Quote:
Originally Posted by Airbornelawyer
He is survived by somewhere between 21 and 24 brothers, including 6 full brothers (the surviving members of the "Sudairi Seven").
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One good thing when you die is that everyone still alive comes out to offer condolences.
An August 2 story from the Saudi Press Agency notes that "Worshippers were led by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz; Prince Bandar bin Abdulaziz; Prince Misha'al bin Abdulaziz; Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the Deputy Premier, Defense and Aviation Minister and Inspector General, as well as princes, senior officials and citizens."
For us amateur Kremlinologists: King Abdullah (born 1923) is apparently now the oldest living son of King Abd al-Aziz. His half brother Prince Bandar, also born in 1923, is next. Prince Misha'al was born in 1925, and Crown Prince Sultan in 1927.
Bandar is one of the 3 princes I wasn't sure were still alive. Of the other two, Nasir was born in 1920 and Musa'id in 1923. They haven't been mentioned in the Saudi media for years, and unless they are so infirm they couldn't be wheeled out for the memorial, my guess is they are dead too.
Meaning there are 22 living sons of King Abd al-Aziz (at least for now):
1. Abdullah bin Abd al-Aziz Al Sa'ud (1921-) - King & Prime Minister
2. Bandar bin Abd al-Aziz Al Sa'ud (1923-) - no gov't position
3. Misha'al bin Abd al-Aziz Al Sa'ud (1925-) - no gov't position
4. Sultan bin Abd al-Aziz Al Sa'ud (1927-) - Crown Prince, 1st Deputy PM, Defense Minister
5. Mit'ib bin Abd al-Aziz Al Sa'ud (1928-) - Minister of Municipalities
6. Abd al-Rahman bin Abd al-Aziz (1931-) - Deputy Minister of Defense
7. Talal bin Abd al-Aziz Al Sa'ud (1931-) - Special Envoy to UNESCO
8. Turki bin Abd al-Aziz Al Sa'ud (1933-) - business interests
9. Badr bin Abd al-Aziz Al Sa'ud (1933-) - Deputy Commander of SANG
10. Nawwaf bin Abd al-Aziz Al Sa'ud (1933-) - Chief of General Intelligence, 2001-05
11. Nayif bin Abd al-Aziz Al Sa'ud (1934-) - Interior Minister
12. Fawwaz bin Abd al-Aziz Al Sa'ud (1934-) - no gov't position
13. Salman bin Abd al-Aziz Al Sa'ud (1936-) - Governor of Riyadh
14. Abd al-Illah bin Abd al-Aziz Al Sa'ud (1938-) - Governor of Al Jawf until 2003
15. Abd al-Majid bin Abd al-Aziz Al Sa'ud (1940-) - Governor of Mecca
16. Sattam bin Abd al-Aziz Al Sa'ud (1940-) - Deputy Governor of Riyadh
17. Ahmad bin Abd al-Aziz Al Sa'ud (1940-) - Deputy Minister of the Interior
18. Mamduh bin Abd al-Aziz Al Sa'ud (1941-) - Director, Saudi Center for Strategic Studies until 2004
19. Hidhlul bin Abd al-Aziz Al Sa'ud (1941-) - ?
20. Mashhur bin Abd al-Aziz Al Sa'ud (1942-) - ?
21. Muqrin bin Abd al-Aziz Al Sa'ud (1945-) - Governor of Al Madinah
22. Hamud bin Abd al-Aziz Al Sa'ud (1947-) - ?
Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the outgoing Ambassador to the United States, has shown up prominently in a number of recent news reports, accompanying the new King and/or Bandar's father the Crown Prince in meeting various foreign dignitaries paying their respects. So Bandar's leaving Washington was apparently not a demotion or loss of status.