Salman of Saudi Arabia

Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (سلمان بن عبد العزیز آل سعود ; born 31 December 1935) is King of Saudi Arabia, reigning since 2015 and had previously served as Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2022.

Salman was born on 31 December 1935, and is reported to be the 25th son of King Abdulaziz, the first monarch and founder of Saudi Arabia.

Salman and his six full brothers make up the Sudairi Seven.

He was raised in the Murabba Palace.

Salman received his early education at the Princes' School in the capital city of Riyadh, a school established by King Abdulaziz specifically to provide education for his children.

He studied religion and modern science.

Salman was appointed Deputy Governor of Riyadh Province on 17 March 1954, aged 19, and held the post until 19 April 1955.

He was the deputy governor of Riyadh and later the governor of Riyadh for 48 years from 1963 to 2011.

He was then appointed minister of defense.

He was appointed the governor of the same provincial on 5 February 1963, and remained in that office until 5 November 2011, a period of almost half a century.

As governor, he contributed to the development of Riyadh from a mid-sized town into a major urban metropolis.

He served as an important liaison to attract tourism, capital projects, and foreign investment to his country.

He favored political and economic relationships with the West.

During his governorship, Salman recruited advisors from King Saud University.

During Salman's five decades as Riyadh governor, he became adept at managing the delicate balance of clerical, tribal, and princely interests that determine Saudi policy.

He was also the chairman of the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (KAFRA), King Abdulaziz Museum, the Prince Salman Center for Disability Research and the Prince Fahd bin Salman Charitable Society for the Care of Kidney Patients.

King Salman also undertook several foreign tours while he was governor.

In 1974, he visited Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar to strengthen Saudi Arabia's relationship with those nations.

During his visit to Montreal, Canada in 1991, he inaugurated a gallery.

In 1996, he was received in the Élysée Palace in Paris by the then-French president Jacques Chirac.

The same year he toured Bosnia and Herzegovina to give donations to the Muslim citizens of the country.

Being a part of an Asian tour in 1998, Salman visited Pakistan, Japan, Brunei and China.

According to The Washington Post, the late Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi "criticized Prince Salman, then governor of Riyadh and head of the Saudi committee for support to the Afghan mujahideen, for unwisely funding Salafist extremist groups that were undermining the war [in Afghanistan against the Soviets]."

Under Salman, Riyadh became one of the richest cities in the Middle East and an important place for trade and commerce.

There were also infrastructural advances including schools, universities, and sports stadiums.

About the province, he said:

"Every village or town in the Riyadh Region is dear to me, and holds a special place in my heart ... I witnessed every step taken by the city of Riyadh, and for this reason, it is difficult for me to think about being far away from Riyadh."

On 5 November 2011, Salman was appointed Minister of Defense, replacing his full brother, the Crown Prince Sultan.

Sattam bin Abdulaziz was named governor of Riyadh Province.

Prior to his accession, he was Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia from 18 June 2012 to 23 January 2015.

Salman is the third oldest living head of state, the oldest living monarch, and Saudi Arabia's first head of state born after the unification of Saudi Arabia.

He has a reported personal wealth of at least $18 billion, which makes him the third wealthiest royal in the world and one of the wealthiest individuals in the world.

Salman is a son of King Abdulaziz and Hassa bint Ahmed Al Sudairi, making him one of the Sudairi Seven.

He was named crown prince in 2012.

The 25th son of King Abdulaziz, the founder of Saudi Arabia, he assumed the throne on 23 January 2015.

Salman became king in 2015 upon the death of his half-brother, King Abdullah.

Since January 2024, he is the oldest surviving son of King Abdulaziz.

Salman's major initiatives as king include the Saudi intervention in the Yemeni Civil War, Saudi Vision 2030, and a 2017 decree allowing Saudi women to drive.

His seventh son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is considered the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, due to the King's poor health and his own political maneuvering.

Mohammed replaced his father as prime minister in 2022.