HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS CROWN PRINCE ABDULLAH IBN ABDUL AZIZ AL SAUD

[Guest guest]

Crown Prince Abdullah:

Five Decades of Service to Country and People

 

 

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http://www.saudiembassy.net/publications/Magazine-Fall-98/Abdullah.htm

 

 

 

For some five decades, Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz has been

closely involved in the profound changes that have taken place in

Saudi Arabia, working with five Kings as they successfully brought

about far-reaching socioeconomic development while preserving and

strengthening the foundations of Saudi society - commitment to Islam

and Arab heritage.

 

Under the guidance of his elder brother the Custodian of the Two Holy

Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, who appointed him Crown Prince and

Deputy Prime Minister in 1982, Crown Prince Abdullah has assisted in

the implementation of the country's series of development plans and

in King Fahd's efforts to ensure the nation's peace and prosperity as

well as serving Islam and the Muslim community.

 

 

 

During his decades

of serving,

Crown Prince

Abdullah has

demonstrated

an unswerving

commitment to

Islam and the

nation's Arab

heritage.

He has been

intimately

involved in the

Kingdom's

development and

in modernizing

the National Guard.

 

 

 

 

Born in Riyadh in 1924, Crown Prince Abdullah received his early

education at the royal court. Growing up around his legendary father,

King Abdul Aziz Ibn Abdul Rahman Al-Saud, who was at that time

involved in the successful effort to unify the tribes of the Arabian

Peninsula into the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince

Abdullah demonstrated early on an abiding commitment to Islam and a

keen interest in Arab history, culture and traditions.

 

Like King Abdul Aziz's other sons, he was tutored by scholars in

Islam and Arab history and underwent the rigorous training that the

King demanded of all of them. To develop the physical and mental

strength of his sons, King Abdul Aziz is quoted as saying: "I train

my own children to walk barefoot, to rise two hours before dawn, to

eat but little, to ride horses bareback" and to study the Holy

Qur'an, the Sunnah (teachings and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad)

and Arab history. As they came of age, the Crown Prince and his

brothers spent much time in their father's daily majlis, meetings

where any citizen could approach the King and discuss a grievance or

concern. In this way, they learned the intricacies of statesmanship

and the art of communicating with people.

 

To develop a strong bond with the people, a deep respect for their

heritage and understanding of their aspirations, King Abdul Aziz

required that his sons spend time with the bedouins in the desert.

 

 

 

 

 

The years Crown Prince Abdullah spent living with the tribes

instilled in him a respect for their values of honor, simplicity,

generosity and bravery and strengthened his desire to serve the

people.

 

Crown Prince Abdullah's close association with the affairs of

government and the people continued after King Abdul Aziz passed

away. He acted as advisor to King Saud Ibn Abdul Aziz and later to

King Faisal Ibn Abdul Aziz and was deeply involved in the internal

affairs of the Kingdom.

 

 

In 1962, Crown Prince Abdullah was appointed to command the Saudi

National Guard, which was formed from the descendants of bedouins who

were King Abdul Aziz's followers during the years he was working to

establish the modern Kingdom. Given his knowledge of the tribes of

Saudi Arabia and their heritage, which was accumulated over years of

close association with the tribal elders and members, Crown Prince

Abdullah's appointment to this position proved to be particularly

appropriate.

 

Over the following years, Crown Prince Abdullah worked tirelessly to

modernize the National Guard and make it a potent force committed to

the preservation of the Kingdom's peace and security. He supervised

the establishment of military and technical schools with a view to

modernizing the force, as well as the establishment of hospitals,

clinics and housing facilities for guard members and their families.

 

On the succession of King Khalid Ibn Abdul Aziz, Crown Prince

Abdullah was appointed to the prestigious position of Second Deputy

Prime Minister, while retaining his command of the National Guard. In

1982, King Fahd appointed him to the role of Deputy Prime Minister

and Crown Prince, appointing Minister of Defense and Aviation Prince

Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz as Second Deputy Prime Minister.

 

With his appointment to the position of Crown Prince and Deputy Prime

Minister, Crown Prince Abdullah intensified his involvement in the

ongoing national development program, as well as with the Kingdom's

foreign relations. At the side of King Fahd, Crown Prince Abdullah

became intimately involved in major foreign policy issues, such as

Saudi Arabia's relations with Arab, Islamic and other countries, its

efforts to resolve crises, including the civil war in Lebanon, the

factional fighting in Afghanistan, the situation in Bosnia-

Herzegovina and the Middle East peace process.

 

As King Fahd's emissary, Crown Prince Abdullah has represented the

Kingdom at various international conferences, including summit

meetings of member states of the League of Arab States, the

Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), the Gulf Cooperation

Council (GCC) and the Non-Aligned Movement. He has met with world

leaders in Saudi Arabia and conducted state visits to other

countries, including the United States in 1976 and 1987.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In recent years, he has undertaken visits to Egypt, Syria and Jordan

in an attempt to restart the stalled Middle East peace process and to

promote Arab unity and cooperation. Crown Prince Abdullah has stepped

up the frequency and duration of his visits to various parts of the

Kingdom. Just this year, he undertook visits to Asir, Taif and Al-

Baha, in the western part of the Kingdom, to inaugurate universities,

dams, power generation plants and other development projects.

 

While performing all these duties, Crown Prince Abdullah has

steadfastly supported efforts to preserve Saudi Arabia's rich

heritage. As chairman of the organizing committee for the Jenadriyah

National Culture and Heritage Festival, he has overseen the two-week

festival held annually since 1985 to promote a greater respect for

and a deeper understanding of Saudi Arabia's rich past, its dynamic

present and its promising future.

 

Throughout his life, Crown Prince Abdullah has retained a love of the

desert, which is reflected in his patronage for equestrian clubs, the

Crown Prince's Camel Race and other activities associated with the

bedouins. He also has developed a passion for knowledge and reading.

He has established two libraries, the King Abdul Aziz Library in

Riyadh and one in Casablanca, Morocco.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After decades of public service in positions of importance, Crown

Prince Abdullah is today recognized, not only in Saudi Arabia, but

also in the Arab and Islamic worlds, as a leader dedicated to

ensuring his country's continued future development while preserving

past achievements.