Showing posts with label Saudi royal family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Saudi royal family. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Petition as French Riviera Beach Closed for Saudi King
The petition insists the public beach in Vallauris should be "available for the benefit of all".
Authorities sealed off the beach early on Saturday to prevent any protesters from occupying it as King Salman was due to arrive in the area.
The Saudi monarch is expected to stay at his villa for three weeks.
He and his entourage of about 1,000 people arrived at Nice airport on Saturday on board two Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747s.
The king's inner circle is staying at the villa - between Antibes and Marseille - while about 700 others will stay at hotels in Cannes.
Michel Chevillon, president of an association of Cannes' hotel managers, said the visit was "clearly good news" for hotels and the local economy.
"These are people with great purchasing power," he said.
However, the closure of a section of La Mirandole beach beneath the king's villa has outraged many local residents. » | Saturday, July 25, 2015
Related »
Monday, July 20, 2015
François Hollande Urged to Intervene in Bitter Row between Saudi Royalty and French Nudists
 |
| The house of King Fahd of Saudi in Golfe Juan, France |
Furious French bathers have urged Francois [sic] Hollande, the French president, to step in after a Saudi Arabian king blocked access to a public beach that runs alongside his luxury villa on the Riviera.
Plans for an elevator allowing Saudi royals easier access to the sand have already been approved by the French authorities, while a huge lump of concrete was recently installed on the beach.
Not even fishermen and swimmers are allowed in the area during the king's visit, with the coastguard instructed to move on anyone who dares to swim within three hundred yards of the villa.
Under French law the picturesque Mirandole beach, situated between Antibes and Cannes, is supposed to be open for all to enjoy.
But King Salman has announced plans to block its only entrance with wire fencing ahead of an impending visit.
Now residents have hit back at the royal arrangements with a petition claiming the beach's closure is an affront to France's "most precious democratic values." » | James Rothwell | Monday, July 20, 2015
Related »
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Saudi Royals in Hot Water with Riviera Nudists over Access to Public Beach
 |
| The house of King Fahd of Saudi in Golfe Juan, France |
A row has erupted between the Saudi royal family and French bathers who have accused it of commandeering a public Riviera beach ahead of an impending visit as the strip runs right by the monarchs’ luxury villa.
Locals are threatening to sue the Saudi royals over a bid to block an underpass leading to the public Mirandole beach at Vallauris [F] - between Antibes and Cannes - with wire fencing.
They are also furious that workers have begun illegal construction work on a huge concrete slab in the sand as part of the royals’ plan to have the beach all to themselves during their stay.
Under French law, the beach is normally open to local bathers, with part of it reserved for nudists.
The villa is reportedly owned by Muhammad bin Fahd, the eldest surviving son of the late King Fahd, who bought the property around 20 years ago. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Thursday, July 16, 2015
Une plage du sud de la France fermée le temps des vacances du roi saoudien » | jeudi 16 juillet 2015
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Dismissed
 |
| Prince Moqren bin Abdulaziz al-Saud has been removed as heir to the Saudi throne and the country's deputy prime minister. |
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has dismissed the heir to the throne, Crown Prince Moqren bin Abdul Aziz bin Saud, and replaced him with the interior minister, Mohammed bin Nayef.
A statement from the royal court, carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, added that Moqren was also relieved of his position as deputy prime minister.
The decree named Prince Mohammed bin Nayef as crown prince, as well as deputy prime minister, and said he would continue to hold his position of interior minister and head of the political and security council, a co-ordinating body. » | Agence France-Presse in Riyadh | Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Monday, December 30, 2013
Saudi Prince Facing Execution for Murder after Senior Royalty Insisted 'There Is No Difference between Rich and Poor'
 |
| Crown Prince Salman: no-one is immune from sharia law |
A Saudi prince who murdered a fellow Saudi may be executed, a newspaper reported on Sunday, in a rare example of a member of the kingdom's ruling family facing the death penalty.
The English-language Arab News did not name the prince or his victim, but said a senior member of the family and government, Crown Prince Salman, had ‘cleared the way for the possible execution of a prince convicted of murdering a Saudi citizen’.
In a message about the case to Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, Prince Salman said: ‘Sharia (Islamic law) shall be applied to all without exception’, the daily reported.
Prince Salman's message followed a statement from the victim's father that he was not ready to pardon the killer and he was not happy with the amount offered as blood money.
The families of murder victims are encouraged by authorities to accept blood money instead of insisting on execution.
The paper quoted Crown Prince Salman's message as saying: ‘There is no difference between big and small, rich and poor ... Nobody is allowed to interfere with the judiciary's decision. This is the tradition of this state. We are committed to following the sharia.’ » | Ted Thornhill | Monday, December 30, 2013
Thursday, March 07, 2013
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A Saudi princess who fled Paris's luxury Shangri-La hotel in the middle of the night to avoid paying a £5 million hotel bill is to have her assets seized in France, a judge has ruled.
Maha Al-Sudairi was caught ordering her entourage of 60 to load scores of suitcases into a fleet of limos outside the hotel at 3.30am in June last year. She had racked up the vast bill after checking into the hotel six months previously, taking over an entire 41-room floor.
But when King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia refused to pay for her stay, she attempted the early morning dash, claiming diplomatic immunity and moving to the nearby five-star Royal Monceau Hotel, near the Champs-Elysees, which is own by "family friend" the Emir of Qatar.
She then left France a month later and has not returned since.
Lawyers for the Shangri-La on Wednesday however won a legal bid at a court in Nanterre, west of Paris, to have her assets in France seized. » | Ian Sparks | Thursday, March 07, 2013
Monday, July 09, 2012
I speak not as the daughter of King Saud, the former ruler of Saudi Arabia, but as a loyal citizen. My father established the first women's university in the kingdom, abolished slavery and tried to establish a constitutional monarchy that separates the position of king from that of prime minister. But I am saddened to say that my beloved country today has not fulfilled that early promise.
Our ancient culture, of which I am very proud, is renowned for its nobility and generosity, but we lack, and urgently need, fundamental civil laws with which to govern our society.
As a daughter, sister, (former) wife, mother, businesswoman, a working journalist and a humanitarian, these are the things that I would like to see changed in Saudi Arabia. » | Monday, April 09, 2012
Sunday, July 08, 2012
She was Saudi Arabia’s “Barbie” princess; the pampered granddaughter of the Kingdom’s founder and daughter of one of his most powerful and favoured sons. Princess Sara bint Talal bin Abdulaziz, however, is claiming political asylum in the UK over fears for her safety back home.
The claim, the first ever made by such a senior member of the ruling family’s inner circle, will embarrass the Saudi dynasty and threatens a diplomatic row.
Princess Sara, 38, accuses senior Saudi officials of plotting to kidnap her and smuggle her back to Riyadh, having subjected her to a “well orchestrated and malicious campaign of persecution”.
She currently occupies a suite and several rooms in a five-star London hotel with her four children and two dogs, guarded by a private security team.
“I am very scared right now,” she told The Sunday Telegraph at a secret location. “They know I can’t go back now. There is a threat. That’s a slap in the face of the Kingdom.
“I’ve been physically abused. I’ve been mentally abused. My assets have been frozen. They’ve accused me of being in opposition [to them] with Iran, they haven’t left anything. I’ve been crucified in every way.”
On Friday, Princess Sara’s lawyers notified the Home Office of her intention to seek asylum. Ministers must assess the truth of the allegations and decide whether to offer her a safe haven – a diplomatic dilemma because Saudi authorities want her to return. » | Hugh Miles and Robert Mendick | Saturday, July 07, 2012
Sunday, June 17, 2012
THE GUARDIAN: Saudi succession issue after Crown Prince Nayef's death adds to state's problems such as Shia unrest and youth joblessnessSaudi Arabia's King Abdullah prepared to bury his former heir, Crown Prince Nayef, on Sunday before naming a new successor at a challenging time for the world's top oil exporter and self-styled steward of Islam.
The crown prince's body arrived in Jeddah a day after his death, where it was met at King Khaled airport by a host of Saudi princes. Among them was the most likely candidate to take the position to succeed the 89-year-old king is Prince Salman, 76, another son of Saudi Arabia's founder Abdul-aziz Ibn Saud.
The new crown prince will become heir to a king who is aged 89 at a time when Saudi Arabia faces a variety of challenges at home and abroad.
Although the interior ministry, which the late Nayef headed for 37 years, crushed al-Qaida inside Saudi Arabia, its Yemeni wing has sworn to topple the ruling Al Saud family and has plotted attacks against the kingdom.
Saudi rulers are also grappling with unrest in areas populated by the Shia Muslim minority and with entrenched youth unemployment.
The kingdom is also locked in a region-wide rivalry with Shia Iran – the party at the airport included former Lebanese prime minister Saad al-Hariri, representing the Sunni Muslim political alliance that Saudi Arabia cultivates against Iran. » | Reuters in Riyadh | Sunday, June 17, 2012
Friday, October 28, 2011
The tough-talking interior minister is known for cracking down on Islamic militants and resisting moves toward greater openness in the ultraconservative kingdom.
Prince Nayef will assume the throne upon the death of King Abdullah, 87, who is recovering from his third operation to treat back problems in less than a year.
Prince Sultan died in New York Saturday at the age of 80 after an unspecified illness.
Traditionally, the king chooses his heir. But Prince Nayef was chosen by Allegiance Council, a 37-member body composed of his brothers and cousins. King Abdullah created the council as part of his reforms and gave it a mandate to choose the heir.
Prince Nayef, 78, was also named vice prime minister and will also keep his job as interior minister. » | Friday, October 28, 2011
Related links here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Comment:
Traditionally, the king chooses his heir. But Prince Nayef was chosen by Allegiance Council, a 37-member body composed of his brothers and cousins.
Did the Allegiance Council really choose the heir independently, or did they choose Prince Nayef knowing that he was the King's preference? – © Mark
This comment also appears here
NZZ ONLINE: Ein streng Konservativer wird saudischer Thronfolger: Mit Nayif könnte Öffnung des Landes ein Ende haben » | Reuters | Freitag 28. Oktober 2011
FRANCE 2: Le nouveau prince héritier a été nommé : Nayef ben Abdel Aziz, 78 ans, a été nommé pour succéder à son frère Sultan, décédé il y a une semaine. ¶ La nomination du nouveau prince héritier d'Arabie saoudite souligne la rigidité du système de succession maintenant des octogénaires à la tête du royaume et suscite des inquiétudes. Le prince Nayef ben Abdel Aziz est connu pour sa fermeté. » | Par FTV avec agencies | vendredi 28 octobre 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Amid the flashing of cameras, Sultan's sons and brothers carried his corpse, swathed in a brown shroud, on a bier through a throng of mourners in Riyadh's sprawling Imam Turki bin Abdullah mosque for funeral prayers before burial.
The body of Sultan, who died of colon cancer in New York on Saturday, was flown back to Riyadh on Monday, accompanied by his younger brother and Riyadh Governor Prince Salman, who may now play a more prominent role in the conservative Islamic kingdom.
Among the mourners who went forward to greet King Abdullah after the prayer recital was Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, whose country is a regional rival of Saudi Arabia.
Earlier this month Tehran was accused of backing a plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to Washington, soon after Riyadh had blamed armed protests among its Shi'ite minority on an unnamed foreign power – a coded reference to Iran.
The Royal Court said it would be open to accept condolences for three days from Tuesday. A U.S. delegation headed by Vice President Joe Biden is expected in Riyadh on Thursday. » | Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Prince Nayef, who has been interior minister for more than 40 years, was appointed second deputy prime minister two years ago, a post which made him second-in-line to the throne currently occupied by King Abdullah. The two men's brother, Crown Prince Sultan, died on Saturday, leaving Prince Nayef almost certain to step into the role.
Prince Nayef has been on record opposing such liberal reforms as allowing women to vote, and has also overseen a tough crackdown on opposition in the wake of this year's Arab Spring.
Mohammed al-Qahtani, head of the Association for Civil and Political Rights in Saudi Arabia, said the royal family should promote someone who could continue the push for reform.
"It is guaranteed Prince Nayef does not have that quality," he told The Daily Telegraph. "If they come up with a hardliner they are going to lose out. Resentment is building in society and a time will come where it will break loose." » | Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent | Sunday, October 23, 2011
Related »
Sunday, October 23, 2011
The death of the heir to the Saudi throne, Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz al Saud, has led to an urgent debate over the succession in the oil-rich state.
Sultan, who was in his 80s, had been undergoing treatment for colon cancer in New York, although Saudi TV, which announced the death today, only said he had died "abroad".
The younger half-brother of Saudi Arabia's frail and ailing leader, King Abdullah, Sultan was also deputy prime minister and defence minister, in charge of one of the biggest arms budgets in the world. He leaves multiple widows and 32 children.
The most likely candidate to replace him as Abdullah's successor is Prince Nayef, a member of the most powerful of the Saudi ruling families.
Nayef, 78, is the Saudi interior minister, in charge of the security forces, and is close to Islamic ultra-conservatives. He was directly involved in the decision in March to send soldiers into neighbouring Bahrain to help crush pro-reform demonstrations. » | Tracy McVeigh | Sunday, October 23, 2011
Related material here, here, and here
Saturday, October 22, 2011
The move follows the announcement yesterday of the death of 87-year-old King Abdullah's half-brother, 80-year-old Crown Prince Sultan, who was until now his nominated successor.
The man now expected to become heir to the throne is Prince Nayef, 78, another half-brother of King Abdullah who currently serves as interior minister in the oil-rich nation.
While the prospect of one ageing Arab prince taking over from another may scarcely rank alongside the upheavals elsewhere in the Middle East this year, one aspect of the reshuffle will show that even Saudi Arabia – the most conservative of all Arab nations - is cautiously embracing change.
For the first time, King Abdullah is expected to seek approval for his choice of heir from the Allegiance Council, a body he set up himself to make the royal family's complex and opaque succession procedure more transparent.
Composed of the 34 branches of the ruling family, the council's members can either vote to confirm the king's choice or nominate their own candidate.
In practice, the council, which is expected to meet in coming days, is unlikely to dissent from the king's choice of Prince Nayef, a man not previously noted as an enthusiastic reformer. A close ally of the country's hard-line clergy, he is on the record as opposing women being granted the right to vote or drive, and his accession to the throne will be unwelcome to those seeking to put the country on a more liberal path.
However, with King Abdullah himself now in poor health - he was in hospital himself in Riyadh yesterday, a week after having surgery for recurring back problems - Prince Nayef's time as ruler may well be imminent. » | Colin Freeman, Chief Foreign Correspondent | Saturday, October 22, 2011
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud has died.
He was the seventh of King Abdulaziz Al Saud's 36 sons, each of whom have had significant and powerful roles within the kingdom.
Prince Sultan was never educated at a conventional school but learnt to read and write using tradition methods.
In 1947, his father named him the Emir of Riyadh. He was appointed minister of agriculture in 1953, then minister of transport on 1955, and minister of defence in 1962.
Prince Sultan became deputy prime minister in 1982 and was named the heir apparent after his elder brother Abdullah Abdulaziz was crowned King in 2005.
Al Jazeera's Stefani Dekker reports.
Related »
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
THE GUARDIAN: Royals flout puritanical laws to throw parties for young elite while religious police are forced to turn a blind eye
In what may prove a particularly incendiary cable, US diplomats describe a world of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll behind the official pieties of Saudi Arabian royalty.
Jeddah consulate officials described an underground Halloween party, thrown last year by a member of the royal family, which broke all the country's Islamic taboos. Liquor and prostitutes were present in abundance, according to leaked dispatches, behind the heavily-guarded villa gates.
The party was thrown by a wealthy prince from the large Al-Thunayan family. The diplomats said his identity should be kept secret. A US energy drinks company also put up some of the finance.
"Alcohol, though strictly prohibited by Saudi law and custom, was plentiful at the party's well-stocked bar. The hired Filipino bartenders served a cocktail punch using sadiqi, a locally-made moonshine," the cable said. "It was also learned through word-of-mouth that a number of the guests were in fact 'working girls', not uncommon for such parties."
The dispatch from the US partygoers, signed off by the consul in Jeddah, Martin Quinn, added: "Though not witnessed directly at this event, cocaine and hashish use is common in these social circles."
The underground party scene is "thriving and throbbing" in Saudi Arabia thanks to the protection of Saudi royalty, the dispatch said. But it is only available behind closed doors and for the very rich. >>> Heather Brooke | Tuesday, December 07, 2010
*And, of course, we shouldn't forget about their fondness for pretty boys. – © Mark
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)