King Salman bin Abdulaziz

Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was born on December 31, 1935, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He received his early education at the Prince's School in Riyadh, an exclusive private preparatory school established by King Abdulaziz, where he studied religious sciences and modern sciences, and completed the memorization of the Quran on July 22, 1945, at the age of ten. Born in 1935, Salman is one of the so-called "Sudayri Seven" – seven sons born to one of Abdulaziz bin Al Saud's most favoured wives, Hussa bint Ahmad Sudayri.

Career History

• Deputy Governor of Riyadh Province (1954–1955)
• Governor of Riyadh Province (1963–2011) – As governor, he contributed to the development of Riyadh from a mid-sized town into a major urban metropolis
• Minister of Defense (2011–2015)
• Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister (2012–2015)
• King of Saudi Arabia and Prime Minister (2015–2022)
• King of Saudi Arabia and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (2022–present)

He started his political career at a relatively young age, becoming the governor of Riyadh in 1963, and for nearly 50 years, oversaw the development of the Saudi capital from a small desert town to a major metropolis. During his tenure, Riyadh transformed from a mid-sized town of approximately 200,000 residents into one of the fastest-growing capitals in the Arab world with millions of inhabitants. On November 5, 2011, Salman was appointed Minister of Defense, and on June 18, 2012, he was named Crown Prince. Salman succeeded his half-brother, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on January 23, 2015, after his predecessor's death.

What King Salman could bring to the Monarch of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: During his five decades as Riyadh governor, he became adept at managing the delicate balance of clerical, tribal, and princely interests that determine Saudi policy. His nearly half-century tenure transforming Riyadh's infrastructure, combined with his military leadership experience and extensive international relationships cultivated during his defense ministry, positioned him uniquely to serve as the kingdom's paramount leader overseeing both its temporal governance and custodianship of Islam's two holiest sites.