Bandar bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

Bandar bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (1923 – March 18, 2016) was a Saudi royal and the tenth son of King Abdulaziz, the first monarch of Saudi Arabia. He was the eldest surviving member of the ruling branch of the House of Saud (agnatic descendants of Ibn Saud).

Early life

Saud was reportedly born in Riyadh in 1923, though the Talal Kapoor reports his birth year as 1921. His mother, Bazza II, a Syrian or Moroccan woman, died in 1940. He was the tenth son of King Abdulaziz, and his full brother was Prince Fawwaz bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

Succession

Saud stepped aside from the line of succession, despite opposition to Sultan bin Abdulaziz's appointment as second deputy prime minister by King Fahd in 1982. His only government service had been as the director general of the Interior Ministry, and the fact that his mother was Moroccan may also have counted against him. Similar claims by Musaid, his full brother, were rejected because his son had assassinated King Faisal in 1975. As compensation, however, two of Bandar's sons were given important jobs: Mansour bin Bandar was made the commander of Prince Abdullah Air Base at Jeddah and Faisal bin Bandar the governor of Al-Qassim Province.

Career and family

Saud's only official government position was as Director General of the Interior Ministry. His various business concerns included Tabuk Cement Co. and Riyadh Recreational Hotels Co. His sons have served in both government and military posts, Faisal was previously Deputy Governor of Asir Province, and served as Governor of Al-Qassim Region from 1992 to January 2015 when he was appointed governor of Riaydh. Another son, Abd Alaziz, was deputy chief of the Al Mukhabarat Al A'amah (Intelligence Presidency) until 5 October 2012, when he resigned from the post. Bandar's third son, Khalid bin Bandar, served as the president of general intelligence and as the governor of Riyadh Province and was a Lieutenant General and commander in the Royal Saudi Land Forces. A fourth son, Mansour, is a Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) officer who served as the commander of a McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle squadron at King Abdul-Aziz Air Base (Dhahran) in the early 1980s.