Sudairi Seven
Encyclopedia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. They are also known as the Al Fahd (in reference to the eldest brother, the late King Fahd
Fahd of Saudi Arabia
Fahd bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, was King of Saudi Arabia from 1982 to 2005...
). They are sometimes referred to as the Sudairi Clan or the Sudairi faction. After King Fahd's death, the group has been sometimes called the Sudairi Six.
The Sudairi Seven's rise to power can be traced back to the preference shown to them by King Faisal
Faisal of Saudi Arabia
Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud was King of Saudi Arabia from 1964 to 1975. As king, he is credited with rescuing the country's finances and implementing a policy of modernization and reform, while his main foreign policy themes were pan-Islamic Nationalism, anti-Communism, and pro-Palestinian...
. As a result, the brothers were appointed to a number of key posts within the Kingdom. Fahd ultimately became King in 1982 and the next eldest, Sultan, was heir apparent to the throne from 2005 until his death in 2011, and was succeeded by his full brother, Nayef. With Sultan's death in 2011, the group was reduced to five brothers.
Origins and composition
Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia
King Abdul-Aziz of Saudi Arabia was the first monarch of the Third Saudi State known as Saudi Arabia. He was commonly referred to as Ibn Saud....
rapidly expanded his power base in the Nejd to establish the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
in 1932, and became its first King. As part of this process of expansion, he married women from powerful Nejdi and other Arabian families to cement his control over all parts of his new domain. It is believed he married as many as 22 women as a result. One of these marriages was to Princess Hassa bint Ahmad bin Muhammad Al Sudairi
Hussa Ahmad Al-Sudayri
H H Princess Hussa Bint Ahmad Al-Sudairi was one of the favorite wives of King Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia....
, a member of the Al Sudairi family - one of the most powerful families in Nejd.
The marriage resulted in the following children:
- King FahdFahd of Saudi ArabiaFahd bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, was King of Saudi Arabia from 1982 to 2005...
(1921-2005), the fifth King of Saudi Arabia from June 13, 1982 to August 1, 2005 - Prince Sultan (1930?-2011), Defense Minister from 1962 until his death, and Crown PrinceCrown PrinceA crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
(2005-2011) - Prince Abdul-Rahman (born 1931), Former Deputy Minister of Defense.Relieved of position November 2011.
- Prince Nayef (born 1933), Interior Minister since 1975, First Deputy Prime Minister and Crown PrinceCrown PrinceA crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
from November 2011 - Prince Turki (born 1934)
- Prince Salman (born 1936), Governor of Riyadh 1962-2011, and Minister of Defense from November 2011
- Prince Ahmed (born 1940), Deputy Minister of Interior
- Princess Lulua
- Princess Latifa
- Princess Aljawhra
- Princess Jawaher
The number of children that Abdul-Aziz fathered in total, with all his wives, is unknown. One source indicates that he had 37 sons. The generation that succeeded Abdul-Aziz was therefore mainly composed of half-brothers. The "Sudairi Seven" - the seven sons of Abdul-Aziz and Princess Hassa - were the largest bloc of full brothers and as a consequence were able to wield a degree of coordinated influence and power.
Robert Lacey
Robert Lacey
Robert Lacey is a British historian and biographer. He is the author of a number of bestselling biographies, including those of Henry Ford and Queen Elizabeth II, as well as works of popular history....
,whose book THE KINGDOM lists 43 sons of King Abdulaziz,says that Princess Hassa was actually married to him twice,and the first marriage had produced another son,Prince Sa'ad (1914-19) who others attribute to Princess Tarfah.He lists Prince Sultan as born in 1927 (other sources say 1924 (Simon Henderson) and 1928).Some press references on the appointment of Prince Salman as Defense Minister in November 2011 say he was born in 1935.
Rise to power and current position
Faisal of Saudi Arabia
Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud was King of Saudi Arabia from 1964 to 1975. As king, he is credited with rescuing the country's finances and implementing a policy of modernization and reform, while his main foreign policy themes were pan-Islamic Nationalism, anti-Communism, and pro-Palestinian...
and his earlier struggle with King Saud
Saud of Saudi Arabia
Saud bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud was King of Saudi Arabia from 1953 to 1964. He was removed from power by Faisal because of Saud's mismanagement and waste. He was the eldest surviving son of Ibn Saud and became Crown Prince in 1933. He died in exile in Greece.-Early life:Saud was born in 1902 in Kuwait...
. Although not a Sudairi himself, Faisal, in his struggle to overthrow Saud, relied heavily upon the seven Sudairi brothers. In 1962, as prime minister and heir apparent, Faisal appointed Fahd
Fahd of Saudi Arabia
Fahd bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, was King of Saudi Arabia from 1982 to 2005...
as Interior Minister, Prince Sultan as Defense Minister, and Prince Salman as governor of Riyadh
Riyadh
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
. All were key posts. Following Faisal's accession to the throne after Saud's deposition in 1964, the King continued to favor the Sudairi Seven as his allies.
In 1975, following the death of Faisal and the accession of King Khalid
Khalid of Saudi Arabia
Khalid bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud was King of Saudi Arabia from 1975 to 1982. He ruled during Saudi Arabia's oil boom years. In 1979, he had to deal with the Grand Mosque Seizure...
, Fahd became Crown Prince and Prince Nayef succeeded Fahd at the Ministry of Interior. When Fahd
Fahd of Saudi Arabia
Fahd bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, was King of Saudi Arabia from 1982 to 2005...
became king himself in 1982, he made his son, Prince Muhammad
Muhammad bin Fahd
Muhammad bin Fahd bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud is Governor of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. He is a business partner of Al-Bilal Trading Company - a major conglomerate associated with construction and imports.-Early life and education:...
, Governor of the Eastern Province, the main oil-producing region.
The Sudairis consolidated their hold over these fiefs by appointing their brothers and sons to their own ministries and other key positions: Sultan appointed one of his younger Sudairi brothers — Prince Abdul-Rahman — and one of his sons as his deputies. Another of Sultan’s sons, Prince Bandar
Bandar bin Sultan
Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud is a prince of the Saudi royal family and was Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States from 1983 to 2005. He was appointed Secretary-General of the National Security Council by King Abdullah on 16 October 2005...
, served for two decades as Saudi ambassador in Washington and then head of the Saudi National Security Council. His son Prince Khaled, the co-commander with U.S. General Norman Schwarzkopf in the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
(1991), succeeded Sultan at the defense ministry. Nayef also appointed a younger Sudairi brother — Prince Ahmed — and one of his sons — Prince Muhammad
Muhammad bin Nayef
Prince Mohammad bin Naif bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud is the Saudi Deputy Interior Minister in charge of Counter-Terrorism. He survived an assassination attempt in August 2009.-Personal life:Born in Jeddah, he moved to Riyadh...
— as his deputies at the Ministry of the Interior.
The Sudairis’ rise to power and hold over government brought continuity to the system. It also prompted other princes to align quietly against them. The main opposition to the Sudairis came from Abdullah
Abdullah of Saudi Arabia
Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, is the King of Saudi Arabia. He succeeded to the throne on 1 August 2005 upon the death of his half-brother, King Fahd. When Crown Prince, he governed Saudi Arabia as regent from 1998 to 2005...
prior to his accession to the throne. He cultivated allies among his other brothers and with King Faisal’s sons. Upon Abdullah's accession to the throne, Abdullah created a new family council, the Allegiance Commission, to determine the future succession. The Sudairis fill a fifth of the council’s seats which is seen as a dilution of Sudairi power since their overall control over the state is perceived as proportionately greater than this. With Sultan's death, Nayef was "widely expected" to be chosen the next Crown Prince.