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Faisal bin Abdullah Al Saud (Arabic: فيصل بن عبدالله آل سعود, romanized: Fayṣal bin ʿAbdullāh Āl Saʿūd; born 23 July 1978) is a member of the House of Saud, one of the grandsons of Saudi Arabia's founder King Abdulaziz, and was head of the Saudi Arabian Red Crescent Society. He has been in detention since March 2020.

Early life and education

Prince Faisal was born on 23 July 1978. He is the fifth son of King Abdullah who ruled Saudi Arabia from 2005 to his death in January 2015. His mother is Hessa bint Trad Al Shaalan, who is the most prominent wife of King Abdullah. Prince Faisal has six blood siblings, including Mansour bin Abdullah. One of his full sisters is Abeer bint Abdullah who is the wife of Fahd bin Turki.

Prince Faisal attended Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, but he could not complete his education and dropped. He graduated from the American University in London in 1983. He also attended and completed a special course in security and intelligence studies with the British Army in 1988.

Career

Faisal bin Abdullah was one of Crown Prince Abdullah's advisors. In 1991, he was appointed director general of the Department of Documents and Information at the National Guard and served there until 2000. Faisal then served as an advisor to the head of General Intelligence from 2000 to 2006. He was named as the head of the Saudi Arabian Red Crescent Society with the rank of minister on 20 November 2006. He was removed from the office on 18 July 2016 without any official announcement. He was replaced by Mohammad Al Qassem in the post.

Faisal bin Abdullah also has some business activities.

Controversy and detention

Faisal bin Abdullah filed a lawsuit due to perceived defamation against one of Al Watan journalists, Saleh al Shehy in June 2007.

He was arrested in November 2017 together with other senior members of the royal family. He was freed in December 2017 following a financial settlement, but an arbitrary travel ban was imposed on him.

It was reported by Human Rights Watch in May 2020 that he had been detained again on 27 March 2020. He was taken by the Saudi security forces from his house near Riyadh.

Personal life

Former wife of Faisal bin Abdullah was Noura bint Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, a daughter of Ahmed bin Abdulaziz. They have three children. Later they divorced.

In 2001, Faisal bin Abdullah married Fahda Hussain Abdulrahman Al Athel. In 2016, they divorced.

While he was in the United States in 2015, Faisal bin Abdullah survived a heart attack.

In 2022, it was reported that Faisal bin Abdullah was "foot-dragging" in connection with the sale of a $16.8 million mansion in Beverly Hills, which he bought with his then-wife Fahda Hussain Abdulrahman Al Athel.

References

1. "Faisal Abdullah Abdulaziz". Dhownet. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
2. "تعرّف على أبناء وبنات الملك عبد الله الـ36". Al Sharq (in Arabic). 23 January 2015. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
3. ^ "فيصل بن عبد الله.. تعرّف إلى الأمير الذي أُقصي "دون ضجيج"". Arabi 21 (in Arabic). 13 May 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
4. "Saudi Embassy Hosts Reception and Photo Exhibit for Breast Cancer Awareness". PR Newswire. 18 November 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
5. Sherif Omar (4 September 2020). "إقصاء فهد بن تركي.. ابن سلمان يضرب قوّتين من العائلة مجددا". Arabi 21 (in Arabic). Retrieved 24 September 2020.
6. ^ Joseph A. Kéchichian (2001). Succession In Saudi Arabia. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 11. ISBN 978-0-312-23880-3.
7. ^ "Prince Faisal bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz appointed chief of Saudi Red Crescent". Saudi Press Agency. 20 November 2006. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
8. Joseph A. Kechichian (February 2000). "Saudi Arabia's will to power". Middle East Policy. VII (2): 47–60. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4967.2000.tb00148.x.
9. Brian Lees (March 2006). "The Al Saud family and the future of Saudi Arabia". Asian Affairs. XXXVII (1): 36–49. doi:10.1080/03068370500457411. S2CID 162227738.
10. ^ "King Abdullah appoints new Saudi Red Crescent head" (PDF). Saudi Royal Embassy Washington DC. 21 November 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 February 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
11. Asif Anwar Alig (12 December 2012). "Saudi Crescent Authority President Prince Faisal bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Visits PMU". Asian Tribune. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
12. "2008 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices". United States Department of State. 25 February 2009. Archived from the original on 16 April 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
13. ^ "Saudi Arabia: Prince in Incommunicado Detention". Human Rights Watch. 9 May 2020. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
14. Rania El Gamal; Katie Paul (28 December 2017). "Two Saudi princes released from detention in anti-corruption probe: source". Reuters. Dubai; Riyadh. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
15. "هيومان رايتس ووتش: السلطات السعودية تحتجز الأمير فيصل بن عبد الله". BBC Arabic (in Arabic). 9 May 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
16. ^ "تعرف على أسماء أبناء الملك عبد الله الـ 36.. أكبرهم متعب الأول وأصغرهم الأمير بندر". El Balad (in Arabic). 23 January 2015. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
17. "Saudi royals fight over US$34 million, 18-bedroom California mansion". Bloomberg News. 23 May 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
18. Randall Chase (6 March 2019). "Judge mulls arguments over mansion in Saudi royals' divorce". ABC News. Associated Press. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
19. Jef Feeley (1 November 2022). "Saudi Royals' Empty Pool, Stained Carpets Hold Up Beverly Hills Mansion Sale". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on 2 November 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

• 20th-century Saudi Arabian businesspeople
• 21st-century Saudi Arabian businesspeople
• 21st-century Saudi Arabian politicians
• 1978 births
• Children of Abdullah of Saudi Arabia
• Living people
• Government ministers of Saudi Arabia
• Saudi Arabian prisoners and detainees
• Princes of Saudi Arabia
• Sons of kings