Profile: King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia

Seen as a modernizer in a country known for its conservative interpretation of Islam and the prestigious role of its clerics, King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz has pushed for both economic and social reforms in the kingdom.

Early years

King Abdullah was born in Riyadh in 1924. He reportedly has at least fifty siblings, and is the tenth son of King Abdul Aziz Al Saud, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia.

According to the Saudi Embassy’s official biography, King Abdullah spent a considerable time with the Bedouins during his younger years. He also breeds Arabian horses. He has a personal fortune worth an estimated $19 billion (Dh69 billion).

Entry to politics

King Abdullah ascended the Saudi throne in 2005, following the death of his half-brother, King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz. The latest in a line of brothers to hold the throne, he is also the Prime Minister of the Council of Ministers and the Commander of the National Guard.

King Abdullah has been an important figure in the Saudi royal family throughout his adult life, holding the posts of deputy defense minister and commander of the Saudi Arabian National Guard.

His first official government position was that of Mayor of the holy city of Makkah. King Abdullah was made crown prince when King Fahd took the throne, and in 1995 when King Fahd suffered a severe stroke he became the de facto ruler of the country.
Upon his ascension, King Abdullah named his half-brother, Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, Crown Prince.

Family life

King Abdullah has 35 children from 13 wives, and his daughter, Princess Adila, is an open advocate of women’s right to drive. She is also one of the few Saudi princesses with semi-public role, supporting women’s rights and speaking out against domestic violence, as well as chairing several charitable organizations. 

Being a reformist

Although he maintains a delicate balance with Saudi Arabia’s influential clerics and religious scholars, King Abdullah made some waves when he gave women the right to vote and run in municipal elections and founded the country’s first and only mixed-gender university, the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. He has also expanded women’s employment opportunities.

Such reforms have not come without a backlash from Saudi Arabia’s more conservative elements, but King Abdullah has been firm in his stand.

In 2012, King Abdullah reshuffled the Saudi religious police, appointing Shaikh Abdul Latif Al Shaikh to lead what is officially known as the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice.

Shaikh Abdul Latif announced that the body would be prevented from conducting searches, arresting or interrogating people, or attending trials. The move came after several incidents where members of the force were seen as harassing people, particularly women. 

Focus on education

Under King Abdullah, spending on education increased and the number of public universities rose from eight to 24, including the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and the Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University for Girls.

A five-year development plan, launched in 2010, called for $200 billion to be invested in expanding access to Saudi Arabia’s universities. The goal has been to increase the skills of Saudi nationals in fields like engineering and medicine. King Abdullah also began a scholarship program that sends Saudi students to graduate programs abroad.

Multi-billion dollar reforms

Economic reform has also come to the fore under King Abdullah. In 2005, the King Abdullah Economic City project was announced, and the multi-billion dollar plan aims to make Saudi Arabia one of the top 10 world destinations for investment.

The city, which will be completed by 2020, plans to host 2500 manufacturers as well as universities and colleges and luxury resorts. Additionally, King Abdullah has moved to liberalize Saudi Arabia’s economy by placing emphasis on the private sector and reformed the judicial system to make it more transparent, expedite litigation procedures and protect copyright.

Initiatives

The leader of the world’s largest oil exporter and heavyweight on the regional stage, King Abdullah engaged in many regional and international initiatives. His positioning of Prince Bandar bin Sultan as the head of the Saudi intelligence agency was seen as a move to increase Saudi influence in the Arab world, especially in the wake of the Arab Spring revolts spreading across many countries in the region.

King Abdullah openly and repeatedly condemned terrorism, and under his rule Saudi Arabia has become a key player in counterterrorism efforts, stepping up internal security and cracking down on militant operations.

King Abdullah was honored by many, including by Unesco, for his initiatives in interreligious dialogue. Most recently, he created the King Abdulaziz International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue in Vienna, Austria, and international organisation with board members representing the world’s largest religions.