Father Talal bin Abdulaziz House House of Saud | Name Sara Talal Grandparents Ibn Saud, Munaiyir | |
 | ||
Mother Moudie bint Abdul Mohsen Alangary Parents Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Uncles Salman of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, Faisal of Saudi Arabia, Nawwaf bin Abdulaziz, Saud of Saudi Arabia Similar People Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Turki bin Talal bin Abdul Azi, Abdul‑Rahman bin Abdulaziz, Mansour bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Al‑Waleed bin Talal Born 1973 (age 49 years) | ||
Sara bint Talal (Arabic: سارة بنت طلال بن عبد العزيز آل سعود) is a Saudi princess and the daughter of Prince Talal.
Contents
- Facts
- Early years
- Activities and views
- Exile in the United Kingdom
- 2012 political asylum request
- Vocal opposition
- References
Facts
• Mother to four children, Sara bint Talal was previously married. She had been married to a royal cousin of hers, whom she divorced while she was still in her twenties.
• Sara bint Talal is the granddaughter of the founding king of Saudi Arabia. This makes her the first high-ranking Saudi Royal to seek refuge in a foreign country.
• While in refuge, Sara was offered protection by her uncle, Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, until his death in 2012. He was a close ally to her, and also held a grudge against Sara’s father.
Early years
Sara bint Talal was raised in Riyadh in the liberal, more progressive branch of Prince Talal. Her mother is Moudie bint Abdul Mohsen Alangary and she has a full-brother Turki bin Talal. She was nicknamed "little Barbie" because of her beauty and her material well-being but educated by a strict English caretaker. After studies at the King Saud University in Riyadh, she married a royal cousin but divorced in her twenties.
Activities and views
Princess Sara ran a local charity organization in Saudi Arabia in the mid-2000s. She stated after Crown Prince Abdullah became king in August 2005 that her father was also a contender for the Saudi throne. She also told the AFP "We, the Saudi people, want a clearer mechanism for succession... All (members of the royal family) agreed on Crown Prince Abdullah given that he is the eldest and best qualified. Prince Sultan was also agreed upon to become crown prince. But what happens next?" She accompanied her father while he was ambassador to UNICEF, visiting refugee camps.
Exile in the United Kingdom
BBC reports that she has been living in the United Kingdom since 2007 with her four children. The reason was reported to be a conflict with her father. It led her to be protected by her uncle, the late Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz, a rival of her father, until his death in June 2012. Princess Sara also experienced an inheritance dispute with her brother, Prince Turki, over their late mother’s £325 million fortune.
2012 political asylum request
With fear from political threats on her family, Princess Sara asked political asylum for herself and for her children in the United Kingdom on 8 July 2012. It is the first case of asking for political asylum by a senior member of the Saudi ruling family.
Vocal opposition
After her request for political asylum, Princess Sara expressed her support for reform in Saudi Arabia and for fighting against corruption in mid July 2012.