King of Saudi Arabia

The king of Saudi Arabia, officially the King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Arabic: ملك المملكة العربية السعودية), is the head of state and head of government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who holds absolute power. He is the head of the Saudi Arabian royal family, the House of Saud.^[1] The king is the commander-in-chief of the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces and the head of the Saudi national honors system. The king is called the "Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques" (خادم الحرمين الشريفين), a title that signifies Saudi Arabia's jurisdiction over the mosques of Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and Al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina. The title has been used many times through the history of Islam. The first Saudi king to use the title was Faisal; however, King Khalid did not use the title after him. In 1986, King Fahd replaced "His Majesty" with the title of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and it has been since used by both King Abdullah and King Salman.^[2] The king has been named the most powerful and influential Muslim and Arab leader in the world according to the Muslim 500.^[3]

King of Saudi Arabia
ملك المملكة العربية السعودية
Incumbent
Salman since 23 January 2015
Details
Style	Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (formal) His Majesty (diplomatic relations)
Heir presumptive	Mohammed
First monarch	Abdulaziz
Formation	23 September 1932
Residence	Al Yamamah Palace (Riyadh) Al Salam Palace (Jeddah)
Website	https://houseofsaud.com/

History

King Abdulaziz Al Saud, known in the West as Ibn Saud, regained his patrimony, which is known as today's Saudi Arabia in 1902. Restoring his family as emirs of Emirate of Riyadh, he then established the Sultanate of Nejd as his headquarters in 1922. Following the establishment of Riyadh as the capital of his state, Ibn Saud then captured Hejaz in 1925.^[4]

Ibn Saud proclaimed his dominions as the Sultanate of Nejd in 1921, shortly before completing the unification of the region. He was proclaimed king (malik) of Hejaz in 1926, and raised Nejd to a kingdom as well in 1927. For the next five years, Ibn Saud administered the two parts of his realm, the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd as separate units. On 23 September 1932, he formally united his territories into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.^[5][6]

Succession

Further information: Succession to the Saudi Arabian throne

The kings since Ibn Saud's death have all been his sons, and all likely immediate successors to the reigning King Salman will be from among his progeny.^[7] This makes the Saudi monarchy quite distinct from Western monarchies, which usually feature large, clearly defined royal families and orders of succession, and use the primogeniture system of succession. Muhammad bin Nayef was the first grandson of Ibn Saud to be in the line of succession before being deposed from the position of Crown Prince by a royal decree in 2017.^[8]

Other functions

The king of Saudi Arabia is also considered the head of the House of Saud and, until 2021, the prime minister. The crown prince was also the "deputy prime minister" until 2021 and is currently prime minister. The kings after Faisal have named a "second deputy prime minister" as the subsequent heir after the crown prince.

Opposition

Criticism of the King, religious leaders, or government is not allowed and can generally mean jail time for the critics. It can also result in death.^[9][10]

Kings of Saudi Arabia (1932–present)

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Abdulaziz Ibn Saud عبد العزيز	(1875-01-15)15 January 1875 – 9 November 1953(1953-11-09) (aged 78)	23 September 1932 (aged 57)	9 November 1953	Reign established by conquest Son of Imam Abdul Rahman and Sara bint Ahmed Al Sudairi	Saud
Saud سعود	(1902-01-12)12 January 1902 – 23 February 1969(1969-02-23) (aged 67)	9 November 1953 (aged 51)	2 November 1964 (abdicated)	Son of King Abdulaziz and Wadha bint Muhammad Al Orair	Saud
Faisal فيصل	(1906-04-14)14 April 1906 – 25 March 1975(1975-03-25) (aged 68)	2 November 1964 (aged 58)	25 March 1975 (assassinated)	Son of King Abdulaziz and Tarfa bint Abdullah Al Sheikh	Saud
Khalid خالد	(1913-02-13)13 February 1913 – 13 June 1982(1982-06-13) (aged 69)	25 March 1975 (aged 62)	13 June 1982	Son of King Abdulaziz and Al Jawhara bint Musaed Al Saud	Saud
Fahd فهد	(1921-03-16)16 March 1921 – 1 August 2005(2005-08-01) (aged 84)	13 June 1982 (aged 61)	1 August 2005	Son of King Abdulaziz and Hussa bint Ahmed Al Sudairi	Saud
Abdullah عبد الله	(1924-08-01)1 August 1924 – 23 January 2015(2015-01-23) (aged 90)	1 August 2005 (aged 81)	23 January 2015	Son of King Abdulaziz and Fahda bint Asi Al Shammari	Saud
Salman سلمان	(1935-12-31) 31 December 1935 (age 88)	23 January 2015 (aged 79)	Incumbent	Son of King Abdulaziz and Hussa bint Ahmed Al Sudairi	Saud

Current heir-presumptive

• Crown Prince: Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, born (1985-08-31) 31 August 1985 (age 39); son of King Salman and Fahda bint Falah Al Hithlain.^[11]

Royal Standard

See also: Flag of Saudi Arabia

• The Royal Flag consists of a green flag, with an Arabic inscription and a sword featured in white, and with the national emblem embroidered in gold in the lower right canton.^[12]

Royal Flag of the King

The script on the flag is written in the Thuluth script. It is the shahada or Islamic declaration of faith:

لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا الله مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ الله

lā ʾilāha ʾillā-llāh, muhammadun rasūlu-llāh

There is no god but God: Muhammad is the Messenger of God."^[13]

• The Royal Standard consists of a green flag, in the center of the national emblem embroidered with gold.

Timeline

See also

• List of rulers of Saudi Arabia

References

1. "Saudi Arabia - Government and society". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
2. "Story behind the king's title". Arab News. 27 January 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
3. "King Salman of Saudi Arabia Ranked as the Most Influential Muslim in 2023". 31 October 2022.
4. "History | The Embassy of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia". saudiembassy.net. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
5. "About Saudi Arabia". UNDP in Saudi Arabia. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
6. "History of Saudi Arabia. ( The Saudi National Day 23, Sep )". pmu.edu.sa. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
7. "Governance and Politics of Saudi Arabia". Fanack.com. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
8. "Mohammed bin Salman becomes Saudi Crown Prince with 31 out of 34 votes". Al Arabiya English. 21 June 2017. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
9. "Saudi expats launch opposition party on anniversary of Jamal Khashoggi's death". TheGuardian.com. 2 October 2020.
10. Saudi Arabia: Events of 2019. 12 December 2019.
11. "Who is Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed?". BBC News. 22 October 2018. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
12. "Royal Standard (Saudi Arabia)". crwflags.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
13. "About Saudi Arabia: Facts and figures". The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Washington D.C. Archived from the original on 17 April 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2012.