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Muqrin bin Abdulaziz

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In this Arabic name, the surname is Al Saud.

Muqrin bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (Arabic: مقرن بن عبدالعزيز آل سعود, romanized: Muqrin ibn 'Abd al 'Azīz Āl Su'ūd; born 15 September 1945)[1] is a Saudi Arabian politician, businessman, and former military aviator who was briefly Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia from January to April 2015, during the first three months of his half-brother King Salman's reign. He is the 35th son of King Abdulaziz, born to Abdulaziz's Yemeni concubine Baraka. Since the death of Abdulaziz's 36th son Hamoud in 1994, Muqrin has been the youngest surviving son of the king.[2][3]

Muqrin bin Abdulaziz
Prince Muqrin (left) with General Hmood Dawi Al Qthami
Tenure23 January 2015 – 29 April 2015
King and Prime Minister
PredecessorSalman bin Abdulaziz
SuccessorMuhammad bin Nayef
  • Deputy Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia
  • Second Deputy Prime Minister
Tenure27 March 2014 – 23 January 2015
King and Prime Minister
PredecessorNayef bin Abdulaziz (as second deputy prime minister)
SuccessorMuhammad bin Nayef
Director General of Al Mukhabarat Al A'amah
TenureOctober 2005 – 19 July 2012
Monarch
Abdullah
PredecessorNawwaf bin Abdulaziz
SuccessorBandar bin Sultan
Governor of Madinah Province
Tenure1999–2005
Appointed by
PredecessorAbdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz
SuccessorAbdulaziz bin Majid
Governor of Hail Province
Tenure1980–1999
Appointed by
PredecessorNasser Al Sheikh
SuccessorSaud bin Abdul Muhsin
Born (1945-09-15) 15 September 1945 (age 79)
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
SpouseAbta bint Hamoud Al Rashid
Issue
Detail		14
Names
Muqrin bin Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman bin Faisal Al Saud
HouseAl Saud
FatherKing Abdulaziz
MotherBaraka Al Yamaniyah
OccupationPolitician • businessman • air force pilot
Military service
Service / branchRoyal Saudi Air Force
Years of service1965–1980

Prince Muqrin served as the director general of Al Mukhabarat Al A'amah from 2005 to 2012. In July 2012, he was appointed King Abdullah's advisor and special envoy with the rank of minister. On 27 March 2014, he was named deputy crown prince making him second in the line of succession behind his half-brother Salman.[4] On 23 January 2015, upon King Abdullah's death and the accession of Salman, Muqrin became crown prince[5] and first deputy prime minister. Only three months later, on 29 April 2015, King Salman dismissed Muqrin, replacing him with his nephew Muhammad bin Nayef.[6]

Early life and education

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Muqrin bin Abdulaziz was born in Riyadh on 15 September 1945.[1][7][8] He is the 35th son of King Abdulaziz. His mother, Baraka Al Yamaniyah, was a Yemeni of African descent[8][9] and was a concubine of King Abdulaziz.[7] She died in Riyadh on 22 August 2018.[10]

Muqrin studied at the Riyadh Model Institute.[2] He then went to Britain's RAF College Cranwell and graduated with a degree in aeronautics at the rank of flight lieutenant in 1968.[2][11] He also received a diploma from the General Staff course in the United States in 1974.[2]

Career

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Muqrin bin Abdulaziz was an air force pilot.[12] In 1965, he joined the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF).[13] He was named commander of the RSAF's 2nd air squadron in 1970. He had served in several positions in the RSAF from 1973 to 1977 before being appointed the adjutant to the director of air operations.[2] He then was elevated to president of operations and planning for the RSAF.[14] He left the RSAF in 1980.[13]

Governorship

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On 18 March 1980, King Khalid appointed Prince Muqrin as governor of Hail replacing Nasser Al Sheikh in the post,[15] and his tenure lasted until 1999.[16] During his tenure Prince Muqrin reformed the local government of Hail with the assistance from the Institute of Public Administration and improved the living conditions of the tribes in the region.[17] He also contributed to the agricultural activities of the region.[17]

On 24 November 1999, Prince Muqrin was appointed governor of Madinah Province as a successor to Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz.[16] King Fahd ordered him to modernize the city in response to a wave of anti-government and anti-royalty demonstrations during Hajj.[14] Prince Muqrin developed the education and health care services offered in remote regions.[18] As governor, Prince Muqrin was considered a traditionalist.[14] He remained in office until October 2005.[19] Abdulaziz bin Majid succeeded him as governor of Madinah Province.[20]

Director General of Al Mukhabarat Al A'amah

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On 22 October 2005, King Abdullah appointed Prince Muqrin as director general of Saudi Arabia's intelligence agency Al Mukhabarat Al A'amah.[16][19][21][22] His appointment occurred nine months after the resignation of the former director general Prince Nawwaf.[22][23]

Prince Muqrin organized a conference on combating internet militancy, particularly used by al Qaeda in 2007.[24] He further declared that Al Mukhabarat al A'amah would set a website to inform citizens about threats to security and that the organization would be restructured to combat with AQAP.[25] He successfully expelled Islamist militants from Saudi Arabia.[26] On 19 July 2012, Prince Muqrin was relieved from his post and replaced by Bandar bin Sultan.[27] It was argued by media that Prince Muqrin had been criticized during his term due to his approach towards some sensitive issues.[28] On the other hand, Prince Muqrin was named advisor at the rank of minister and a special envoy to King Abdullah the same day.[27][29] His responsibility was stated to be the affairs in southeast Asia.[30]

Activities

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Prince Muqrin played an active role in Pakistani politics during his term at the Al Mukhabarat Al A'amah.[21] After Pervez Musharraf's 1999 military coup on Nawaz Sharif, the Saudi government arranged a ten-year agreement with Pervez Musharraf to accept Nawaz Sharif as an exile.[31] Because of Benazir Bhutto's early return from exile and the upcoming 2008 elections, Sharif attempted to return to Pakistan in 2007 against the advice of Prince Muqrin.[32][33] However, Sharif was quickly deported from Pakistan and was greeted by Muqrin bin Abdulaziz at the Jeddah airport.[34] Prince Muqrin was also involved in political reconciliation efforts in Pakistan.[35][36]

On the other hand, Muqrin bin Abdulaziz and then foreign minister Prince Saud Al Faisal were reported to be in favor of pushing the sanctions against Iran instead of military action as King Abdullah insisted.[37] However, Prince Muqrin also argued that Iran's interference in internal Gulf affairs, especially Iran's move in regard to nuclear arms, had very negative effects on the region and therefore, might cause an arms race among the Gulf states.[38]

Business activities

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Muqrin bin Abdulaziz also has business activities. He was one of the founders of the Dar Al Maal Al Islami Trust which was initiated by Mohammed bin Faisal Al Saud, King Faisal's son, in 1981.[39] During his tenure as the governor of Hail province, he founded Hail Agricultural Development Company in 1982.[40][41] In the late 1980s, the company was the largest wheat producer in the country.[40]

Succession

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Main article: Succession to the Saudi Arabian throne
 
 
Prince Muqrin's older half-brother King Abdullah (left) named him as deputy crown prince, while another of his half-brothers, King Salman (right), named him as crown prince.

Eligibility

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Given his governmental experience, Prince Muqrin was considered a candidate for accession to the throne (after Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the crown prince since 2005, fell ill in 2011).[42][43][44] However, his maternal line was seen as a factor curtailing Muqrin's chance of becoming king;[24] his mother was a Yemeni maidservant,[45] and he did not belong to the dominant Sudairi faction of the royal house.[46] He was considered a longtime ally and confidant of King Abdullah,[46][45] and a liberal within the family.[26][47] However, the Institute for Gulf Affairs reported in 2012 that, in an exchange of letters with his half-brother, Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz, Prince Muqrin argued for a harsher response to Shia unrest in the Eastern Province, an approach apparently vetoed by the crown prince.[47]

Second Deputy Prime Minister

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Prince Muqrin was appointed as second deputy prime minister by King Abdullah on 1 February 2013,[48] although he was not seen as a potential contender for the post by analysts.[26][49] This post, which had been vacant since October 2011, is regarded as second in line to the Saudi throne.[48][50] In practical terms, in this role Prince Muqrin was expected to handle daily running of the country whenever King Abdullah and Crown Prince Salman were out of the country or could not deal with daily administrative affairs due to health concerns.[48] In addition to the post of second deputy prime minister, Prince Muqrin kept his other two previous posts, namely adviser to and special envoy of King Abdullah.[51]

Deputy Crown Prince

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After almost a year with the post of second deputy prime minister vacant, Prince Muqrin was formally designated by royal decree in 2013. This meant that he was informally next in line, bypassing several senior princes. In order to make his place in the line of succession permanent and preclude any challenges by any of the dispossessed royals, King Abdullah polled each member of the Allegiance Council individually before announcing Muqrin's new title.[52] Three-quarters of the Council members supported Prince Muqrin's new post.[45]

Prince Muqrin's nomination, according to Reuters, gave more assurance to the kingdom's long-term succession process, proving prophetic with the efficient change of power upon the death of King Abdullah and the accession of King Salman on 23 January 2015.[4]

Crown Prince

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Prince Muqrin became Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and first deputy prime minister on 23 January 2015 when King Abdullah died.[5] On 29 April 2015, after a tenure of barely three months, King Salman relieved Muqrin (his half-brother) of his position as crown prince, and replaced him with his nephew, Mohammed bin Nayef (MBN), who had previously been deputy crown prince.[6] This marked a generational shift: the first time that a grandson (rather than a son) of dynastic founder Ibn Saud had been selected as heir apparent.[53][54] Salman simultenously elevated Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), then in his 30s, to the post of deputy crown prince.[54] Saudi state media said that Muqrin was removed at his own request.[54] While Muqrin had been viewed as a transitional figure,[55][56] observers viewed his rapid removal as a surprise.[53]

After his firing as crown prince, Muqrin was reportedly granted lavish gifts, including US$800 million, and in 2016, the Solandge, a 280-foot yacht.[57][58] Muqrin's treatment upon his ouster as crown prince was far different than that later accorded to MBN, who—after being ousted in a palace coup in 2017 led by MBS—was placed under house arrest, and had much of his wealth seized.[57]

Personal life

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Prince Muqrin is married to Abta bint Hamoud Al Rashid.[59][60] She was president of the Women's Council when Prince Muqrin was Madinah governor.[59]

He has 14 children.[61] His daughters are Mudahawi, Sara, Mishail, Abta, Nuf, Lamiya, Jawahir, and Sara. His sons are Fahd, Abdulaziz, Faysal, Turki, Mansour and Bandar.[60] Prince Turki founded a real-estate company in Turkey. He is a pilot and CEO of Rabigh Wings Aviation Academy in Jeddah.[62] Prince Turki is also a board member of the Saudi Aviation Club.[63]

Muqrin bin Abdulaziz is said to enjoy astronomy, literature and Arabic poetry and has a large library containing thousands of books.[16]

Prince Muqrin purchased four real estate properties about 7,700 square meters in Dlebta, Lebanon, following the approval of the cabinet in 2012 and the publishing of the listed sale in the official gazette. Dlebta's residents objected to the deal and filed a complaint with the relevant authorities.[64]

Honors

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Prince Muqrin is the recipient of several decorations, including King Abdulaziz Sash and the Order of Merit from the Egyptian Military Air Force.[65]

Ancestry

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References

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  1. ^ a b Lacey gives his birth year as 1943.
    Robert Lacey (2011). Inside the Kingdom: Kings, Clerics, Modernists, Terrorists, and the Struggle for Saudi Arabia. New York: Random House. p. VII. ISBN 978-1-4464-7236-1.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Profile: Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz". Asharq Al-Awsat. 2 February 2013.
  3. ^ Simon Henderson (13 February 2013). "Who Will Be the Next King of Saudi Arabia?". The Washington Institute. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
  4. ^ a b "Saudi Prince Muqrin named second-in-line to succeed king". Reuters. 27 March 2014. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  5. ^ a b "Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz dies". BBC. 23 January 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Saudi King Salman appoints Prince Mohammed bin Nayef as new crown prince-state TV". Reuters. 29 April 2015.
  7. ^ a b Iqbal Latif (16 June 2012). "Two Down and One to Go — Prince Salman will be the last of Sudairi Seven". Newsvine. Archived from the original on 19 February 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
  8. ^ a b "With Prince Muqrin's Appointment, Saudi Succession Crisis Looms". The Daily Beast. 3 February 2013. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  9. ^ "The Al Saud dynasty". Islam Daily. 6 July 2006. Archived from the original on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  10. ^ "Saudi royal dies". Gulf Business. 23 August 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  11. ^ "Saudi king appoints his advisor as prime minister's second deputy". Al Arabiya. 1 February 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  12. ^ Simon Henderson (1994). "After King Fahd" (Policy Paper). Washington Institute. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
  13. ^ a b "Crown Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz". Royal Embassy. Archived from the original on 27 January 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  14. ^ a b c "Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz Al Saud". Ayoub World News. 28 October 2011. Archived from the original on 4 February 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  15. ^ Gary Samuel Samore (1984). Royal Family Politics in Saudi Arabia (1953-1982) (PhD thesis). Harvard University. p. 462. ProQuest 303295482.
  16. ^ a b c d "General President". General Intelligence Presidency. Archived from the original on 8 November 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  17. ^ a b Summer Scott Huyette (1984). Political Adaptation in Saudi Arabia: A Study of the Council of Ministers (PhD thesis). Columbia University. p. 103. ProQuest 303285259.
  18. ^ Abdulateef Al Mulhim (9 February 2013). "Prince Muqrin: A pilot, an astronomer and a politician". Arab News. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
  19. ^ a b P.K. Abdul Ghafour (23 October 2005). "Prince Muqrin New Intelligence Chief". Arab News. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  20. ^ "Prince Miqrin Appointed President of General Intelligence". SAMIRAD. 22 October 2005. Archived from the original on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2013.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  21. ^ a b Patrick Devenny (20 July 2009). "The List: The Middle East's Most Powerful Spooks". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  22. ^ a b "Saudis Appoint a New Chief of Intelligence". The New York Times. Reuters. 23 October 2005. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  23. ^ Anthony H. Cordesman; Khalid R. Al Rodhan (2007). Gulf Military Forces in an Era of Asymmetric Wars. Westport, CT; London: Praeger. p. 235. ISBN 978-0-275-99399-3.
  24. ^ a b "FACTBOX — Key players in the ruling Saudi family". Reuters. 22 November 2010. Archived from the original on 4 December 2010. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  25. ^ Anthony H. Cordesman (2009). Saudi Arabia: National Security in a Troubled Region. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger. p. 127. ISBN 978-0-3133-8076-1.
  26. ^ a b c "New appointment clarifies line of succession in Saudi Arabia". IHS Global Insight. 4 February 2013.
  27. ^ a b Ellen Knickmeyer (20 July 2012). "Saudi Appointment Suggests Bigger Regional Ambitions". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
  28. ^ "KSA: New Director for Spy Agency". Middle East Confidential. 20 July 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
  29. ^ "Saudi king names ex-U.S. envoy as intelligence chief". CNN. 19 July 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
  30. ^ Talal Kapoor (8 August 2012). "The Return of Bandar bin Sultan" (Commentary). Datarabia. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  31. ^ "Nawaz Sharif". Encyclopædia Britannica. 10 May 2023.
  32. ^ "Musharraf allows rival to return to Pakistan". The Guardian. 24 November 2007. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
  33. ^ "Former Pakistan Leader Sharif Desires Return". NPR. 7 June 2007. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
  34. ^ "Ex-PM Sharif returns to Pakistan". BBC. 25 November 2007. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
  35. ^ "Saudi spy chief meets Musharraf, Nawaz Sharif". Daily Times. 16 August 2008. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  36. ^ "Saudi Arabia's Ailing Gerontocracy". David Ottaway. 1 December 2010. Archived from the original on 20 April 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  37. ^ "Saudis Said to Urge Iran Hit". Arab Times. 28 November 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  38. ^ Sylvia Pfeifer; Najmeh Bozorgmehr; Roula Khalaf (14 December 2011). "Iranians seek to placate Saudi Arabia". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 11 December 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  39. ^ Mohammed bin Faisal Al Saud (2014). "The Well of Influence". In Emmy Abdul Alim (ed.). Global Leaders in Islamic Finance: Industry Milestones and Reflections. Singapore: Wiley. p. 56. doi:10.1002/9781118638804.ch3. ISBN 978-1-118-46524-0.
  40. ^ a b Monera Nahedh (June 1989). The Sedentarization of a bedouin community in Saudi Arabia (PhD thesis). University of Leeds.
  41. ^ Giselle C. Bricault, ed. (1993). "Saudi Arabia". Major Companies of the Arab World 1993/94. Dordrecht: Springer. p. 537. doi:10.1007/978-94-011-1458-5_13. ISBN 978-1-85333-894-6.
  42. ^ Ali Al Ahmed; Logan Barclift (13 April 2011). "After Sultan: Saudi Crown Prince Incapacitation Trigger Instability of Absolute Monarchy". Institute for Gulf Affairs.
  43. ^ "The awkward question of Saudi succession". MEED. 23 October 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  44. ^ Amir Taheri (2004). "Saudi Arabia: Between Terror and Reform". American Foreign Policy Interests. 26 (6): 457–465. doi:10.1080/10803920490905523. S2CID 154222715.
  45. ^ a b c Yoel Guzansky (January 2015). "A Game of Thrones: Royal Succession in Saudi Arabia" (PDF). Strategic Assessment. 17 (4): 10.
  46. ^ a b Ian Bremmer (19 June 2012). "What happens after the death of a prince?". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 12 April 2013. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  47. ^ a b Joshua Jacobs (6 March 2012). "Policy Brief: Saudi Crown Prince Serious Illness Complicates Succession Matters Again". Institute for Gulf Affairs.
  48. ^ a b c "Saudi Arabia appoints Prince Muqrin as second deputy PM". Reuters. 1 February 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  49. ^ David Roberts (19 June 2012). "Saudi Succession after the Death of Crown Prince Nayef". RUSI Analysis.
  50. ^ "Saudi king 'names brother deputy premier'". France 24. 1 February 2013. Archived from the original on 16 February 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  51. ^ "Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Arrives in Riyadh coming from Rawdhat Khuraim". Arab News. 22 April 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  52. ^ "Saudi Arabia: Prince Muqrin in Line for the Throne". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 2 March 2015 – via Pulitzer Center.
  53. ^ a b Simeon Kerr; Farhan Bokhari (29 April 2015). "Saudi Arabia replaces crown prince in sweeping shake-up". Financial Times.
  54. ^ a b c Ben Hubbard; Neil MacFarquhar (30 April 2015). "A Saudi Royal Shake-Up With a Goal of Stability". New York Times.
  55. ^ "Saudi Arabia reshuffle as king appoints nephew to crown prince post". The Guardian. Associated Press. 29 April 2015.
  56. ^ Aya Batraw (11 April 2014). "Social challenges as Saudis draw throne's future". Associated Press News.
  57. ^ a b Anuj Chopra (29 November 2022). "'The Godfather, Saudi-style': inside the palace coup that brought MBS to power". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  58. ^ David Ignatius (27 November 2018). "The Khashoggi killing had roots in a cutthroat Saudi family feud". The Washington Post. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  59. ^ a b Raphaeli Nimrod (September 2003). "Saudi Arabia: A brief guide to its politics and problems". MERIA. 7 (3).
  60. ^ a b "King Abdullah dies, Salman's succession marks return of Sudairis" (PDF). Gulf States Newsletter. 39: 4. 23 January 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 June 2021.
  61. ^ "Family Tree of Muqrin bin Abdulaziz Al Saud". Datarabia. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  62. ^ "Suudi kralın pilot yeğeni gayrımenkul için geldi. (Pilot nephew of the King came Turkey for real-estate)". Milliyet. 6 November 2011. Archived from the original on 19 January 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  63. ^ "Members of Saudi Aviation Club Board of Directors Appointed". Saudi Press Agency. Jeddah. 30 June 2010. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
  64. ^ "Saudi prince to resell Lebanese land after objections". Ya Libnan. 23 July 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  65. ^ Publitec Publications, ed. (2007). Who's Who in the Arab World 2007-2008 (18th ed.). Beirut: Publitec Publications. p. 718. doi:10.1515/9783110930047. ISBN 978-3-598-07735-7.
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Saudi Arabian royalty
Preceded by Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia
23 January 2015 – 29 April 2015 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by
Nasser bin Abdullah Al Ash Shaikh
 Governor of Hail Province
1980–1999 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Governor of Madinah Province
1999–2005 		Succeeded by
Preceded by President of Al Mukhabarat Al A'amah
2005–2012 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Office established
 Saudi Arabian Special Envoy
2012–2015 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Nayef bin Abdulaziz
 Second Deputy Prime Minister
2013–2015 		Succeeded by
Muhammad bin Nayef
Preceded by
Salman bin Abdulaziz
 First Deputy Prime Minister
January-April 2015 		Succeeded by
Muhammad bin Nayef
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