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Abdulaziz bin Fahd Al Saud

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In this Arabic name, the surname is Al Saud.
Abdulaziz bin Fahd Al Saud
BornRiyadh, Saudi Arabia
SpouseAl Anoud bint Faisal bin Mishaal Al Saud
Names
Abdulaziz bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
HouseAl Saud
FatherKing Fahd
MotherAl Jawhara Al Ibrahim
Alma materKing Saud University

Abdulaziz bin Fahd Al Saud (Arabic: عبد العزيز بن فهد آل سعود ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz bin Fahd Āl Suʿūd) is a Saudi prince, a son of former King Fahd, and one of the grandsons of Saudi's founder King Abdulaziz.

Early life and education

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His mother Al Jawhara bint Ibrahim Al Ibrahim belongs to the wealthy Al Ibrahim family.[1]

Abdulaziz bin Fahd received a bachelor of arts degree in administrative sciences from King Saud University.[2]

Professional experience

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Prince Abdulaziz was first appointed as minister of state without portfolio in May 1998.[3] Then, he was made head of the Office of the Council of Ministers in January 2000, when he was 28 years old.[4] It was reported that after King Fahd's death, he began to live in Switzerland and came to Saudi Arabia to participate in the meetings of the Council of Ministers.[5]

On 26 June 2011, he was relieved from his position as head of the court of Cabinet affairs by a royal decree.[6] It was declared that he resigned from his posts of minister of State and member of the Council of Ministers at his own request in June 2011.[7]

Business activities

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His ties with Saudi Oger were well known in Saudi Arabia. The company was founded by Rafik Hariri, who built Saudi Oger into a large company with the assistance of King Fahd. Hariri said 'The meat on my shoulder is from King Fahd,’ according to As'ad Abu Khalil, a professor of political science at California State University Stanislaus, who has written several books and runs the blog The Angry Arab News Service. Hariri, also a former prime minister of Lebanon, was assassinated in 2005. His son, Saad Hariri, took over Saudi Oger and became Lebanon’s prime minister for 14 months before he was ousted in 2011. Saad Hariri and Prince Abdulaziz are known to be close.[8]

Abdulaziz bin Fahd owned fifty per cent of the MBC, of which the remainder is owned by his maternal uncle Waleed bin Ibrahim al Ibrahim. It is reported that Prince Abdulaziz dealt with both the profits and the ideology of MBC Channels, including al Arabiya.[9]

It emerged in a New York Supreme Court affidavit that he was the secret owner of a $1 billion property portfolio in the US[10] which owns the American headquarters of the oil giant BP and the defence contractor BAE Systems. In January 2002 The Daily Telegraph newspaper valued the portfolio at £4 billion.[11] The affidavit, which was subsequently partially sealed by the judge but had already become available on internet blogs,[12][13] stated that the properties were being managed by a group which included Sheikh Majid Al Ibrahim, Prince’s maternal uncle, and that total control of the portfolio was ultimately seized by Interventure Capital Group and Interventure Advisers, both of Manhattan, New York. According to a press release issued by Hyatt Hotels Corporation,[14] Interventure Capital Group is run by Jaber Al Ibrahim and is an adviser to Naseel Holding Company, the Al Ibrahim family investment vehicle chaired by Sheikh Majid Al Ibrahim.[15]

According to a report in The Daily Telegraph in October 2010, Interventure Capital Group is also behind another major portfolio of properties which had been controlled by a UK-based company, StratREAL.[16] Assets purchased by StratREAL on behalf of Prince Abdulaziz bin Fahd included Fifth Street Towers, a Minneapolis office complex, for $294 million in 2007.[17] In May 2012, following a foreclosure on the complex for mortgage default, Fifth Street Towers was sold at a sheriff's auction for $1 over the outstanding debt of $110 million.[18]

The Times reported in July 2013 that Abdulaziz was offering to sell for £100 million his mansion at 5 Palace Green, on London's Kensington Palace Gardens (nicknamed "Billionaires' Row").[19]

Alliances

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Abdulaziz bin Fahd was previously one of King Abdullah's closest aides. However, later, he seemed to have had a falling out with the monarch and to have been close to his uncle, the late Crown Prince Nayef.[20]

Fortune

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Abdulaziz received exactly half of all profits of the successful Middle East Broadcasting Corporation (MBC).[9] He had a number of palaces in Saudi Arabia and around various other parts of the world which have cost over $2 billion[21] which include:

  • London Mansion on the Billionaire's row in Kensington, now for sale at £100 million.[22]
  • A very large private stately residential complex with the replica of Alhambra and several other famous forts set within well maintained splendid gardens covering an area of 134 acres in the exclusive area overlooking Wadi Hanifa in Riyadh. 24°38′45″N 46°38′36″E / 24.645808°N 46.643202°E / 24.645808; 46.643202
  • Massive farm near Janadriya covering an area of 715 acres or about 2.89 square kilometers at the northern outskirts of Riyadh. Satellite photos reveal large swimming pools, luxury tents and its own water and sewage treatment facility set within a large date farm.25°08′18″N 46°47′33″E / 25.138224°N 46.79251°E / 25.138224; 46.79251
  • In Jeddah he has several palaces with private yacht berths and each palace has more than twenty guest houses .[citation needed]

In addition, he reportedly owned "the Pyramid House" on Hillcrest Road in Beverly Hills, California.[23][24]

Personal life

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Abdulaziz bin Fahd married Al Anoud bint Faisal Al Saud in December 2010.[25] His wife is a granddaughter of late Sultan bin Abdulaziz and of Mishaal bin Abdulaziz.[26]

He dealt with camel racing in Saudi Arabia. His camels won the race organized in the Janadriyah festival in 2011.[27]

The Prince owns a Boeing 777, a Boeing 737 Business Jet and a Canadair Challenger which he uses frequently for pleasure travel.[28]

2017 purge

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Main article: 2017 Saudi Arabian purge

Before Abdulaziz was himself purged, he was used in the kidnapping of Sultan bin Turki II bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.[29][30]

Fate

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The fate of Prince Abdulaziz bin Fahd is uncertain. There were rumours that Abdulaziz, age 46, was killed by a death squad while resisting arrest, but the Saudi information ministry released a statement saying that the prince was "alive and well."[31] In November 2018 Prince Nawaf bin Faisal tweeted a video showing that Abdulaziz bin Fahd is still alive.[32]

Ancestry

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References

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  1. ^ "HH Princess Al-Jawhara bint Ibrahim". King Abdulaziz University. 2010. Archived from the original on 24 February 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2012.
  2. ^ "Index". Web page dedicated to Abdulaziz bin Fahd. Archived from the original on 2 May 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  3. ^ "The Council of Ministers". Saudia Online. Archived from the original on 14 August 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
  4. ^ Sakr, Naomi (2001). "Whys and Wherefores of Satellite Channel Ownership". Satellite Realms: Transnational Television, Globalization and the Middle East. doi:10.5040/9780755604562.ch-002. ISBN 978-0-75560-456-2. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  5. ^ "Prens Abdülaziz bin Fahd'ın çöküşü (The Fall of Abdulaziz bin Fahd)". Diplomatik Gözlem (Turkish, Diplomatic Observation). 14 August 2006. Archived from the original on 15 June 2013. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
  6. ^ P.K. Abdul Ghafour (26 June 2011):"Cabinet court merged with royal court" Archived 30 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Arab News.
  7. ^ "Fahd bin Abdulaziz's exemption from the Presidency of the Prime Ministry Cabinet Office". Islam Times. 14 June 2011. Archived from the original on 3 April 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  8. ^ Buettner, Russ (19 February 2012). "At a Rape Trial, Two Views of a Prince's Wealth". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 November 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
  9. ^ a b "Ideological and Ownership Trends in the Saudi Media". Cablegate. 11 May 2009. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
  10. ^ Stephen Foley (6 June 2012). "Revealed: Saudi royals' secret $1bn US empire". The Independent. Archived from the original on 7 June 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  11. ^ "Former Credit Suisse executive Pierre Rolin 'owes £43m'". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 10 June 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  12. ^ "Secret $1B Saudi Property Empire". Scribd. 23 April 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2012.[permanent dead link‍]
  13. ^ "Docs Reveal Secret $1B Saudi Property Empire". SethHettena.com. 10 June 2012. Archived from the original on 15 August 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  14. ^ "Hyatt Hotels Corporation". Investors. Archived from the original on 3 April 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  15. ^ "Chairman Message". Naseel. Archived from the original on 12 May 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  16. ^ "Tory donor Pierre Rolin accused of stealing £30m from Gulf investor". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 28 August 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  17. ^ "StratREAL" (PDF). Srtrategic Real Estate Advisors. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 January 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  18. ^ Webber, Maura (8 May 2012). "Venture Pays $1 Over Debt To Win Minneapolis Tower". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 19 July 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  19. ^ Billionaire Saudi's £100m London home up for sale Archived 29 July 2013 at the Wayback Machine, The Times, 29 July 2013
  20. ^ Kapoor, Talal. "Nayif's Return – A Lame Duck Crown Prince?". Datarabia. Archived from the original on 6 August 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
  21. ^ The Saudi Trap Archived 28 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  22. ^ "Prince Abdulaziz Bin Fahd Al Saud Mansion". Virtual Globetrotting. 2 August 2013. Archived from the original on 7 August 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  23. ^ Cavatore, Alison (1 February 2013). "Saudi Prince Reportedly Overhauling Beverly Hills Pyramid House". Houte Living. Archived from the original on 15 June 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
  24. ^ "Abdulaziz bin Fahd pyramid house". Virtual Globetrotting. 2 August 2013. Archived from the original on 7 August 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  25. ^ "The Crown Prince of Dubai to attend the wedding of Prince Abdulaziz bin Fahd Al Saud". Fazza. Archived from the original on 7 January 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
  26. ^ "الأمير عبد العزيز بن فهد يحتفل بزواجه من كريمة الأمير فيصل بن مشعل". Al Riyadh. 23 December 2010. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
  27. ^ "Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques launches Janadriyah festival in the presence of Bahrain's monarch". Ain Al Yaqeen. 15 April 2012. Archived from the original on 22 January 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  28. ^ Shauna DeFord (26 November 2012). "Graham woman travels the world with a prince". The Times News. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  29. ^ "The latest on Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi". CNN. 15 October 2018. Archived from the original on 15 August 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  30. ^ "Mystery surrounds fate of late King Fahd's son amid Saudi crackdown". Middle East Eye. Archived from the original on 10 November 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  31. ^ Akkad, Dania (8 November 2017). "Mystery surrounds fate of late King Fahd's son amid Saudi crackdown". Middle East Eye. Archived from the original on 10 November 2017. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  32. ^ Arab, The New (7 November 2018). "Amid Khashoggi outrage, Saudi prince rumoured killed re-emerges". alaraby. Archived from the original on 29 May 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
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