Sara bint Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

Sara bint Talal (Arabic: سارة بنت طلال بن عبد العزيز آل سعود‎) is a Saudi princess and the daughter of Prince Talal.

Sara bint Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Full name
Sara bint Talal bin Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman bin Faisal Al Saud
HouseHouse of Saud
FatherTalal bin Abdulaziz
MotherMoudie bint Abdul Mohsen Al Angari

Early years

Sara bint Talal was raised in Riyadh in the liberal, more progressive branch of Saudi royal family led by his father, Prince Talal.[1] Her mother is Moudie bint Abdul Mohsen Al Angari, and she has a full-brother, Turki bin Talal.[2] Their mother was the third wife of Prince Talal, and she died in 2008.[2]

She was nicknamed "little Barbie" because of her beauty and her material well-being but educated by a strict English governess.[1] After studies at the King Saud University in Riyadh, she married a royal cousin but divorced in her twenties.[1]

Activities and views

Princess Sara ran a local charity organization, namely Down's Syndrome Riyadh charity, in Saudi Arabia in the mid-2000s.[3][4] She stated after Crown Prince Abdullah became king in August 2005 that her father was also a contender for the Saudi throne.[5] She also told the AFP "We, the Saudi people, want a clearer mechanism for succession... All (members of the royal family) agreed on Crown Prince Abdullah given that he is the eldest and best qualified. Prince Sultan was also agreed upon to become crown prince. But what happens next?"[3] She accompanied her father while he was ambassador to UNICEF, visiting refugee camps.[6]

Exile in the United Kingdom

BBC reports that she has been living in the United Kingdom since 2007 with her four children.[6] The reason was reported to be a conflict with her father.[2][7] It led her to be protected by her uncle, the late Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz, a rival of her father, until his death in June 2012.[1]

2012 political asylum request

With fear from political threats on her family, Princess Sara asked political asylum for herself and for her children in the United Kingdom on 8 July 2012.[1] It is the first case of asking for political asylum by a senior member of the Saudi ruling family.[8]

Vocal opposition

After her request for political asylum, Princess Sara expressed her support for reform in Saudi Arabia and for fighting against corruption in mid July 2012.[9]

References
  1. Hugh Miles; Robert Mendick (7 July 2012). "Saudi Arabia's Princess Sara claims asylum in the UK". The Telegraph. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  2. "Royal rivalries force princess into exile; Sara bint Talal bin Abdulaziz claims political asylum in Britain". The Ottawa Citizen. 9 July 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  3. Ali Khalil (1 August 2005). "Ageing Saudi leadership keeps succession question alive". Lebanonwire. Dubai. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  4. Caroline Montagu (2010). "Civil Society and the Voluntary Sector in Saudi Arabia" (PDF). Middle East Journal. 64 (1): 67–83. doi:10.3751/64.1.14. JSTOR 20622983. S2CID 143572307.
  5. "Prince Talal hails smooth transition of power". Middle East Online. 3 August 2005. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  6. "Saudi Arabia's Princess Sara in UK asylum claim". BBC. 8 July 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  7. "My father wanted to crush me, claims Saudi princess seeking UK asylum". Daily Bhaskar. 9 July 2012. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  8. "Saudi's 'Barbie' princess makes shock UK asylum bid". AFP. 8 July 2012. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  9. Afif Diab (19 July 2012). "Sarah bint Talal: Voiceless in the Kingdom". Al Akhbar. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
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