Talal bin Abdulaziz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Talal bin Abdulaziz |
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| Minister of Communications | |||||
| In office | 1952 – April 1955 | ||||
| Predecessor | Office established | ||||
| Successor | Office abolished | ||||
| Monarch | |||||
| Born | 15 August 1931 Ta'if, Kingdom of Nejd and Hejaz |
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| Died | 22 December 2018 (aged 87) Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
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| Burial | 23 December 2018 Al Oud Cemetery, Riyadh |
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| Issue | 15 | ||||
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| House | Al Saud | ||||
| Father | King Abdulaziz | ||||
| Mother | Munaiyir | ||||
Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (Arabic: طلال بن عبد العزيز آل سعود Ṭalāl bin ʿAbdulʿazīz Āl Saʿūd; 15 August 1931 – 22 December 2018) was a Saudi Arabian prince. He was also a politician, a businessman, and someone who gave a lot to charity. He was known for his modern ideas and for wanting a written set of rules for the country. He also wanted everyone to be treated equally under the law. In the 1960s, he led a group called the Free Princes Movement.
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Early Life of Prince Talal
Prince Talal was born in Ta'if on 15 August 1931. He was the twentieth son of King Abdulaziz, who was the founder of Saudi Arabia. His mother was Munaiyir. She was from Armenia and her family had faced difficult times.
Munaiyir was given to King Abdulaziz when she was 12 years old. Their first son, also named Talal, was born when she was 15. Sadly, this first Talal died when he was three years old. In 1931, another son was born to them. He was named Talal to honor his older brother, which was a tradition. This is the Prince Talal this article is about. Munaiyir was known as Umm Talal, meaning "mother of Talal."
Prince Talal had a full brother named Nawwaf. They had some disagreements during the reign of King Saud. Their full sister, Madawi, passed away in 2017.
Important Roles Prince Talal Held
Minister of Communications
In 1952, Prince Talal became the first Minister of Communications. This job was new at the time. He was one of the richest young princes. However, his department had some problems with how money was handled.
Later, there was a disagreement over who should control the national airlines. Prince Talal resigned from his role in April 1955. After he left, the Ministry of Communication was combined with the Ministry of Finance.
Ambassador to France and Spain
From 1955 to 1957, Prince Talal worked as Saudi Arabia's ambassador. He represented his country in both France and Spain.
Minister of Finance and National Economy
King Saud appointed Prince Talal as the Minister of Finance and National Economy in 1960. He was removed from this job on 11 September 1961. This happened because he suggested that Saudi Arabia should have a written set of rules, like a constitution. King Saud did not want to change the political system at that time. So, he asked Prince Talal to leave the government.
Prince Talal's Ideas and Beliefs
In September 1961, Prince Talal spoke about wanting a constitutional monarchy in Saudi Arabia. This means a system where a king or queen is the head of state, but a constitution limits their power. He also wanted the US air base in Dhahran to be closed.
Even though he worked for King Saud, Prince Talal said in 1962 that King Saud was not the right person to lead the country. Years later, Prince Talal said he regretted forming the Free Princes movement. This was because some people saw it as a threat to the royal family.
In 1999, Prince Talal publicly said that the country should find a smooth way to pass power to the next generation of royals. After the September 11 attacks, he questioned the idea that rulers and religious leaders should make all decisions together. In 2001, he openly supported having an elected assembly in Saudi Arabia. In 2007, he even said he wanted to start a political party to help make the country more open.
In 2009, Prince Talal stated that King Abdullah was the ruler and his decisions would be followed. However, in March 2009, he asked King Abdullah to explain why Prince Nayef was appointed as second deputy prime minister. He wondered if this meant Prince Nayef would be the next crown prince. Prince Nayef did become crown prince in 2011.
Prince Talal was part of the Allegiance Council when it was formed in 2007. This council helps decide who will be the next ruler. He resigned from the Council in November 2011. This was likely because he disagreed with Prince Nayef being named Crown Prince. In 2012, he said that justice should reach everyone who was corrupt in Saudi Arabia. He called for the anti-corruption authority to investigate everyone, no matter their position.
Other Important Roles and Charity Work
Prince Talal was a member of the Al Saud Family Council. This group was created in 2000 to discuss private matters of the royal family.
Prince Talal was the head of the Arab Gulf Program For The United Nations Development (AGFUND). This program helps improve life for people in the Middle East. Through AGFUND, he helped create the Arab Open University. He also supported training for women. He gave a lot of money to UNICEF, which helps children worldwide. UNICEF made him their Special Envoy in 1980. In 2002, he became UNESCO's Special Envoy for Water. He worked to encourage access to safe water.
Prince Talal was also the president of the Arab Council for Childhood and Development. He helped start the Mentor Foundation and was an honorary member of its board. He also helped create the Independent Commission for International Humanitarian Issues.
Helping Others (Philanthropy)
Prince Talal spent his later years doing a lot of humanitarian work. He was sometimes called "The Red Prince" because of his strong political views. But he became known as "The Children's Prince" because of his important work with UNICEF.
Personal Life
Prince Talal was married four times and had fifteen children.
His first wife was Umm Faisal, and they had a son named Faisal. They later divorced.
He then married Mona Al Solh, whose father was the first prime minister of Lebanon. They had three children: Prince Al Waleed, Prince Khalid, and Princess Reema. They married in 1954 and divorced in 1968.
His third wife was Moudie bint Abdul Mohsen Al Angari. They had a son, Turki, and two daughters, Sara and Noura. Moudie and Talal later divorced.
Lastly, Talal was married to Magdah bint Turki Al Sudairi.
Prince Talal had a total of nine sons and six daughters. His sons were Faisal (who passed away in 1991), Al Waleed, Khalid, Turki, Abdulaziz, Abdul Rahman, Mansour, Mohammed, and Mashour. His daughters were Reema, Sara, Noura, Al Jawhara, Hibatallah, and Maha.
Death
Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud passed away in Riyadh on 22 December 2018. His son, Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal, shared the news on social media. Funeral prayers were held the next day at Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh.
Images for kids
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Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
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Talal's father King Abdulaziz
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Bust of Talal bin Abdul-Aziz at the WHO building in Geneva, Switzerland
