Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (1942 5 May 2007) was a Saudi Arabian politician and businessman who served successively as the governor of the Tabuk, Medina, and Mecca provinces between 1980 and 2007. A prominent member of the House of Saud, Abdul Majeed was seen as a close ally of King Abdullah, as well as a long-time ally of the Sudairi Seven.

Early life and education Prince Abdul Majeed was born in Riyadh in 1942 as the 33rd son of King Abdulaziz. Another report mentions his birth year as 1941. His mother was King Abdulaziz's tenth wife, Haya bint Saad Al Sudairi who died on 18 April 2003 at age 90. She was a member of the Sudairi family and the sister of Jawhara bint Saad, another spouse of King Abdulaziz. Prince Abdul Majeed's full brothers were Prince Badr and Prince Abdul Ilah.

Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz received his early education in Riyadh in traditional schools, including the Sheikh Abdullah Al Khayyat and the Al Anjal School. He joined the Royal Saudi Navy in 1954 and then studied in the United Kingdom.

Career Abdul Majeed served as governor of Tabuk Province, Medina Province, and Mecca Province. Agriculture was developed in the province during his governorship, and the region became one of the kingdom's main producers of crops such as wheat and fruit. His tenure lasted for six years until 1986.

After the death of Prince Abdul Muhsin in 1986, Prince Abdul Majeed replaced him as governor of Medina Province. The Prophet's Mosque in Medina and surrounding areas were redeveloped during his 14-year term of office. His tenure lasted until 1999 when he was succeeded by Prince Muqrin in the post.

In 2000 Prince Abdul Majeed was appointed governor of Mecca province and chairman of the Mecca development authority. He was also chief of the central hajj committee. In 2000 Mecca became the provincial capital of the region including Jeddah. An ambitious program of development was undertaken in Mecca under his stewardship at a cost of more than US$27 billion. The developments were centred on the Two Holy Mosques, the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and the Masjid-e-Nabawi in Medina, the key destinations of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, attracting millions of visitors each year. Huge commercial developments sprouted in surrounding areas, such as the Jebel Omar scheme, including hotels, convention and conference centres, and prayer facilities. Architectural historians criticised the accompanying destruction of historic sites. On the other hand, communication links were improved, including port facilities in Jeddah, airports, and roads. In addition, Abdul Majeed initiated the restoration and development plans of old city of Jeddah. The Khadeeja bint Khuwailed Centre for Businesswomen was established in Jeddah in 2003 by the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry under his patronage.

Abdul Majeed also called for greater participation of women in public life. "Prince Abdul Majeed has been a major supporter of Saudi businesswomen," said Hussa Al Aun, a member of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI). He also supported the launch of an anti-terror initiative in the province's schools in December 2006.

Abdul Majeed also had business activities. While he was governor of Tabuk, he founded the Tabuk Agricultural Development company which produced wheat in the region. He also established the Taiba Investment Corporation in Medina. He was also considered as an eligible contender following the death of King Fahd in August 2005.

Personal life One of Prince Abdul Majeed's wives was Al Jawhara bint Abdullah bin Saad Al Sudairi. He also married Sara bint Abdul Mohsen Al Angari and had one son, Faisal bin Abdul Majeed.

His wife, Sara bint Abdul Mohsen, donated 1 million riyals to a psychiatric hospital in Mecca during his governorship of Mecca Province. During the same period, she paid the hospital expenses of a woman who experienced serious domestic violence by her husband in 2001.

Abdul Majeed's daughter, Jamila, is the first Saudi woman to participate in a camel race.

Death and legacy Prince Abdul Majeed suffered from leukaemia and had undergone surgery in the U.S. and then had travelled back to Saudi Arabia. However, he was flown back to the U.S. when his condition worsened. He died in Seattle on 5 May 2007 at age 65. His body was taken from the U.S. to Riyadh on 6 May 2007.

Legacy Prince Abdul Majeed bin Abdul Aziz Domestic Airport in Medina was named after Prince Abdul Majeed.

Ancestry