Nawwaf bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

{{Short description|Saudi royal, businessman, and government official (1932–2015)}}

{{Infobox royalty

| full name = Nawwaf bin Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman

| image = Nawwaf bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (crop).jpg

| spouse = Jawahir Al Sheikh

| succession = Director General of Intelligence Agency

| reign = 1 September 2001 – 26 January 2005

| reign-type = In office

| reg-type = Monarch

| regent = Fahd

| successor = Muqrin bin Abdulaziz

| predecessor = Turki bin Faisal

| dynasty = Al Saud

| father = King Abdulaziz

| mother = Munaiyir

| birth_date = {{birth date|1932|8|16|df=y}}

| birth_place = Taif, Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd

| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|2015|9|29|1932|8|16}}

| death_place = Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

}}

Nawwaf bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ({{langx|ar|نواف بن عبد العزيز آل سعود}}, Nawwāf bin 'Abd al 'Azīz Āl Su'ūd; 16 August 1932 – 29 September 2015) was a Saudi Arabian businessman and politician. A member of the House of Saud, he became a close ally of King Abdullah. In different periods Prince Nawwaf held significant government posts, including the director of Saudi intelligence agency.

Early life and education

File:Ibn Saud.png, father of Nawwaf]]

Prince Nawwaf was born in Shubra Palace, Taif,{{cite news|title=Shubra Palace: An architectural treasure house in Taif |url=https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/595995|access-date=23 March 2021|work=Saudi Gazette|date=26 July 2020|location=Taif}} on 16 August 1932. He was the twenty-second son of King Abdulaziz.{{cite web

|title=HRH Prince Nawaf bin Abdulaziz|url=http://www.gip.gov.sa/sites/english/PreviousPresidency/Pages/HRHPrinceNawafBinAbdulAziz.aspx

|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101216030709/http://gip.gov.sa/sites/english/PreviousPresidency/Pages/HRHPrinceNawafBinAbdulAziz.aspx}}

He was a full brother of Prince Talal. Their full sister was Princess Madawi who died in November 2017.{{cite news|author=David Hearst|title=Senior Saudi royal on hunger strike over purge|access-date=15 August 2020

|url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/exclusive-senior-saudi-royal-hunger-strike-over-purge|work=Middle East Eye|date=1 January 2018}} Their mother was an Armenian, Munaiyir, whose family escaped from the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1923, a period of turmoil in Armenia. Munaiyir was presented to King Abdulaziz when she was 12 years old in the palace of emir of Unayzah in 1921, she converted to Islam. Their first child, Talal, was born in 1924. Following tradition, Munaiyir became known as Umm Talal, "mother of Talal". However, in 1927, the three-year-old Talal died.

It is reported by her family that Munaiyir remained illiterate all her life.{{cite news|author=John Rossant|date=19 March 2002

|title=The return of Saudi Arabia's red prince|work=Online Asia Times|url=http://www.atimes.com/front/DC19Aa02.html|url-status=unfit

|archive-date=1 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181001041516/http://www.atimes.com/front/DC19Aa02.html|quote=Six years earlier, in 1915, the family had been forced to flee in terror before the vast anti-Armenian massacres of that year.|location=Hong Kong|access-date=20 June 2020}} Munaiyir was regarded by British diplomats in Saudi Arabia as one of King Abdulaziz's favourite wives. She was as known for her intelligence as for her beauty.{{cite journal|author=Stig Stenslie|title=Power Behind the Veil: Princesses of House of Saud|journal=Journal of Arabian Studies: Arabia, the Gulf, and the Red Sea|year=2011|doi=10.1080/21534764.2011.576050|volume=1|issue=1|pages=69–79|s2cid=153320942}} Munaiyir died in December 1991.{{cite book|author=Sabri Sharaf|title=The House of Saud in Commerce: A Study of Royal Entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia|isbn=978-81-901254-0-6|year=2001|publisher=Sharaf Sabri|page=126|location=New Delhi

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=51Bb8Ix7xw8C&pg=PA126}}

During the reign of King Saud, his relations with his full-brother Prince Talal became negative, even leading to contesting their inheritances.{{cite book|author=Joseph A. Kéchichian|title=Succession in Saudi Arabia|year=2001|location=New York

|publisher=Palgrave|page=29|isbn=9780312238803|author-link=Joseph A. Kéchichian|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=79Fs5bLPgBYC&pg=PA9}}

Education

Nawwaf bin Abdulaziz received his primary Arabic and Islamic education at a special school for royal family members.{{cite news|author=Lucy Greenbaum|title=17th Son of Ibn Saud, 14, Signs Yearbooks, Is Interviewed for the School Paper|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/107909100

|access-date=5 September 2020|work=The New York Times|date=20 June 1947|id={{ProQuest|107909100}}}} There he studied geography, history, geometry and religion.{{cite book|author=Lillian Ross|title=The Fun of It: Stories from The Talk of the Town|editor=Lillian Ross

|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2pw3MFQEyjcC&pg=PA127|year=2001|publisher=Random House Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-307-43223-0

|page=128|location=Toronto|chapter=One man's family}} He also completed undergraduate education in Islamic civilization in Saudi Arabia and his higher education in the United States.{{cite web|title=Prince Nawaf ibn Abdulaziz Al Saud

|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/gulf/nawaf.htm|work=Global Security|access-date=11 May 2012}}

Career

Nawwaf bin Abdulaziz was the commander of the royal guard from 1952 to 1956.{{cite book|author=J. E. Peterson|title=Historical Dictionary of Saudi Arabia|year=2003|publisher=Scarecrow Press|page=103|isbn=978-0-8108-2780-6|edition=2nd|location=Lanham, MD

|url=https://archive.org/details/historicaldictio0000pete/page/102/mode/2up?q=king+khalid+bin+abdulaziz}} In May 1961 Prince Nawwaf did not accept the proposal of King Saud to name him as minister of interior.{{cite book|editor=Yitzhak Oron|title=Middle East Record

|volume=2|year=1961|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vzZ71Eh5QvMC&pg=PA419|publisher=Israel Programs for Scientific Translations|pages=419–420|id=GGKEY:4Q1FXYK79X8|location=Jerusalem}} Then, he served briefly as chief of the royal court in 1961, and he resigned from the office in July 1961. Prince Nawaf was appointed minister of finance by the king, and served in the post from September 1961 to March 1962.{{Cite web|title=About Ministry of Finance

|website=www.mof.gov.sa|url=https://www.mof.gov.sa:443/en/about/Pages/previousministers.aspx}}{{cite news|title=Prince Nawaf new intelligence chief|url=http://www.arabnews.com/node/214954|access-date=6 April 2013|newspaper=Arab News|date=1 September 2001}} He succeeded Prince Talal in the post.

On 1 February 1968, following the evacuation of the British forces from the Persian Gulf region, King Faisal named him as one of his special advisors for Persian Gulf affairs which he held until 1975.{{cite web|title=New Appointments |url=https://www.agda.ae/en/catalogue/tna/fco/8/753/n/17|publisher=Arabian Gulf Digital Archive|access-date=6 February 2023|date=7 February 1968|quote=British intelligence document}} In view of his experience in various spheres, King Faisal sent him to participate in official delegations of the Kingdom at various meetings, including Arab and Islamic summits and meetings of non-aligned countries. He also led the Kingdom's delegations on behalf of King Faisal or work as his special envoy. Prince Nawwaf was thoroughly familiar with international policy and law, and was also an expert on the Middle East affairs. He did his best to unify the ranks of the Arab emirates and to integrate these emirates into one state following their partitions into seven tiny states during the colonial rule. In view of his rich experience in economic and political spheres, Prince Nawwaf was delegated to serve as the Saudi Government's official spokesman and its special envoy on several occasions. He visited the four corners of the world and positively contributed to the settlement of numerous disputes in Africa and the Middle East as well as in other parts of the world. He also accompanied Crown Prince Abdullah during his official foreign trips. However, Prince Nawwaf did not hold any official position from 1975 to 2001.{{cite news

|title=Saudi Prince Criticizes Washington's Policy against Tehran|access-date=6 April 2013|work=Al Bawaba|date=1 September 2000

|url=http://www.albawaba.com/news/saudi-prince-criticizes-washingtons-policy-against-tehran}}{{cite journal|title=Saudi Arabia in transition|journal=Strategic Survey|year=2002|volume=102|issue=1|pages=199–209|doi=10.1080/04597230212331339579|s2cid=219693859}}

Prince Nawwaf was appointed director general of Saudi intelligence agency Al Mukhabarat Al A'amah following Prince Turki's resignation on 1 September 2001.{{cite news|title=Who's Who in the House of Saud|access-date=10 February 2013

|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/22/magazine/the-way-we-live-now-12-22-02-primer-who-s-who-in-the-house-of-saud.html?pagewanted=3&src=pm|date=22 December 2002}}{{cite news|author=Patrick E. Tyler|title=A Nation challenged: Arab Ally. Saudis Feeling Pain of Supporting U.S.|newspaper=New York Times|date=24 September 2001|access-date=9 February 2011

|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/24/world/a-nation-challenged-arab-ally-saudis-feeling-pain-of-supporting-us.html?pagewanted=3&src=pm}}{{cite book|author=Anthony H. Cordesman|title=Saudi Arabia Enters the 21st Century|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CGEJvqjn-1MC&pg=PA46|year=2003|publisher=Praeger|isbn=978-0-275-97997-3|page=46|location=Westport, CT}} His appointment did not result in significant power change in the royal family, since King Fahd's son, Saud bin Fahd, continued to serve as deputy director which he had been serving since 1985.{{cite book|editor=Volker Perthes|title=Arab Elites: Negotiating the Politics of Change

|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QkiAmnyuUsMC&pg=PA141|year=2004|publisher=Lynne Rienner Publishers|isbn=978-1-58826-266-0

|page=141|author=Iris Glosemeyer|chapter=Saudi Arabia: Dynamism Uncovered|location=Boulder, CO; London}} However, through this move Crown Prince Abdullah attempted to reduce the power of Interior Minister Prince Nayef who had been the chair of a commission consisting of the heads of the organizations, including Al Mukhabarat Al A'amah. Given that Prince Nawwaf was older than Prince Nayef the latter's power through this commission was at least challenged due to seniority of the former.

Prince Nawwaf's tenure ended on 26 January 2005 when he resigned due to health concerns.{{cite news|title=Saudi accepts resignation of intelligence chief|access-date=5 August 2012|url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_27-1-2005_pg7_54

|newspaper=Daily Times|date=27 January 2005}} Immediately after the acceptance of his resignation, King Fahd appointed him as his special advisor. Prince Muqrin replaced Prince Nawwaf as the director general of Saudi intelligence agency in October 2005, nine months after his resignation.{{cite news|title=New Saudi spymaster marks shift in policy|work=UPI

|url=http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2012/07/26/New-Saudi-spymaster-marks-shift-in-policy/UPI-59941343325566/|access-date=10 February 2013|date=26 July 2012|location=Riyadh|format=Special Report}}{{cite book|author1=Anthony H. Cordesman|author2=Khalid R. Al Rodhan

|title=Gulf Military Forces in an Era Of Asymmetric Wars|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XWg1mvPuhkUC&pg=PA235|year=2007|publisher=Praeger

|isbn=978-0-275-99399-3|page=235|volume=1|location=Westport, CT; London}}{{cite news|title=Prince Moqrin head of Saudi intelligence

|url=http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2005/10/22/Prince-Moqrin-head-of-Saudi-intelligence/UPI-47441129976020/|access-date=6 April 2013|work=UPI

|date=22 October 2005|location=Riyadh}} He was a special advisor to the King Abdullah at the rank of minister, and his term was extended for four years in 2009. Prince Nawwaf also served as a special advisor to King Salman.

Other activities

Prince Nawwaf was one of the supporters of the Free Princes Movement led by his brother Prince Talal in the early 1960s.{{cite book|author=Vijay Prashad|author-link=Vijay Prashad|title=The Darker Nations- A Biography of the Short-Lived Third World

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vY-rhSbio8cC&pg=PA275|year=2007|publisher=LeftWord Books|isbn=978-81-87496-66-3|page=275|location=New Delhi}} At the beginning of King Faisal's reign in 1964 Prince Nawwaf became a member of the council which had been established by the king to guide the succession issues.{{cite book|author=David Rundell|title=Vision or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads|isbn=978-1-83860-594-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0pLyDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT63|year=2020|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|page=63|location=London}}

He contributed to the establishment of some industrial projects inside and outside the Kingdom to serve the Arab economy. His contribution to the strengthening of the Kingdom's relations with other world states is widely respected. He was one of the founders and a major shareholder of the Saudi-New Zealand Bank. He also owned some investment projects in the fields of real estate, energy{{cite journal|author=Nimah Mazaheri|title=The Saudi monarchy and economic familism in an era of business environment reforms|journal=Business and Politics|year=2013

|volume=15|issue=3|page=310|doi=10.1515/bap-2012-0039|s2cid=231796126}} and tourism. He was one of the pioneers of the solar energy industry. Realizing the importance of solar energy, he extended his support to Sydney University in Australia to enable it to conduct research and studies in this field.

Views

A Saudi survey conducted shortly after the 11 September attacks concluded that 95 percent of educated Saudi men aged between 25 and 41 supported Osama bin Laden's cause. Nawwaf bin Abdulaziz argued that this support was motivated by Saudi anger over U.S. support for Israel.{{cite journal|author1=Neil Quilliam|author2=Maggie Kamel|title=Modernising Legitimacy: Saudi Strategies|journal=Alternatives: Turkish Journal of International Relations|year=2003|volume=2|issue=2|url=https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/alternatives/issue/1717/20985|issn=2146-0809}} After the US sanctions against Iran in 2000, Prince Nawwaf said "Iran is being treated unfairly by some countries, and this is not in the interests of the Arabia Gulf or even the US."

Personal life

Prince Nawwaf was married to Jawahir Al Sheikh, together they had three children: Abdulaziz (born 1979), Faisal (born 1984) and Sarah (born 1989). In 2008, his daughter Princess Sarah was a student at Franklin College in Lugano, Switzerland, pursuing a degree in international communications.{{cite news|title=Travels with Lacie and a Saudi princess

|url=http://www.mi-reporter.com/lifestyle/35030569.html|work=Mercer Island Reporter|access-date=5 May 2012|date=24 November 2008}} Mohammed bin Nawwaf was his eldest son who served as Saudi ambassador to the United Kingdom and Ireland between 2005 and 2018.{{cite web|title=Committee Members|url=http://www.saudibritishsociety.org.uk/main/commitmembers.html|work=The Saudi British Society|access-date=10 February 2013}}

Illness and death

In March 2002, Prince Nawwaf was admitted to the American University hospital in Beirut after suddenly suffering a stroke. He was there for the Arab League summit meeting.{{cite news|title=Mideast Turmoil; Saudi Suffers a Stroke

|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/28/world/mideast-turmoil-saudi-suffers-a-stroke.html|access-date=5 August 2012|newspaper=The New York Times

|date=28 March 2002}}{{cite news|title=No. 2 Saudi Delegate Suffers Stroke|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=28 March 2002|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-mar-28-mn-35116-story.html|access-date=6 April 2013|agency=AP|location=Beirut}} He was reported to have suffered a brain haemorrhage. Then he underwent a surgery in 2002. He was confined to a wheelchair following his health problems.{{cite web|author=Simon Henderson|title=The Prince and the Revolution|date=24 July 2012

|url=http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/the-prince-and-the-revolution|work=The Washington Institute|access-date=11 August 2013}}

Prince Nawwaf died on 29 September 2015 at the age of 83.{{cite web|url=http://www.albawaba.com/news/breaking-saudi-prince-nawwaf-bin-abdulaziz-al-saud-dies-age-83-749008|title=Saudi Prince Nawwaf bin Abdulaziz Al Saud dies at age 83|work=Al Bawaba|date=29 September 2015

|access-date=3 October 2015}} The funeral took place at Grand Mosque in Mecca on 30 September.

Honours

=Foreign honours=

Honorary Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (S.M.N.) (1970).{{cite web|url=http://www.istiadat.gov.my/index.php/component/semakanlantikanskp/|title=Semakan Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat|language=my}}
50px Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit (15 February 1974).{{cite web |title=Decreto 534|url=http://www.boe.es/boe/dias/1974/02/27/pdfs/A04034-04034.pdf|website=boe.es|access-date=29 January 2024|language=es |date=27 February 1974}}