Abdul Elah bin Abdulaziz


Abdul Elah bin Abdulaziz is a member of the House of Saud and was an adviser to the late King Abdullah. He is the second oldest surviving son of King Abdulaziz following his elder half-brother King Salman.

Early life

Prince Abdul Elah was born in 1939. He is the son of Ibn Saud and Haya bint Sa'ad al Sudairi, a member of the powerful Sudairi family who died in Riyadh on 18 April 2003 at the age of 90. He is a full brother of the late Prince Badr, and the late Prince Abdul Majeed.

Career

Prince Abdul Elah served as the governor of Al-Qassim Province from March 1980 to March 1992. Then, he was appointed governor of Al Jawf Province in 1998 and served in this post until 2001. He accompanied King Abdullah on diplomatic trips abroad, when Abdullah was Crown Prince.
He is a member of the Allegiance Council. On 8 October 2008, he was appointed as adviser to King Abdullah with the rank of minister. He is an entrepreneur and chairman of the Arabian Jewelry Company, National Investment Company, and the National Automobile Company.
Prince Abdul Elah became an advisor to King Salman in January 2015.

Succession

Although Prince Abdul Elah bin Abdulaziz was considered a candidate for the throne by virtue of seniority, he had some drawbacks such as his ill-starred government career. Since he was twice removed from governorships, there were doubts about his competency. He was passed over in favor of Prince Muqrin for the post of Deputy Crown Prince and is thought to be out of the running for the Kingship.

Personal life

Prince Abdul Elah is married to Princess Salwa Al Ahmed, a medical doctor. His children, two sons and three daughters, are Abdul Aziz, a stakeholder in Al-Rajhi Bank, Abdul Majid and Fahda, Noura and Mashael.

Ancestry