Muhammad bin Saad Al Saud

Saudi royal and former military and government official (born 1944)

In this Arabic name, the surname is  Al Saud.

Muhammad bin Saad Al Saud

Deputy Governor of Riyadh Province
In office| November 2011 - 14 February 2013
Predecessor| Sattam bin Abdulaziz
Successor| Turki bin Abdullah
Monarch| King Abdullah

Born| 1944 (age 80-81)
Riyadh
Spouse| Seeta bint Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
| Names

Muhammad bin Saad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
House| Al Saud
Father| Saad bin Abdulaziz
Alma mater| Royal Air Force College Cranwell

Muhammad bin Saad Al Saud (Arabic: محمد بن سعد آل سعود; born 1944) is a former deputy governor of Riyadh Province, member of the House of Saud, and one of the grandsons of Saudi Arabia's King Abdulaziz. He has been in detention since March 2020.[citation needed]

## Early life and education

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Muhammad bin Saad was born in Riyadh in 1944[1][2] to Prince Saad, the seventh son of King Abdulaziz.[3] Prince Saad was not given a significant political position due to his weak and negligible character like his half-brother Prince Bandar.[3]

After completing his secondary education in Riyadh, Prince Muhammad went to the United Kingdom to join the Royal Air Force College Cranwell in 1962 and received training as a pilot, graduating with a bachelor's degree in military science and aviation.[2] He also attended an advanced flight course, a combat aviation course and then, a fighter interceptor course in the United Kingdom.[2]

## Career and other positions

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Muhammad bin Saad has both military experience and governmental experience.[4] He began his career as a military officer and served in different branches of the Saudi air force. He was first appointed to the sixth squadron at Khamis Musheet base for lightning aircraft.[2] He, then, served at the Dhahran air base, and his military career lasted until 1975.[2]

From 1984 to 1992, Muhammad bin Saad served as the deputy governor of Al Qassim Province.[2][4] Then, he was appointed advisor to Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz, interior minister, in 1992.[2][5][6] When Prince Nayef was appointed second deputy prime minister in 2009, Prince Muhammad was appointed his advisor.[7] His tenure lasted until 2011, when he was made deputy governor of the Riyadh Province at the rank of minister.[8][9] He was relieved of his duty on his request on 14 February 2013 and replaced by Turki bin Abdullah as deputy governor.[10]

### Other positions

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Prince Muhammad 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.[11] He is a member of the Allegiance Council which was established in 2007.[12]

## Personal life

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His spouse is Seeta bint Saud, a daughter of King Saud.[13]

### Views and arrest

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Muhammad bin Saad is one of three members of the Allegiance Council who did not support the appointment of Mohammad bin Salman as crown prince on 21 June 2017.[14] The others were Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al Saud.[14] The latter represented his older brother, Khalid bin Abdullah, at the meeting of the council.[14] Muhammad bin Saad was arrested in March 2020 together with other members of the royal family and senior figures.[12][15]

## References

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1. ^ "Muhammad Saad Abdulaziz". Dhownet. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
2. ^ a b c d e f g "Biography of Prince Mohammed bin Saad bin Abdulaziz, vice governor of Riyadh region". SPA. 13 November 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
3. ^ a b Nabil Mouline (April–June 2010). "Power and generational transition in Saudi Arabia". Critique Internationale. 46: 1–22\. doi:10.3917/crii.046.0125.
4. ^ a b "The role of Saudi princes in uniform". Wikileaks. 27 May 2012. Archived from the original on 26 October 2011. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
5. ^ "2001 Public Statement". Saudi Embassy. 24 May 2001. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
6. ^ "CDO Grants Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Medal of Commander". Gulf in the Media. Riyadh. Saudi Press Agency. 4 October 2009. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
7. ^ "Second Deputy Premier leaves Riyadh on a private trip". Ministry of Interior. 2 April 2011. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
8. ^ "Salman and Sattam take oaths of office". Saudi Gazette. 7 November 2011. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
9. ^ "The Allegiance Council". APS Diplomat News Service. 27 October 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
10. ^ "الوطن أون لاين أمر ملكي بتعيين الأمير خالد بن بندر بن عبدالعزيز أميرا لمنطقة الرياض". Al Watan (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
11. ^ 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.
12. ^ a b Mahmoud Muhamed Barakat (11 March 2020). "Member of Saudi Allegiance Council arrested: report". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
13. ^ "Daughters and sons of King Saud". King Saud.net. Archived from the original on 13 September 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
14. ^ a b c Karen Elliott House (June 2017). "Saudi Arabia in Transition: From Defense to Offense, But How to Score?" (Senior Fellow Paper). Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. p. 5. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
15. ^ "Dead, detained or disappeared: A who's who of Mohammed bin Salman's victims". Middle East Eye. 12 March 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2020.