Abdulaziz bin Fahd Al Saud facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Abdulaziz bin Fahd Al Saud |
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| Born | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | ||||
| Spouse | Al Anoud bint Faisal bin Mishaal Al Saud | ||||
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| House | Al Saud | ||||
| Father | King Fahd | ||||
| Mother | Al Jawhara Al Ibrahim | ||||
| Alma mater | King Saud University | ||||
Abdulaziz bin Fahd Al Saud is a Saudi prince. He is a son of the former King Fahd and a grandson of Saudi Arabia's founder, King Abdulaziz. His full name in Arabic is Arabic: عبد العزيز بن فهد آل سعود.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Prince Abdulaziz's mother is Al Jawhara bint Ibrahim Al Ibrahim. Her family, the Al Ibrahim family, is known for being very wealthy.
He studied at King Saud University. There, he earned a bachelor's degree in administrative sciences. This means he learned about how to manage organizations and businesses.
Public Service and Career
Prince Abdulaziz started his career in government in May 1998. He was appointed as a minister of state without a specific department. This role meant he was a high-ranking official in the government.
In January 2000, when he was 28 years old, he became the head of the Office of the Council of Ministers. This office helps manage the meetings and decisions of the government's main council.
After his father, King Fahd, passed away, it was reported that Prince Abdulaziz spent time living in Switzerland. He would return to Saudi Arabia to attend important government meetings.
On June 26, 2011, a royal decree announced that he was no longer the head of the court of Cabinet affairs. It was stated that he chose to resign from his positions as minister of State and a member of the Council of Ministers in June 2011.
Business Ventures
Prince Abdulaziz had connections with a company called Saudi Oger. This company was started by Rafik Hariri, who was also a former prime minister of Lebanon. Saudi Oger grew into a large company with help from King Fahd.
After Rafik Hariri passed away in 2005, his son, Saad Hariri, took over Saudi Oger. Saad Hariri also became Lebanon’s prime minister for a time. Prince Abdulaziz and Saad Hariri are known to be good friends.
Prince Abdulaziz owned half of the MBC. This is a major media company in the Middle East. The other half is owned by his uncle, Waleed bin Ibrahim al Ibrahim. Prince Abdulaziz was involved in both the business side and the content of MBC Channels, including al Arabiya news channel.
It was also revealed in a court document in New York that he was the secret owner of many properties in the United States. These properties were worth a lot of money, about $1 billion. They included the American headquarters of big companies like the oil giant BP and the defense company BAE Systems.
Some of these properties were managed by a group that included his uncle, Sheikh Majid Al Ibrahim. Later, control of these properties was taken over by other companies based in Manhattan, New York.
In 2007, a company bought an office complex in Minneapolis for Prince Abdulaziz. This complex was called Fifth Street Towers. However, in 2012, the complex was sold at an auction because of unpaid mortgage debt.
In July 2013, The Times newspaper reported that Prince Abdulaziz was offering to sell his large house in London. This mansion is located on Kensington Palace Gardens, an area sometimes called "Billionaires' Row." He was asking for £100 million for it.
Important Connections
Prince Abdulaziz was once a close helper to King Abdullah. However, it seemed they later had a disagreement. After that, Prince Abdulaziz was thought to be close to his uncle, the late Crown Prince Nayef.
Wealth and Properties
Prince Abdulaziz received half of all the profits from the successful Middle East Broadcasting Corporation (MBC). He also owns many palaces and large properties around the world. These properties are worth over $2 billion. Some of them include:
- A mansion in London on "Billionaire's Row" in Kensington. This property was put up for sale for £100 million.
- A very large private home complex in Riyadh. It has a copy of the famous Alhambra palace and other forts. It is surrounded by beautiful gardens covering 134 acres. 24°38′45″N 46°38′36″E / 24.645808°N 46.643202°E
- A huge farm near Janadriya, covering 715 acres. This is about 2.89 square kilometers on the northern edge of Riyadh. Satellite pictures show large swimming pools, fancy tents, and its own water treatment system. All of this is set within a big date palm farm.25°08′18″N 46°47′33″E / 25.138224°N 46.79251°E
- Several palaces in Jeddah. Each palace has its own private docks for yachts and more than twenty guest houses.
He also reportedly owned a unique home called "the Pyramid House" in Beverly Hills, California.
Personal Life
Prince Abdulaziz bin Fahd married Al Anoud bint Faisal Al Saud in December 2010. His wife is a granddaughter of two important figures: the late Sultan bin Abdulaziz and Mishaal bin Abdulaziz.
He has been involved in camel racing in Saudi Arabia. His camels won a race at the Janadriyah festival in 2011.
The Prince owns several private airplanes for his travels. These include a Boeing 777, a Boeing 737 Business Jet, and a Canadair Challenger.
Recent Events
In 2017, there was a period of arrests in Saudi Arabia. Before this, Prince Abdulaziz was involved in the return of Sultan bin Turki II bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
The current situation of Prince Abdulaziz bin Fahd is not fully clear. There were rumors that he had passed away, but the Saudi information ministry stated that he was "alive and well." In November 2018, Prince Nawaf bin Faisal shared a video that seemed to show Abdulaziz bin Fahd was still alive.
