Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
| Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 1931 (age 85–86) Ta’if, Kingdom of Nejd and Hejaz |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Parents |
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| Relatives | Riad Al Solh (father in law) |
| House | House of Saud |
| Religion | Islam |
| Minister of Communications | |
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In office 1952 – April 1955 |
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| Monarch | |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office merged with Ministry of Finance |
Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (Arabic: طلال بن عبد العزيز آل سعود ), formerly also called The Red Prince, (born 1931) is a senior member of the Saudi royal family. He is notable for his liberal stance, encouraging for a national Constitution and the full rule of law and equality in front of law. He was also the leader of Free Princes Movement.
Prince Talal was born in 1931. He is the twentieth son of King Abdulaziz. His mother was an Armenian woman, Munaiyir, whose family escaped from the Armenian Genocide experienced under the reign of the Ottoman Empire. Munaiyir was presented by the emir of Unayza to Ibn Saud in 1921 when she was 12 years old and Ibn Saud was 45. Their first child was born when she was 15 years old, a son named Talal. Following tradition, Munaiyir became known as Umm Talal, "mother of Talal". However, in 1927, the three-year-old Talal died. In 1931, Talal was born and named in honor of his late brother, following the Bedouin tradition. It is unknown when Abdulaziz divorced his fourth wife and formally wed Munaiyir. She is reported by her family to have remained illiterate all her life and convert to Islam. Munaiyir was regarded by British diplomats in Saudi Arabia as one of King Abdulaziz’s favourite wives. She was as known for her intelligence as for her beauty. She died in December 1991.
Prince Talal was the full brother of Prince Nawwaf. During the reign of their half brother King Saud, they became bitter enemies, to the point of contesting their inheritances.
Prince Talal became one of the wealthiest young princes but his bureau suffered major corruption problems. Prince Talal was made minister of communications when the office was established in 1952. Then, King Abdulaziz created the ministry of air force to prevent all flight-related matters from his administration. Because Prince Talal and Prince Mishaal contended over who controlled the national airlines, Saudi Arabia was to have two separate fleets. The dispute ended when Prince Talal resigned in April 1955. Later, the ministry of communication was merged with the ministry of finance after Prince Talal's resignation. This allowed King Saud to skip choosing Talal's successor, which would have caused friction in the royal family no matter who King Saud choose.
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Wikipedia