Khalid bin Faisal Al Saud

Born: 24 February 1940 (age 81 years), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Spouse: Princess Al-Anoud
Previous office: Governor of Asir Region (1971–2007)
Children: Bandar bin Khalid Al Faisal, Saud bin Khalid Al Faisal, Sultan bin Khalid Al Saud, lolwa bint Khalid Al Saud
Siblings: Abdullah bin Faisal Al Saud, MORE
Parents: Faisal of Saudi Arabia, Haya bint Turki bin Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al Turki Al Saud
Books: Ash`aar Khaled Al Faisal, Kasaed Nebtyah, Masafet Al Tanmiah Wa Shahed `Aian, Siaha Fi Fekr Al Amir

Early life and education

Prince Khalid was born in Makkah on 24 February 1940.[2][3] He is the third son of King Faisal. His mother is Haya bint Turki bin Abdulaziz Al Turki.[4] Prince Khalid's full siblings are Prince Saad and Princess Noura.[5]

In 1948, Prince Khalid attended Model School in Taif to receive secondary education.[2] Like King Faisal's other children, Prince Khalid was educated abroad after completing secondary education in Saudi Arabia. He attended the Hun School of Princeton in New Jersey and graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in political economy from the University of Oxford in 1966.[6][7]

Political career

After returning to Saudi Arabia, Prince Khalid served as director general of the Presidency of Youth Welfare in the ministry of labor and social affairs in 1967.[7][8] His term lasted until April 1971 when he was appointed as governor of Asir Province, replacing Fahd bin Saad in the post.[2][8] Khalid was governor of the province until 2007.[7] He was credited with bringing the province a measure of modernity and prosperity. At the end of the 1990s and the beginning of the 2000s, he sought to use its natural beauty and cool climate to attract Arab tourists. But many inhabitants were resentful that the oil-based welfare state had not provided for them.[9]

As governor, he held majlis, open-house meeting with citizens, twice a day.[10] The region also had its first telephone line under his governorship.[11]

According to a leaked WikiLeaks cable, Prince Khalid went to extraordinary lengths to renovate his late father's palace to host a party for Prince Charles during his 2006 visit.[12][13] The cable revealed that at the time Khalid had been living in the old palace which was in dire need of renovation. He directed a Western business associate to renovate the palace in three weeks and rewarded the businessman with $13,000 when Prince Charles was impressed. Khalid then built a new palace while the old palace was converted into a university.[14]

On 16 May 2007, Khalid was appointed governor of Makkah Province by King Abdullah,[15] replacing Prince Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz who died in office.[16] The province includes the Muslim holy city of Makkah and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia, Jeddah. In 2010, he ordered hotels, restaurants, shops and wedding halls in the province to drop all their non-Arabic names and use Arabic only for signboards.[17]

As governor, he played a major role in managing the annual Hajj in Makkah.[18] According to leaked diplomatic cables, he visited Beirut in 2009 to meet with Lebanese parliamentarians.[19] In June 2011, Prince Khalid presided at the opening of the Rabigh's expansion of its desalination plant.[20]

On 22 December 2013, he was appointed as minister of education, replacing Faisal bin Abdullah Al Saud in the post.[21] On 29 January 2015, Prince Khalid was appointed once again the governor of Makkah Province by King Salman.

Other roles

Prince Khalid is managing director of the King Faisal Foundation a large philanthropic and charitable organisation.[7] The Foundation runs Alfaisal University in Riyadh where Prince Khalid is the chairman of the board of trustees,[22] and also runs Effat University in Jeddah where Prince Khalid is a member of the board of trustees. He is the founder and current president of the organisation Painting and Patronage.[23] In addition, he is a member of Allegiance Council.[24] Prince Khalid is also the president of the Arab Thought Foundation.[25]

Influence

Prince Khalid is believed to be respected in the family, appreciated for his combination of both modern and traditional sensibilities.[26]

He has been mentioned as a future king when succession in the Al Saud passes on to the grandsons of King Abdulaziz.[27] He was also considered to be among the possible contenders after Prince Nayef's death in June 2012.[28][29] However, the other sons of King Faisal, Turki bin Faisal and Saud bin Faisal, were said to be regarded unfavourably within the royal family due to their perceived air of intellectual superiority.[30] On the other hand, Prince Khalid might have advantages over brothers as a result of his long-term tenure as governor in that he is well known to the public.[31]

Views and alliances

Khalid Al Faisal criticized negative coverage of Saudi Arabia by the Western media. He spoke out against misconceptions that characterize Saudi society as backwards and uneducated.[32] During his tenure in Asir province, he was close to then Crown Prince Abdullah.[33]

Personal interests

Prince Khalid is an avid painter,[27] poet and patron of the arts.[7] In 1999, he founded Painting and Patronage to "build and foster valuable bridges of cultural, artistic and educational understanding between the Arab world and the international community".[34] While he was governor of Asir, Khalid founded the Literary Club of Abha, the Abha Singing Festival, the Abha Prize for cultural excellence, and the Al-Miftaha Visual Arts Village in the capital city Abha.[7] As governor of Makkah, he established the Cultural Council of Makkah.[7]

He is a close friend of Prince Charles who is a supporter of artistic painting.[27]

Personal life

Prince Khalid is married to Al Anoud bint Abdullah bin Mohammad bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud. [35][36][37] Her mother is Noura bint Saud bin Abdulaziz, a daughter of King Saud. Her father, Abdullah, is a son of Mohammad bin Abdul Rahman who is King Abdulaziz's step brother.[38]

Prince Khalid's eldest son, Prince Bandar, is the chairman of the board of directors of Al Watan, a reformist newspaper.[39] His second son, Prince Sultan is a naval officer in Saudi army. His third and youngest son Prince Saud is the former deputy governor for investment affairs at the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA).[40]