The House of Saud is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia. It is composed of the descendants of Muhammad bin Saud, founder of the Emirate of Diriyah, known as the First Saudi state (1727–1818), and his brothers, though the ruling faction of the family is primarily led by the descendants of Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman, the modern founder of Saudi Arabia. It forms a subtribe of the larger prominent ancient Banu Hanifa tribe of Arabia, of which well known 7th century Arabian theologist Maslama ibn Ḥabīb originates. The most influential position of the royal family is the King of Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarch. The family in total is estimated to comprise 10,000 to 20,000 members; however, the majority of power, influence and wealth is possessed by a group of about 2,000 of them. Some estimates of the royal family's wealth measure their net worth at anywhere from as low as $500 billion to as high as $3 trillion. This figure includes the market capitalization of Saudi Aramco, the state oil and gas company, and its vast assets in fossil fuel reserves, making them the wealthiest family in the world and the wealthiest in recorded history.
Saud bin Faisal Al Saud, also known as Saud Al Faisal, was a Saudi Arabian statesman and diplomat who served as the foreign minister of Saudi Arabia from 1975 to 2015. A member of the Saudi royal family, he was the longest-serving foreign minister in world history.
The Sudairi Seven, also spelled Sudairy or Sudayri, is the commonly used name for a powerful alliance of seven full brothers within the Saudi royal family. They are also sometimes referred to as the Sudairi clan or the Sudairi faction. They are among the forty-five sons of the country's founder, King Abdulaziz. The King had more sons with their mother, Hussa bint Ahmed Al Sudairi, than he did with any of his other wives.
The 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in Saudi Arabia between 16 February and 3 March 1989. The 1989 championship was the 7th contested. The tournament took place across four cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, and Ta'if.
Abdullah bin Faisal Al Saud was a Saudi Arabian businessman, politician, and poet who held multiple posts in the Saudi government throughout the 1940s and 1950s. Prince Abdullah was the eldest son of King Faisal. He served as the governor of Hejaz during the reign of his grandfather King Abdulaziz, and as the minister of health and interior during the reigns of his grandfather and his uncle King Saud. These positions made him one of the most powerful Saudi Arabian royals of his time.
The order of succession to the Saudi Arabian throne is determined by, and within, the House of Saud. Every King of Saudi Arabia, upon his death, has been succeeded by the crown prince, with a new crown prince then being appointed according to agnatic seniority among the sons of Ibn Saud, though various members of the family have been bypassed for various reasons. A deputy crown prince was first selected in 2014.
Bandar bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was the tenth son of King Abdulaziz. At the time of his death, he was the eldest surviving member of the ruling branch of the House of Saud.
The Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia is the chairman of the Council of Ministers and head of government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Prime Minister is always either the King of Saudi Arabia or Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been Prime Minister since 27 September 2022.
The 2008 GCC U-23 Championship took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for the first time. Five nations took part. The competition was held in Riyadh from 6 to 17 January. Saudi Arabia won the title after defeating Bahrain 1–0 on the final matchday.
Football at the 2005 Islamic Solidarity Games was held in Saudi Arabia from April 9 to April 20, 2005. Saudi Arabia were champions, defeating Morocco 1–0 in the final.
Football is the most popular sport in Saudi Arabia. Football in Saudi Arabia is governed by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation (SAFF). It was founded in 1956. It administers both the club competitions and the national football teams of Saudi Arabia.
The Allegiance Council, also known as the Allegiance Commission or Allegiance Institution or Succession Commission, is the body responsible for determining future succession to the throne of Saudi Arabia. It was formed on 7 December 2007 by King Abdullah. At the time of its formation, the Council's intended function was to appoint a Crown Prince once a new King succeeds to the throne.
The 22nd Arabian Gulf Cup was the 22nd edition of the biennial football competition, and took place between 13 and 26 November 2014 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The crown prince of Saudi Arabia is the second-most important position in Saudi Arabia, second to the King, and is his designated successor. Currently, the Crown Prince assumes power with the approval of the Allegiance Council after he is nominated by the King. This system was introduced to the country during the reign of King Abdullah. In the absence of the King, an order is issued to have the Crown Prince manage the affairs of the state until the King's return.
Faisal bin Turki I Al Saud (1920–1968) was a Saudi royal and politician. He was the only son of Prince Turki I and the eldest grandson of King Abdulaziz. He served as minister of interior during the reign of King Saud, his uncle and step-father, and was the country's first minister of labour and social affairs. Although he was very close to King Saud, Prince Faisal was one of the Saudi royals who signed the document that asked Saud to abdicate in 1964.
Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud (1875–1953), the founder and first king of Saudi Arabia, also called Ibn Saud, was very young when he first got married. However, his wife died shortly after their marriage. Ibn Saud remarried at eighteen and his firstborn child was Prince Turki I. He had 45 sons of whom 36 survived to adulthood and had children of their own. He also had many daughters. He is thought to have had 22 wives.
The 2018–19 Arab Club Champions Cup, officially named the 2018–19 Zayed Champions Cup to mark 100 years since the birth of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, was the 28th season of the Arab Club Champions Cup, the Arab world's club football tournament organised by UAFA, and the first season since it was renamed from the Arab Club Championship to the Arab Club Champions Cup.
Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Saud was a Saudi royal who served as the chairman of Al Faisaliah Group and Al Ahly football club. He was a grandson of King Faisal and a son of Abdullah bin Faisal.
The 2021 WAFF U-23 Championship was the second edition of the WAFF U-23 Championship, an under-23 international tournament for member nations of the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF). It took place in Saudi Arabia from 4 to 12 October 2021, featuring 11 teams. Only players born on or after 1 January 1998 were eligible to participate. Iran were the defending champions; however, they couldn't defend the title after they joined CAFA.
