Fahd of Saudi Arabia

Fahd bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud ({{lang-ar|فهد بن عبد العزيز آل سعود}}, b.1923 – August 1, 2005) was the king and prime minister of Saudi Arabia and leader of the House of Saud. One of thirty-seven sons of Saudi founder Ibn Saud, and the fourth of his five sons who have ruled the Kingdom (Saud, Faisal, Khalid, Fahd, and Abdullah), Fahd ascended to the throne on the death of his half-brother, King Khalid, on June 13, 1982.

Early life

Fahd was a son of King Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Rahman Al-Saud, known as ibn Saud, the founder and first monarch of modern Saudi Arabia. At the time of his birth, Fahd's father was completing the consolidation of the House of Saud's power on the Arabian Peninsula, having evicted the Hashemite clan from control of Mecca and Medina.

Related Topics:
King Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Rahman Al-Saud - Hashemite - Mecca - Medina

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He was the eldest of the "Sudairi Seven", the seven sons of ibn Saud by Hussah bint Ahmad Al Sudairi, the favorite among ibn Saud's many wives; they remained close all their lives, and although there are some 30 other children of ibn Saud, these have never been as trusted or powerful. They long functioned as a close-knit group, trying to meet at least once a week. The exact date of birth of Fahd and his brothers is not known because meticulous records were not kept in 1920s Arabia, but the year of his birth is generally quoted as 1923 (although some sources say 1921). Among his full brothers, Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz (born 1927) has been Minister of Defense since 1962 and Second Deputy Prime Minister since 1982, and is currently the Crown Prince. Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz, who succeeded Fahd as Interior Minister in 1975, and Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz, the Governor of Riyadh, are also considered potential future kings.

Related Topics:
Sudairi Seven - 1920s - Arabia - Sultan bin Abdul Aziz - Nayef bin Abdul Aziz - Salman bin Abdul Aziz

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At the age of nine in 1932, Fahd watched as his father officially founded the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by signing the Treaty of Jedda.

Related Topics:
1932 - Treaty of Jedda

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Fahd's education took place at the Princes' School in Riyadh, a school established by Ibn Saud specifically for the education of members of the House of Saud. While at the Princes' School Fahd studied under tutors including Sheikh Abdul-Ghani Khayat. Following his education at the Princes' School, Fahd moved on to the Religious Knowledge Institute in Mecca, where he studied Wahhabi Islam.

Related Topics:
Princes' School - Sheikh Abdul-Ghani Khayat - Religious Knowledge Institute - Mecca - Wahhabi - Islam

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In 1945 Fahd travelled on his first state visit to New York City to attend the opening session of the General Assembly of the United Nations. On this trip Fahd served under his brother, King Faisal who was at the time Saudi Arabia's foreign minister.

Related Topics:
1945 - State visit - New York City - General Assembly - United Nations - King Faisal

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