In office 1998–2001 Parents Ibn Saud Monarch King Fahd House House of Saud | Successor Faisal bin Bandar Cousins Al Jawhara Name Abdul bin | |
Predecessor Sultan bin Abdurrahman Al Sudairi Successor Fahd bin Badr bin Abdulaziz In office March 1982 – March 1992 Siblings Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, Salman of Saudi Arabia Grandparents Abdul Rahman bin Faisal, Sarah al Sudairi Similar People Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, Ibn Saud, Salman of Saudi Arabia, Saud of Saudi Arabia, Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz | ||
Abdul Elah bin Abdulaziz (Arabic: عبد الإله بن عبد العزيز آل سعود), also spelled Abdulillah, born 1939) is a member of the House of Saud and was an adviser to the late King Abdullah.
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Early life
Prince Abdul Elah was born in 1939. He is the son of King Abdulaziz and Haya bint Sa'ad al Sudairi, a member of the powerful Sudairi family who died in Riyadh on 18 April 2003 at the age of 90. He is a full brother of the late Prince Badr, and the late Prince Abdul Majeed.
Career
Prince Abdul Elah served as the governor of Al-Qassim Province from March 1980 to March 1992. Then, he was appointed governor of Al Jawf Province in 1998 and served in this post until 2001. He accompanied King Abdullah on diplomatic trips abroad, when Abdullah was Crown Prince.
He is a member of the Allegiance Council. On 8 October 2008, he was appointed as adviser to King Abdullah with the rank of minister. He is an entrepreneur and chairman of the Arabian Jewelry Company, National Investment Company, and the National Automobile Company.
Prince Abdul Elah became an advisor to King Salman in January 2015.
Succession
Although Prince Abdul Elah bin Abdulaziz was considered a candidate for the throne by virtue of seniority, he had some drawbacks such as his ill-starred government career. Since he was twice removed from governorships, there were doubts about his competency. He was passed over in favor of Prince Muqrin for the post of Deputy Crown Prince and is thought to be out of the running for the Kingship.
Personal life
Prince Abdul Elah is married to Princess Salwa Al Ahmed, a medical doctor. His children, two sons and three daughters, are Abdul Aziz (born 1965), a stakeholder in Al-Rajhi Bank, Abdul Majid and Fahda (Twins, born 1993), Noura (born 2002) and Mashael (born 1967).