Abdullah bin Mosaad Al Saud

{{Infobox royalty

| name = Abdullah bin Mosaad Al Saud

| image = عبدالله بن مساعد بن عبدالعزيز آل سعود.jpeg

| caption = Prince Abdullah {{c.}} 2013

| full name = Abdullah bin Mosaad bin Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1965|2|19}}

| birth_place = Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

| house = Al Saud

| father = Mosaad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

| mother = Fatima bint Hashim bin Turki

| spouse = Jawaher bint Fahd bin Abdullah Al Saud

| module = {{infobox person|child=yes|alma mater= King Saud University}}

}}

Abdullah bin Mosaad bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud ({{langx|ar|عبد الله بن مساعد بن عبد العزيز آل سعود}}; born 19 February 1965) is the son of Prince Mosaad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and grandson of King Abdulaziz.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/espnmag/story?id=3488564|title=The Prince Who Would Be Fantasy King|date=15 July 2008 |publisher=ESPN|access-date=4 September 2013}} He was general president of Saudi Arabia's General Sports Authority from 2014 to 2017.

He is the founder of United World Group, which holds entities such as Sheffield United, Beerschot, Al-Hilal United, Châteauroux and Kerala United.{{cite web|url=http://www.sufc.co.uk/news/article/20130903-announcement-1032027.aspx|title=United secure new international partner|publisher=Sheffield United F.C.|accessdate=5 September 2013|date=5 September 2013}} {{verify source |date=September 2019|reason=This ref was deleted Special:Diff/911334473 by a bug in VisualEditor and later restored by a bot from the original cite located at Special:Permalink/906725227 cite #9 - verify the cite is accurate and delete this template. User:GreenC bot/Job 18}}

Education

He has bachelors and masters degrees in Industrial Engineering from King Saud University.{{Cite web|url=http://www.campdenfb.com/article/paper-prince-abdullah-bin-mosaad-abdulaziz-al-saud|title=The Paper Prince: Abdullah bin Mosaad Abdulaziz Al Saud|work=Campden FB|access-date=18 April 2017}}

Business activities

In 1989, Prince Abdullah founded a paper-manufacturing company in Saudi Arabia, the SPMC Group.{{cite web|url=http://www.arabianbusiness.com/companies/saudi-paper-manufacturing-company-66565.html|title=Saudi Paper Manufacturing Company|work=Arabian Business|date=4 September 2013|accessdate=4 September 2013}} Prince Abdullah sold his interest in the company in 2016.

Prince Abdullah was the chairman of the leading Saudi Arabian football club Al-Hilal for 18 months between 2002 and 2004{{cite web|date=28 June 2014|title=Prince Abdullah lands Saudi youth role|url=http://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/sheff-utd/sheffield-united-prince-abdullah-lands-saudi-youth-role-1-6699351|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728040407/http://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/sheff-utd/sheffield-united-prince-abdullah-lands-saudi-youth-role-1-6699351|archive-date=28 July 2014|publisher=The Sheffield Star|accessdate=28 June 2014}} during which time the club won the Crown Prince Cup. During his brother's chairmanship of Al-Hilal, Prince Abdullah supervised the club's investments. He remains a supporter of the club.

In September 2013, Prince Abdullah purchased a 50 percent stake in English then-EFL League One club Sheffield United and became co-chairman with Kevin McCabe.{{cite web|url=http://www.arabianbusiness.com/saudi-prince-buys-50-of-sheffield-united-516440.html|title=Saudi prince buys 50% of Sheffield United|publisher=Arabian Business|date=3 September 2013|accessdate=4 September 2013}}{{Cite web |title=Sheffield United: Prince Abdullah would do business with Bin Laden family |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11683/11814136/sheffield-united-prince-abdullah-would-do-business-with-bin-laden-family |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=Sky Sports |language=en}} In February 2018, Prince Abdullah entered into negotiations with McCabe to take full control of Sheffield United.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42995634|title=Sheffield United: Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in talks over buyout|publisher=BBC|date=8 February 2018|accessdate=9 February 2018}} In September 2019, Prince Abdullah owned 100% of the club including all club-related properties (stadium, academy, hotel, etc.) after winning a legal case against his partner as per the High Court decision in UK.{{Cite web |last=Dixon |first=Ed |date=2019-09-17 |title=Sheffield United ownership battle sees Prince Abdullah pay just UK£5m to take control |url=https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/sheffield-united-ownership-prince-abdullah-kevin-mccabe/ |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=SportsPro |language=en-GB}} In April 2021, Sheffield United announced that their chairman Prince Abdullah had resigned from his position for personal reasons.{{Cite web |last=National |first=The |date=2021-04-17 |title=Sheffield United chairman Prince Musa'ad steps down for personal reasons |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/sheffield-united-chairman-prince-musa-ad-steps-down-for-personal-reasons-1.1205290 |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=The National |language=en}}

In mid-2018, Prince Abdullah controlled 50% of the Belgian football club KFCO Beerschot Wilrijk in the southern part of the city of Antwerp, and in January 2020 he increased his share in this club to 75%. Two years after Prince Abdullah took over, Beerschot went on to win the league final in August 2020. The club was promoted to the Belgian First Division for the first time. The club changed its name to Beerschot V Antwerp, in commeration of the dissolved football club K. Beerschot V.A.C..{{cite news|url=https://www.gva.be/cnt/dmf20180727_03635003/beerschot-wilrijk-ontrolt-nieuwe-structuur-50pct-dca-50pct-saudisch|title=Beerschot Wilrijk ontrolt nieuwe structuur: 50% DCA, 50% Saudisch|work=Gazet van Antwerpen|date=27 July 2018|accessdate=22 February 2019}} The club also acquired the historic registration number "13" that had belonged to the latter club. Around February 2020, it was announced that Prince Abdullah took ownership of the newly established Al Hilal United in Dubai, UAE.{{cite news|url=https://www.albayan.ae/sports/emirates/2020-02-13-1.3777290|title=عبدالله بن مساعد يعلن ملكيته لنادي الهلال يونايتد في الإمارات|language=Arabic|publisher=البيان|accessdate=13 February 2020}} In October 2020, Prince Abdullah became the owner of the newly formed Kerala United of I-League 2nd Division based in Kerala, India.{{Cite web|title=Indian football: Kerala's football passion gets the Sheffield United seal of 'approval'|url=https://www.goal.com/en/news/kozhikode-quartz-fc-indian-football-kerala-sheffield-united/1r8n8ywgeqvta1kudm0g9euuik|access-date=20 November 2020|work=Goal}}[https://spotik.in/epl-side-sheffield-united-owners-seal-takeover-of-india-club-calicut-quartz-and-rename-it-kerala-united/ EPL side Sheffield United owners seal takeover of Indian club Calicut Quartz and rename it Kerala United FC] spotik.in. Retrieved 15 April 2021

In March 2021, it was announced that he has ownership of La Berrichonne de Châteauroux, the National division based in Châteauroux, France.{{Cite web |date=2023-12-05 |title=Châteauroux set to be sold by Saudi owners |url=https://onefootball.com/en/news/chateauroux-set-to-be-sold-by-saudi-owners-38568667 |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=OneFootball |language=en}}file:Prince-Abdullah-bin-Mosaad-bin-Abdulaziz-Al-Saud.jpg]]

Career

In June 2014, Prince Abdullah was appointed General President of General Sports Authority{{Cite web |title=History |url=https://olympic.sa/our-history/ |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=Saudi Olympic & Paralympic Committee |language=en-US}} in Saudi Arabia making him at the same time the head of the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee, and the head of Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation.{{Cite web |title=Ceremony held ahead of Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku |url=https://www.commonspace.eu/news/ceremony-held-ahead-islamic-solidarity-games-baku |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=commonspace.eu |language=en}} His tenure began on the 26 of June 2014 and ended on the 22 of April 2017. He was succeeded by Mohammed Abdul Malik Al Al-Sheikh. Later the Authority became a ministry.