Abdullah bin Faisal

Abdullah bin Faisal Al Saud ( ʿAbd Allāh bin Fayṣal Āl Suʿūd; 20 June 1923 – 8 May 2007) was a Saudi Arabian businessman, politician, and poet who held multiple posts in the Saudi government throughout the 1940s and 1950s. Prince Abdullah was the eldest son of Faisal and one of the grandsons of Saudi Arabia's founder King Abdulaziz. He served as the governor of Hejaz during the reign of Abdulaziz, and as the minister of health and interior during the reigns of his grandfather and uncle Saud. These positions made him one of the most powerful Saudi Arabian royals of his time.

Early life and education

Prince Abdullah was born in Riyadh in 1922. However, some sources list his birth year as 1921 or 1922. He was the eldest son of King Faisal. His mother was Sultana bint Ahmed Al Sudairi, sister of Hussa bint Ahmed Al Sudairi. The marriage of Prince Faisal and Sultana bint Ahmed was prearranged while Prince Faisal was travelling abroad. They never saw each other until the marriage and later divorced.

Prince Abdullah was the first minister of health of Saudi Arabia and appointed to the post in 1950. Then, he was named minister of interior in 1951, being the first interior minister of the Kingdom. He served in this post during the reign of King Abdulaziz and also, of King Saud. His appointment as minister of health and of interior was a move to make him equal in status to then-minister of defense Prince Mishaal. His term lasted until March 1959 when he resigned, and he was replaced by his father, Crown Prince Faisal, in the post of interior minister.

Business activities Following his retirement from government jobs, Abdullah bin Faisal devoted his time to business and cultural activities. First, he dealt with real estate business in Jeddah. He established Saudi Arabian Agricultural and Dairy Company which was a joint venture with Lebanese businessmen.

Abdullah bin Faisal was the founder of Al Faisaliah Group, which was established in Jeddah in 1971. He also owned the largest dairy farm in Saudi Arabia. In addition, he founded Abdullah Establishment for Trading and Industry in Jeddah in 1978 and the SIGMA (Saudi Investment Group and Marketing) company in 1979. The chairman and CEO of the latter was his son, Prince Saud.

Prince Abdullah's business partners included the sons of Rashad Pharaon, Ghaith, and Mazen.

Other positions Abdullah bin Faisal was the founder of the King Faisal International Charity Foundation. He was the chairman of the King Faisal Foundation. He was the cofounder and former chairman of Al Ahli football club. Some of them were translated into English, French and Russian. In May 1989, he was given honorary doctorate degree, doctorate of humane letters, from Shaw University.

Personal life Prince Abdullah married three times. One of his spouses was Al Jawhara bint Khalid, a daughter of Khalid bin Muhammad and a granddaughter of Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman, who was an uncle of Prince Abdullah's father King Faisal. Al Jawhara bint Khalid died at age 87 in 2005. Another spouse of Prince Abdullah was the granddaughter of Saad bin Abdul Rahman, another of King Faisal's uncles.

Prince Khalid (1941–1985) and Noura bint Bandar, a daughter of Bandar bin Mohammed and Al Bandari bint Abdulaziz. Prince Bandar (deceased) Prince Abdul Rahman, who is married to Nouf bint Faisal, a daughter of Luluwah bint Abdulaziz. Prince Saud (1946–2020) Prince Talal (deceased) Prince Sultan Prince Turki Prince Faisal Princess Sultana

Death Prince Abdullah died on 8 May 2007. Funeral prayers were performed at the Masjid al Haram in Mecca. A number of royal family members attended the funeral, including his half-brothers Prince Saud and Prince Khalid and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Sultan bin Abdulaziz. Prince Abdullah was buried in Al Adl cemetery in Mecca next to his first wife, Al Jawhara.

Ancestry