World: The House of Saud: Solidarity Forever

It is the world’s largest royal family. It includes an estimated 5,000 princes, and its female members are, quite literally, uncounted. More than a clan, less than a tribe, the House of Saud has a solidarity that accounts in large measure for Saudi Arabia’s political stability today.

The ruling family dates back to the 18th century, when the head of the tiny emirate of Dariyah (near Riyadh), Mohammed ibn Saud, formed an alliance with Mohammed ibn Abdul Wahhab, the fiery leader of a puritanical Islamic movement; his Wahhabi sect still holds sway in Saudi Arabia. This combination of tribal military skill and religious fanaticism did dominate central Arabia for 75 years, until it was crushed by an invading Egyptian army acting at the behest of the Ottoman rulers in Constantinople.

The House of Saud had a powerful revival at the beginning of the 20th century, when its leader was the great Abdul Aziz, generally known as Ibn Saud. With the support of the Wahhabis, he reconquered Riyadh and began to establish the modern kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Abdul Aziz died in 1953, at about age 73, and has been succeeded by his sons Saud (1953-64), Faisal (1964-75) and the present King Khalid.

If Saudi Arabia is underpopulated today, it is not the fault of Abdul Aziz and his descendants. The old lion begat 44 sons and an unknown number of daughters; Saud had 52 sons and 54 daughters. All told, it is estimated that at least 2,000 Saudi princes, including sons, grandsons and great-grandsons, are descended from Abdul Aziz.

The modern House of Saud comprises the descendants of Abdul Aziz and his five brothers. Supreme power is held by the “Inner Six,” a council made up of the heads of the family’s six principal branches. Oddly enough, neither King Khalid nor Crown Prince Fahd is a member of the Inner Six; their branch of the family, that of Abdul Aziz, is represented by an older brother, Mohammed, who long ago renounced his claim to the throne.

Family solidarity is all important. Once a council of the House of Saud has made a decision, no prince, however influential, dares challenge it. The power of the Inner Six was proved in the late ’50s, when Faisal, then Crown Prince, tried to become King on the ground that his profligate brother Saud was bankrupting the country. The council said no, and Faisal obeyed. By 1964 both Saud and the country’s finances had deteriorated to the point where the Inner Six was forced to take action. The King was deposed and died in exile in Athens in 1969 after being replaced by Faisal.

The Inner Six also decreed and arranged the peaceful succession that took place after Faisal was assassinated by a mentally deranged young member of his family, Prince Faisal bin Musaed, in 1975. Before the King’s death, there had been talk that he should be succeeded by the able, energetic Fahd, even though Khalid was Crown Prince. In addition to his proven skills, Fahd was one of the “Sudairi Seven”—seven brothers born to Abdul Aziz by one of his favorite wives. (Among the other powerful Sudairis: Prince Sultan, the present Minister of Defense; Prince Salman, the governor of Riyadh; Prince Naif, Minister of the Interior.)

As of now, Fahd would almost surely succeed Khalid as King. The new Crown Prince would probably be Prince Abdullah, 57, currently Saudi Arabia’s Second Deputy Prime Minister, although there are rumors that Fahd’s ambitious brother Sultan has been lobbying within family circles for the post. Meanwhile, some promising third-generation royals are beginning to make their mark, most notably the eight sons of the late King Faisal. Among them are Abdullah, a businessman and poet; Saud, the urbane, Princeton-educated Foreign Minister; Khalid, governor of the remote Asir region; and Bandar, a member of the military staff. A rising star among the sons is Turki, 34, who heads the country’s intelligence directorate and recently lobbied in Washington for the F-15 sale. His mother, Queen Iffat, often says, with a tap on her forehead, “Turki has it here.”

It could be quite a while before any of the younger princes would be considered as a potential heir to the throne. Family custom has been that Kings are chosen from the sons of Abdul Aziz. Since Khalid has at least 28 living younger brothers, the next generation will have to wait its turn for power.