Word: aziz
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1970-1979
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...modern House of Saud comprises the descendants of Abdul Aziz and his five brothers. Supreme power is held by the "Inner Six," a council made up of the heads of the family's six principal branches. Oddly enough, neither King Khalid nor Crown Prince Fahd is a member of the Inner Six; their branch of the family, that of Abdul Aziz, is represented by an older brother, Mohammed, who long ago renounced his claim to the throne...
...Faisal bin Musaed, in 1975. Before the King's death, there had been talk that he should be succeeded by the able, energetic Fahd, even though Khalid was Crown Prince. In addition to his proven skills, Fahd was one of the "Sudairi Seven"-seven brothers born to Abdul Aziz by one of his favorite wives. (Among the other powerful Sudairis: Prince Sultan, the present Minister of Defense; Prince Salman, the governor of Riyadh; Prince Naif, Minister of the Interior...
...could be quite a while before any of the younger princes would be considered as a potential heir to the throne. Family custom has been that Kings are chosen from the sons of Abdul Aziz. Since Khalid has at least 28 living younger brothers, the next generation will have to wait its turn for power...
...feudal monarchy, but at least one institution of the country gives it the flavor of a desert democracy. That is the majlis (Arabic for a "sitting," although the word can also mean "council," or even "parliament"). According to Arab custom, reinforced by a 1952 decree of King Abdul Aziz, every subject has the right of access to his ruler, whether the ruler is a tribal sheik, a governor or the monarch himself, to present petitions of complaint or pleas for help. Even the poorest Saudi can approach his sovereign to plead a cause; functionaries of the royal court found guilty...
...custom of inviting everyone to the palace table goes back to King Abdul Aziz," said the Prince during dinner. "It's not that the people lack food. Some of them eat better at home than they do here. But they come to discuss their personal problems, and they stay for dinner. Anyone in the kingdom is welcome to this table, no matter what his status. If they were all bankers or army generals, it would be assumed they were invited because of their position. But these are simple people. Anyone, anyone can come here, and that gives them confidence...