Riyadh. It was then, according to Muhammad, that he plunged headlong into court and official intrigues. Mostly they were woven against him: hardened politicians did not like the young upstart. Muhammad lost that round: they declared a boycott on him, virtually isolated him from his father, and complained to King Abdullah.

Palace coup

After some time, his father became the Minister of Defense, and Muhammad, disillusioned with the career of an official, threw all his energy into creating a well-trained image for himself and winning over Western countries. To do this, he surrounded himself with foreign PR people and image makers, and began giving interviews to foreign publications left and right, praising Western values. In addition, with a clear eye on the throne, he founded a fund to help needy youth: 70 percent of the kingdom's population is under 30, of whom 20 to 25 percent are unemployed.

His father later became crown prince. After some time, a holiday came to Muhammad Street: King Abdullah personally asked him to return to the state apparatus and carry out purges in. Once in the department, he launched a vigorous activity: he shook many officials out of their homes for theft and bribery. By coincidence, the embezzlers turned out to be the enemies and possible rivals of Muhammad on his way to power.

In January 2015, Muhammad's father Salman became king after the death of Abdullah. He immediately put his son in charge of the military department. At 29, Mohammed became the youngest head of defense in the history of the kingdom.

Photo: Wang Bo / Xinhua / Globallookpress.com

However, the new monarch was unable to immediately promote his son to the post of crown prince. Salman's official heir was his nephew, 56-year-old Mohammed bin Nayef al Saud, one of the most influential people in the kingdom. For 13 years, he led the country's counterterrorism and counterinsurgency programs, earning him the nickname "King of Counterterrorism." Ben Nayef was respected in the American administration and European capitals.

Compared to him, the king's son Muhammad looked like an inexperienced youth. However, bin Nayef spent a lot of time on business trips, which the king’s son took advantage of, step by step pushing the crown prince into the shadows.

Gradually gaining a foothold in power, King Salman was able to take a revolutionary step - first, he deprived his nephew Mohammed bin Nayef of the title of crown prince, making his favorite Muhammad the crown prince. The new heir enthusiastically began to reform the ossified power systems.

Our hearts demand change

The need for reforms has been brewing in the kingdom for a long time. Riyadh's economic policies for decades have failed to create jobs. In the oil superpower, the unemployment rate exceeds 12 percent. Many Saudis compare Muhammad's views to the US President's agenda. Slogans from the series “Saudi Arabia First!” more than once came out of the prince’s mouth. and “Let's Make the Kingdom Great Again.”

Muhammad proclaimed a program of radical change “Vision - 2030”, the main objective which is the fight against unemployment, diversification of the economy and strengthening of the kingdom’s regional leadership, opening the country to the outside world.

As part of this concept, Mr. Everything declared that he was going to make Saudi Arabia a “stronghold of moderate Islam,” which caused a strong reaction in the country and throughout the Middle East region. After all, Wahhabism historically plays an important role in the ideology of the kingdom both within the state and outside its borders. Among religious leaders, the progressive innovations of the crown prince only caused irritation. To prevent the clergy from going into silent opposition and preventing the prince from ascending the throne, mass resignations and detentions of thousands of imams from local mosques began in Saudi Arabia. In the future, he plans to reform the Ulema Council in order to reduce its political and social significance as much as possible.

The wind of change was already blowing: women were allowed to go to stadiums and drive cars, as well as participate in fight clubs. In addition, subjects of the kingdom were allowed to visit cinemas. The kingdom also has an entertainment department created to promote Western culture.

According to the reform plan, the privatization of the energy sector, healthcare and education, partly the military industry, and unused state lands is envisaged. And in order to reduce the kingdom’s dependence on oil production, Muhammad decided to develop new sectors of the economy: manufacturing and mining, banking and tourism.

The Crown Prince is going to create an ultra-modern city of Neom in the middle of the desert, with an area of ​​more than 25 thousand square kilometers, where thousands of specialists in various fields will live and work.

"Dispossessed" princes

However, the biggest changes affected the state apparatus. On the night of November 5 last year, an event occurred in Saudi Arabia that shocked the whole world. Dozens of high-ranking officials and businessmen, who previously seemed untouchable, were arrested on suspicion of corruption, bribery and theft of the state budget. Among them are 11 princes and four serving ministers. They were accused by the National Anti-Corruption Committee, headed by Muhammad.

Frame: Umar 2000 / YouTube

The new wave politician arrogantly declared that by 2020 he will be able to live without oil

The crown prince himself, as Western media write, is not shy about using budget funds to the fullest. As he writes, it was he who bought the castle of Louis XIV in France, which is considered the most expensive in the world. In addition, he bought a yacht for $550 million and paintings for $450 million.

“A new era in the fight against corruption has arrived,” commented the kingdom’s Attorney General, Sheikh Saud al Mojeb. This set a serious precedent. The series of arrests of influential Saudis clearly followed clan lines - most of them belong to the branch of the late King Abdullah.

The first on the list of detainees was the king's nephew and one of the richest people in Saudi Arabia - Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, the largest Saudi businessman and co-owner of Citigroup, known for his atypically liberal views. He, along with the others, was accused of abuse of power and money laundering.

A total of 350 people were detained, many of them were immediately transferred to the status of witnesses in this case, but about 200 people became “prisoners.” True, the word “prison” is hardly suitable to describe the place where the alleged bribers were kept. They were accommodated in the five-star Ritz Carlton hotel in the very center of the capital. “Prisoners” could freely use the services of an expensive restaurant, fitness club, spa and bowling alley.

Thus, Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal told how his confinement in a luxury hotel room goes. How many rooms there were in his gilded room is not specified. We only know about the office, kitchen and dining room. “I feel very comfortable because I am in my country, in my city, I feel at home here. This does not cause me any inconvenience,” the billionaire explained.

According to him, in custody he lives his usual life: he works, talks on the phone with relatives, plays sports, swims in the pool and goes for walks. Colleagues and his personal hairdresser visit him periodically. His diet hasn't changed either - he follows a vegan diet.

By putting the suspects up in a five-star hotel, MBS showed them respect and a willingness to drop charges in exchange for loyalty. On January 30, all those arrested were released. However, at first they were dispossessed of 100 billion dollars. Considering that the kingdom's current budget is just over 190 billion dollars, this is a considerable amount. All the money went to the treasury.

The West doesn't mind

American President Donald Trump was one of the first world leaders to respond to the anti-corruption campaign that was unfolding in the kingdom. Riyadh received US support: Trump expressed “high confidence” in Salman and his son, who, according to the president, “know exactly what they are doing.” In addition, he condemned those who “milked their country for years.”

The kingdom's subjects greeted this news with delight: the corrupt and luxurious regime had long irritated society. “Young people dote on Muhammad. He works hard, plans economic changes, he is open to them, he understands them (...) And the prince’s sudden morning visits to ministries with inspections have already become the talk of the town, he makes Riyadh constantly work,” writes BBC World.

Muhammad has become the most popular politician in the country: his portraits adorn the walls of all government institutions, his photographs are glued to car windows, and billboards depicting the crown prince can be found in different parts of the kingdom.

With his anti-corruption campaign, Muhammad achieved several goals at once: he got rid of future opponents, strengthened his reputation as a reformer by pursuing a policy of “zero tolerance” towards corrupt officials, replenished the treasury with confiscated money, and also demonstrated both within the country and abroad, that in fact all power in the kingdom is concentrated in his hands.

The Prince's blunders

As far as domestic political adventures are concerned, everything is going as well as possible for Muhammad, but his foreign policy initiatives are failing. The country first became involved in a war with Yemen in February 2015, the end of which is still not in sight. The most rich country The Arab world is mired in conflict and has not been able to defeat the rebels from the poorest country in the region for several years: the Houthis continue to control the Yemeni capital Sanaa, and it is possible that Riyadh will never be able to achieve victory.

In Lebanon, the Shiite pro-Iranian group has significantly expanded its influence, as a result, Saudi Arabia’s main rival Iran has only strengthened its position and thereby dealt a blow to the international prestige of Riyadh.

In addition, the crown prince also failed to put together an impressive coalition to overthrow the Syrian leader, and also actually failed in the diplomatic war with Qatar. Mohammed put together a coalition and declared a boycott of the emirate, but the Qataris stood their ground and are ready to continue their confrontation with Riyadh, expecting it to give up its unrealistic demands. Thus, the kingdom lost an influential ally in the region and demonstrated its vulnerability.

Having cleared his way to power, Muhammad can only wait and prepare for the fact that he will soon become king. Most likely this will happen soon. His 82-year-old father is seriously ill - he suffered a stroke and a complex operation on the spine. Salman is rumored to have Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

So far everything is going according to plan. However, the daring reformer, who has enlisted the support of young people, is not liked by the conservative elites of Saudi Arabia. The security forces perceive him as an irresponsible upstart, and the Wahhabi clergy do not at all like the transformation of the kingdom into a state of moderate Islam, so one cannot exclude a scenario in which the prince could be removed by the military or religious elites.

Considering the surge in external discontent due to the probable murder of Khashoggi, the prince’s position looks even more precarious - it is possible that this story will be used by his political opponents for their own purposes. At the same time, it can cause another wave: the prince will understand how easy it is to lose the love of the West with just one cannibalistic act, and will begin to tighten the screws in the manner of the first-class Middle Eastern dictators.

The prince won several battles, but the outcome of the entire battle is still unpredictable: for now Muhammad is forced to defend himself.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is quickly becoming the most important figure in his country and one of the most powerful people in the world.

The 32-year-old ruler is changing Saudi Arabia's military and foreign policy, its economy and even daily religious and cultural life.

In addition, it is known that it is he who is behind the recent anti-corruption purge that took place in the kingdom - the heir to the throne is strengthening his power in an unprecedented way for the country.

So, let's get to know this powerful prince, who holds much of the fate of the Middle East in his hands.

Little is known about Mohammed's early years. He is the eldest son of King Salman's third wife and has reportedly spent most of his life in his father's shadow.

A 2015 New York Times article said his rise came as a surprise "because his three older brothers had their own merits and were considered frontrunners for top government positions."

The Crown Prince received a Bachelor of Laws from King Saud University in Riyadh and assisted his father in various endeavors as an adviser.

According to the New York Times, Mohammed enjoys water sports, including water skiing, as well as the iPhone and other Apple products. The article also notes that his favorite country is Japan, and that he spent his honeymoon there.

Despite some lack of experience, he reportedly always planned for a government career. A person familiar with the royal family told the New York Times that Prince Mohammed never smoked, drank alcohol or was seen on nights out.

However, this does not mean that he cannot give in to the impulse. It is known that while vacationing in France, the Crown Prince saw the Serene yacht and immediately bought it for about half a billion euros - the former owner, Russian vodka magnate Yuri Shefler, packed up the same day.

Mohammed first made the news in January 2015 when he took over as defense minister following the death of King Abdullah, a position previously held by his father, now ascended to the throne.

At this moment he was 29 years old, but now, at 32 years old, he is still the youngest Minister of Defense.

In this capacity, he supports the ongoing war Saudi Arabia is waging against the Hathi rebels in Yemen.

In addition, it was reported that he was the one who moved the Gulf countries to a united boycott of Qatar.

In addition, the prince appears to have played a large role in the resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri this weekend while the latter was in Saudi Arabia.

Each of these steps can be seen as part of a campaign to increase pressure on Iran, which remains Saudi Arabia's main regional rival.

Along with his role as defense minister, Mohammed also gained control of the kingdom's state oil company, Saudi Aramco.

In 2016, he announced a long-term economic plan, Vision 2030, which aims to reduce the country's economic dependence on oil revenues.

Most recently, in October, he announced a $500 billion, 100% renewable energy-powered city called Neom.

Recently, the crown prince also tried to influence the religious side of his subjects' lives, calling on them to return to a "more moderate Islam."

In addition, he had a hand in the law passed earlier this year allowing women to drive.

Expanding his influence, Mohammed began to gradually push aside some of the country's major political figures.

Until June 2017, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef was Crown Prince and Minister of the Interior, but this post was taken over by Mohammed bin Salman.

In addition, one of the most prominent figures arrested during the recent anti-corruption campaign was Prince Mutaib bin Abdullah, head of the Saudi National Guard.

Now that those two have been eliminated, Crown Prince Mohammed controls three parts of Saudi Arabia's security apparatus - the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Interior and the National Guard - in an unprecedented concentration of power in the country.

On the night of January 23, the King of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah, died

It was the father of the late king who created the state called Saudi Arabia in 1932. Since the 13th century, Arabia was entirely under Egypt, from 1517 to 1745 under Ottoman Empire. In 1745, the ruler of the Najd Emirate, named Saud, began to fight the Turks for the unification of the country. Emir ibn Saud united most of the country in 1926 and proclaimed himself King of the Hejaz and Najd, and in 1932 the country was named Saudi Arabia after the Saudi dynasty.

Flag and coat of arms of Saudi Arabia. On the green flag there is an Arabic inscription "“There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger” .

On November 9, 1953, the founder of the state died at the age of 72. After which his sons from the Saud dynasty began to rule the country.

It should be noted that there is a shortage of sons Abdul Aziz ibn Saud did not have, he had 45 boy children !!! Since 1953, five of his sons have been kings.

The sons became kings ibn Saud: Saud, Faisal, Khalid, Fahd.

In general, Saudi Arabia, according to area ranks 13th among the countries of the world, and in terms of population only 50th place . Because more than 60% of the country has no permanent population other than nomadic Bedouins, and even nomads do not penetrate into some desert places.

At the same time, Saudi Arabia is a very rich country due to the production and sale of oil (3rd place in the world) and gas.

Died today (January 23), King Abdullah, was born August 1, 1924, in the capital Riyadh. As already noted, he is the son of the king and founder of the state. His father ibn Saud killed one of his enemies, the Emir of the Arabian Peninsula Saud Rashidi and his wife Fahd brought her to his palace and made her one of his many wives, and from her the king was born Abdullah. The king had 2 maternal sisters and 44 paternal blood brothers.

Abdullah received his first high position at the age of over 30, then he became mayor of the holy city Mecca . At the age of 38, his brother, King Faisal, appointed Abdullah Commander of the National Guard. At 51, Abdullah's other brother, King Khalid, makes him the country's second deputy prime minister. Another brother, Fahd, who ascended the royal throne, made Abdullah his heir and first deputy prime minister. Since 1982 (from the age of 58), Abdullah has been crown prince And held the title of heir for 23 years.

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August 3, 2005 , the coronation of King Abdullah took place, the new the king was 81 years old at that time!

Saudi Arabia has an absolute monarchy. The king, he is both the ruler of the country and the head of the government, he appoints all ministers and officials, he is also the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces, he also appoints four governors in the province, he is also the highest Judge of the State . No one has the right to even say a word against the king and his laws under pain of death.

The king himself appoints his heir. It should be noted that in Saudi Arabia, the life expectancy of men and women is equal, 66 years, but King Abdullah turned out to be a long-liver, he lived for 91 years, of which 10 recent years was a king. Therefore, it is not surprising that he outlived his two younger brothers, the crown princes, who died before receiving the throne.

In 2011, an 83-year-old prince named Sultan, and in 2012 the prince Naif, who was also the Minister of Internal Affairs under Abdullah.

Maybe this is for the best, because the crown princes, especially Naif, did not particularly agree with their brother-king and wanted to drag the country into the distant past with a tough disposition.

During his 10-year reign over the country, King Abdullah went down in history as Arab reformer. The first thing he did was to prohibit all of his blood close relatives from using the state treasury, and he had quite a few of them, not a few, about 7,000 people! and they are all princes and princesses holding high government positions. The king also issued a decree that now, when meeting him, he does not need to kiss his hand, as was the case before 2005, but must be greeted in a modern way, with a handshake!

For the first time, King Abdullah allocates money to the country's budget for state scholarships for students who will go to study abroad. 70,000 Arab students immediately took advantage of this.

Slavery in Saudi Arabia was abolished in 1962, but now King Abdullah has decided to make things easier for Arab women in the country. He allows women to drive and even a plane, allows girls to study at the University of the country in the same classroom with boys and even appoints a woman as the rector of the University. In addition, women began to have the right to participate in municipal elections and be elected to leadership positions. The woman took the post of Deputy Minister of Education for Girls' Affairs.

In 2011, King Abdullah founded $37 billion new social spending program , including new unemployment benefits, education and housing subsidies, debt relief, and a new sports channel. He also promised to spend a total of $400 billion by the end of 2014 to improve the kingdom's education, health and infrastructure.

And a completely invisible thing, to Arol Abdullah, became the first ruler of Saudi Arabia to came to the Vatican to meet with the Pope to talk about cooperation with the Christian world!

It should be taken into account that King Abdullah professes Wahhabi Islam and is the Custodian of the two Islamic holy sites, Mecca and Medina . This is a very holy, if not the holiest, spiritual duty in the Islamic world.

The king, of course, was a very religious man; they spoke of him as a gentler ruler, a very energetic and serious person. However, in the American magazine he was called one of the most brutal dictators of our time, ranking 4th among the dictators of our time, after the leaders North Korea, Sudan and Manyama.

Saudi Arabia is one of the few countries in the world that maintains public executions. And in the square in the middle of Riyadh, people are executed. The fact that a woman cannot go anywhere without a man’s accompaniment... If a single woman or a woman with small children meets on the streets of Saudi Arabia, then she falls under the article of a prostitute and the Arabs can immediately kill her.

The king had a capricious character, but he loved women very much. The king got married and divorced 30 times!!! Yes, he had several wives at once, but never more than four of them at once, because the Koran forbids having more wives. They say that there were very few divorces; more often than not, his wives died. Among the king's wives there were Syrians, Moroccans and Palestinians. Abdullah was a father of many children - 15 sons and 20 daughters .

And the youngest son Badr born when his father the king was already 79 years old!!!

Moreover, all the king’s children are well-off people and occupy large government positions.
His second son is Prince Mutaib is the commander of the National Guard.
Another son, prince Mishaal, has been the governor of Makkah Province since 2013.
Prince Khaled al-Faisal, holds the post of Minister of Education. His son is the prince Abdul Aziz has been Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2011.
Another son, prince Faisal, is the head Red Crescent Saudi Arabia.
His eldest son, Prince Khaled was deputy commander of the Saudi Arabian National Guard until 1992.
His daughter is a princess Adilya married to Faisal bin Abdullah, who was appointed Minister of Education in 2009. She is one of the few Saudi princesses who is a prominent advocate for women's rights in government..
His other daughter, princess Aliya, is the chair of the social service program.
His youngest daughter, princess Sahab, born in 1993 and married fifth son of the King of Bahrain Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in 2011.

The king himself was also not a poor man, only in 2013 his personal fortune amounted to 18 billion US dollars!!!

His wealth and the wealth of the country of Saudi Arabia are clearly demonstrated by these photographs of the king’s plane taken inside the royal airliner.

Well, from the topic of the personal royal plane, let's move on to the public metro in Riyadh, in my opinion it is no worse!

King Abdullah personally financed with his own money the construction of a metro station in the capital Riyadh made of gold!!! ABOUTthe total area of ​​the station will be over 20 thousand sq. meters, and it will be located in one of the fashionable areas of the capital of Saudi Arabia. It will be located on a new metro line, which will be built in the coming years. The station will be made of marble with inserts of gold plates that will serve as its ornament.

Well, if we talk about the capital city Riyadh, or city Jeddah - that's quite modern cities with developed urban infrastructure. You will hardly see pedestrians on the street, because there people travel only by car. Modern hotels are equipped with everything and everything. Another thing is that a whole series of rules provided for by the Koran and Sharia are strictly observed.

Saudi Arabia has always been considered a breeding ground for global Islamic terrorism. This is where Osama bin Laden came from. 14 of the 19 terrorists who attacked New York on September 11, 2001 were also from Saudi Arabia. However King Abdullah openly promoted himself as a fighter against Islamic terrorism. The king emphasized that he, as the custodian of two Islamic shrines, confirms that terrorism is contrary to the Koran.He proposed creating a global anti-terrorist center in Saudi Arabia, in particular in Riyadh.. He was ready to finance it, ready to train special people to fight terrorism.Moreover, he caught and eliminated several leaders of such Islamist organizations in Saudi Arabia. King Abdullah also fought against drugs; for finding them, a person immediately faced the death penalty.

In general, the USSR became the first country to recognize the independence of Saudi Arabia. At one time, from Stalin to Gorbachev, relations were spoiled and Saudi Arabia came under the influence of the United States, but now relations have been established, but relations with the United States have worsened, the current deceased king removed American military bases from the territory of his country.

Saudi Arabia has the greatest influence on the Arab world and the king, who died today, has repeatedly spoken out in favor of improving relations with Israel.

In May 2013, King Abdullah was already at death's door. The 88-year-old king's kidneys and lungs failed, he was connected to artificial respiration, he experienced clinical death, but came out of this state and returned to leading the country.

December 31, 2014, the king was hospitalized with pneumonia. The disease worsened on January 20, 2015. On the night of January 23, the king’s heart stopped beating and on the same day, guided
According to Islamic traditions (to bury the day of death before sunset), the king was buried.

King Abdullah has many orders and highest awards of states Saudi Arabia, Argentina, England, South Africa, Austria, Kazakhstan, Poland, Pakistan, Turkey, Spain, Italy, Brazil and Lebanon.
In Saudi Arabia, during his lifetime, a university was named after him.. The king was a lover of camel racing and organized his own equestrian club in the country.

On January 23, 2015, the oldest sitting monarch in the world at that time, the King of Saudi Arabia, who had reigned since 2005, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, died of a pulmonary infection in Riyadh.

The king's approximate age was 91 years old, he had three dozen wives and more than forty children.

United State

The very name of this largest state comes from the ruling dynasty in the country. The ancestors of the Saudis have been known since the 15th century, and from the mid-18th they began the struggle to create a unified state. In this struggle they relied on various currents of Islam, including Wahhabism. To achieve victory, the Saudis entered into agreements with foreign countries, including Great Britain and the United States, as was already the case in the 20th century.

Before Saudi Arabia acquired its current state and political structure, there were two unsuccessful attempts to form a kingdom of the Saudis: in 1744 under the leadership of Mohammad ibn Saud and in 1818, when Turki ibn Adallah ibn Muhammad ibn Saud became the ruler of the Arabian lands, and later his son Faisal. But by the end of the 19th century, the Saudis were expelled from Riyadh to Kuwait by representatives of another powerful family - the Rashidi.

Founder of the royal dynasty

At the beginning of the new twentieth century, among the Saudis who wanted to create a unified Arabian state under their rule, a young man appeared who was attracted to weapons and military science more than to religious treatises or the subtleties of Eastern philosophy. His name was Abdul-Aziz ibn Abdu-Rahman ibn Faisal Al Saud or simply Ibn Saud - the first king of Saudi Arabia.

Starting with one of the provinces - Najd - relying on the teachings of “pure” Islam, making the basis of his army the Bedouins, whom he taught to settle down, at the right time relying on English support, using the technical and scientific achievements of the new century - radio, cars, aviation, telephone communication - Abdul Aziz in 1932 became the head of the powerful Islamic state he founded. Since then, Saudi Arabia has been led by successive representatives of one family: Ibn Saud and his six sons.

Center for the Islamic World

Among the magnificent epithets that are awarded to the autocratic ruler of the Saudi kingdom, there is one of the most significant titles in the Muslim world - “Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.” The King of Saudi Arabia owns two main cities for devout Muslims - Mecca and Medina, in which the main shrines of Islam are located.

It is towards Mecca that Muslims turn their gaze during daily prayers. In the center of Mecca is the Main, Sanctuary, Great Mosque- Al-Haram, in the courtyard of which the Kaaba is located - the “sacred house” - a cubic building with a Black Stone built into one of its corners, which was sent by Allah to the Prophet Adam, and which was touched by the Prophet Mohammed. These shrines are the main goal to which the pilgrim performing the Hajj strives.

Medina is the city where the second most important mosque for Muslims is located - Masjid an-Nabawi - the Prophet's Mosque, under the green dome of which is the burial place of Mohammed.

The King of Saudi Arabia, among other things, is the person who is responsible for the safety of Muslim shrines, for the life and safety of the huge masses of people - those who perform the Hajj.

Son of the Eighth Wife

The founder of Saudi Arabia, Abdul Aziz ibn Saud, was a true eastern ruler: numerous wives, of which there were several dozen, gave birth to 45 sons-heirs. Ibn Saud's eighth wife was Fahda bint Aziz Ashura, whom he took as his wife after her first husband, Abdel Aziz's worst enemy, the ruler of one of the Arabian emirates named Saud Rashidi, was killed by the Saudis. It was she who gave birth to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, who died in January 2015 and left a noticeable mark on the history of the monarchy.

When in 1982 Abdullah was to be declared crown prince by right of seniority, his half-brother Fahd, who ascended the throne, thought for a long time: all the Al-Sauds who ascended the throne were born of one, beloved wife of Ibn Saud - Khusa from the Sudeiri clan. Nevertheless, Abdullah, whose mother belongs to a different family - Shamar - became king, and he became the de facto ruler long before the official coronation (2005): he became prime minister in 1995, when Fahd retired, becoming disabled after a stroke.

If I were a Sultan...

Life at all levels looks unusual for a European. It is difficult to imagine the leader of a European country who would be married 30 times, like King Abdullah.

Saudi Arabia is a country where a man cannot have more than 4 wives living in his house; this is how the family life of the Saudi king was organized. Abdullah is a father of many children; in total, he had about four dozen children, of which 15 were sons.

Abdallah spent his childhood among the Bedouins, which influenced the monarch’s hobbies - until recently he spent a lot of time in Morocco, where he practiced falconry, and his stable of racehorses was known throughout the world.

The basis of well-being

Anyone who today sees the capital of SA - Riyadh - or even photos showing the inside of the plane of the King of Saudi Arabia, will find it difficult to imagine that at the time of its formation in 1932, Saudi Arabia was one of the poorest countries in the world. At the end of the 1930s, enormous oil and gas reserves were discovered on the Arabian Peninsula. The development and development of fields was given to American oil companies, which at first took most of the profits for themselves. Gradually, control over oil production passed to the state, that is, petrodollars became the basis of the wealth of the Saudi kingdom.

The Saudis play a major role in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which controls about two-thirds of the world's oil reserves. The influence of the Saudi monarchs on the formation of prices for hydrocarbons determines their importance in world politics. It changed throughout the 20th century, but steadily increased.

King - reformer

It is impossible to imagine the possibility of sudden changes in the foreign policy and internal structure of a country where an autocratic monarch is in power, where you can pay with your head for criticizing government decisions, where there is no legislative body: laws are royal decrees. All the more curious is the glory of the king-reformer that King Abdullah was awarded. Under him, Saudi Arabia experienced some relaxation - both in the strictness of Eastern etiquette and in the harsh attitude towards women traditional for Islam.

One of the first decrees of the 6th King of the Saudis abolished the ceremony of kissing the royal hand, replacing it with a more democratic handshake. The most important decision for Abdullah was to prohibit members of the royal family from using state funds for personal needs.

A real revolution was the establishment of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology near the city of Jeddah, where co-education of girls and boys was allowed. No less sensational was the appointment of a woman to a government post: Nora bint (bint is an analogy of the male bin - “son”) Abdullah bin Musaid Al-Faiz became deputy minister for girls’ affairs. The admission of women to some activities has made the image of the Saudi king even more attractive to supporters of democratic reforms. The allocation of significant funds for studying abroad has made SA even more open to the world.

King Abdullah's daughter, Princess Adilla, became the face of the conservative system of government. The wife of the Minister of Education, a beautiful, confident woman, is perceived by many as a symbol of renewal, although there is no talk of a radical revision of the female role in Islam.

Traditions are unshakable

Still, the main thing for the ruling family in the kingdom is the sanctity and immutability of traditions based on compliance with Sharia norms.

Women for "inappropriate behavior" or frivolity in dress, cutting off a hand for theft, severe punishment for fortune telling as "witchcraft", etc. are common practices in the life of Saudi society.

Such traditions include the ostentatious luxury surrounding the Saudi royal throne. The personal plane of the King of Saudi Arabia is, from a technical point of view, the most reliable aircraft the end of the 20th century, but in terms of interior decoration it looks like the fairy-tale palace of the Sultan from the tales of the Arabian Nights.

And this applies to the numerous villas, yachts and cars owned by the royal family.

One of the wealthiest monarchs

It is almost impossible to accurately calculate the personal wealth of the monarch, especially in a country as closed to foreigners as Saudi Arabia. Figures are quoted from $30 to $65 billion. In any case, this is not a poor man, even if you take into account the number of members of the royal family. There is someone there to spend petrodollars - the wives of the king of Saudi Arabia form an impressive harem, although formally the Koran forbids having more than four. We have to actively use the institution of divorce, which in the East is devoid of unnecessary formalism.

Family matters

Today's world is a continuous process of information exchange, conducted at various levels. At the end of 2013, an interview appeared in British newspapers with the daughter of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, Princess Sahara. It alleged that she and her three sisters had been under house arrest for 13 years by their father.

Newspapers and news portals published stories about the morals of the royal harems. Sahara’s mother was also involved in them - ex-wife King of Saudi Arabia. A photo of Al-Anud Daham Al-Bakhit Al-Faiz, who at the age of 15 became Abdullah's wife, and ten years later was deprived of her daughters and expelled after a divorce, added drama.

This scandal brought special attention to the problem of discrimination against women in the Muslim world. Articles about the terrible inequality between men and women in Saudi society have flooded the print and electronic media. Particularly popular were photographs of the King of Saudi Arabia's plane, a symbol of the medieval style of government based on unbridled luxury.

But it turned out that not everything is so simple, the world is still multifaceted. Another wave rose. Activists of Islamic organizations, including many women, with no less passion accused journalists and politicians of trying to impose their morality on a society that they do not deign to be self-sufficient. The protest against the aggressive imposition of Western views on the lifestyle seemed just as sincere and justified.

The king is dead, long live the king

Today, on the throne in Riyadh, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is the seventh king of Saudi Arabia. The photographs of the new ruler differ little in the eyes of a European from those taken during the life of King Abdullah.

The history of the Saudi state continues.