King of Saudi Arabia

Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
King of Saudi Arabia
	ملك المملكة العربية السعودية
	Royal Standard of Saudi Arabia
Incumbent
	Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ; Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques; since 23 January 2015
Details
Style	Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (formal) ; or ; His Majesty (diplomatic relations)
Heir apparent	Mohammed bin Salman
First monarch	Ibn Saud
Formation	23 September 1932
Residence	Al-Yamamah Palace

The King of Saudi Arabia is the monarchial head of state and head of government 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 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 monarch to use the title was King Faisal, however, King Khaled 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 ever since used by both King Abdullah and King Salman bin Abdulaziz.[2]

History

King Abdulaziz (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 Riyadh, he then established Nejd as his headquarters in 1922. Following the establishment of Riyadh as the capital of his state, King Abdulaziz then captured Hejaz 1925.[3]

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.[4][5]

Succession

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. Sons of Ibn Saud are considered to have primary claim on the throne of Saudi Arabia.[6] 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 absolute 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.[7]

Legal position

Saudi Arabia is ruled by Islamic law (Sharia) and is an Islamic state.[8]

Other functions

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

Royal Standard

The Royal Standard 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.[9]

Royal Standard 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 other god but Allah, Muhammad is the messenger of God.[10]

List of kings of Saudi Arabia (1932–present)

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family
Ibn Saud عبد العزيز	(1875-01-15)15 January 1875 – 9 November 1953(1953-11-09) (aged 78)	22 September 1932 (aged 57)	9 November 1953 (death by natural causes)	Reign established by conquest	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 Ibn Saud and Wadhah bint Muhammad bin 'Aqab	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 Ibn Saud and Tarfa bint Abduallah bin Abdulateef al Sheekh	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 Ibn Saud and Al Jawhara bint Musaed bin Jiluwi	Saud
Fahd فهد	16 March 1921 – 1 August 2005 (aged 84)	13 June 1982 (aged 61)	1 August 2005	Son of Ibn Saud 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 Ibn Saud and Fahda bint Asi Al Shuraim	Saud
Salman سلمان	(1935-12-31) 31 December 1935	23 January 2015 (aged 79)	Incumbent	Son of Ibn Saud and Hussa bint Ahmed Al Sudairi	Saud

Current heirs-apparent

Crown Prince: Mohammad bin Salman, born (1985-08-31) 31 August 1985; son of King Salman and Fahda bint Falah bin Sultan Al Hithalayn.[11]

Timeline

References

"Saudi Arabia - Government and society". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
"Story behind the king's title". Arab News. 27 January 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
"History | The Embassy of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia". www.saudiembassy.net. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
"About Saudi Arabia". UNDP in Saudi Arabia. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
"History of Saudi Arabia. ( The Saudi National Day 23, Sep )". www.pmu.edu.sa. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
"Governance and Politics of Saudi Arabia". Fanack.com. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
"Mohammed bin Salman becomes Saudi Crown Prince with 31 out of 34 votes". Al Arabiya English. 21 June 2017. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
Rabasa, Angel (2004). The Muslim world after 9/11. Rand Corporation. p. 164. ISBN 978-0-8330-3712-1. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
"Royal Standard (Saudi Arabia)". www.crwflags.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
"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.
"Who is Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed?". BBC News. 22 October 2018. Retrieved 28 July 2020.

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[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] "History | The Embassy of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia". www.saudiembassy.net. Retrieved 26 July 2020.

[4] "About Saudi Arabia". UNDP in Saudi Arabia. Retrieved 26 July 2020.

[5] "History of Saudi Arabia. ( The Saudi National Day 23, Sep )". www.pmu.edu.sa. Retrieved 26 July 2020.

[6] "Governance and Politics of Saudi Arabia". Fanack.com. Retrieved 26 July 2020.

[7] "Mohammed bin Salman becomes Saudi Crown Prince with 31 out of 34 votes". Al Arabiya English. 21 June 2017. Retrieved 26 July 2020.

[8] Rabasa, Angel (2004). The Muslim world after 9/11. Rand Corporation. p. 164. ISBN 978-0-8330-3712-1. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2016.

[9] "Royal Standard (Saudi Arabia)". www.crwflags.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.

[10] "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.

[11] "Who is Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed?". BBC News. 22 October 2018. Retrieved 28 July 2020.