Mutaib bin Abdullah Al Saud

In this Arabic name, the surname is Al Saud.
Mutaib bin Abdullah Al Saud
Prince Mutaib at The Pentagon in 2014
Minister of National Guard
In office
27 May 2013 – 4 November 2017
MonarchsAbdullah
Salman
Prime MinisterKing Abdullah
King Salman
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byKhalid bin Abdulaziz bin Mohammed bin Ayyaf Al Muqrin
Chief of the National Guard
In office
17 November 2010 – 27 May 2013
MonarchAbdullah
Prime MinisterKing Abdullah
Preceded byAbdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Succeeded byOffice abolished
Personal details
Born (1952-03-26) 26 March 1952 (age 72)
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
SpousePrincess Jawahir bint Abdullah bin Abdul Rahman
Children6
Alma mater
Names
Mutaib bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
House
Parents

Mutaib bin Abdullah Al Saud (Arabic: متعب بن عبد الله آل سعود, Mutaʿib bin ʿAbdullāh ʾĀl Suʿūd, alternative spelling Miteb; born 26 March 1952) is a Saudi prince and military officer who served as Saudi Arabia's minister of the National Guard from 2013 to 2017 and commander of the National Guard from 2010 to 2013. He was arrested on 4 November 2017 along with other Saudi princes including Prince Al Waleed. He was stripped of his position as minister on the same day. He was released on 28 November 2017 after agreeing an "acceptable settlement" with authorities of more than $1 billion (£750m).[1]

Early life and education

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Prince Mutaib was born on 26 March 1952.[2] However, other sources report his birth year as 1953[3] or his birthday as 12 October 1953.[4] Concerning birth place the reports also vary, some arguing that he was born in Riyadh, but another claims that his birthplace is al Ulya, a village in northern Saudi Arabia.[4] His mother was Munira bint Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Otaishan[5] who died in December 2020.[6]

Mutaib is one of 36 children[7] and the third son of King Abdullah.[8][9]

Mutaib bin Abdullah and his older brother Khalid attended Brummana High School in Lebanon and completed their secondary education in Jeddah.[10] Later, he graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as a lieutenant in 1974.[9][11][12] He received a master's degree at King Khalid Military College.[9]

Career

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Prince Mutaib served as head of the commission responsible for reviewing the curricula of military college built in 1982.[12] One year later, in 1983, King Fahd promoted Mutaib bin Abdullah to the rank of Colonel,[4] and he was also appointed commander of the King Khalid Military City.[12]

In 1990, Prince Mutaib began to serve as deputy head of the military under the chairmanship of the National Guard[13] in addition to his post as the commander of the King Khalid military college and the National Guard military college.[14] In 1995, he was promoted to the rank of the team captain.[12] On 21 December 2000, Mutaib bin Abdullah was made deputy assistant chief of National Guard responsible for military affairs[12] and was also promoted to the rank of general.[15] In June 2009, King Abdullah appointed him as deputy commander of SANG responsible for executive affairs at the rank of minister.[12][16]

On 17 November 2010, Mutaib bin Abdullah became the commander of SANG, replacing King Abdullah.[17][18] He conducted a major $3 billion reorganization of SANG to develop its firepower and artillery.[19] Okaz reported in May 2012 that Prince Mutaib had some future plans to establish a body in SANG having female soldiers.[20]

His appointment was commonly considered to reflect King Abdullah's emphasis that it was time to start giving the power to the next generation in a way that would reduce the risk of a power struggle within the Saudi royal family.[21] His appointment was also regarded as a move to prepare him for assuming higher-level responsibility in the future.[22] On 27 May 2013, Prince Mutaib was appointed minister of national guard, a post newly created.[23][24]

Arrest

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Main article: 2017 Saudi Arabian purge

On 4 November 2017 Prince Mutaib was arrested and removed from his position as minister of the National Guard and replaced by Khalid bin Abdulaziz bin Mohammed bin Ayyaf Al Muqrin in the post.[25] He was in Riyadh on that day and asked to meet with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.[25]

Prince Mutaib was accused of embezzlement, hiring ghost employees and awarding contracts to his own companies including a $10 billion deal for walkie talkies and bulletproof military gear worth billions of Saudi riyals.[26][27] Prince Mutaib was released on 28 November 2017 after agreeing to pay authorities a sum, reported to be over $1 billion,[28] or 6 billion Riyals, about 1,6 billion USD. According to one source from inside the Saudi opposition, the price for Prince Mutaib's release was $10 billion.[29]

Other positions

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Prince Mutaib was appointed as a cabinet member with the rank of minister of state in November 2010.[17][30] He was a member of the Military Service Council.[31] He was vice president of the Supreme Committee of the National Festival for Heritage and Culture and the head of the technical committee of the Equestrian Club as well as a member of the board of directors of King Abdulaziz Public Library.[12]

Business activities

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At the beginning of the 2000s, Prince Mutaib was the local representative for the Ford Motor Corporation in Saudi Arabia.[10] In 2010 he bought Hotel de Crillon in Paris for $354 million.[32]

Influence

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In 1997, Paul Michael Wihbey correctly predicted that Crown Prince Abdullah would make his son, Prince Mutaib, the commander of SANG and that Mutaib would modernize SANG's capabilities in regard to counter-insurgency, information collection and tactical field operations. He also regarded Mutaib as a knowledgeable and highly competent commanding officer with strong professional ties to the U.S. military.[33] It was also emphasized that Prince Mutaib developed close relations with powerful regional political and military leaders, including King Hussein and Turkish Prime Minister Turgut Ozal.[33]

Prince Mutaib's influence seems to begin when he was a military officer in the SANG as a result of being the main advisor to his father, Abdullah, commander of the SANG.[34] During his post in the SANG under King Abdullah's command, Prince Mutaib was reported to answer only to him.[34] He is considered to be a competent member of House of Saud and enjoy a wide following in the large tribes of central Arabia.[35]

Mutaib bin Abdullah is reported to have some characteristics that make him one of the leading second generation princes: his low-profile political status; conservative personal approach and commitment to his father’s doctrine in addition to his strong tribal bonds.[33] However, he is also characterized as both an ambitious and a respectable person.[34] After the death of Crown Prince Nayef on 16 June 2012, Prince Mutaib was regarded as one of the possible contenders for the crown.[36]

Views

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Saudi university students organized demonstrations at King Khalid University in March 2012, complaining about negative conditions. Prince Mutaib considered these demonstrations as a threat against the security of the Kingdom.[37] He told that reducing problems and meeting the students' demands were not more urgent than security and stability of the country.[37] He further argued that as a result of recent events in the Arab countries, they should be alert to maintain the stability and security of Saudi Arabia.[37]

In Spring 2013 Prince Mutaib stated "religion (should) not enter into politics" which led a serious concern among religious leaders.[38] Just two days after this statement of Prince Mutaib the clergy met with King Abdullah to express their concern.[38] In addition, Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Tarifi responded Prince Mutaib's statement in a tweet: “whoever says there is no relationship between religion and politics worships two gods, one in the heavens and one on earth.”[38]

Personal life

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Mutaib bin Abdullah is married to Jawahir bint Abdullah, who is a daughter of his father's uncle Abdullah bin Abdul Rahman. They have six children, three daughters and three sons:[39] Seba, Nouf, Abdullah, Zeina, Saad and Khalid.[40] He is also married to a daughter of Saleh Fustuq whose sister was the former wife of King Abdullah.[32]

His son Abdullah participated in various horse showjumping events.[41] More significantly, Prince Abdullah bin Mutaib had two Olympic appearances, one in 2012 London Olympics.[42] One of Prince Mutaib's sons is married to Nouf bint Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Saud,[43] a daughter of his aunt, Seeta bint Abdulaziz. The daughter of Prince Mutaib, Nouf, is married to Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdullah bin Mohammad bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud.[44]

References

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  1. ^ "Saudi prince freed 'after $1bn deal'". BBC News. 29 November 2017.
  2. ^ Sharif Sabri (2001). The House of Saud in Commerce: A Study of Royal Entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia. New Delhi: I. S. Publication. ISBN 81-901254-0-0.
  3. ^ Guido Steinberg (April 2011). "Return of the king" (PDF). Jane's Intelligence Review.
  4. ^ a b c "Mutaib bin Abdullah: the third name on Saudi's corruption list". Egypt Independent. Cairo. 6 November 2017. ProQuest 1961197831. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  5. ^ "Who is going to be the next King in Saudi Arabia?". Observer Research Foundation. 11 September 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  6. ^ "Mother of Saudi Prince Mutaib bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud dies". Gulf Insider. 25 December 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  7. ^ "تعرّف على أبناء وبنات الملك عبد الله الـ36". Al Sharq (in Arabic). 23 January 2015. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  8. ^ Stig Stenslie (2012). Regime Stability in Saudi Arabia: The Challenge of Succession. London; New York: Routledge. p. 39. ISBN 978-1-136-51157-8.
  9. ^ a b c "Prince Miteb bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud". MEED. 6 May 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
  10. ^ a b Joseph A. Kechichian (2001). Succession in Saudi Arabia. New York: Palgrave. p. 11. ISBN 978-0-3122-3880-3.
  11. ^ P. R. Kumaraswamy (11 August 2005). "Saudis search for stability". Asia Times Online. Archived from the original on 13 August 2005. Retrieved 2 February 2013.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  12. ^ a b c d e f g "Biography of Prince Mitab bin Abdullah". Prince Mutaib bin Abdullah Chair for Biomarkers Research on Osteoporosis. Archived from the original on 31 May 2014. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  13. ^ "10 Saudi Royals Who Could Become the Next Crown Prince". Riyadh Bureau. 2013. Archived from the original on 13 December 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  14. ^ "History of the Saudi National Guard". Asharq Alawsat. 11 September 2006. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  15. ^ "Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud". APS Review Oil Market Trends. 24 October 2005. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  16. ^ Simon Henderson (26 October 2011). "The Next Generation of Saudi Princes: Who are They?". The Cutting Edge. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  17. ^ a b "Prince Badr steps down, Prince Mit'eb appointed new commander of the National Guard". Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia Tokyo. 17 November 2010. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
  18. ^ Caryle Murphy (19 November 2010). "King Abdullah puts son in charge of national guard". The National. Riyadh. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
  19. ^ "For Saudis, U.S. arms deal is a challenge". UPI. 26 October 2010. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  20. ^ "Burqas into battle as women set to join the Saudi National Guard". Al Bawaba. 29 May 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  21. ^ James M. Dorsey. "Saudi Arabia Prepares to Hand Power to a Younger Generation". Modern Diplomacy. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
  22. ^ "The Al Saud succession challenge". AMEinfo. 17 July 2012. Archived from the original on 19 July 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  23. ^ "King Abdullah's son to lead new Saudi ministry". The National. Riyadh. Reuters. 28 May 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  24. ^ "King Abdullah transforms National Guard into ministry". Asharq Alawsat. 28 May 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
  25. ^ a b Samia Nakhoul; Angus McDowall; Stephen Kalin (10 November 2017). "A house divided: How Saudi Crown Prince purged royal family rivals". Reuters. Beirut; Riyadh. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  26. ^ "Future Saudi king tightens grip on power with arrests including..." Reuters. 6 November 2017.
  27. ^ "Saudi Arabia princes detained, ministers dismissed". Al Jazeera.
  28. ^ "Saudi anti-corruption drive: Prince Miteb freed 'after $1bn deal'". BBC News. 29 November 2017.
  29. ^ "Saudi prince Mutaib 'paid $10 billion' to be released from Ritz-Carlton 'prison'". Al Araby. 29 November 2017.
  30. ^ "Prince Mit'ab bin Abdallah opens patients safety conference". Saudi Press Agency. 22 April 2012. Archived from the original on 28 January 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  31. ^ "Saudi- Authority to monitor audiovisual media". MEFAFN. Arab News. 4 September 2012. Archived from the original on 14 August 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  32. ^ a b Katie Paul (5 November 2017). "Saudi prince, relieved from National Guard, once seen as throne contender". Reuters. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  33. ^ a b c Paul Michael Wihbey (July 1997). "Succession in Saudi Arabia: The not so silent struggle". IASPS Research Papers in Strategy (4). Archived from the original on 23 May 2012.
  34. ^ a b c "The role of Saudi princes in uniform". Wikileaks. 27 May 1985. Archived from the original on 26 October 2011. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  35. ^ Joseph A. Kechichian (February 2000). "Saudi Arabia's will to power". Middle East Policy. VII (2): 47–60.
  36. ^ Thomas W. Lippman (16 June 2012). "Saudi Arabia Moves Closer to A New Generation of Leaders". Al Monitor. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
  37. ^ a b c Y. Admon (4 April 2012). "First Signs of Protest by Sunnis in Saudi Arabia" (Inquiry and Analysis Series Report No.819). MEMRI. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  38. ^ a b c James M. Dorsey (2013). "Wahhabism vs. Wahhabism: Qatar challenges Saudi Arabia". RSIS Working Paper (262). doi:10.2139/ssrn.2305485. hdl:10356/104085.
  39. ^ "Biography of Prince Mitab bin Abdullah". King Saud University. Archived from the original on 31 May 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
  40. ^ "Family tree of Mutaib bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz". Datarabia. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  41. ^ Talal Kapoor (25 April 2010). "From Horsemen To Rappers: Changing Faces of The Younger Royals". Datarabia. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
  42. ^ Sarah Edmonds (5 August 2012). "Equestrian: Saudis lead into team jump final last round". Chicago Tribune. Reuters. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  43. ^ Ahmed al Masri (29 December 2017). "Saudi authorities release two detained royals: Princess". Anadolu Agency. Doha. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  44. ^ "Saudi Royals As Chief Guests at the 4th G.O.D. Awards and 3rd WCH Humanitarian Summit". Express Press Release. New York City. 29 July 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
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