Sultan bin Abdulaziz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sultan bin Abdulaziz |
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| Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia First Deputy Prime Minister |
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| Tenure | 1 August 2005 – 22 October 2011 | ||||
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Monarch
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Prime Minister
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King Abdullah
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| Predecessor | Abdullah bin Abdulaziz | ||||
| Successor | Nayef bin Abdulaziz | ||||
| Second Deputy Prime Minister | |||||
| Tenure | 13 June 1982 – 1 August 2005 | ||||
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Monarch
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Prime Minister
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King Fahd
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| Predecessor | Abdullah bin Abdulaziz | ||||
| Successor | Nayef bin Abdulaziz | ||||
| Minister of Defense and Aviation | |||||
| Tenure | 22 October 1963 – 22 October 2011 | ||||
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Deputy
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Turki II bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Abdul Rahman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud |
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Prime Minister
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| Predecessor | Muhammed bin Saud Al Saud | ||||
| Successor | Salman of Saudi Arabia | ||||
| Governor of Riyadh Province | |||||
| Tenure | 22 February 1947 – 24 December 1953 | ||||
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Appointed by
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King Abdulaziz
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| Predecessor | Nasser bin Abdulaziz Al Saud | ||||
| Successor | Nayef bin Abdulaziz | ||||
| Born | c. 5 January 1928 Riyadh, Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd |
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| Died | 22 October 2011 (aged 83) New York City, New York, U.S. |
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| Burial | 25 October 2011 Al Oud cemetery, Riyadh |
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| Spouse | See list | ||||
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List
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| House | Al Saud | ||||
| Father | King Abdulaziz | ||||
| Mother | Hussa bint Ahmed Al Sudairi | ||||
Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (born around 1928 – died 22 October 2011) was an important leader in Saudi Arabia. People in Saudi Arabia called him Sultan the Good because he was very generous. He served as the Saudi defense minister for a long time, from 1963 to 2011. He was also the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia from 2005 until he passed away in 2011.
Contents
Early Life and Family Background
Sultan was born in Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia. He was one of the many sons of Ibn Saud, who was the first King of Saudi Arabia. His mother was Hussa bint Ahmed Al Sudairi. Sultan was part of a group of brothers known as the Sudairi Seven. This group included his brothers Fahd, Nayef, and Salman, who later became kings or important princes. Sultan and his brothers learned about religion, modern culture, and how to work with other countries from a young age.
Starting His Public Service Career
Sultan began working for the public in 1940. He first served as a helper to the governor of Riyadh, Prince Nasser. In 1947, Sultan took over from Prince Nasser and became the governor of Riyadh himself. During this time, he also helped King Abdulaziz set up a national system based on Islamic law.
In 1947, Sultan helped oversee the building of a railway line between Dammam and Riyadh by a company called Aramco. He later became the first minister of agriculture in Saudi Arabia in 1953. In 1955, he was appointed minister of transport.
Sultan had a strong connection to the military from an early age. He briefly led the Royal Guard in Riyadh in the early 1950s.
Leading the Ministry of Defense
In 1963, Crown Prince Faisal chose Prince Sultan to be the minister of defense and aviation. In this role, he was in charge of making the Saudi armed forces stronger. He helped Saudi Arabia buy modern military equipment like tanks, fighter planes, and missile systems from the United States. Saudi Arabia became a major buyer of U.S. weapons during his time.
Sultan also made a deal with a British company in 1965 to get fighter jets and missile launchers for the Royal Saudi Air Force. He was very knowledgeable about the civil war in Yemen and other conflicts in the region. In 1999, he made a historic visit to Iran, which was the first time a Saudi minister had visited since 1979.
Becoming Second Deputy Prime Minister
After King Khalid passed away in 1982, and Crown Prince Fahd became King, Prince Sultan was given the role of second deputy prime minister. This was an important position in the government.
In June 2000, Crown Prince Abdullah created a special family council for the Al Saud family. Prince Sultan was one of the members of this council. They discussed private family matters, like business activities of princes.
Becoming Crown Prince
On 1 August 2005, Sultan bin Abdulaziz was named the heir apparent, meaning he was next in line to become king. At this time, he was the oldest member of the Sudairi Seven group of brothers after King Fahd's death.
Other Important Roles
Prince Sultan held several other important positions. He was the inspector general of Saudi Arabia. He also led the board of Saudi Arabian Airlines, the country's national airline. As chairman, he made a rule to ban smoking inside all Saudi airports.
In 1986, he started the Saudi National Commission for Wildlife Conservation, which works to protect animals and nature. He also chaired the Higher Council for Islamic Affairs, which helps Muslim communities around the world.
Supporting Science and Education
Prince Sultan was very interested in supporting science and education.
- He created and supported the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water. This is an international award given every two years for scientific research related to water.
- He also supported the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Chair for Environmental Engineering at King Fahd University for Petroleum and Minerals. This was the first special research chair at the university.
- He made an agreement with Oxford University in the UK to help Saudi students study there for different degrees in human sciences.
Charitable Work and "Sultan the Good"
Prince Sultan was known as "Sultan the Good" because he was very generous. He helped many people, especially those in need and people with disabilities.
In 1995, he set up and funded the Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Foundation. This foundation provides humanitarian aid and medical services to people who cannot afford them. He even donated most of his personal belongings to this foundation.
The foundation has several centers, including:
- Sultan bin Abdulaziz Humanitarian City
- Sultan bin Abdulaziz Science and Technology Center
- Charity housing projects
- Special education programs at universities in Bahrain
- A center for speech and hearing in Bahrain
- A center for Islamic studies at Bologna University in Italy
- A program for Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley in the U.S.
He also had a private committee that organized relief efforts, medical help, and built schools, libraries, mosques, and hospitals. This committee also helped fight diseases like Malaria.
Prince Sultan also opened and supported Prince Sultan University in Riyadh. It was named after him and was the first private, non-profit university in Saudi Arabia. In 2007, he received the Medal of Human Honor for all his good works.
Family Life
Prince Sultan had many children. Some of his sons have also become important figures in Saudi Arabia:
- Khalid bin Sultan served as deputy minister of defense.
- Bandar bin Sultan was a former ambassador to the United States and head of the national security council.
- Fahd bin Sultan is the governor of Tabuk Province.
- Salman bin Sultan was also a deputy defense minister.
He had fifteen daughters, and one of them, Reema, is married to Muhammad bin Nayef, who was a former Crown Prince.
Wives
Prince Sultan had many wives throughout his life. Some of them included:
- Khiziran
- Munira bint Abdulaziz bin Musaed bin Jalawi
- Huda bint Abdullah Al Sheikh
- Areej bint Salem Al Maree
- Hussa bint Muhammed bin Abdulaziz bin Turki
- Tarfah bint Abdullah bin Abdulrahman Aldakhil
- Jowaher bint Mohammed bin Saud bin Nasser Al Farhan Al Saud
- Mouda bint Saud Al Kabeer Al Saud
- Mounira bint Mishaal bin Saud Al Rashid
- Leila Al Thunayan
- Mouda bint Salman Al Mandeel Al Khaldi
- Dina bint Abdulhamid Alsahhaf
- Maha bint Abdullah Albanyan
- Abir bint Fahd Al Farhan Al Saud
- Ghadir bint Shawaan Al Shibani
- Mashail bint Mamdouh Al Ali
His Personality
Prince Sultan was known for being a very hard worker. He was also seen as supportive of the United States.
Death and Burial
Prince Sultan passed away on 22 October 2011. He had been receiving medical treatment in the United States. His body was brought back to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
His funeral was held at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh on 25 October 2011. Many important leaders from around the world attended his funeral or came to offer their condolences, including the U.S. Vice President Joe Biden. He was buried in the Al-Oud cemetery in Riyadh.
Images for kids
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Prince Sultan meeting with Saudi soldiers in the 1960s.
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Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Ruud Lubbers at Airport Schiphol on 15 June 1989.
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A young Prince Sultan meets foreign diplomats in the 1950s
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Sultan bin Abdulaziz and Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in the 1980s.
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Prince Sultan meets the U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney in 2007
See also
In Spanish: Sultán bin Abdulaziz para niños
