Category Archives: Saudi Arabia
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Calls For Further Democracy
Saudi billionaire prince Alwaleed bin Talal has asked for democratic elections in the absolute monarchy where the king cites members of an ineffectual Shura consultative council.
Prince Alwaleed, the most affluent Arab businessman and a nephew of King Abdullah, stated in a TV interview broadcast on Tuesday, the monarch's January decision to nominate thirty women to the council was "really important" but that it's necessary to go further.
"For this to become historic, I think two things are Read more [...]
Saudi Arabian Prince Insulted by Forbes Magazine Wealth Ranking
High powered global financier Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia is listed by Forbes magazine as the 26th richest person on the planet. While that is a notable achievement, the Prince seems to spend as much time concerned about his public image as his personal investments, and is said to be deeply upset at being listed far below what he feels his actual net worth should be valued at, a sum of 29.6 billion dollars rather than the 20 billion credited him by the magazine.
For Prince Alwaleed Read more [...]Prince Alwaleed and his dream tower
Saudi Arabias Prince Alwaleed bin Talal asserts he will actualize his dream of finding the worlds tallest building soar 1km above Jeddah even though the projection is for now below, rather than above ground.
The billionaire nephew of King Abdullah states contractors are having to spend months raming piles deeply into the ground of the infamously flood-prone coastal metropolis to sustain a construction that should one day excel Dubais 828m Burj Khalifa.
Constructing the highest rise tower is Read more [...]Crown Prince Nayef of Saudi Arabia Dies
The heir to the Saudi monarchy has died, less than a year after being named the Crown Prince.
Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz died in Geneva, Switzerland where he was receiving medical treatment. He was 78 years old.
"It is a shock. We are knew his health was frail but his death is a shock," Saudi Foreign Ministry spokesman Osama Nogali told CNN. "We still don't know the reason behind his death."
Nayef served as Interior Minister of Saudi Arabia for 37 years, and was involved in counterterrorism Read more [...]
Spanish Court Dismisses Rape Case Against Prince Alwaleed bin Talal
A Spanish appeals court threw out a rape charge against Saudi billionaire, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who is the nephew of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz. The action was done due to lack of evidence.
Back in August 2008, a model claimed she was drugged and raped aboard the Saudi Prince's yacht, docked off the Balearic island of Ibiza. That case was originally threw out due not enough evidence but was reopened this past September.
Max Turiel, a lawyer representing the model, who's name has Read more [...]
Prince Alwaleed Invests $300 Million into Twitter
Saudi billionaire and nephew to the King, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal al-Saud announced Monday that he and his investment company will pump $300 million into the social networking site, Twitter.
"We believe that social media will fundamentally change the media industry landscape in the coming years. Twitter will capture and monetize this positive trend," Ahmed Halawani, the Kingdom Holding Co. executive director of private equity and international investments, said in a statement.
Prince Read more [...]
Prince Nayef Named Saudi Arabia’s Heir
The Saudi royal court announced Thursday that its interior minister, Prince Nayef, was named as the heir to the monarchy.
Nayef was appointed by King Abdullah bin Abdulziz al Saud after the monarch met with the Allegiance Council, which was set up in 2006 to make succession issues less complicated.
This news comes as no surprise since it was widely believed Nayef would become first in line after the death of Crown Prince Sultan last Saturday.
However, some progressives in the oil rich Read more [...]
Funeral of Crown Prince Sultan
At the Imam Turki bin Abdullah mosque in Riyadh Tuesday, male members of the Saudi royal family, plus Arab and Muslim leaders from around the world, said good-bye to Crown Prince Sultan, who died in the United States Saturday.
The remains of the late heir was draped in his brown cloak as it was carried through the mosque before prayers were said.
King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, Sultan's brother, was present, though he was wheelchair bound and wore a surgical mask over his face. Many wonder Read more [...]
Crown Prince Sultan of Saudi Arabia Dies
The heir to the Saudi monarchy died at a New York hospital overnight Saturday. Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz al-Saud was being treated for an illness, though it is not official what kind. He was in his late 80s.
The palace said King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz is in “deep sorrow” as he mourns the death of not only his heir, but his half brother.
The AP reports that a funeral is being prepared for Tuesday at a Riyadh mosque.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made this statement Read more [...]
More Health Issues for Saudi King and Heir
This month has seen health problems arise for the most senior members of the House of Saud: King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Sultan. Both in their 80s, these two both have had health issues for a while.
This Monday saw the 88 year old King go in for surgery on his back at the King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh. He had work done the ligaments around his third vertebra.
"The surgery, thanks be to God, was successful," the royal court statement, carried by the Saudi state news Read more [...]
