OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY OF CROWN PRINCE ABDULLAH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 RIYADH 10227

E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR SA
SUBJECT: OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY OF CROWN PRINCE ABDULLAH


1. CONFIDENTIAL--ENTIRE TEXT.


2. FOLLOWING IS AN OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY SENT TO THE
EMBASSY FROM CROWN PRINCE ABDULLAH'S OFFICE IN THE
NATIONAL GUARD TO ASSIST IN PLANNING FOR ABDULLAH'S
VISIT TO WASHINGTON. WHILE THE BIOGRAPHY CONTAINS
NOTHING SURPRISING, IT IS NOTEWORTHY FOR ITS EMPHASIS ON
THE CONTINUITY OF THE AL SAUD PRESENCE IN THE ARABIAN
PENINSULA SINCE THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY AND ITS STRESS ON
ABDULLAH'S ROLE AS AN INTERNATIONAL STATESMAN. AN
UNOFFICIAL EMBASSY TRANSLATION FOLLOWS. WE WILL POUCH
ORIGINAL ARABIC TO NEA/ARP.


BEGIN TEXT OF CROWN PRINCE ABDULLAH'S BIOGRAPHY:

HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE ABDULLAH IBN ABD AL-AZIZ
CROWN PRINCE, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND
COMMANDER OF THE SAUDI ARABIAN NATIONAL GUARD

BIRTH:

HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE ABDULLAH IBN ABD AL-AZIZ IBN
ABD AR-RAHMAN AL-FAYSAL AL SAUD WAS BORN IN THE CITY OF
RIYADH, CAPITAL OF THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA IN 1343H
CORRESPONDING TO 1924 AD.

HIS FAMILY:

HE BELONGS TO THE AL SAUD FAMILY. HIS FATHER IS THE
LATE KING ABD AL-AZIZ IBN ABD AR-RAHMAN AL-FAYSAL AL
SAUD (1880-1953 A.D.),WHO FOUNDED THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI
ARABIA AFTER HE BOLDLY EMBARKED ON THE BATTLE TO UNIFY
THE ARABIAN PENINSULA IN THE FIRST THIRD OF THE 20TH
CENTURY. HE BROUGHT HIS PEOPLE FROM A STATE OF
CONTENTIOUS TRIBES AND SMALL, ISOLATED PRINCIPALITIES
INTO A MODERN ARAB NATION THAT HAS ADOPTED ISLAM BOTH AS
A WAY OF LIFE AND CONSTITUTION OF GOVERNMENT. KING ABD
AL-AZIZ ALWAYS BELIEVED, "WE, THE AL SAUD, ARE FIRST A
HOUSE WITH A RELIGIOUS MESSAGE, AND THEN A HOUSE OF
RULERS."

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:

THE AL SAUD FAMILY TRACES ITS ROOTS TO THE TRIBE OF ANZA
IBN RABE'A, NUMERICALLY THE LARGEST ARAB TRIBE. IT CAME
INTO PROMINENCE DURING THE LAST TWO CENTURIES AS THE
FAMILY OF REFORM AND RECONSTRUCTION OF THE INTELLECTUAL,
CULTURAL, AND LINGUISTIC UNITY OF THE ARAB PENINSULA,
BASED ON THE ISLAMIC TRADITIONALIST MOVEMENT FOUNDED BY
A SON OF THE NEW-ISLAMIC RENAISSANCE, SHEIKH MOHAMMAD
IBN ABD AL-WAHAB (1703-1792 AD). FIRST AMONG THOSE WHO
SUPPORTED THE SHEIKH IN THE SPREAD OF HIS CALL WAS
PRINCE MOHAMMAD IBN SAUD WHO DIED IN 1765H. HE WAS THE
FOUNDER OF THE FIRST SAUDI DYNASTY, WHICH ITSELF PASSED
THROUGH SEVERAL STAGES, INCLUDING THE PERIOD OF THE
GREAT IMAMS WHO FOUGHT SUPERSTITIONS, UNIFIED THE RANKS
OF THE NATION AND WERE DEEMED TO BE THE PIONEERS OF
RELIGIOUS, ETHICAL, AND SOCIAL REFORM.

THE UNIFICATION AND RENOVATION MOVEMENT LED BY KING ABD
AL-AZIZ, FATHER OF PRINCE ABDULLAH, IS A CONTINUATION OF
THE STRUGGLE OF HIS FAMILY TO MOTIVATE MUSLIM ARAB
SOCIETY TOWARD A REAWAKENING AND STRUCTURING, BASED ON
TRUE FAITH, RETURN TO THE PURE TEACHINGS OF THE HOLY
KORAN AND PURE PROPHETIC TRADITIONS.


INFLUENCES IN PRINCE ABDULLAH'S LIFE:


A. PRINCE ABDULLAH LEARNED POLITICS AT HIS FATHER'S SIDE.


B. HE BEGAN HIS EDUCATION IN THE TRADITIONAL ISLAMIC
WAY, IN THE MOSQUES UNDER RELIGIOUS SCHOLARS WHO
CULTIVATED HIS MIND. HE IS AN AVID AND VORACIOUS READER
INTERESTED IN CULTURE, POLITICS, AND ECONOMICS.



C. HIS FAMILY:

FOUR OF THE CROWN PRINCE'S BROTHERS, UNDER WHOM HE HAS
SERVED IN THE SAUDI GOVERNMENT, HAVE BEEN KING:

--SAUD IBN ABD AL-AZIZ (1952-1964)
--FAYSAL IBN ABD AL-AZIZ (1964-1975)
--KHALED IBN ABD AL-AZIZ (1975-1982)
--KING FAHD IBN ABD AL-AZIZ, THE CURRENT KING (WHOM
PRINCE ABDULLAH NOW SERVES AS CROWN PRINCE)


D. AS CROWN PRINCE, PRINCE ABDULLAH IS IN CLOSE CONTACT
WITH URBAN, RURAL AND DESERT SAUDI SOCIETY. HE OFTEN
MEETS WITH THE ULEMA, SHEIKHS AND RELIGIOUS COUNSELORS
FOR AN EXCHANGE OF VIEWS AND CONSULTATIONS. HE ALSO
RECEIVES ANY SAUDI NATIONAL WHO REQUESTS A MEETING WITH
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS FOR ANY RELIGIOUS OR MUNDANE MATTER.


INSTALLATION OF PRINCE ABDULLAH AS CROWN PRINCE:

ON SUNDAY, JUNE 13, 1982, THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA
PROCLAIMED HIS MAJESTY KING FAHD IBN ABD AL-AZIZ KING
AND LEADER AND HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE ABDULLAH CROWN
PRINCE. ALL MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY ACKNOWLEDGED
THEM AND PAID HOMAGE TO THEM. THE EVENING OF THE SAME
DAY, KING FAHD APPOINTED PRINCE ABDULLAH DEPUTY PRIME
MINISTER AND COMMANDER OF THE NATIONAL GUARD, IN
ADDITION TO HIS POST AS CROWN PRINCE.


COMMANDER OF THE NATIONAL GUARD:

WHEN KING FAYSAL IBN ABD AL-AZIZ ASSUMED POWER, HE WAS
FULLY AWARE THAT HIS ERA WOULD BE HISTORICALLY
SIGNIFICANT. HE THEREFORE SELECTED HIS OFFICIALS FOR
THEIR QUALITY. THE NATIONAL GUARD, WHICH BRINGS
TOGETHER THE DESCENDENTS OF THOSE WHO LIVED WITH KING
ABD AL-AZIZ WHEN HE UNITED THE KINGDOM, HAS A SPECIAL
SIGNIFICANCE. THE NATIONAL GUARD NEEDED A MAN WHO COULD
LEAD AND DEVELOP THE FORCE INTO A SETTLED INSTITUTION.
PRINCE ABDULLAH WAS SUCH A MAN. KING FAYSAL THEREFORE
CHOSE HIM TO TAKE ON THE RESPONSIBILITY IN 1964
(1384H). PRINCE ABDULLAH'S APPOINTMENT WAS A MILESTONE
FOR THE INSTITUTION, AND SINCE THEN, PRINCE ABDULLAH HAS
COMMANDED THE FORCE, A LEADER CLOSE TO HIS MEN WHO PAYS
ATTENTION TO THEIR CONCERNS AND LIVES, WITH THE
CONSCIENCE AND SPIRIT OF A MUSLIM COMMANDER.


DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER:

IN 1975, KING KHALED APPOINTED PRINCE ABDULLAH SECOND
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, IN ADDITION TO HIS POST AS
COMMANDER OF THE NATIONAL GUARD.


ARAB AND ISLAMIC RELATIONS:

AS PART OF THE POLICY OF THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA TO
STRENGTHEN ARAB AND ISLAMIC SOLIDARITY AND PURSUE JOINT
ENDEAVORS WHICH SERVE THE ISLAMIC AND ARAB NATION AND TO
DEEPEN THE EXISTING BROTHERLY TIES AMONG ARAB STATES
WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE ARAB LEAGUE AND THE ARAB
SUMMITS, PRINCE ABDULLAH HAS TRAVELED AND HAD NUMEROUS
CONTACTS WITH THE LEADERS OF THE ARAB AND ISLAMIC
WORLD. THE CROWN PRINCE WORKS CONSTANTLY TO HEAL ARAB
RIFTS.

IN HIS VIEW, RIYADH IS A PLACE OPEN TO ALL ARABS BECAUSE
OF THE KINGDOM'S SPECIAL ROLE IN GUARDING THE HOLIEST
ARAB AND MUSLIM SHRINES.

HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS HAS VISITED THE FOLLOWING ARAB
COUNTRIES:

1975 LEBANON
1977 EGYPT
1977 SYRIA
1977 JORDAN
1979 LIBYA
1979 UAE
1984 KUWAIT
1985 ALGERIA
1985 SYRIA
1986 YEMEN
1986 SYRIA
1986 IRAQ


OTHER MUSLIM COUNTRIES:

1984 PAKISTAN
1984 TURKEY


INTERNATIONAL ARENA:

IT IS CERTAIN THAT THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA HAS A
MAJOR ROLE IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, AND A PIVOTAL
ROLE TO PLAY IN FURTHERING WORLD STABILITY. IT ALSO
PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN OPEC, IN THE NORTH-SOUTH
DIALOGUE, AND IN COOPERATION BETWEEN THE NON-ALIGNED
STATES, AS WELL AS OTHER INTERNATIONAL MARKETS AND
PROBLEMS. THEREFORE, PRINCE ABDULLAH HAS VISITED THE
FOLLOWING COUNTRIES:

1974 SPAIN
1975 UNITED KINGDOM
1975 UNITED STATES
1984 UNITED KINGDOM
1984 SPAIN
1985 FRANCE
1985 AUSTRIA


HOBBIES:

READING AND HORSEMANSHIP, IN THE ARAB TRADITION. THE
CROWN PRINCE IS PRESIDENT OF THE SAUDI EQUESTRIAN CLUB
IN RIYADH.


END TEXT.


HORAN##