Talal ibn Abd al-Aziz
Encyclopedia
Prince Talal bin Abdul-Aziz (born 1931), also called The Red Prince, is a senior member of the Saudi royal family
, and has led the Arab Gulf Program For the United Nations Development (AGFUND) since 1986. He is a former ambassador to France
. He served as Minister of Communications till 1955 before the Ministry was dissolved into the Ministry of Finance. Talal led the reformist Free Prince Movement from 1958-64.
He is not a likely candidate to the succession to the Saudi throne. He is the father of billionaire Prince Al-Waleed.
which established a constitutional monarchy
and expanded civil rights
. He called for an elected group of advisers. The royal family rejected his reform agenda.
In 1961, his passport was revoked and he was exiled to Lebanon
. He went to Egypt
and aligned himself with Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser
.
In 1964, he ended the movement and returned to Saudi Arabia. Though a senior member of Al Saud, his past political forays have diluted any hopes of a future claim for the throne.
In March 2009, he called on King Abdullah to clarify the appointment of Prince Nayef as Second Deputy Prime Minister. He publicly questioned whether this would make Nayef the next crown prince
. Prince Nayef was in fact named crown prince in October 2011 following the death of his brother, Crown Prince Sultan.
He was a member of the Allegiance Council when the members were named in 2007.He resigned from the Council in November 2011.
. He also has pushed training of women through AGFUND. Through AGFUND, he has provided significant monetary support for UNICEF and UNICEF declared his as its Special Envoy in 1980.
He became UNESCO
's Special Envoy for Water in 2002 to encourage the development of safe water.
He is the President of the Arab Council for Childhood & Development. He also helped create the Mentor Foundation
and is on its board of trustees. He co-founded the Independent Commission for International Humanitarian Issues. He is a prominent member of the League for Development of the Pasteur Institute.
, established in 1956, gives 70% of its profits for free health care and 10% to children's health care. He then later donated the hospital to the government and is presently called King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital.
. He is the full brother of Prince Nawwaf.
He married Muana As-Solh, the daughter of Riad El-Solh. She was Lebanese
. Their children are Prince Al-Waleed, Prince Khaled
, and Princess Reema. The marriage collapsed in 1962, they stayed separated till their divorce in 1968.
He married Moudie bint Abdul-Mohsen Alangary. She was the mother of Prince Turki. They later divorced.
He is married to Princess Magdah bint Turki Al-Sudairi, daughter of Human Rights Commission President Turki bin Khaled Al-Sudairi.
House of Saud
The House of Saud , also called the Al Saud, is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia and one of the wealthiest and most powerful dynasties in the world. The family holds thousands of members...
, and has led the Arab Gulf Program For the United Nations Development (AGFUND) since 1986. He is a former ambassador to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He served as Minister of Communications till 1955 before the Ministry was dissolved into the Ministry of Finance. Talal led the reformist Free Prince Movement from 1958-64.
He is not a likely candidate to the succession to the Saudi throne. He is the father of billionaire Prince Al-Waleed.
Minister of Communications
He became one of the wealthiest young princes but his bureau suffered major corruption problems. Because Talal was Minister, King Abdul-Aziz created the Ministry of Air Force to prevent all flight-related matters from Talal's administration. Because Talal and Prince Mishaal contended over who controlled the national airlines, Saudi Arabia was to have two separate fleets. The dispute ended when Talal resigned in April 1955. The Ministry of Communication was merged with the Ministry of Finance after Talal's resignation. This avoided King Abdul-Aziz from the responsibility of choosing Talal's successor without causing friction in the royal family.Free Princes Movement
Talal led the reformist Free Princes Movement. In 1958, he proposed a constitutionConstitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
which established a constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
and expanded civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
. He called for an elected group of advisers. The royal family rejected his reform agenda.
In 1961, his passport was revoked and he was exiled to Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. He went to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and aligned himself with Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
.
In 1964, he ended the movement and returned to Saudi Arabia. Though a senior member of Al Saud, his past political forays have diluted any hopes of a future claim for the throne.
Recent activities
In September 2007, he announced his desire to form a political party (illegal in Saudi Arabia) to advance his goal of liberalizing the country.In March 2009, he called on King Abdullah to clarify the appointment of Prince Nayef as Second Deputy Prime Minister. He publicly questioned whether this would make Nayef the next crown prince
Crown Prince
A 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....
. Prince Nayef was in fact named crown prince in October 2011 following the death of his brother, Crown Prince Sultan.
He was a member of the Allegiance Council when the members were named in 2007.He resigned from the Council in November 2011.
Various positions
He is the Chairman of Arab Gulf Program For The United Nations Development (AGFUND), which promotes socioeconomic development in the Middle East. As part of AGFUND, he has led the board of trustees of the Arab Network for NGOs based in Cairo and established Arab Open UniversityArab Open University
Arab Open University is a non-profit private Pan-Arab university founded in 2002 in Kuwait, Jordan, and Lebanon. One year later it opened in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Oman. The AOU is affiliated with the UK Open University...
. He also has pushed training of women through AGFUND. Through AGFUND, he has provided significant monetary support for UNICEF and UNICEF declared his as its Special Envoy in 1980.
He became UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
's Special Envoy for Water in 2002 to encourage the development of safe water.
He is the President of the Arab Council for Childhood & Development. He also helped create the Mentor Foundation
Mentor Foundation
Mentor is an international NGO voice of drug abuse prevention. They largely work with partners to increase drug abuse prevention awareness and publicize new research....
and is on its board of trustees. He co-founded the Independent Commission for International Humanitarian Issues. He is a prominent member of the League for Development of the Pasteur Institute.
Philanthropy
He has provided Saudi students Foreign Education Scholarships. He founded Saudi Arabia's first school for vocational training in 1954 and the first girls' school based in Riyadh in 1957. He donated his own birthplace palace — Al-Zahra Palace in Taif — to for a school in 1957. His private hospital in RiyadhRiyadh
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...
, established in 1956, gives 70% of its profits for free health care and 10% to children's health care. He then later donated the hospital to the government and is presently called King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital.
Family
His mother was ArmenianArmenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
. He is the full brother of Prince Nawwaf.
Wives
He married Umm Faisal, who is the mother of their son Prince Faisal. He later divorced her.He married Muana As-Solh, the daughter of Riad El-Solh. She was Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. Their children are Prince Al-Waleed, Prince Khaled
Khaled bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud
*Walid bin Khaled*Saud bin Khaled*Mohammed bin Khaled*Nouf bint KhaledHRH Prince Khaled bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud is a member of the Saudi Royal Family, the third son of Prince Talal bin Abdul Aziz and Princess Mona El-Solh, daughter of Riad as-Solh, Lebanon's first Prime...
, and Princess Reema. The marriage collapsed in 1962, they stayed separated till their divorce in 1968.
He married Moudie bint Abdul-Mohsen Alangary. She was the mother of Prince Turki. They later divorced.
He is married to Princess Magdah bint Turki Al-Sudairi, daughter of Human Rights Commission President Turki bin Khaled Al-Sudairi.
Sons
- Prince Faisal (Died 1991)
- Prince Al-WaleedAl-Waleed bin TalalPrince Al-Waleed bin Talal is a Saudi Arabian billionaire and member of the Saudi royal family. He is the nephew of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. An entrepreneur and international investor he has amassed a fortune through investments in real estate and the stock market.He is founder and CEO of...
- Prince KhaledKhaled bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud*Walid bin Khaled*Saud bin Khaled*Mohammed bin Khaled*Nouf bint KhaledHRH Prince Khaled bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud is a member of the Saudi Royal Family, the third son of Prince Talal bin Abdul Aziz and Princess Mona El-Solh, daughter of Riad as-Solh, Lebanon's first Prime...
- Prince TurkiTurki bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud*Prince Abdulaziz*Princess Al-Anoud*Princess Alia*Princess Abeer*Princess Al-JoharaPrince Turki bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud in Riyadh, is a member of the Saudi Royal Family...
- Prince Abdul-AzizAbdul Aziz bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al SaudPrince Abdul-Aziz bin Talal bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud in Jeddah, is a member of the Saudi Royal Family. He is the fifth son of Prince Talal.-Social Status:...
- Prince Abdul-Rahman
- Prince Mansour
- Prince Mohammed
- Prince Mashour
Daughters
- Princess Reema
- Princess Sara
- Princess Noura
- Princess Al Johara
- Princess Hebatallah
- Princess El Maha
External links
- Official website,
- Political reform essential for Saudi Arabia, says Prince Talal (Gulf News Online, September 2003)
- Senior Saudi Royal demands reform(BBC News, 5 September 2007)