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Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

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In this Arabic name, the surname is Al Saud.

Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (Arabic: عبد المجيد بن عبد العزيز آل سعود, romanized: ʿAbd al Majīd bin ʿAbd al ʿAzīz ʾĀl Suʿūd) (1942 – 5 May 2007) was a Saudi Arabian politician and businessman who served successively as the governor of the Tabuk, Medina, and Mecca provinces between 1980 and 2007. A prominent member of the House of Saud, Abdul Majeed was seen as a close ally of King Abdullah, as well as a long-time ally of the Sudairi Seven.[1]

Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Governor of Tabuk Province
Tenure19 March 1980 – 1986
PredecessorSulaiman bin Turki bin Suleiman Al Sudairi
SuccessorMamdouh bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
MonarchKhalid
Governor of Medina Province
Tenure1986 – 1999
PredecessorAbdul Muhsin bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
SuccessorMuqrin bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
MonarchFahd
Governor of Makkah Region
Tenure2000 – 5 May 2007
PredecessorMajid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
SuccessorKhalid bin Faisal Al Saud
Monarch
  • Fahd
  • Abdullah
Born1942
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Died5 May 2007 (aged 64–65)
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Burial7 May 2007
Al Oud cemetery, Riyadh
SpouseAl Jawhara bint Abdullah Al Sudairi
Sara bint Abdul Mohsen Al Angari
Issue
  • Prince Faisal
  • Princess Jamila
Names
Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman bin Faisal Al Saud
HouseAl Saud
FatherKing Abdulaziz
MotherHaya bint Saad Al Sudairi

Early life and education

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Prince Abdul Majeed was born in Riyadh in 1942 as the 33rd son of King Abdulaziz.[2] Another report mentions his birth year as 1941.[3] His mother was King Abdulaziz's tenth wife, Haya bint Saad Al Sudairi who died on 18 April 2003 at age 90.[4][5] She was a member of the Sudairi family[6][7] and the sister of Jawhara bint Saad, another spouse of King Abdulaziz.[8] Prince Abdul Majeed's full brothers were Prince Badr and Prince Abdul Ilah.[9][10]

Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz received his early education in Riyadh in traditional schools, including the Sheikh Abdullah Al Khayyat and the Al Anjal School.[11] He joined the Royal Saudi Navy in 1954 and then studied in the United Kingdom.[citation needed]

Career

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Abdul Majeed served as governor of Tabuk Province, Medina Province, and Mecca Province.[3] After completing his education, he was appointed governor of the northerly Tabuk province on 19 March 1980, replacing Suleiman bin Turki Al Sudairi in the post.[12] Agriculture was developed in the province during his governorship, and the region became one of the kingdom's main producers of crops such as wheat and fruit. His tenure lasted for six years until 1986.[13]

After the death of Prince Abdul Muhsin in 1986, Prince Abdul Majeed replaced him as governor of Medina Province. The Prophet's Mosque in Medina and surrounding areas were redeveloped during his 14-year term of office.[14] His tenure lasted until 1999 when he was succeeded by Prince Muqrin in the post.[15]

In 2000 Prince Abdul Majeed was appointed governor of Mecca province and chairman of the Mecca development authority.[16] He was also chief of the central hajj committee.[17] In 2000 Mecca became the provincial capital of the region including Jeddah. An ambitious program of development was undertaken in Mecca under his stewardship at a cost of more than US$27 billion. The developments were centred on the Two Holy Mosques, the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and the Masjid-e-Nabawi in Medina, the key destinations of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, attracting millions of visitors each year. Huge commercial developments sprouted in surrounding areas, such as the Jebel Omar scheme, including hotels, convention and conference centres, and prayer facilities. Architectural historians criticised the accompanying destruction of historic sites. On the other hand, communication links were improved, including port facilities in Jeddah, airports, and roads. In addition, Abdul Majeed initiated the restoration and development plans of old city of Jeddah.[18] The Khadeeja bint Khuwailed Centre for Businesswomen was established in Jeddah in 2003 by the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry under his patronage.[11]

Other positions and views

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Abdul Majeed also served on many public and charitable committees. He pushed for the creation of a motor racing track in Jeddah, the first in the Kingdom. He was also an early supporter of blood testing before marriage so as to avoid blood diseases. The procedure has since become obligatory.[11] At the beginning of the 2000s he publicly announced that the existing regulations for foreign workers in the country should be modified.[19]

Abdul Majeed also called for greater participation of women in public life. "Prince Abdul Majeed has been a major supporter of Saudi businesswomen," said Hussa Al Aun, a member of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI).[20] He also supported the launch of an anti-terror initiative in the province's schools in December 2006.[21]

Abdul Majeed also had business activities. While he was governor of Tabuk, he founded the Tabuk Agricultural Development company which produced wheat in the region.[22] He also established the Taiba Investment Corporation in Medina.[11]

Succession

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Abdul Majeed was considered to be one of the potential candidates for the throne at the beginning of the 2000s.[23] He was also considered as an eligible contender following the death of King Fahd in August 2005.[24]

Personal life

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One of Prince Abdul Majeed's wives was Al Jawhara bint Abdullah bin Saad Al Sudairi.[25] He also married Sara bint Abdul Mohsen Al Angari and had one son, Faisal bin Abdul Majeed.[26] His son, Faisal, is a businessman and a member of the board of trustees of the Arab Thought Foundation.[27]

His wife, Sara bint Abdul Mohsen, donated 1 million riyals to a psychiatric hospital in Mecca during his governorship of Mecca Province.[28] During the same period, she paid the hospital expenses of a woman who experienced serious domestic violence by her husband in 2001.[29]

Abdul Majeed's daughter, Jamila, is the first Saudi woman to participate in a camel race.[30]

Death and legacy

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Prince Abdul Majeed suffered from leukaemia and had undergone surgery in the U.S. and then had travelled back to Saudi Arabia. However, he was flown back to the U.S. when his condition worsened.[31] He died in Seattle on 5 May 2007 at age 65.[26][32] His body was taken from the U.S. to Riyadh on 6 May 2007.[33][34] Funeral prayers for him were performed at Imam Turki ibn Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh after Dhuhr prayers on 7 May 2007.[33][34]

Legacy

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Prince Abdul Majeed bin Abdul Aziz Domestic Airport in Medina was named after Prince Abdul Majeed.[35]

Ancestry

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References

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  1. ^ Amir Taheri (2012). "Saudi Arabia: Change Begins within the Family". The Journal of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy. 34 (3): 138–143. doi:10.1080/10803920.2012.686725. S2CID 154850947.
  2. ^ "Prince Abdul Majid bin Abdulaziz". Toledo Blade. Associated Press. 7 May 2007. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  3. ^ a b J. E. Peterson (2003). Historical Dictionary of Saudi Arabia (2nd ed.). Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press. p. 16. ISBN 9780810827806.
  4. ^ "Prince Abdul Majid, Governor of Mecca, Dies at 65". The New York Times. 7 May 2007. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  5. ^ "Saudi princess dies at age 90". Beaver County Times. 4 May 2003. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  6. ^ "Princess Haya bint Saad Al Sudairi, 90, Wife of Modern Saudi Arabia Founder". Sun-Sentinel. 7 May 2003. Archived from the original on 16 December 2013. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
  7. ^ Hamid Hussain (August 2017). "Royal Rumble-Dynamics of Saudi Royal Family". Defence Journal. 21 (1).
  8. ^ Joseph A. Kechichian (2001). Succession in Saudi Arabia. New York: Palgrave. ISBN 9780312238803.
  9. ^ "Princess Haya, 90; Wife of a Founder of Modern Saudi Arabia". Los Angeles Times. 5 May 2003. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
  10. ^ "One of the wives of King Abdul Aziz dies". Al Bawaba. 3 May 2003. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  11. ^ a b c d Prince Abdul Majeed Passes Away, Arab News, 6 May 2007.
  12. ^ Gary Samuel Samore (1984). Royal Family Politics in Saudi Arabia (1953-1982) (PhD thesis). Harvard University. p. 462. ProQuest 303295482.
  13. ^ "The list of all governors of Tabuk Province". Ministry of Interior. Archived from the original on 22 January 2011. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
  14. ^ Tariq Alhomayed (6 May 2007). "Prince Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz". Asharq Alawsat. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
  15. ^ "Profile: Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz". Asharq Alawsat. Riyadh. 2 February 2013. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
  16. ^ Robert Lacey. (1982).The Kingdom: Arabia and the House of Saud. Avon Books, ISBN 978-0-380-61762-3
  17. ^ "Abdulmajeed announces success of pilgrim's movement". Bahrain News Agency. 31 January 2004. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  18. ^ Faleh Al Dhuyabi; Majed Al Mufadhali (11 March 2010). "SCTA takes over Al-Saqqaf Palace". Saudi Gazette. Jeddah/Mecca. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  19. ^ Joseph A. Kechichian (Winter 2003). "Testing the Saudi "Will to Power": Challenges Confronting Prince Abdallah". Middle East Policy. X (4): 111–112. doi:10.1111/j.1061-1924.2003.00133.x.
  20. ^ Raid Qusti; Ali Al-Zahrani (13 January 2007). "Warm Welcome for Prince Abdul Majeed". Arab News. Archived from the original on 16 June 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  21. ^ Christopher Boucek (September 2008). "Saudi Arabia's "Soft" Counterterrorism Strategy" (PDF). Carnegie Papers (97).
  22. ^ Monera Nahedh (June 1989). The Sedentarization of a bedouin community in Saudi Arabia (PhD thesis). University of Leeds. p. 255.
  23. ^ Amir Taheri (2004). "Saudi Arabia: Between Terror and Reform". American Foreign Policy Interests. 26 (6): 457–465. doi:10.1080/10803920490905523. S2CID 154222715.
  24. ^ Robert Baer (15 August 2005). "The Devil You Think You Know". Newsweek. p. 27.
  25. ^ "السدارى" (in Arabic). Marefa. Archived from the original on 2 July 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  26. ^ a b "Abdul Majid bin Abdulaziz, 65; was governor of Mecca". Boston. Associated Press. 6 May 2007. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
  27. ^ "Faisal bin Abdul Majid bin Abdul Aziz". Arab Thought Foundation. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  28. ^ Nimrod Raphaeli (2003). "Saudi Arabia: A brief guide to its politics and problems". MERIA. 7 (3): 20–33.
  29. ^ Rada Soubra Barrage (2007). The domestic challenges facing Saudi Arabia (MA thesis). Lebanese American University. doi:10.26756/th.2007.50. hdl:10725/982.
  30. ^ "King to patronize camels race, first woman set to participate". Saudi Gazette. 23 March 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  31. ^ "Abdul Majid bin Abdulaziz, 65; was governor of Mecca". Associated Press. 6 May 2007. Archived from the original on 7 July 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  32. ^ "Saudi prince in charge of Mecca region dies at 65". BD News 24. Riyadh. Reuters. 5 May 2007. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  33. ^ a b P. K. Abdul Ghafour (7 May 2007). "Abdul Majeed's Funeral Today". Arab News. Jeddah. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  34. ^ a b "Funeral prayers peformed [sic] for Makkah Governor Prince Abdulmajeed". Saudi Press Agency. 7 May 2007. Archived from the original on 20 June 2010. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
  35. ^ P. K. Abdul Ghafour (16 October 2008). "Abdullah inspects plan for expansion of Madinah airport". Arab News. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
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