Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud

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Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
نايف بن عبدالعزيز آل سعود
Former Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia
File:Nayef bin AbdulAziz.jpg
Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia
First Deputy Prime Minister
Tenure 27 October 2011 – 16 June 2012
Predecessor Sultan
Successor Salman
Monarch Abdullah
Second Deputy Prime Minister
Tenure 27 March 2009 – 27 October 2011
Predecessor Sultan
Successor Muqrin
Monarch Abdullah
Minister of Interior
Tenure 11 October 1975 – 16 June 2012
Predecessor Fahd
Successor Ahmed
Monarch
See list
Born 1934
Taif, Saudi Arabia
Died 16 June 2012 (aged 77)
Geneva, Switzerland
Burial 17 June 2012
Al Adl cemetery, Mecca
Issue Princess Jawahir
Princess Noura
Prince Saud
Crown Prince Muhammad
House House of Saud
Father Abdulaziz
Mother Hassa bint Ahmed Al Sudairi
Religion Sunni Islam

Naif bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (Arabic: نايف بن عبد العزيز آل سعود‎‎, Nāyif ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azīz Āl Sa‘ūd), also spelled Nayef or Naeif (1934 – 16 June 2012), was the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia as well as first deputy prime minister from 2011 to 2012. He was also minister of interior from 1975 to 2012.

Early life and education

Nayef bin Abdulaziz was born in Ta'if in 1934[1] to Ibn Saud (King Abdulaziz) and Hassa bint Ahmed Al Sudairi, making him one of the Sudairi Seven.[2] He was the twenty-third son of King Abdulaziz.[3][4][5]

Prince Nayef received education at Princes' School and from senior ulema (Muslim legal scholars). Additionally, he was educated in diplomacy and security affairs.[6]

Early experience

From 1952 to 1953, Prince Nayef served as vice governor of Riyadh Province. In 1953, he was appointed as the governor of Riyadh province.[7] He stayed in this post for one year.[8] Then he served as governor of Madinah Province.[7] In 1970, King Faisal appointed him to both deputy interior minister and minister of state for internal affairs.[9]

Minister of Interior

In March 1975, after King Faisal's assassination, then-minister of interior Prince Fahd became the crown prince and Prince Nayef was appointed as the minister of interior by King Khalid.

Timeline

In December 1994, he ordered hundreds of terrorism-related arrests with the support of Prince Turki, head of Saudi intelligence services.[2]

In April 2001, he, not foreign minister Saud al Faisal, went to Iran as Saudi envoy in an unprecedented move. He issued all women in Saudi Arabia identity cards. Women were previously registered under their husband's or father's name in November 2001.[2] After the September 11 attacks, as the man in charge of the Saudi investigation he received US criticism for his continuing to insist that the Saudi hijackers were dupes in a Zionist plot for over a year after 9/11,[10] and for not undertaking sufficient action against extremists.[11]

In 2003, Prince Nayef, who was in charge of foreign labor, decreed that foreign workers and their family members should not exceed 20 percent of the Saudi population in 2013.[12] Senator Charles Schumer lobbied through Prince Bandar to remove Prince Nayef as Minister of Interior in July 2003.[13]

Between 2003 and 2006, he led Saudi Arabia's confrontation against Al Qaeda, which sponsored a series of domestic attacks on expatriate housing compounds, oil infrastructure, and industrial facilities. His political stance was strengthened because of increased media exposure and the successful end to terrorist attacks.[14]

Styles of
Crown Prince Nayef
Coat of arms of Saudi Arabia.svg
Reference style His Royal Highness
Spoken style Your Royal Highness

In March 2011, during the 2011 Saudi Arabian protests, 200 people who called for more information on their imprisoned relatives were denied a meeting with Nayef.[15]

Second deputy prime minister

Since Crown Prince Sultan could not deal with demanding duties due to his extended absences for treatment and King Abdullah was about to travel to Doha to attend the League of Arab States Summit before going to London for the G20 summit, it was imperative to leave a senior official in charge, which added burdens to the leukemia-suffering 76-year-old Nayef.[16] Therefore, on 27 March 2009, Prince Nayef became second deputy prime minister.[17][18] His appointment caused a rare public split in the royal family. Prince Talal asked the King to clarify that the appointment did not necessarily mean that Nayef would become Crown Prince.[19]

His appointment as second deputy prime minister expanded Prince Nayef's influence into all corners of Saudi domestic policy and allowed him to participate in the development of foreign policy. He was not expected to interfere in economic matters, but to influence the judiciary.[14]

Prince Nayef chaired many cabinet meetings when King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan were away for health reasons.[14] Critics said he was behind the cancellation of the nation's only film festival in the summer of 2009.[14] In November 2010, he undertook all Hajj-related responsibilities.[20] In some government offices, his picture was added next to King Abdulaziz, King Abdullah, and Crown Prince Sultan.

Crown Prince and first deputy prime minister

Prince Nayef was appointed Crown Prince and first deputy prime minister by King Abdullah on 27 October 2011, five days after the death of his full brother, Prince Sultan.[21][22] Shortly thereafter he vowed that Saudi Arabia would "never sway from and never compromise on" its adherence to Wahhabi doctrine which he stated was "the source of the kingdom's pride, success and progress."[23]

During his time as Crown Prince, Nayef brought about modernizations such as "removing religious authorities who objected to the mingling of men and women in public spaces."[24]

Influence

Prince Nayef's career was propelled by his full-brother King Fahd. Under Fahd, the ministry of interior became one of the most influential bureaucracies in Saudi Arabia. Prince Nayef served as a mediator in disputes between King Fahd and Prince Sultan. As King Fahd's health deteriorated, his power gradually diminished as well. As Crown Prince, Prince Nayef was the most influential of the Sudairi Seven. He delegated the day-to-day responsibilities of his ministry to his son, Prince Muhammad and then-deputy minister Prince Ahmed. Prince Nayef had members of the ministry of interior placed in all overseas embassies.[2]

In 2003, he "threatened to cancel certain business deals with the French government" if the narcotics investigation of Nayef bin Sultan bin Fawwaz al-Shaalan continued.[25]

When meeting with US diplomats in 2009, he voiced support for aggressive activity against Iran after what he believed was a breach of the 2001 security agreement. He urged European nations to turn in suspected terrorists and asked for US intercession. He said the most effective way to combat extremism was through Friday sermons.[26]

Various positions

Prince Nayef served for a time as the supervisor general of the Saudi committee for the Al Quds intifada, which provided aid to Palestinian refugees. He headed the supreme council on information, which oversaw the media and regulated the internet in the country.[27] He also chaired the supreme committee on the Hajj and headed the ministerial committee on morality and the ministerial oversight committee on the World Trade Organization.[27]

Views

Prince Nayef was considered to be one of the more conservative, but also pragmatic, members of the Al Saud family.[14] He viewed the potential erosion of the official Wahhabi-Salafi doctrine as a diminishing of the core legitimacy of the state itself and resisted such moves, not from a pronounced sense of religious devotion, but rather a desire to maintain a firm grip on the levers of state power.[28][29]

In November 2002, Prince Nayef said, "It is impossible that 19 youths carried out the operation of September 11, or that bin Laden or al Qaeda did that alone. ... I think [the Zionists] are behind these events."[30] He later proposed that Americans visiting the kingdom should be fingerprinted like visitors to the United States.[31]

According to leaked cables, Prince Nayef argued for a tougher approach than King Abdullah towards the then Yemeni president Saleh in 2009.[32] Leaked cables also argued that his views on Iran were more sophisticated and comprehensive than those of King Abdullah.[33]

His motto was "no to change, yes to development".[34] He believed that no change is necessary in Saudi Arabia: “Change means changing something that already exists. Whatever exists in the Kingdom is already well-established; however, there is a scope for development – development that does not clash with the principles of the nation”.[34] In a similar vein, in March 2009, he publicly stated that he saw no need for either elections or women in government.[31]

After visiting Cleveland for planned health-tests in March 2012, Prince Nayef addressed the controversy over the participation of Saudi women athletes at the 2012 Summer Olympic games in London from his residence in Algeria. According to Al Hayat, he said that women can represent Saudi Arabia at the Olympics as long as they do not break Islamic laws.[35] His approval was conditioned on women competing in sports that "meet the standards of women's decency and don't contradict Islamic laws", though even this concession seemed surprising.[35] However, only a few days later, his statement led to other statements by Saudi officials. At a press conference in Jeddah, the head of the Saudi Olympic Committee, Nawwaf bin Faisal, explicitly stated that Saudi women athletes would not be sent to the Olympics: "We are not endorsing any Saudi female participation at the moment in the Olympics or other international championships."[35] He further added that Saudi women taking part on their own are free to do so, and the Kingdom's Olympic authority would "help in ensuring that their participation does not violate the Islamic shari'a law."[35] Though he did emphasize that this was in accordance with a previously stated position, it did seem a rebuff to Crown Prince Nayef.[35]

Personality

Prince Nayef, before being appointed second deputy prime minister in 2009, was generally described as elusive, ambiguous, pragmatic, unimaginative, shrewd, and outspoken. According to leaked cables, he had a reputation of being anti-Western, but tended to do business if there were shared interests. It is further stated that his conservative approach did not reflect his personal religious personality (indeed, he was rumored to be a heavy drinker in his younger days). However, his conservative views allowed him to gain support from social and religious conservatives. He seemed to be reserved and even a bit shy. He was described as neither well-spoken nor articulate, and had a tendency to repeat platitudes in private as well as in public. He did appear to understand and speak at least some English. On the other hand, Prince Nayef was considered by other princes to be one of the kinder members of his royal generation in his approach towards nephews and nieces.[33][36]

Prince Nayef and his full brother and then-deputy interior minister, Prince Ahmed, were reported to pay massive bonuses to successful security officers. They both also had a reputation for honesty and using the security budget only for the stated purposes, not enriching themselves.[37]

Personal life

Prince Nayef married three times. He was the father of ten children.[38]

His first wife was Noura Alfarraj Alsubaie. Later, they divorced.[39] His child from this marriage is Jawahir, wife of late King Fahd's son, Mohammed bin Fahd, who is former governor of Eastern Province.[40] Jawahir bint Nayef was raised by her aunt Jawaher bint Abdulaziz.[39]

Al Jawhara bint Abdulaziz bin Musaid Al Jiluwi was his second spouse.[41] His children from this marriage are Muhammad, Noura, Saud and Sara.[41]

Maha bint Mohammed bin Ahmad al-Sudairi is another spouse. They later divorced.[42] Their children are: Nouf, Nawwaf, Mishail, Hayfa and Fahd.[43] In March 2013, lawyers for the Shangri-La Hotel in Paris won a legal bid at a court in Nanterre, near Paris, to have her assets in France seized, after she was caught absconding in June 2012 owing US$7.5 million having occupied with the entourage a 41-room floor for about 6 months. She is known to have bought three units in central Paris, and goods from her shopping trips around the French capital were believed to have been stored there including leather goods, artworks, jewellery, and clothing worth up to US$15 million.[44]

Illness

Prince Nayef was said to be suffering from diabetes mellitus and osteoporosis[45] as well as leukemia.[35] In March 2012, he went to Morocco for a "private vacation",[46] then to Cleveland for pre-planned medical tests. This news raised some speculation about his health and Saudi succession.[47] He returned to Saudi Arabia after staying in Algeria in April 2012.[48]

Prince Nayef again left Saudi Arabia for medical tests on 26 May 2012.[49] Although it was unknown where Prince Nayef went, Prince Ahmed stated in Al Watan on 3 June 2012 that he was "well and in good health ... and he will soon return to Saudi Arabia".[48] After his death in June 2012, it was reported that Prince Nayef had gone to Geneva on 26 May 2012 for treatment for a knee ailment.[50][51]

Death and funeral

On 16 June 2012 at about 1 pm (UTC+3), Saudi state television reported that Crown Prince Nayef had died.[52][53] According to Reuters, he died in Geneva, Switzerland.[54] A medical source in Geneva said that Nayef died of "cardiac problems" while staying at his brother's residence there.[55] His body was kept at the Geneva Mosque before being taken to Jeddah.[51]

The royal court stated that his funeral would be held on 17 June 2012.[56] It was reported that Crown Prince Nayef's body was brought from Geneva to Jeddah.[57] Funeral prayers were held in the Masjid al-Haram, also known as the Grand Mosque, in Mecca after sunset prayer, led by Sheikh Saud Ash-Shuraim.[58] His body was buried in an unmarked grave in Al Adl cemetery in Mecca as per his wish on 17 June 2012.[55][59]

Major political figures sent their condolences to King Abdullah, including US President Barack Obama, French President François Hollande, UK Foreign Minister William Hague, King Abdullah II of Jordan, Turkish President Abdullah Gul, and other leaders of Arab and Persian Gulf States.[50][60]

Legacy

On 6 July 2012, King Abdullah renamed the Qassim Regional Airport in Buraidah as the Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Airport.[61]

Honours and awards

Prince Nayef was the recipient of several honours, including the military Order of the Cloud and Banner by Taiwan (1977), the Legion of Honor by France (1977), the Al Kawkab Decoration by Jordan (1977), the Order of National Security by Republic of South Korea (1980), and the National Order of the Cedar by Lebanon (2009).[62] In addition, he was awarded the followings;[62]

Posthumously Prince Nayef was honoured by the United Nations with the Outstanding Donor Award for the Special Human Settlements Programme for the Palestinian People on 28 June 2013.[63][64]

Ancestry

Family of Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 16. Turki bin Abdullah bin Muhammad
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 8. Faisal bin Turki bin Abdullah Al Saud
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 17. Hia bint Hamad bin Ali Al Faqih Angari Tamimi
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 4. Abdul Rahman bin Faisal
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 18. Mishari bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al Saud
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 9. Sarah bint Mishari bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al Saud
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2. Abdulaziz ibn Saud
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 20. Mohammed bin Turki bin Suleiman Al Sudairi
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 10. Ahmed Al Kabir bin Mohammed bin Turki Al Sudairi
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 5. Sarah bint Ahmed Al Kabir bin Mohammed Al Sudairi
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1. Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 24. Ahmed Al Kabir bin Mohammed bin Turki Al Sudairi (= 10)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 12. Muhammed bin Ahmed Al Kabir Al Sudairi
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 6. Ahmed bin Muhammed Al Sudairi
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 3. Hassa bint Ahmed Al Sudairi
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 28. Mohammed Al Suwaidi
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 14. Ali bin Mohammed Al Suwaidi
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 7. Sharifa bint Ali bin Mohammed Al Suwaidi
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Al Sudairi Clan. Global Security. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Presidential assistant Brennan's Sept 5 discussion. Wikileaks. 11 September 2009.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Who is Prince Nayef?. The Weekly Standard (23 December 2002). Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Kingdom of saudi will continue to follow Salafi ideology
  30. ↑ Arab Press Says Jews Perpetrated 9/11 Attacks. The New York Sun. 30 August 2006. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Simon Henderson Desert Schism: Prince Nayef Bids for Saudi Throne. The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. 31 March 2009
  32. ↑ Yemeni Tribal Leader: For Saleh, Saudi Involvement In Sa'Ada Comes Not A Moment Too Soon| الأخبار. Al Akhbar, 28 December 2009. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 35.3 35.4 35.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  40. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  42. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  43. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  44. ↑ The runaway shopaholic Saudi princess who left IOU notes for millions has her assets seized, Ian Sparks, The Sydney Morning Herald from The Daily Telegraph, 8 March 2013
  45. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  46. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  47. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  48. ↑ 48.0 48.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  49. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  50. ↑ 50.0 50.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  51. ↑ 51.0 51.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  52. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  53. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  54. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  55. ↑ 55.0 55.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  56. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  57. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  58. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  59. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  60. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  61. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  62. ↑ 62.0 62.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  63. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  64. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

Saudi Arabian royalty
Preceded by Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia
27 October 2011 – 16 June 2012		 Succeeded by
Salman
Political offices
Preceded by
Vice Governor of Riyadh Province
1952–1953		 Succeeded by
Preceded by Governor of Riyadh Province
1953–1955		 Succeeded by
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Preceded by Deputy Minister of Interior and Minister of State for Internal Affairs
1970 – March 1975		 Succeeded by
Vacant
Preceded by Minister of Interior
1975–2012		 Succeeded by
Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Preceded by Second Deputy Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia
March 2009 – 27 October 2011		 Succeeded by
Muqrin bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Preceded by First Deputy Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia
27 October 2011 – 16 June 2012		 Succeeded by
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

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