Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz al Saud Dies

Share/Save/Bookmark

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz al Saud Dies
by Darius Kadivar
22-Oct-2011
 

Saudi Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz al Saud has died, Saudi TV says.The crown prince was King Abdullah's half-brother and first in line to the Saudi throne.He was also minister of defence and aviation. He was in his eighties and was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2004. He is thought to have died at a New York hospital. :(Related News Here)

Saudi Crown Prince Sultan Dies (Al Jazeera):

*********************

*********************

Saudi Crown Prince Dies:*********************
*********************:Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Sultan dies (bbc):Saudi Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz al Saudhas died, Saudi TV says.

The crown prince was King Abdullah's half-brother and first in line to the Saudi throne. He was also minister of defence and aviation.

He was in his eighties and was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2004. He is thought to have died at a New York hospital.

Prince Sultan had been on a visit to the US for medical tests, and he had an operation in New York in July.

The royal court confirmed the death in a statement carried by SPA, the state news agency:

"With deep sorrow and sadness the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz mourns the death of his brother and his Crown Prince Sultan who died at dawn this morning Saturday outside the kingdom following an illness."

Moderniser

Crown Prince Sultan was a member of the most powerful family group in Saudi Arabia, the Sudairi Seven, and one of the sons of the country's founder, King Abdulaziz, known as Ibn Saud.

The Sudairi Seven are the sons of Ibn Saud's most influential wife, Hassa bint Ahmadal-Sudairi.

The oldest of the seven was King Fahd, who died in 2005 - to be succeeded by a half-brother, the current King Abdullah.

Prince Sultan's first appointment was as governor of Riyadh and he became minister of defence and aviation in 1963.

He oversaw extraordinary expenditure on modernising the armed forces - with multi-billion dollar deals making Saudi Arabia one of the world's biggest arms spenders.

Prince Sultan was also involved in the setting up and development of the national airline, Saudia.

He was one ofthe strongest supporters of forging close ties with the US, which faced its biggest challenge after 9/11.

His son, Prince Bandar, was instrumental in this as the kingdom's Washington ambassador for more than 20 years.

But the BBC's Sebastian Usher says that, with the current generation of Saudi leaders now in their seventies or eighties, there is no clear idea yet ofwho will take over among Ibn Saud's legion of grandsons when they have died out.:Related pictory:

Diplomatic History:Shah and King Faisal discuss Future of Persian Gulf (1971)

Related Blogs:

VOA’s OFOGH: Abbas Milani & Mansour Farhang on IRI "Plot" on Saudi Prince

Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi's Analysis on IRI "plot" to Kill Saudi Envoy

Other Related Blogs:

STUBBORN WALLS: Ben Gurion, Hussein, Nasser interviews on ME Peace Process

Karim Sadjadpour on Sultan Qaboos’ 'honest broker' role in ending US hikers Ordeal

Related «Royal Forum» Blogs:

Jordan's King Abdullah II Names International Judge As New Prime Minister

Jordan’s King Abdullah Welcomes Reform Plans Amidst Regional Unrest

Jordan's King Abdullah II announces sweeping reforms

UP CLOSE & PERSONAL: Jordan's King Abdullah II takes You on a Royal Tour

FIRST REFORMIST:Shah aims to break mullahs grip on country

Morocco vote to curb king's powers, abolishing death penalty

Morocco's King Mohammed VI allowing Female Imams to take charge

King Mohammed VI declares Morocco a constitutional monarchy

Abbas Milani Guest of Morocco’s Prince Moulay Hicham

Morocco's King Mohammed VI pledges constitutional reform

ROYAL FORUM:Morocco's Steady Path Towards Democracy

ROYAL HOPEFUL:Libyan Crown Prince offers to help homeland

Exiled Libyan Crown Prince sees Gaddafi toppled soon

European Parliament Hosts Libya's Crown Prince

Libya's Exiled Crown Prince calls on world to stop 'massacre,' remove Gaddafi

Share/Save/Bookmark

more from Darius Kadivar
 
AMIR1973

  Middle East won't see

by AMIR1973 on

 

Middle East won't see the real spring as long as the IRI is around!  

 


Disenchanted

One down, more to go! :-)

by Disenchanted on

 

      Middle East won't see the real spring till Saudis royals are around! 


پندارنیک

My sincere condolences

by پندارنیک on

No worries dear DK, we can help our Saudi brothers in this time of sadness and loss by sending our own life-long Crown Prince, Reza joon, to replace the lost prince. We can all rest assured that His Haaj Highness Reza is as effective as any dead prince........

Why do I have a hunch about how you're going to react? Please be kind.