Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (, Nāyif ibn ‘Abd al ‘Azīz Āl Su‘ūd; 9 October 1934 – 16 June 2012) was the crown prince of Saudi Arabia and deputy prime minister from October 2011 and the minister of interior from October 1975 until his death in June 2012.

Early life and education

Nayef bin Abdulaziz was born in Ta'if on 9 October 1934 to King Abdulaziz and Hassa bint Ahmed Al Sudairi, making him one of the Sudairi Seven. His full brothers included Fahd and Salman, who would both become kings of Saudi Arabia, and Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz (later crown prince of Saudi Arabia). Prince Nayef received education at Princes' School and from senior ulema (Muslim religious scholars). Additionally, he was educated in diplomacy and security affairs.

Early experience

From 1952 to 1953 Prince Nayef served as vice governor of Riyadh Province. In 1953, he was appointed as the governor of Riyadh province and stayed in this post for one year. He then served as governor of the Medina Region.

Minister of Interior

On 30 March 1975 following King Faisal's assassination, then Minister of Interior Prince Fahd became the crown prince, and Prince Nayef was appointed to the post by King Khalid.

Timeline

In March 1980 King Khalid established a constitutional committee with eight members under the presidency of Prince Nayef. However, the committee could not manage to produce the basic law that had been promised. From 1992 Prince Nayef's influence increased over provincial governors through the Law of Provinces. and for not undertaking sufficient action against extremists.

In 2003 Prince Nayef, who was in charge of foreign labor, decreed that foreign workers and their family members should not exceed 20 percent of the Saudi population in 2013. Senator Charles Schumer lobbied through Prince Bandar to remove Prince Nayef as minister of interior in July 2003.

Between 2003 and 2006 Prince Nayef led Saudi Arabia's confrontation against Al Qaeda, which sponsored a series of domestic attacks on expatriate housing compounds, oil infrastructure, and industrial facilities. His political stance was strengthened because of increased media exposure and the successful end to terrorist attacks.

In March 2011 during the 2011 Saudi Arabian protests 200 people who called for more information on their imprisoned relatives were denied a meeting with Nayef.

Second deputy prime minister

Since Crown Prince Sultan could not deal with demanding duties due to his extended absences for medical treatment and King Abdullah was about to travel to Doha to attend the League of Arab States Summit before going to London for the G20 summit, it was imperative to leave a senior official in charge, which added burdens to the leukemia-suffering 76-year-old Nayef. Therefore, on 27 March 2009 Prince Nayef was made second deputy prime minister. His appointment caused a public split in the royal family. Prince Talal asked the King to clarify that the appointment did not necessarily mean that Nayef would become crown prince.

His appointment as second deputy prime minister expanded Prince Nayef's influence into all corners of Saudi domestic policy and allowed him to participate in the development of foreign policy. He was not expected to interfere in economic matters, but to influence the judiciary. In some government offices, his picture was added next to King Abdulaziz, King Abdullah, and Crown Prince Sultan.

Crown Prince and first deputy prime minister

Prince Nayef was appointed crown prince and first deputy prime minister by King Abdullah on 27 October 2011, five days after the death of Crown Prince Sultan. Shortly thereafter he vowed that Saudi Arabia would "never sway from and never compromise on" its adherence to Wahhabi doctrine which he stated was "the source of the kingdom's pride, success and progress."

During his time as crown prince, Nayef brought about modernizations such as "removing religious authorities who objected to the mingling of men and women in public spaces."

Influence

Prince Nayef's career was propelled by his full-brother King Fahd. Under Fahd, the Ministry of Interior became one of the most influential bureaucracies in Saudi Arabia. Prince Nayef served as a mediator in disputes between King Fahd and Prince Sultan. As King Fahd's health deteriorated, his power gradually diminished as well. In 2003 he "threatened to cancel certain business deals with the French government" if the narcotics investigation of Nayef bin Fawwaz Al Sha'lan continued.

When meeting with US diplomats in 2009 Prince Nayef voiced support for aggressive activity against Iran after what he believed was a breach of the 2001 security agreement. He urged European nations to turn in suspected terrorists and asked for US intercession. He said the most effective way to combat extremism was through Friday sermons.

As Crown Prince, Nayef was the most influential of the Sudairi Seven. He delegated the day-to-day responsibilities of his ministry to his son, Prince Muhammad bin Nayef and then-deputy minister Prince Ahmed. Prince Nayef had members of the ministry of interior placed in all overseas embassies.

Various positions

Prince Nayef served for a time as the supervisor general of the Saudi committee for the Al Quds intifada, which provided aid to Palestinian refugees. He headed the supreme council on information which oversaw the media and regulated the internet in the country.

Views

Prince Nayef was considered to be one of the more conservative, but also pragmatic, members of the Al Saud family.

In November 2002 Prince Nayef said, "It is impossible that 19 youths carried out the operation of September 11, or that bin Laden or al Qaeda did that alone. ... I think [the Zionists] are behind these events." He later proposed that Americans visiting the Kingdom should be fingerprinted like visitors to the United States.

According to leaked cables, Prince Nayef argued for a tougher approach than King Abdullah towards the then Yemeni president Saleh in 2009.

His motto was "no to change, yes to development". In a similar vein, in March 2009, he publicly stated that he saw no need for either elections or women in government.

Personality

Prince Nayef, before being appointed second deputy prime minister in 2009, was generally described as elusive, ambiguous, pragmatic, unimaginative, shrewd, and outspoken. According to leaked cables, he had a reputation of being anti-Western, but tended to do business if there were shared interests. It is further stated that his conservative approach did not reflect his personal religious personality . However, his conservative views allowed him to gain support from social and religious conservatives. He seemed to be reserved and even a bit shy. He was described as neither well-spoken nor articulate, and had a tendency to repeat platitudes in private as well as in public. He did appear to understand and speak at least some English. On the other hand, Prince Nayef was considered by other princes to be one of the kinder members of his royal generation in his approach towards nephews and nieces.

Prince Nayef and his full brother and then-deputy interior minister, Prince Ahmed, were reported to pay massive bonuses to successful security officers. They both also had a reputation for honesty and using the security budget only for the stated purposes, not enriching themselves.

Personal life

Prince Nayef married three times. He was the father of ten children.

His first wife was Noura Alfarraj Alsubaie who died in August 1994. Jawahir bint Nayef was raised by her aunt Princess Al Jawhara bint Abdulaziz Al Saud.

Al Jawhara bint Abdulaziz bin Musaid Al Jiluwi was his second spouse. His children from this marriage are Mohammed, Noura, Saud and Sara. His daughter, Nouf bint Nayef (born 1984), is the wife of Mohammed bin Abdullah, one of King Abdullah's sons. Nawwaf bin Nayef was arrested in March 2020 along with his half-brother Muhammad bin Nayef and his uncle Ahmed bin Abdulaziz.

In the early 1960s Prince Nayef lived in Loxwood House in the north London suburb of Totteridge. He donated £1,000 () to his local member for parliament, Margaret Thatcher, when she was canvassing during the 1964 United Kingdom general election. as well as leukemia. then to Cleveland for pre-planned medical tests. This news raised some speculation about his health and Saudi succession. He returned to Saudi Arabia after staying in Algeria in April 2012.

Prince Nayef again left Saudi Arabia for medical tests on 26 May 2012. Although it was unknown where Prince Nayef went, Prince Ahmed stated in Al Watan on 3 June 2012 that he was "well and in good health ... and he will soon return to Saudi Arabia".

Death and funeral

On 16 June 2012 at about 1 pm (UTC+3), Saudi state television reported that Crown Prince Nayef had died. According to Reuters, he died in Geneva, Switzerland. A medical source in Geneva said that Nayef died of "cardiac problems" while staying at his brother's residence there. It was reported that Crown Prince Nayef's body was brought from Geneva to Jeddah. Funeral prayers were held in the Masjid al-Haram, also known as the Grand Mosque, in Mecca after sunset prayer, led by Sheikh Saud Ash Shuraim. His body was buried in an unmarked grave in Al Adl cemetery in Mecca as per his wish on 17 June 2012.

Major political figures sent their condolences to King Abdullah, including US President Barack Obama, French President François Hollande, UK Foreign Minister William Hague, King Abdullah II of Jordan, Turkish President Abdullah Gul, and other leaders of Arab and Persian Gulf States.

Legacy

On 6 July 2012 King Abdullah renamed the Qassim Regional Airport in Buraidah as the Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Regional Airport.

Honours and awards

Prince Nayef was the recipient of several honours, including the military Order of the Cloud and Banner by Taiwan (1977), the Legion of Honor by France (1977), the Al Kawkab Decoration by Jordan (1977), the Order of National Security by Republic of Korea (1980), and the National Order of the Cedar by Lebanon (2009).

  • 50px Order of Abdulaziz Al Saud (First Class)
  • 50px Order of the Liberator by Venezuela (1977)

Posthumously Prince Nayef was honoured by the United Nations with the Outstanding Donor Award for the Special Human Settlements Programme for the Palestinian People on 28 June 2013.

Ancestry

References

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  • Nayef Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud