Nawwaf bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

Nawwaf bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (, Nawwāf bin 'Abd al 'Azīz Āl Su'ūd; 16 August 1932 – 29 September 2015) was a Saudi Arabian businessman and politician. A member of the House of Saud, he became a close ally of King Abdullah. on 16 August 1932.

He was a full brother of Prince Talal. Their full sister was Princess Madawi who died in November 2017. Their mother was an Armenian, Munaiyir, whose family escaped from the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1923, a period of turmoil in Armenia. Munaiyir was regarded by British diplomats in Saudi Arabia as one of King Abdulaziz's favourite wives. She was as known for her intelligence as for her beauty. Munaiyir died in December 1991.

During the reign of King Saud, his relations with his full-brother Prince Talal became negative, even leading to contesting their inheritances.

Education Nawwaf bin Abdulaziz received his primary Arabic and Islamic education at a special school for royal family members. There he studied geography, history, geometry and religion. He also completed undergraduate education in Islamic civilization in Saudi Arabia and his higher education in the United States.

Career Nawwaf bin Abdulaziz was the commander of the royal guard from 1952 to 1956. In May 1961 Prince Nawwaf did not accept the proposal of King Saud to name him as minister of interior. Then, he served briefly as chief of the royal court in 1961, He succeeded Prince Talal in the post. In view of his experience in various spheres, King Faisal sent him to participate in official delegations of the Kingdom at various meetings, including Arab and Islamic summits and meetings of non-aligned countries. He also led the Kingdom's delegations on behalf of King Faisal or work as his special envoy. Prince Nawwaf was thoroughly familiar with international policy and law, and was also an expert on the Middle East affairs. He did his best to unify the ranks of the Arab emirates and to integrate these emirates into one state following their partitions into seven tiny states during the colonial rule.

Prince Nawwaf was appointed director general of Saudi intelligence agency Al Mukhabarat Al A'amah following Prince Turki's resignation on 1 September 2001. His appointment did not result in significant power change in the royal family, since King Fahd's son, Saud bin Fahd, continued to serve as deputy director which he had been serving since 1985. However, through this move Crown Prince Abdullah attempted to reduce the power of Interior Minister Prince Nayef who had been the chair of a commission consisting of the heads of the organizations, including Al Mukhabarat Al A'amah. Immediately after the acceptance of his resignation, King Fahd appointed him as his special advisor. He was a special advisor to the King Abdullah at the rank of minister, At the beginning of King Faisal's reign in 1964 Prince Nawwaf became a member of the council which had been established by the king to guide the succession issues.

He contributed to the establishment of some industrial projects inside and outside the Kingdom to serve the Arab economy. His contribution to the strengthening of the Kingdom's relations with other world states is widely respected. He was one of the founders and a major shareholder of the Saudi-New Zealand Bank. He also owned some investment projects in the fields of real estate, energy and tourism. He was one of the pioneers of the solar energy industry. Realizing the importance of solar energy, he extended his support to Sydney University in Australia to enable it to conduct research and studies in this field. After the US sanctions against Iran in 2000, Prince Nawwaf said "Iran is being treated unfairly by some countries, and this is not in the interests of the Arabia Gulf or even the US." Mohammed bin Nawwaf was his eldest son who served as Saudi ambassador to the United Kingdom and Ireland between 2005 and 2018.

Illness and death In March 2002, Prince Nawwaf was admitted to the American University hospital in Beirut after suddenly suffering a stroke. He was reported to have suffered a brain haemorrhage.

Prince Nawwaf died on 29 September 2015 at the age of 83. The funeral took place at Grand Mosque in Mecca on 30 September. 50px Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit (15 February 1974).

Ancestry