Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud king of saudi
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (Arabic: سلمان ابن عبدالعزيز آل سعود, Salmān bin ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ʾĀl Saʿūd [salˈmaːn bin ʕabdulʕaˈziːz ʔaːl saˈʕuːd]; born 31 December 1935) is the King of Saudi Arabia, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the head of the House of Saud. He had been Minister of Defence since 2011, and was Governor of Riyadh Province from 1963 to 2011. Salman became king on 23 January 2015 following the death of his half brother, King Abdullah. He is a full brother of Fahd, who was king from 1982 to 2005Salman was born on 31 December 1935. He is reported to be the 25th son of Ibn Saud.[3][4] His mother was Hassa Al Sudairi. Salman and his six brothers make up what is referred to as the Sudairi Seven. He was raised in Murabba Palace.
Salman received his early education in the Princes' School in the capital city of Riyadh, a school established by Ibn Saud to provide education for his children. He studied religion and modern science. Salman's governmental experience dates back to the 1950s. King Abdulaziz appointed then-Prince Salman as his representative and the emir and acting mayor of Riyadh on 17 March 1954, when he was 19.] Later, he was appointed by King Saud as the official mayor of Riyadh at the rank of minister on 19 April 1955. He resigned this post on 25 December 1960. Salman was appointed governor of Riyadh Province on 4 February 1963. His tenure lasted for forty-eight years from 1963 to 2011. As governor, he contributed to the development of Riyadh from a mid-sized town into a major urban metropolis. He attracted tourism, capital projects and foreign investment inside his country. He favored geopolitical and economic relationships with the West. During his governorship, Salman recruited advisors from King Saud University. In January 2011, he ordered action against Riyadh beggars "who try to take advantage of the generosity of people". All foreign beggars were deported and Saudi beggars were placed in a rehabilitation program by the Ministry of Social Affairs. On 5 November 2011, Salman was appointed Minister of Defence, replacing his full brother, the late Crown Prince Sultan, and late Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz was named as the governor of the Riyadh Province. Prince Salman was also named as a member of the National Security Council (NSC) on the same day.
It is speculated that his appointment as defence minister occurred due to his qualities. First, he has a conciliatory and diplomatic nature. It is well known that he actively deals with internal family problems and mediates disputes between family members. Second, Salman belongs to the middle generation in the royal family; therefore, he could develop close ties with both generations socially and culturally. Last, as a result of his long-term governorship, he developed a network of relationships within Arab and international circles.
In April 2012, Salman visited both the United States and the United Kingdom where he met with U.S. President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron.Salman, as Crown Prince and perhaps continuing as King, headed the family council, called The Descendants’ Council (Majlis al Uthra in Arabic), that was established by King Fahd in 2000 to solve family matters, realizing consensus and to reduce publicly embarrassing behaviour of some family members. He is also the chairman of the following organizations: King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (KAFRA),[27] King Abdulaziz Museum,[28] the Prince Salman Center for Disability Research and the Prince Fahd bin Salman Charitable Society for the Care of Kidney Patients. In September 2012, Salman was named as the deputy chairman of the military service council. He is a strong advocate for philanthropy in poor Muslim nations such as Somalia, Sudan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
Influence. Salman is a mediator in settling royal conflicts among the extended Al Saud family – estimated at 4,000 princes. He is a prominent figure of the royal council, which allows him to select which princes will be delegated which responsibilities of the Kingdom.
Salman and his family own a media group, including pan-Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat and Al Eqtisadiah. Though he owns 10% of the Saudi Research and Marketing Group (SRMG), he is often referred by auditors as its owner. He reportedly controls the organization through his son Prince Faisal, who a former chairman of the concern. The SRMG publishes such daily papers as Arab News, Asharq Al-Awsat and Al Eqtisadiah through its subsidiary Saudi Research and Publishing Company (SRPC).
In a similar vein, Salman is reported to have some strong alliances with significant journalists. He is said to be close to Al Arabiya TV director and Asharq Al-Awsat journalist Abdelrahman Al Rashid and to Othman Al Omeir, who launched and is the owner of the liberal e-newspaper Elaph. King Salman is thought to have connections with the Elaph website.
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