Muqrin bin Abdulaziz

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In this
Al Saud
.
Muqrin bin Abdulaziz
First Deputy Prime Minister
Tenure23 January 2015 – 29 April 2015
King and Prime Minister
PredecessorSalman bin Abdulaziz
SuccessorMuhammad bin Nayef
  • Deputy Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia
  • Second Deputy Prime Minister
Tenure27 March 2014 – 23 January 2015
King and Prime Minister
Predecessor
Al Mukhabarat Al A'amah
TenureOctober 2005 – 19 July 2012
Monarch
Abdullah
Predecessor
Madinah Province
Tenure1999–2005
Appointed by
King Fahd
Predecessor
Hail Province
Tenure1980–1999
Appointed by
King Khalid
PredecessorNasser Al Sheikh
Successor
King Abdulaziz
MotherBaraka Al Yamaniyah
OccupationPolitician • businessman • air force pilot
Military service
Service/branchRoyal Saudi Air Force
Years of service1965–1980

Muqrin bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (

concubine Baraka. Since the death of Abdulaziz's 36th son Hamoud in 1994, Muqrin has been the youngest surviving son of the king.[2][3]

Prince Muqrin served as the director general of

special envoy with the rank of minister. On 27 March 2014, he was named deputy crown prince making him second in the line of succession behind his half-brother Salman.[4] On 23 January 2015, upon King Abdullah's death and the accession of Salman, Muqrin became crown prince[5] and first deputy prime minister. Only three months later, on 29 April 2015, King Salman dismissed Muqrin, replacing him with his nephew Muhammad bin Nayef.[6]

Early life and education

Muqrin bin Abdulaziz was born in Riyadh on 15 September 1945.[1][7][8] He is the 35th son of King Abdulaziz. His mother, Baraka Al Yamaniyah, was a Yemeni of African descent[8][9] and was a concubine of King Abdulaziz.[7] She died in Riyadh on 22 August 2018.[10]

Muqrin studied at the Riyadh Model Institute.

RAF College Cranwell and graduated with a degree in aeronautics at the rank of flight lieutenant in 1968.[2][11] He also received a diploma from the General Staff course in the United States in 1974.[2]

Career

Muqrin bin Abdulaziz was an air force pilot.[12] In 1965, he joined the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF).[13] He was named commander of the RSAF's 2nd air squadron in 1970. He had served in several positions in the RSAF from 1973 to 1977 before being appointed the adjutant to the director of air operations.[2] He then was elevated to president of operations and planning for the RSAF.[14] He left the RSAF in 1980.[13]

Governorship

On 18 March 1980,

Hail replacing Nasser Al Sheikh in the post,[15] and his tenure lasted until 1999.[16] During his tenure Prince Muqrin reformed the local government of Hail with the assistance from the Institute of Public Administration and improved the living conditions of the tribes in the region.[17] He also contributed to the agricultural activities of the region.[17]

On 24 November 1999, Prince Muqrin was appointed governor of

Abdulaziz bin Majid succeeded him as governor of Madinah Province.[20]

Director General of Al Mukhabarat Al A'amah

On 22 October 2005, King Abdullah appointed Prince Muqrin as director general of Saudi Arabia's intelligence agency Al Mukhabarat Al A'amah.

Prince Nawwaf.[22][23]

Prince Muqrin organized a conference on combating internet militancy, particularly used by

Bandar bin Sultan.[27] It was argued by media that Prince Muqrin had been criticized during his term due to his approach towards some sensitive issues.[28] On the other hand, Prince Muqrin was named advisor at the rank of minister and a special envoy to King Abdullah the same day.[27][29] His responsibility was stated to be the affairs in southeast Asia.[30]

Activities

Prince Muqrin played an active role in Pakistani politics during his term at the Al Mukhabarat Al A'amah.

the Jeddah airport.[34] Prince Muqrin was also involved in political reconciliation efforts in Pakistan.[35][36]

On the other hand, Muqrin bin Abdulaziz and then foreign minister

nuclear arms, had very negative effects on the region and therefore, might cause an arms race among the Gulf states.[38]

Business activities

Muqrin bin Abdulaziz also has business activities. He was one of the founders of the

Dar Al Maal Al Islami Trust which was initiated by Mohammed bin Faisal Al Saud, King Faisal's son, in 1981.[39] During his tenure as the governor of Hail province, he founded Hail Agricultural Development Company in 1982.[40][41] In the late 1980s, the company was the largest wheat producer in the country.[40]

Succession

Main article: Succession to the Saudi Arabian throne
King Salman
(right), named him as crown prince.

Eligibility

Given his governmental experience, Prince Muqrin was considered a candidate for accession to the throne (after after Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the crown prince since 2005, fell ill in 2011).[42][43][44] However, his maternal line was seen as a factor curtailing Muqrin's chance of becoming king;[24] his mother was a Yemeni maidservant,[45] and he did not belong to the dominant Sudairi faction of the royal house.[46] He was considered a longtime ally and confidant of King Abdullah,[46][45] and a liberal within the family.[26][47] However, the Institute for Gulf Affairs reported in 2012 that, in an exchanges of letters with his half-brother, Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz, Prince Muqrin argued for a harsher response to Shia unrest in the Eastern Province, an approach apparently vetoed by the crown prince.[47]

Second Deputy Prime Minister

Prince Muqrin was appointed as second deputy prime minister by King Abdullah on 1 February 2013,[48] although he was not seen as a potential contender for the post by analysts.[26][49] This post, which had been vacant since October 2011, is regarded as second in line to the Saudi throne.[48][50] In practical terms, in this role Prince Muqrin was expected to handle daily running of the country whenever King Abdullah and Crown Prince Salman were out of the country or could not deal with daily administrative affairs due to health concerns.[48] In addition to the post of second deputy prime minister, Prince Muqrin kept his other two previous posts, namely adviser to and special envoy of King Abdullah.[51]

Deputy Crown Prince

After almost a year with the post of second deputy prime minister vacant, Prince Muqrin was formally designated by royal decree in 2013. This meant that he was informally next in line, bypassing several senior princes. In order to make his place in the line of succession permanent and preclude any challenges by any of the dispossessed royals, King Abdullah polled each member of the Allegiance Council individually before announcing Muqrin's new title.[52] Three-quarters of the Council members supported Prince Muqrin's new post.[45]

Prince Muqrin's nomination, according to Reuters, gave more assurance to the kingdom's long-term succession process, proving prophetic with the efficient change of power upon the death of King Abdullah and the accession of King Salman on 23 January 2015.[4]

Crown Prince

Prince Muqrin became

Mohammed bin Nayef (MBN), who had previously been deputy crown prince.[6] This marked a generational shift: the first time that a grandson (rather than a son) of dynastic founder Ibn Saud had been selected as heir apparent.[53][54] Salman simultenously elevated Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), then in his 30s, to the post of deputy crown prince.[54] Saudi state media said that Muqrin was removed at his own request.[54] While Muqrin had been viewed as a transitional figure,[55][56] observers viewed his rapid removal as a surprise.[53]

After his firing as crown prince, Muqrin was reportedly granted lavish gifts, including US$800 million, and in 2016, the Solandge, a 280-foot yacht.[57][58] Muqrin's treatment upon his ouster as crown prince was far different than that later accorded to MBN, who—after being ousted in a palace coup in 2017 led by MBS—was placed under house arrest, and had much of his wealth seized.[57]

Personal life

Prince Muqrin is married to Abta bint Hamoud Al Rashid.[59][60] She was president of the Women's Council when Prince Muqrin was Madinah governor.[59]

He has 14 children.

Mansour and Bandar.[60] Prince Turki founded a real-estate company in Turkey. He is a pilot and CEO of Rabigh Wings Aviation Academy in Jeddah.[62] Prince Turki is also board member of the Saudi Aviation Club.[63]

Muqrin bin Abdulaziz is said to enjoy astronomy, literature and Arabic poetry and has a large library containing thousands of books.[16]

Prince Muqrin purchased four real estate properties about 7,700 square meters in Dlebta, Lebanon, following the approval of the cabinet in 2012 and the publishing of the listed sale in the official gazette. Dlebta's residents objected to the deal and filed a complaint with the relevant authorities.[64]

Honors

Prince Muqrin is the recipient of several decorations, including

Egyptian Military Air Force.[65]

Ancestry

References

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  2. ^ a b c d e "Profile: Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz". Asharq Al-Awsat. 2 February 2013.
  3. ^ Simon Henderson (13 February 2013). "Who Will Be the Next King of Saudi Arabia?". The Washington Institute. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
  4. ^ a b "Saudi Prince Muqrin named second-in-line to succeed king". Reuters. 27 March 2014. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  5. ^ a b "Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz dies". BBC. 23 January 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Saudi King Salman appoints Prince Mohammed bin Nayef as new crown prince-state TV". Reuters. 29 April 2015.
  7. ^ a b Iqbal Latif (16 June 2012). "Two Down and One to Go — Prince Salman will be the last of Sudairi Seven". Newsvine. Archived from the original on 19 February 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
  8. ^ a b "With Prince Muqrin's Appointment, Saudi Succession Crisis Looms". The Daily Beast. 3 February 2013. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
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External links
Saudi Arabian royalty
Preceded by
Salman bin Abdulaziz
 Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia
23 January 2015 – 29 April 2015 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by
Nasser bin Abdullah Al Ash Shaikh
 Governor of
Hail Province

1980–1999 		Succeeded by
Saud bin Abdul Muhsin
Preceded by
Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz
 Governor of
Madinah Province

1999–2005 		Succeeded by
Abdulaziz bin Majid
Preceded by
President of Al Mukhabarat Al A'amah

2005–2012 		Succeeded by
Bandar bin Sultan
Preceded by
Office established
 Saudi Arabian
Special Envoy

2012–2015 		Succeeded by
Saud bin Faisal
Preceded by
Nayef bin Abdulaziz
 Second Deputy Prime Minister
2013–2015 		Succeeded by
Muhammad bin Nayef
Preceded by
Salman bin Abdulaziz
 First Deputy Prime Minister
January-April 2015 		Succeeded by
Muhammad bin Nayef
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Muqrin_bin_Abdulaziz&oldid=1219173408"