Salman of Saudi Arabia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Salman
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
King Salman in 2020
King of Saudi Arabia
Reign	23 January 2015 – present
Coronation	23 January 2015
Predecessor	Abdullah
Successor	See list Muqrin bin Abdulaziz Muhammad bin Nayef Mohammed bin Salman
Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia
In office 23 January 2015 – 27 September 2022
Preceded by	King Abdullah
Succeeded by	Mohammed bin Salman
Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Deputy Prime Minister
In office 18 June 2012 – 23 January 2015
Monarch	Abdullah
Preceded by	Nayef bin Abdulaziz
Succeeded by	Muqrin bin Abdulaziz
Minister of Defense
In office 5 November 2011 – 23 January 2015
Preceded by	Sultan bin Abdulaziz
Succeeded by	Mohammed bin Salman
Governor of Riyadh Province
In office 5 February 1963 – 5 November 2011
Appointed by	King Saud
Preceded by	Badr bin Saud
Succeeded by	Sattam bin Abdulaziz
In office 18 April 1955 – 22 September 1960
Appointed by	King Saud
Preceded by	Nayef bin Abdulaziz
Succeeded by	Fawwaz bin Abdulaziz
Deputy Governor of Riyadh Province
In office 16 March 1954 – 18 April 1955
Appointed by	King Saud
Preceded by	Nayef bin Abdulaziz
Succeeded by	Turki II bin Abdulaziz
Born	(1935-12-31) 31 December 1935 (age 90) Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Spouse	Sultana bint Turki Al Sudairi ​ ​ (m. 1954; died 2011)​ Sarah bint Faisal Al Subai'ai ​ (divorced)​ Fahda bint Falah Al Hithlain ​ (m. 1984)​
Issue	List Prince Fahd Prince Sultan Prince Ahmed Prince Abdulaziz Prince Faisal Princess Hassa Crown Prince Mohammed Prince Saud Prince Turki Prince Khalid Prince Nayef Prince Bandar Prince Rakan
House	Al Saud
Father	Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia
Mother	Hussa bint Ahmed Al Sudairi
Religion	Sunni Islam
Signature

Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is the King of Saudi Arabia. He began his royal rule in early 2015. He belongs to the royal family known as the House of Saud. His father was King Abdulaziz, who created the modern kingdom. Salman is the first leader of his country born after the unification of Saudi Arabia. He is also the third-oldest living head of state in the entire world.

Before taking the throne, Salman served for almost fifty years as leader of Riyadh. In this role, he helped turn a modest desert town into a huge world metropolis. Later, he served as the national Minister of Defense. He became the next in line to rule when he was named crown prince in 2012.

King Salman took over royal duties after his half-brother, King Abdullah, passed away. During his years on the throne, he introduced big projects like Saudi Vision 2030. This economic program aims to create new jobs and prepare the nation for the future. Today, his son Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman helps run daily government duties as prime minister.

Early life and education of King Salman

Salman pictured during his youth

Salman was born on 31 December 1935 in the city of Riyadh. He was the 25th son born to the royal founder, King Abdulaziz. His mother was named Hussa bint Ahmed Al Sudairi. Together, Salman and his six full brothers became famously known as the Sudairi Seven.

As a young boy, Salman grew up inside the grand Murabba Palace. His father built this palace complex outside old Riyadh to house his large family. Salman attended the Princes' School along with his royal brothers. King Abdulaziz created this special school specifically so his sons would receive top training.

At school, Salman studied many core subjects, including the Arabic language, history, and Sunni Islam. He learned traditional religious laws and memorized the Holy Quran under well-known teachers. These early lessons gave him deep respect for Islamic traditions and Arab history. His lessons also prepared him for long decades of royal leadership.

Leadership of the capital region of Riyadh

Salman started working in government when he was still a teenager. In March 1954, at only 18 years old, he was made deputy governor of Riyadh Province. He served in that early role for about a year. Then, in February 1963, King Saud made him the governor of the capital province.

Salman served as governor of Riyadh for forty-eight years, until November 2011. During these five decades, Riyadh grew from a modest desert town into a modern global metropolis. Millions of people moved to the capital, and new roads, hospitals, and parks were built. Salman worked hard to attract trade, investments, and visitors from foreign nations.

To make the capital strong, Salman recruited smart professors and experts from King Saud University. He helped build public schools, modern universities, and large sports stadiums for athletic events. He balanced the needs of local tribes, religious scholars, and fellow members of the House of Saud. In this way, he kept peace and steady growth across the whole region.

Salman loved the province very much. He once noted that every village and town in the region held a warm place in his heart. While working as governor, he supported science and culture by running the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives. He also helped found the Prince Salman Center for Disability Research to help people with physical challenges.

Governor Salman traveled to many foreign countries to build strong friendships for his homeland. In 1974, he visited neighboring nations like Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar. In 1991, he traveled all the way to Montreal, Canada, where he opened a special art gallery. In 1996, French leader Jacques Chirac welcomed Salman at the Élysée Palace in Paris.

During that same year, he traveled to Bosnia and Herzegovina to deliver humanitarian gifts to people in need. In 1998, he took a long journey across Asia, stopping in Pakistan, Japan, Brunei, and China. Back at home, Riyadh became a major center of banking, international business, and transport across the entire Middle East.

Steps toward the royal throne

Service as Minister of Defense

In November 2011, Salman was appointed as the nation's Minister of Defense. He took over the important role after his brother, Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, passed away. Salman was also chosen to join the National Security Council (NSC). His trusted colleague Sattam bin Abdulaziz replaced him as governor of Riyadh.

Salman was selected for high posts because he was known as a calm and skilled diplomat. Years earlier, in 2000, he led a family council meant to solve disputes inside the royal family. He belonged to a middle generation of princes, so both older leaders and younger royals respected him. His long years as governor also gave him many international friendships.

While leading the defense ministry, Salman worked closely with major allies around the world. In April 2012, he traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet American President Barack Obama. He also visited London to hold talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron. Under his watch, the kingdom increased defense spending to protect its borders and oil facilities.

Becoming the Crown Prince

On 18 June 2012, Salman was named Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. This change happened after the death of his older brother, Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz. Along with this role, Salman became the deputy prime minister of the kingdom. Observers noticed that he focused strongly on economic growth and building jobs for citizens.

In August 2012, the royal government announced that Salman was managing state affairs while the king traveled abroad. Salman embraced modern communication and even set up a public Twitter account in 2013. He used his time in office to send aid to developing countries, including Somalia, Sudan, and Afghanistan.

Major events during the reign of King Salman

Accession to the throne

King Salman walking with Barack Obama in 2015

King Salman attending the 2015 G20 Summit

On 23 January 2015, Crown Prince Salman inherited the royal throne at 79 years old. His half-brother, King Abdullah, had passed away after getting sick with pneumonia. Salman took the ancient title of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, which refers to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

King Salman appointed his half-brother Muqrin bin Abdulaziz as the new crown prince. A few days later, the new king made big changes across the national cabinet. He chose Khalid bin Ali bin Abdullah al-Humaidan to direct the intelligence service. He kept Ali al-Naimi as head of the energy ministry.

He also kept trusted diplomats like Saud al-Faisal in the foreign office and Ibrahim Al-Assaf at the finance ministry. To celebrate the start of his reign, Salman gave two months of bonus pay to all civil servants and soldiers. Soon after taking power, he welcomed international royalty, including Prince Charles from the United Kingdom.

Modernizing government operations

King Salman and his advisers quickly began reorganizing how the government functioned. Before 2015, there were eleven separate government boards that made decisions slowly. The king replaced them with just two main groups to speed up planning and reduce waste.

The first group was the Council of Political and Security Affairs, led by Prince Muhammad bin Nayef. The second group was the Council for Economic and Development Affairs. This economic council was led by the king's son, Mohammed bin Salman, who worked from the Royal court. This new structure helped the kingdom launch major new projects much faster than before.

Regional defense and security

King Salman meeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

In March 2015, King Salman ordered a military operation in neighboring Yemen. The military mission was called Operation Decisive Storm. Salman formed a team of ten Sunni nations to protect the recognized government of Yemen against the Shia Houthis and fighters loyal to former leader Ali Abdullah Saleh.

This was the biggest combat mission for the Saudi Air Force in over twenty years. Human rights organizations, such as Human Rights Watch, monitored the conflict and called on all sides to protect innocent people. Groups like the United Nations worked hard to deliver medical care to displaced people caught near the fighting zones.

Changes in the royal line of succession

During his reign, King Salman updated the line of royal succession twice. In April 2015, he made his nephew Muhammad bin Nayef the new crown prince. He also chose his son Prince Mohammed as the deputy crown prince. This was a historic step because it placed leadership into the hands of younger princes.

Later, on 21 June 2017, King Salman selected Prince Mohammed bin Salman as the official heir to the throne. The younger prince became famous worldwide for his big economic and social reform projects. Observers often described the crown prince as a powerful driving force behind national policy. In September 2022, the king stepped down from the role of prime minister and passed the duty to Prince Mohammed.

Worldwide humanitarian aid through KSRelief

King Salman with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto

In May 2015, King Salman created the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, commonly called KSRelief. The agency works closely with global partners like UNICEF to assist people recovering from natural disasters and wars. By 2018, KSRelief had finished hundreds of relief projects in more than forty different countries.

For example, the agency provided medical checkups and care to thousands of people living in Jordan's Zaatari refugee camp. In Yemen, the organization set up training schools so women could learn valuable job skills to support their children. It also paid for artificial limbs and physical therapy for injured civilians.

KSRelief also provided millions of dollars to the United Nations to assist Syrian refugees living in Lebanon. In 2021, the center partnered with UNESCO to create online learning tools for public school teachers in Beirut. These programs provided food, water, and warm shelter to families across Sudan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Lebanon.

Legal updates and social changes

During the reign of King Salman, the kingdom made several changes to its legal rules. In 2017, the king signed a historic royal decree that allowed women to drive cars in Saudi Arabia for the first time. This change helped many women travel to work and take their children to school easily.

In April 2020, the kingdom changed its legal policies regarding young people who break the law. Under a royal decree, individuals who break laws while they are minors are sent to juvenile centers for education and rehabilitation instead of facing extreme penalties. Salman also introduced new rules to reduce the powers of the religious police on public streets.

Foreign diplomacy and international summit meetings

King Salman worked closely with leaders from across the Middle East and Western nations. In 2015, he welcomed American defense chief Ashton Carter to talk about safety and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Salman worried that lifting trade barriers on neighboring Iran might disrupt peace in the Middle East.

In May 2019, Salman hosted emergency summit meetings in the holy city of Mecca. He invited leaders from the Gulf states to build a united plan to protect oil tankers and trade ships passing through international waters. His government also looked for new diplomatic paths to protect trade routes across the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf.

Cultural developments and economic plans

In June 2018, King Salman created the national Ministry of Culture. This new department was built to support visual artists, book authors, and traditional musicians under the Saudi Vision 2030 plan. He also founded the Council of Royal Reserves to protect wildlife and desert ecosystems across the country.

Business experts, such as Ahmed al-Rajhi, were given key positions in the government to help grow private companies. The king worked to make the country less dependent on income from selling crude oil by building new tourist attractions, green energy power stations, and modern entertainment centers.

Public influence and media leadership

King Salman, American President Donald Trump, and Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in 2017

King Salman has long played an important role in keeping harmony among the thousands of princes belonging to the royal family. Because he led the family council for so long, older and younger family members turned to him to solve personal disagreements. This skill helped make the central government stable over many decades.

Salman and his relatives also built major connections across news and publishing businesses. His family acquired a large ownership stake in the Saudi Research and Marketing Group (SRMG). Through this company, they published major daily newspapers like the international Arabic paper Asharq Al-Awsat, the financial paper Al Eqtisadiah, and the English-language paper Arab News.

The king also stayed friendly with famous regional reporters and editors. These included television director Abdelrahman Al Rashid of the Al Arabiya network, as well as Othman Al Omeir, the creator of the popular digital news site Elaph. These media connections allowed Salman to share news about Saudi history, culture, and business across the Arab world.

Family and personal life

Salman taking part in a traditional cultural dance

King Salman has been married three times and is the father of a large royal family. His first wife was his relative, Sultana bint Turki Al Sudairi, who passed away in July 2011. Together, they had six children:

• Prince Fahd (1955–2001), who was an active businessman and raised racehorses.
• Prince Sultan (born 1956), who made history as the first Arab and first Muslim astronaut to travel into space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery during mission STS-51-G in 1985.
• Prince Ahmed (1958–2002), who worked in publishing and media.
• Prince Abdulaziz (born 1960), who worked in the oil industry for decades and became Minister of Energy.
• Prince Faisal (born 1970), who served for ten years as the governor of Madinah province.
• Princess Hassa (born 1974), who is the king's only daughter.

Salman later married Sarah bint Faisal Al Subai'ai, and they had one son, Prince Saud. His third wife is Fahda bint Falah Al Hithlain, from the Al Ajman tribe. They had six sons together, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, media executive Prince Turki, and current defense chief Prince Khalid.

Salman was known for being very loyal to his family members. When his brother Crown Prince Sultan was sick, Salman traveled with him to clinics in New York and Morocco to take care of him. Sultan affectionately called him "the prince of loyalty." Salman also gave fifteen million dollars to provide clean water, food, and shelters for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

In his later years, King Salman experienced health challenges. He had a back operation in 2010 and underwent successful surgery on his gallbladder in 2020. Doctors have given him therapies to support his walking, memory, and lung health. Even when resting, he continues to meet international guests and support national projects.

State awards and royal honors

King Salman has received medals, collars, and ribbons from governments all around the world:

Country	Collar	Order	Year
Bahrain		Collar of the Order of Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa	2017
Brunei		Royal Family Order of the Crown of Brunei (D.K.M.B.)	2017
Djibouti		Grand Cordon of the Order of National Star of Djibouti	2015
Egypt		Collar of the Order of the Nile	2016
Guinea		Grand Cordon of the National Order of Merit	2015
Indonesia		First Class of the Star of the Republic of Indonesia	2017
Japan		Grand Cordon of the Order of the Chrysanthemum	2017
Jordan		Collar of the Order of Al-Hussein bin Ali	2017
Kazakhstan		Grand Collar of the Order of the Golden Eagle	2022
Kuwait		Collar of the Order of Mubarak the Great	2016
Kuwait		Collar of the Order of Kuwait	2016
Malaysia		Honorary Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm	1982
Malaysia		Member of the Order of the Crown of the Realm	2017
Mexico		Collar of the Order of the Aztec Eagle	2016
Morocco		Collar of the Order of Muhammad	2016
Morocco		Grand Cordon of the Order of Ouissam Alaouite	1987
Niger		Grand Cross of the National Order of Niger	2015
Pakistan		First Class of the Nishan-e-Pakistan	2015
Oman		Grand Cordon with Collar of the Order of Al Said	2021
Palestine		Grand Collar of the State of Palestine	2015
Senegal		Grand Cordon of the National Order of Merit	1999
Sierra Leone		Collar of the Order of the Republic	2017
Spain		Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit	1974
Tunisia		Grand Cordon of the Order of the Republic	2019
Turkey		Collar of the Order of the State of Republic of Turkey	2016
Yemen		Grand Cordon of the Order of the Republic	2001
UAE		Collar of the Order of Zayed	2016
Ukraine		Collar of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise	2017

Ancestry of the King

See also

In Spanish: Salmán bin Abdulaziz para niños

• List of rulers of Saudi Arabia
• List of things named after Saudi Kings § Salman
• Succession to the Saudi Arabian throne