Beheadings and backstabbing brothers: inside Saudi Arabia’s mega rich royal family
SAUDI Arabia’s royal family which is currently in a power play to rule Middle Eastern world politics is a hierarchy of mega wealthy closely-related backstabbing princes.
The campaign by Saudi Arabia to oust its ultra wealthy neighbour Qatar — the world’s richest nation — from trading with other countries is seen by some as a tactic by the current Saudi ruler and his heir.
But the ruling His Highness King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, who entertained Donald Trump on the US President’s first Middle East tour, is well-versed in power grabs.
The 25th son of the founder of modern Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, Salman is one of 36 surviving sons of the 45 male children and many daughters.
The vast Saudi reserves of petroleum discovered during Ibn Saud’s reign still funds the lifestyles of the kingdom’s heirs.
Thousands of Saudi princes who are King Ibn Saud’s grandsons and great grandsons live lavish lifestyles far away from the kingdom, on the French Riviera and in Spain’s exclusive holiday spots.
They own French chateaus, Swiss bank accounts and some of the world’s largest yachts.
King Salman is worth a reputed $17 billion and owns a villa in Vallauris Golfe-Juan, in southeastern France where closure of the local beach during his annual holiday incenses locals.
Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, who is personally worth $17 billion, leads US President Donald Trumpin Riyadh in May. Picture: Mandel Ngan.Source:AFP
French policemen patrol in front of the public beach closed in 2015 below the mansion owned by Saudi King Salmanduring his annual visit. Picture: Lionel Cironneau.Source:AP
King Faisal was murdered by his nephew who was then beheaded.Source:AP
King Ibn Saud, founder of oil rich modern Saudi Arabia.Source:News Corp Australia
Salman has lived a gilded life as one of the founding Saudi king’s favourite sons.
King Ibn Saud had 22 wives, though reportedly never more than four at a time.
King Salman is one of the “Magnificent Seven”, the seven sons of Ibn Saud’s favourite and tenth wife Hassa al Sudairi.
Married to the king at the age of 13, not only was she beautiful but rose to most prominent wife because she bore him the most sons.
Until more recently Saudi Arabia’s royal family practised “agnatic seniority” which means the monarch’s younger brother succeeds to the throne over the monarch’s own sons.
The latter system, known as primogeniture and employed by the British royal family’s system makes Prince Charles followed by Prince William as the line to succeed Queen Elizabeth.
The late King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud now has more than a thousand grandsons who intermarry within the dynasty to re-establish their lineage and status within the ruling clan.
The power hungry rivalry between these sons of Saud is a story of deposition, exile and even murder.
Royals pay homage to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Royal Palace in Mecca after his father King Salmanousted the prince’s rival, his cousin. Picture: SPA.Source:AFP
US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud in May this year. Picture: SPA.Source:AFP
Princess Mishaal bin Fahd al Saud was publicly executed by firing squad at the age of 19 for alleged adultery.Source:Supplied
The ruthless grab for the rights of succession can be seen in the recent overthrow by the King’s son Mohammad bin Salman of his cousin Muhammad bin Nayef as the new Crown Prince.
Almost all powers under the king are now concentrated in the hands of the new crown prince, who is also the defence minister.
During Trump’s visit, Mohammad bin Salman made the dominant play of securing Saudi Arabia’s single biggest arms deal in history, worth $350 billion.
Following his father’s move against Yemen, which King Salman bombed just three months after succeeding half brother King Abdullah, Crown Prince Salman has moved against Qatar.
Despite claiming Qatar must be ostracised because of its links to terrorism, Saudi’s move is seen by some as a bully boy tactic against a wealthy neighbouring rival.
But the princes of Saud cut their baby teeth in palace revolt, evidenced by the facts of their family history.
Ibn Saud, who ruled from his teenage years until his death aged 88 in 1953, was succeeded by his son Saud from his second wife.
In 2005, the new Saudi King Abdullah bin Abd al-Aziz receives condolences after succeeding his half brother King Fahd, known as a big spender.Source:AP
King Salman awards Trump Saudi Arabia’s highest honour, the Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud, after power broking a massive arms deal with the US.Source:Supplied
King Saud ruled for 11 years but his lavish spending led to a power struggle with his half brother, Crown Prince Faisal, son of Ibn Saud’s third wife.
The royal family forced Saud to abdicate in favour of Faisal, and then Saud was deposed and exiled.
King Faisal ruled until 1975, when he was assassinated by his nephew Faisal bin Musaid.
The nephew was promptly beheaded.
Another half brother Khalid, by King Ibn Saud’s six wife, took the throne.
His seven year reign, which ended in his fatal heart attack in 1982 was marked by his religious conservatism.
In 1977, one of King Ibn Saud’s great granddaughters, Princess Mishaal bin Fahd al Saud was executed by firing squad at the age of 19 for alleged adultery.
She had fallen in love with the Saudi ambassador to Lebanon, Khaled, while studying there.
Princess Mishaal was blindfolded, made to kneel and publicly executed on the explicit instructions of her grandfather. Khaled was forced to watch and then beheaded.
She would not be the last member of Saudi’s royal family to suffer a public execution.
King Khalid was succeeded by Fahd, the eldest of the “Magnificent Seven”.
New heir to the throne and Saudi Defence Minister Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman whose father ousted his cousin in April.Source:AFP
Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz welcomes US President Donald Trump to Riyadh in May.Source:AFP
King Fahd oversaw the closest period of Saudi-US relations before the Donald Trump era and steered the country through the 1980s oil price collapse and the First Gulf War.
He also enjoyed big spending during his 23 year rule.
Even after a stroke incapacitated him in 1995, he would fly in on his personal 747 aeroplane with a huge entourage to Marbella, Spain for his annual holiday enjoyed in his wheelchair.
Crown Prince Abdullah, first son of Ibn Saud’s tenth wife, was made king in 2005 and ruled until his death in 2015.
In 2016, the royal family publicly beheaded Prince Turki bin Saud bin Turki bin Saud al-Kabeer after he was convicted of shooting another man to death during a brawl.
The sixth of the “Magnificent Seven” sons of Hassa al Sudairi, and the current King Salman took over.
2015 funeral of Saudi King Abdullah who by Islamic tradition was buried in a simple cloth without a coffin in an unmarked grave. Picture: SPA.Source:Supplied
German Chancellor Angela Merkel with Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud in May before a giant portrait of the king’s father, King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud.Source:AFP
Today’s Saudi cabinet is littered with the male heirs of King Ibn Saud.
So is the list of the world’s richest men with Prince Al-Waleed bin Taleel being named 34th richest in the world with a $28 billion fortune.
Despite introducing a domestic austerity program to respond to low oil prices, the current Saudi monarch flies around in luxury jets and helicopters with an enormous retinue.
In May this year, it was a triumphant moment for him to welcome President Trump in May.
After the signing of the massive arms deal, the king duly presented Trump with his nation’s highest honour, the Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud.
Trump caused controversy by appearing to kneel before the king to accept the golden medallion around his neck.
It remains to be seen how Qatar will weather the demands by Saudi Arabia and its friends, backed by the United States.
Behind Qatar, the United States and Saudi Arabia are the tenth and eleventh richest countries in the world.
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பாலைவனம் சோலைவனம் ஆகி விட்டது .இனி வெளிநாட்டவர் நமக்கு தேவை இல்லை சவூதி அரேபியாவிலிருந்து வெளிநாட்டவரை வெளியே தள்ளும் முயற்சி .
one riyal = rupees 17.33
2017: ஒவ்வொரு நபரும் ஒவ்வொரு மாதமும் ஜூலை மாதம் முதல் SR100 மாதாந்த கட்டணம் செலுத்த வேண்டும்
2018: ஜூலை முதல் ஒவ்வொரு வருடமும் SR200 மாதத்திற்கு ஒரு மாத கட்டணம் வசூலிக்கப்படும்
2019: ஒவ்வொரு நபரும் ஒவ்வொரு மாதமும் SR300 ஜூலை முதல் மாத கட்டணம் செலுத்த வேண்டும், ஜூலை முதல்
• வெளிநாட்டு ஊழியர்களின் எண்ணிக்கை சவூதிகளின் எண்ணிக்கைக்கு சமமாக இருக்கும் அல்லது குறைவாக இருக்கும் நிறுவனங்களில், ஜனவரி மாதம் முதல் SR300 மாத கட்டணம் செலுத்தப்படும்.
வெளிநாட்டு ஊழியர்களின் எண்ணிக்கை சவுதிகளின் எண்ணிக்கையைவிடக் குறைவாக உள்ள நிறுவன ங்களில், ஜனவரி மாதம் முதல் SR400 மாத கட்டணம்
2019: ஒவ்வொரு நபரும் ஒவ்வொரு மாதமும் SR300 மாத கட்டணம் செலுத்த வேண்டும், ஜூலை முதல்
• வெளிநாட்டு ஊழியர்களின் எண்ணிக்கை சவூதிகளின் எண்ணிக்கைக்கு சமமாக அல்லது குறைவாக உள்ள நிறுவனங்களில், ஜனவரி மாதம் முதல் SR500 மாதாந்திர கட்டணம் செலுத்தப்படும்.
• வெளிநாட்டு ஊழியர்களின் எண்ணிக்கை சவுதிகளின் எண்ணிக்கையைவிடக் கூடுதலாக, ஜனவரி மாதத்திலிருந்து SR600 மாத கட்டணம்
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New fees to be imposed on expats and their dependents in Saudi Arabia from July 2017 will be a financial burden not only on them and their families but also on their employers, a member of the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry has warned.
Ushered in over the Christmas period by the Saudi government, the kingdom’s 2017 budget report was followed up with a further document drawn up by Saudi officials that revealed that expats will be forced to pay levies on money earned in the region.
Abdullah Al-Maghlouth, member of the chamber’s investment and securities committee in Riyadh, pictured above, expects the fees to reach SR65 billion (US$17.33bn) by 2020 but said they would have adverse effect on the work environment in the kingdom, according to a report in local news outlet The Saudi Gazette.
“The fees will have an adverse effect on the private sector including the contractors, the building material, the food and consumer products and will increase prices,” said Maghlouth. “The citizen will be harmed. This will also harm the attractiveness of the work environment in the Kingdom,” the official was quoted by Saudi news outlet Al-Watan as saying.
Maghlouth added that a nationalization of jobs may be necessary and also pointed to the changes having a negative impact on the real estate market in the region as many of the expatriates may opt to leave the country with their families.
“A number of offices, shops and flats will be vacated. The landlords and the realtors will suffer in this case,” he said.
As reported in the Saudi Gazette, Maghlouth said that a means where expats could invest part of their salaries in special funds and to encourage them to spend part of their incomes inside the country through special mechanisms other than imposing fees on them was a better proposition than the levies.
Levy to increase till 2020
Saudi Arabia’s new “expat levy” was confirmed during the budget announcement, with charges of up to SR800 per worker to be phased in by 2020. Companies currently pay a levy of SR200 per month per expat employee, but only for expat employees that exceed the number of Saudi employees.
The levies will be gradually increased year on year from next year until 2020 (see below) as outlined in the government’s Fiscal Balance Program – Balanced Budget 2020 document. The move is part of a drive to encourage employees to hire more Saudis.
For companies in which expats do not exceed the number of Saudi or GCC employees, the fee will no longer be waived, but will be charged at a discounted rate. A fee on dependents of expatriate workers will also be levied. It will commence in July of 2017, in order to minimize impact on families with children enrolled in school.
Currently, neither Saudi nationals nor foreign laborers pay income taxes, and this policy will remain in place, the government says. The fees do not apply to domestic helpers, such as drivers and cleaners, but only to expats working in commercial entities.
Here is what the new expat levy will cost:
2017: Dependents of expats will each incur a monthly fee of SR100, from July onwards
2018: Dependents of expats will each incur a monthly fee of SR200, from July onwards
• In companies where the number of foreign employees is equal to or lower than the number of Saudis, a monthly fee of SR300 will apply from January onwards
• In companies where the number of foreign employees exceeds the number of Saudis, a monthly fee of SR400 will apply from January onwards
2019: Dependents of expats will each incur a monthly fee of SR300, from July onwards
• In companies where the number of foreign employees is equal to or lower than the number of Saudis, a monthly fee of SR500 will apply from January onwards
• In companies where the number of foreign employees exceeds the number of Saudis, a monthly fee of SR600 will apply from January onwards
2020: Dependents of expats will each incur a monthly fee of SR400, from July onwards
• In companies where the number of foreign employees is equal to or lower than the number of Saudis, a monthly fee of SR700 will apply from January onwards
• In companies where the number of foreign employees exceeds the number of Saudis, a monthly fee of SR800 will apply from January onwards
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