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59-543: Eskan Village was built in 1983 during the reign of Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to house various bedouin tribes. The tribes declined to occupy the housing complex, and Eskan Village remained unoccupied until August 1990. At that time, the Saudi Arabian government authorized the use of Eskan Village for deployed U.S. servicemembers during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm . In 1992, in

118-488: A cane and then a wheelchair, though he still attended meetings and received selected visitors. In November 2003, according to government media, King Fahd was quoted as saying to "strike with an iron fist" at terrorists after deadly bombings in Saudi Arabia, although he could hardly utter a word because of his deteriorating health. However, it was Crown Prince Abdullah who took official trips; when King Fahd traveled, it

177-598: A daughter of Abdullah bin Hasan Al Sheikh, chief qadi of the country. Muhammad had twenty-five children: twelve sons and thirteen daughters. His eldest son, Khalid, married King Faisal's only full sister, Noura, in 1934. He was killed in a car crash on the Al Dahna to Kuwait road. One of Khalid's daughters, Al Jawhara, married Abdullah bin Faisal , the eldest son of King Faisal. Muhammad's second eldest son

236-686: A decade prior, while Princes Nasser and Saad were both considered unsuitable candidates. By contrast, Prince Fahd had served as minister of education from 1954 to 1962 and minister of interior from 1962 to 1975. The appointment of Prince Fahd as both crown prince and first deputy prime minister made him a much more powerful figure in contrast to the status of King Khalid when he had been crown prince during King Faisal's reign. However, King Khalid had an influence over Fahd's activities and limited his powers, probably due to Fahd's very clear pro-Western views and hostile approach against Iran and Shia population of Saudi Arabia. During this period Crown Prince Fahd

295-453: A decree on 1 March 1992. The decree expanded the criteria for succession, which had been only seniority and family consensus, and led to speculations. The most significant change by the edict was that the King did acquire the right to appoint or dismiss his heir apparent based on suitability rather than seniority and that the grandsons of Abdulaziz became eligible for the throne. King Fahd was

354-414: A group of reformists and prominent Saudi intellectuals petitioned King Fahd for wide-ranging reforms, including widening political representation and curbing the royal family's wasteful spending. King Fahd first responded by ignoring their requests and when they persisted, reformists were harshly persecuted, imprisoned, and fired from their jobs. During King Fahd's rule, the royal family's lavish spending of

413-484: A heavy smoker, overweight for much of his adult life, and in his sixties began to suffer from arthritis and severe diabetes . He suffered a debilitating stroke on 29 November 1995 and became noticeably frail, and decided to delegate the running of the Kingdom to Crown Prince Abdullah on 2 January 1996. On 21 February, King Fahd resumed official duties. After his stroke, King Fahd was partly inactive and had to use

472-476: A letter to King Abdulaziz explaining the reasons for their views about Crown Prince Saud. One of the early palaces following the establishment of the Kingdom was built by Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman outside the walls of Riyadh which is called Atiqah Palace or Qaṣr 'Atīqa . Muhammad married many times. One of his wives was Hassa bint Ahmad Al Sudairi , who King Abdulaziz married twice and who later became

531-680: A potential threat to the relationships between Saudi Arabia and the United States of America. Because of these and other disagreements King Faisal had planned to remove Prince Fahd from the post of second deputy prime minister which was not materialized by the king. After the murder of King Faisal in 1975 and the accession of King Khalid, Fahd was named first deputy prime minister and concurrently crown prince. Besides King Khalid, Prince Fahd had three elder half-brothers living at that time: Muhammad , Nasser and Saad . However, Prince Muhammad had denied appointment by King Faisal as crown prince

590-868: The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The PFLP attacked and damaged the Saudi-owned Trans-Arabian Pipeline in the Golan Heights on 31 May 1969 and also, was planning a plot against the King. During his absence which was reported by the officials as a medical leave Prince Fahd stayed in London and then, in Spain where he spent the time on gambling and leisure. King Faisal sent him both Omar Al Saqqaf , his envoy, and several letters asking him to return to

649-641: The attack on the USS Stark , and in 1988 agreed to buy between fifty and sixty nuclear-payload-capable CSS-2 intermediate-range ballistic missiles. King Fahd developed a peace plan in order to resolve Arab differences particularly between Algeria and Morocco. In 1981, he formulated a peace plan for the Middle East to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict , which was adopted by the Arab League

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708-598: The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on behalf of the House of Saud. On 24 December 1953, he was appointed as Saudi Arabia's first education minister. Prince Fahd led the Saudi delegation to the League of Arab States in 1959, signifying his increasing prominence in the House of Saud and his being groomed for a more significant role. In 1962, he was given the important post of interior minister. As interior minister he headed

767-529: The king of Saudi Arabia , while his half-brothers Abdullah , Ahmed, and Musaid would have a role in the Saudi government. Muhammad was said to be particularly close to his half-brother Abdulaziz and his half-sisters Noura and Al Jawhara. Muhammad and Abdulaziz were fond of their sister Noura, and both men were known to say, "I am the brother of Noura." There is some controversy regarding Muhammad's date of birth, with some sources making him older than Abdulaziz, an important factor in his later maneuvering for

826-716: The ministry of foreign affairs . The daughter of Khalid bin Saud is married to Saud bin Khalid , son of Khalid bin Faisal , governor of Mecca Province. Other great-grandchildren of Muhammad are directors of the King Faisal Foundation . For instance, as of 2012 Bandar bin Saud bin Khalid Al Saud was the deputy managing director of the foundation. Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman died in Riyadh on 25 July 1943 and

885-415: The 879th ESFS. Fahd of Saudi Arabia Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ( Arabic : فهد بن عبد العزيز آل سعود ; 1920, 1921 or 1923 – 1 August 2005) was King and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia from 13 June 1982 until his death in 2005. Prior to his ascension, he was Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia from 1975 to 1982. He was the eighth son of King Abdulaziz , the founder of modern Saudi Arabia. Fahd

944-537: The Khobar Towers on June 25, 1996, several U.S. military offices and housing facilities located in Riyadh and Dhahran were also moved to Eskan Village and Prince Sultan Air Base to mitigate possible future attacks. On September 5, 2005, the United States Air Force activated the 64th Air Expeditionary Group to assume security, law enforcement, and operational support for Eskan Village from

1003-769: The King Fahd's support to Hafez Assad Arab countries did not manage to realize their decision to end Syrian presence in Lebanon in the summit of the Arab League held in Casablanca , Morocco, in May 1989. He supported the conservative Saudi religious establishment, including spending millions of dollars on religious education, strengthened separation of the sexes and power of the religious police , publicly endorsed Sheikh Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz 's warning to young Saudis to avoid

1062-545: The Kingdom's grand mufti, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al Sheikh . The King's son Abdulaziz carried the body to the mosque and to the Al Oud cemetery , Riyadh, some two kilometres away, a public cemetery where Fahd's four predecessors and other members of the Al Saud ruling family are buried. Arab and Muslim dignitaries who attended the funeral were not present at the burial. Only ruling family members and Saudi citizens were on hand as

1121-738: The Nicaraguan Contras , providing "a million dollars per month from May to December 1984". King Fahd was also a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause and an opponent of the State of Israel . Towards the beginning of Fahd's reign, he was a staunch ally of the United States However, Fahd distanced himself from the US throughout parts of his reign, declining to allow the US to use Saudi air bases to protect naval convoys after

1180-661: The Religious Knowledge Institute in Mecca . Prince Fahd was made a member of the royal advisory board at his mother's urging. In 1945, he traveled on his first state visit to San Francisco for the signing of the Charter of the United Nations . On this trip he served under Prince Faisal who was at the time Saudi Arabia's foreign minister. Fahd led his first official state visit in 1953, attending

1239-458: The Saudi delegation at a meeting of Arab Heads of State in Egypt in 1965. At the beginning of King Faisal's reign Prince Fahd became a member of the council which had been established by the king to guide the succession issues. On 2 January 1967 Prince Fahd survived an assassination attempt when an explosion occurred in his private office at the ministry. He was not there during the incident, but

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1298-582: The US$ 100 million Prince Abdulaziz . The ship featured two swimming pools, a ballroom, a gym, a theatre, a portable garden, a hospital with an intensive-care unit and two operating rooms, and four American Stinger missiles . The king also had a personal $ US150 million Boeing 747 jet, equipped with his own fountain. In Fahd's younger years, he used to engage in activities considered un-Islamic, such as drinking and gambling. Fahd reportedly lost millions of dollars in casinos and started using illegal methods to regain

1357-861: The United Arab Emirates declared a seven-day mourning period and ordered all flags flown at half-staff. In Jordan, a national three-day mourning period was declared and a 40-day mourning period was decreed at the Royal Court. In 1984, King Fahd received the Faisal Prize for Service to Islam awarded by the King Faisal Foundation . Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud ( Arabic : محمد بن عبد الرحمن آل سعود Muḥammad bin ʿAbd ar Raḥman Āl Suʿūd ; c. 1877 – 25 July 1943)

1416-530: The United States Army. After nearly nine years, the Air Force inactivated the 64 AEG on May 1, 2014, and transferred these duties to the 879th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron. Later, on September 25, 2017, the 379 Expeditionary Mission Support Group facilitated the transfer of security and law enforcement operations from the 879th ESFS to the 341st Military Police Company and inactivated

1475-523: The aftermath of the Gulf War , Joint Task Force Southwest Asia (JTF-SWA) was formed and headquartered at Eskan Village for the conduct of Operation Southern Watch . Eskan Village was home to the region's Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) until it was relocated to Prince Sultan Air Base in September 2001. The transition was accelerated after the events of September 11, 2001. After the bombing of

1534-561: The assassination of King Faisal in 1975. Fahd was viewed as the de facto leader of the country during King Khalid's reign in part due to the latter's ill health. Upon the death of King Khalid in 1982, Fahd ascended to the throne. He is credited for having introduced the Basic Law of Saudi Arabia in 1992. He suffered a debilitating stroke in 1995, after which he was unable to continue performing his full official duties. His half-brother Crown Prince Abdullah served as de facto regent of

1593-407: The body was lowered into the grave. Muslim leaders offered condolences at the mosque, while other foreign dignitaries and leaders who came after the funeral paid their respects at the royal court. In accordance with regulations and social traditions, Saudi Arabia declared a national mourning period of three days during which all offices were closed. Government offices remained closed for the rest of

1652-409: The ceremony to pledge allegiance to Saud. Prince Muhammad and other senior family members met with King Abdulaziz upon the latter's request in late December 1934 to reaffirm their allegiance to Crown Prince Saud. However, Muhammad and his brothers Abdullah and Ahmed told the king that their allegiance to him was still active, but they did not renew their allegiance to the crown prince. Then they sent

1711-495: The country's wealth reached its height. In addition, the biggest and most controversial military contract of the century, the Al-Yamamah arms deal was signed on his watch. The contract has cost the Saudi treasury more than $ 90 billion. These funds were originally allocated to building hospitals, schools, universities, and roads. As a result, Saudi Arabia endured a stagnation in infrastructure development from 1986 until 2005 when

1770-527: The country, but Prince Fahd did not follow his request. Prince Fahd was made the head of the Supreme Council on Petroleum in March 1973 when it was established by King Faisal. However, the relations between King Faisal and Prince Fahd were still strained due to Prince Fahd's gambling visits to Monte Carlo , Monaco. In addition, Prince Fahd was not a supporter of the oil embargo which he regarded as

1829-656: The death of Muhammad's son Khalid in 1938. Muhammad later became a virtual non-entity in Saudi politics and died in Riyadh in 1943. Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman was the son of Abdul Rahman bin Faisal, twice Emir of Nejd, and his cousin Sara bint Jiluwi. His paternal grandfather was Emir Faisal bin Turki , and his maternal grandfather was Emir Faisal's brother Jiluwi bin Turki . He had a number of half-siblings from his father's other marriages; his half-brother Abdulaziz would become

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1888-399: The explosion injured nearly 40 staff of the ministry. Prince Fahd was named second deputy prime minister in 1967 when King Faisal established the office. The post was created upon the request of Crown Prince Khalid due to the fact that he himself did not want to continue to preside over the council of ministers. King Faisal was not very enthusiastic about the appointment of Prince Fahd to

1947-651: The following year. The initiative, which offers peace to Israel in exchange for the return of Palestinian territories, was revived in almost the same form at a meeting of the League in 2002. He also actively contributed to the Taif accord in 1989 that ended conflict in Lebanon. In addition, he led the Arab world against the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq. He developed a special bond with both Syrian President Hafez Assad and Egyptian President Hosni Mobarak during his reign. Due to

2006-486: The forces which helped Abdulaziz in the battle of Kanzan in 1915. In that battle the Al Ajman tribe wounded Abdulaziz and killed Muhammad's younger half-brother Saad bin Abdul Rahman . The Al Ajman then surrounded Abdulaziz's forces for almost six months before Abdulaziz managed to escape from them with the assistance of Muhammad and Saud Al Kabeer. In 1917 Muhammad went to Hajj being the first Al Saud member who made

2065-489: The king had died at 07:30 on 1 August 2005 at age 84. Official statement was announced on state television at 10:00 by Information Minister Iyad Madani . King Fahd was buried in the last thawb (traditional Arab robe) he wore. Fahd's body was carried to Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque , and funeral prayers were held at around 15:30 local time (12:30 GMT) on 2 August. The prayers for the late monarch were led by

2124-632: The kingdom and succeeded Fahd as king upon his death in 2005. With a reign of 23 years, Fahd remains the longest-reigning Saudi king. Fahd bin Abdulaziz was born in the walled town of Riyadh in 1920, 1921 or 1923. He was the eighth son of King Abdulaziz, and his eldest son by Hassa bint Ahmed Al Sudairi. Fahd and his six full brothers are known as the Sudairi Seven . Fahd was Hassa's second son; his elder half-brother Abdullah bin Muhammad

2183-654: The latter's death in 1953. Another spouse of Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman was Munira bint Abdullah Al Shaikh, who was the sister of Tarfa bint Abdullah , mother of King Faisal . Muhammad also married a daughter of Sultan bin Bajad Al Otaibi who was from a leading family in the Ghut Ghut branch of the Otaibi tribe and one of the rebellious Ikhwan leaders. Following his settlement in Mecca in 1935 Muhammad, married

2242-593: The mother of Sudairi Seven . Muhammad had a son, Abdullah bin Muhammad, with Hassa. When King Abdulaziz first married Hussa bint Ahmed in 1913, she was thirteen-years-old. They divorced after a few years, but remarried in 1919. It was the period between their first and second marriages that Hussa bint Ahmed married King Abdulaziz’s younger half brother, Muhammad. It is assumed that King Abdulaziz remained in love with Hussa bint Ahmed, and therefore, forced his half-brother to divorce her so that he could remarry her. Hussa bint Ahmed remained married with King Abdulaziz until

2301-483: The new King, Abdullah, fully came into power. Like all the countries bordering the Persian Gulf , Saudi Arabia under King Fahd focused its industrial development on hydrocarbon installations. Up to this day, the country is reliant on imports for nearly all its light and heavy machinery. King Fahd established a Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs directed by senior family members and technocrats in 1994. The council

2360-679: The path of evil by not traveling to Europe and the United States. This further distanced him from his inconvenient past. In 1990, Iraqi forces under Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, placing the Iraqi army (then the largest in the Middle East) on the Saudi-Kuwaiti border. King Fahd agreed to host American-led coalition troops in his Kingdom and later allowed American troops to be based there. This decision brought him considerable criticism and opposition from many Saudi citizens, who objected to

2419-629: The period of affluence experienced under his two predecessors. Fearing that the 1979 Revolution in Iran could lead to similar Islamic upheaval in Saudi Arabia, Fahd spent considerable sums, after ascending the throne in 1982, to support Saddam Hussein 's Baathist Iraq in its war with Iran . In fact, according to United States Secretary of State Alexander Haig , Fahd told Haig in April 1981 that he had been used as an intermediary by President Jimmy Carter to convey an official U.S. " green light to launch

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2478-611: The pilgrimage after the establishment of the Kingdom of Hejaz in 1916. He headed a group of 12,500 Najdi, and 7,000 of them were armed. In 1920 Muhammad and his nephew Prince Saud , eldest surviving son of Abdulaziz, were sent to capture the Hail Province . Next year Muhammad also accompanied Prince Saud against the Al Rashidi forces. After Abdulaziz took control over most of Arabia and proclaimed himself king, Muhammad

2537-409: The post. Between October 1969 and May 1970 Prince Fahd was on leave which was regarded by Nadav Safran as an indication of major confrontation in the government. One of the reasons for this confrontation was the disagreement between King Faisal and Prince Fahd concerning security policies. Because King Faisal accused him of being late to implement severe measures to arrest those who had contacts with

2596-712: The presence of foreign troops on Saudi soil; this was a casus belli against the Saudi royal family prominently cited by Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda . His decision was also objected to by his full brothers or the Sudairi Seven. Another cause for criticism came when during an event with the British Royal Family, King Fahd was seen wearing a white decoration in the shape of a cross; in 1994 Bin Laden cited this as "abomination" and "clearly infidelity". King Fahd showed little tolerance for reformists. In 1992,

2655-649: The same amount. When Fahd's brothers found out about his habits which were considered a disgrace to the House of Saud, he was immediately summoned to King Faisal's palace. Upon arrival, King Faisal slapped him across the face. From then on, Fahd was more circumspect and put a stop to his un-Islamic habits. King Fahd was married at least thirteen times. The spouses of King Fahd were as follows: King Fahd had six sons and four daughters. His sons are: One of his daughters, Latifa bint Fahd , died at age 54 in Geneva in late December 2013. Another daughter, Al Jawhara bint Fahd,

2714-466: The second-richest person in the world at that time). Forbes estimated Fahd's wealth to be $ 25 billion in 2002. In addition to residences in Saudi Arabia, he had a palace on Spain's Costa del Sol which made Marbella a famous place. King Fahd was known to enjoy luxurious living abroad and a lavish lifestyle. He visited the ports of the French Riviera in his 147-metre (482 ft) yacht,

2773-668: The succession. In a publication by his family his birth year is given as 1877. It is also stated that he was born in Riyadh and was younger than Abdulaziz. After his father lost power in 1891, the family went into exile in Kuwait . Muhammad accompanied his brother Abdulaziz on the latter's raid from November 1901 to January 1902, which resulted in Abdulaziz retaking the Masmak Castle and regaining control over Riyadh. Muhammad and his cousin Saud Al Kabeer bin Abdulaziz led

2832-475: The title " Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques " in 1986, replacing "His Majesty", to signify an Islamic rather than secular authority. Unlike the reigns of King Faisal and King Khalid, his reign witnessed significant decrease in the oil price which sharply reduced the oil revenues of Saudi Arabia. Due to this Madawi Al Rasheed described the reign of King Fahd as the era of austerity in contrast to

2891-670: The war against Iran " to Iraq, although there is considerable skepticism about this claim. Fahd was a supporter of the United Nations. He supported foreign aid and gave 5.5% of Saudi Arabia's national income through various funds, especially the Saudi Fund for Development and the OPEC Fund for International Development . He also gave aid to foreign groups such as the Bosnian Muslims in the Yugoslav Wars , as well as

2950-684: The week. The state flag was not lowered (since the flag of Saudi Arabia bears the Shahada , the Islamic declaration of faith , the flag's protocol requires the flag not to be lowered). After Fahd's death, many Arab countries declared mourning periods. Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Syria, Yemen, the Arab League in Cairo, and the Palestinian Authority all declared three-day mourning periods. Pakistan and

3009-423: Was Fahd (1904–?) who married King Abdulaziz's daughter Sheikha and was the governor of Al Qassim Province who was appointed to the post on 29 June 1969. One of Fahd's daughters is Al Jawhara who is a member of the Consultative Council . Muhammad's grandson Fahd bin Abdullah bin Muhammad was deputy defence minister. One of Muhammad's great-grandsons, Khalid bin Saud bin Khalid, was a high-ranking official at

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3068-483: Was an Arabian soldier and politician who played a role in the conquests of his half-brother Abdulaziz that led to the formation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Muhammad was the son of the last emir of Nejd , Abdul Rahman bin Faisal , and Sara bint Jiluwi, both from the House of Saud . Muhammad was an early supporter of his half-brother, King Abdulaziz, but they had a falling-out after both attempted to place their sons in line for kingship. This conflict may have led to

3127-522: Was appointed governor of Mecca . He aspired to gain a much more powerful position in the government for himself and his son Khalid. To achieve his goals Muhammad attempted to eliminate Prince Saud, son of King Abdulaziz, in 1927 and in 1930, but both attempts were unsuccessful. When Saud was made crown prince in May 1933, King Abdulaziz asked the members of the Al Saud to pledge allegiance to Saud. Muhammad did not declare his allegiance and left Riyadh and settled in Mecca. However, his son Khalid attended

3186-528: Was for vacations, and he was sometimes absent from Saudi Arabia for months at a time. When his oldest son and International Olympic Committee member Prince Faisal bin Fahd died in 1999, the King was in Spain and did not return for the funeral. In a speech to an Islamic conference on 30 August 2003, King Fahd condemned terrorism and exhorted Muslim clerics to emphasize peace, security, cooperation, justice, and tolerance in their sermons. Fortune Magazine reported his wealth in 1988 at $ 18 billion (making him

3245-493: Was his mother's only son from her previous marriage to Prince Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman , Fahd's paternal uncle. Fahd's education took place at the Princes' School in Riyadh, a school established by King Abdulaziz specifically for the education of members of the House of Saud. He received education for four years as a result of his mother's urging. While at the Princes' School, Fahd studied under tutors including Sheikh Abdul Ghani Khayat. He then went on to receive education at

3304-405: Was one of the members of the inner family council led by King Khalid, which included Fahd's brothers Muhammad, Abdullah, Sultan and Abdul Muhsin and his uncles Ahmed and Musaid . When King Khalid died on 13 June 1982, Fahd succeeded to the throne being the fifth king of Saudi Arabia. However, the most active period of his life was not his reign, but when he was Crown Prince. King Fahd adopted

3363-499: Was planned to function as an ombudsman of Islamic activity concerning educational, economic, and foreign policy matters. The chairman of the council was Prince Sultan. Prince Nayef, Prince Saud Al Faisal and technocrat Mohammed bin Ali Aba Al Khail were appointed to the newly established council. One of the covert purposes of the council was thought to be to reduce the power of the Ulemas Council had been increasing its power. In an effort to institutionalize succession King Fahd issued

3422-400: Was the eldest of the Sudairi Seven , the sons of King Abdulaziz by Hassa bint Ahmed Al Sudairi . He served as minister of education from 1953 to 1962 during the reign of King Saud . Afterwards he was minister of interior from 1962 to 1975, at the end of King Saud's reign and throughout King Faisal 's reign. He was appointed crown prince when his half-brother Khalid became king following

3481-413: Was the wife of Turki bin Mohammad bin Saud Al Kabeer and died in June 2016. Another daughter princess Lulwa bint Fahd also died on 18 April 2022. His daughters are: King Fahd was admitted to the King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh on 27 May 2005 in "stable but serious condition" for unspecified medical tests. An official (who insisted on anonymity) told the Associated Press unofficially that

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