Word: abdullah
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...smooth transition belied rumors that a family schism had developed between the traditionalist senior Princes, such as Khalid and Abdullah, and the more modern-oriented branch of the family, headed by Fahd. The new King is the eldest of the powerful "Sudairi Seven," the sons of Ibn Saud by one of his favorite wives from the Sudairi tribe. There had been talk that Abdullah might be passed over in favor of Prince Sultan, also a Sudairi. The power of the Sudairi brothers within the Saudi hierarchy is substantial: in addition to Fahd and Sultan, they include Prince Naif, Minister...
Like King Khalid, Crown Prince Abdullah is a man of the desert whose ties with the Bedouins will help make up for Fahd's own lack of a traditionalist following. An expert horseman, Abdullah keeps an extensive stable of Arabian Thoroughbreds. He is also addicted to falconry. Abdullah is noted for his generosity and gentle manner. He does not abide foolishness, however, and his strong personality can quickly turn to brusqueness...
...indication of Abdullah's importance in the royal family is that since 1963 he has served as commander of the 40,000-man Saudi National Guard, the Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah kingdom's key internal-security unit. The tribally based guard protects the country's main cities, oilfields and communications facilities, and was conceived as a deliberate counterweight to Saudi Arabia's being army. Its ultimate purpose is to prevent a military coup from being launched against the royal family...
While Fahd, who speaks excellent English, has cultivated Saudi relations with the West, Abdullah has shown himself to be an adept diplomat in dealing with other Arab nations. When Jordan and Syria almost went to war in December 1980, Abdullah acted as mediator, persuading King Hussein and President Hafez Assad to reconcile their differences...
When a TIME-sponsored delegation of businessmen and editors visited Saudi Arabia last year, Abdullah graciously received the group by quoting an old Arab proverb: "Your true friend is one who will tell you the truth, not one who just claims friendship." He then candidly told the group that the most dangerous threat to the Middle East was not the Soviet Union, as the Reagan Administration has argued, but the U.S. He explained: "I say this because of your total alliance with Israel, which makes the mass of our people take it for granted that Americans are anti-Arab...