Fahd bin Sultan Al Saud (; born 20 October 1950) has been the governor of

Tabuk Province Tabuk Province, also known as Tabuk Region ( '), is a province in Saudi Arabia, located along the northwestern coast of the country, facing Egypt across the Red Sea. It also borders Jordan to the north. History The history of Tabuk province ...

since 1987, a member of

House of Saud The House of Saud ( ) is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia. It is composed of the descendants of Muhammad bin Saud, founder of the Emirate of Diriyah, known as the First Saudi State, (1727–1818), and his brothers, though the ruling ...

, and a grandson of Saudi's founder

King Abdulaziz Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud (; 15 January 1875Ibn Saud's birth year has been a source of debate. It is generally accepted as 1876, although a few sources give it as 1880. According to British author Robert Lacey's book ''The Kingdom'', ...

Early life and education

Fahd bin Sultan was born in

Riyadh Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in th ...

on 20 October 1950. He is the second eldest son of

Sultan bin Abdulaziz Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (c. 5 January 1931 – 22 October 2011) (, ''Sulṭān ibn ʿAbdulʿazīz Āl Suʿūd''), called ''The generous Sultan'' (, ''Sulṭan al Khair'') in Saudi Arabia, was the Saudi defense minister from 1963 to 201 ...

. He is the full brother of

Khalid bin Sultan Khalid bin Sultan Al Saud (; born 24 September 1949) is the former deputy minister of defense, a member of the House of Saud, and a grandson of King Abdulaziz. Early life and education Prince Khalid was born on 24 September 1949. He is the olde ...

, Faisal bin Sultan and

Turki bin Sultan Turki bin Sultan Al Saud (; 6 October 1959 – 25 December 2012) was deputy minister of culture and information of Saudi Arabia. He was a member of the House of Saud and was one of the grandsons of Saudi's founder King Abdulaziz. Early li ...

. Their mother was Munira bint Abdulaziz bin Musaed Al Jiluwi, who died in Paris in August 2011 aged 80. Munira bint Abdulaziz was the sister of Al Anoud, a spouse of

King Fahd Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (; 1920, 1921 or 1923 – 1 August 2005) was King of Saudi Arabia, King and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia from 13 June 1982 until his death in 2005. Prior to his ascension, he was Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia from 1 ...

, and the cousin of

King Khalid Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (; 13 February 1913 13 June 1982) was King and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia from 25 March 1975 until his death in 1982. Before his death, he was Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and the fifth son of King Abdulaziz ...

and Prince Muhammed. Fahd bin Sultan obtained a bachelor's degree in history from

King Saud University King Saud University (KSU, ) is a public university in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Established in 1957 by King Saud bin Abdulalziz to address the country's skilled worker shortage, it is the first university in Saudi Arabia. It was known as Riyadh U ...

in 1970. He also received a master's degree in the United States.

Career

Prince Fahd began his career at the ministry of labour and social affairs. He first served as the director of research there from 1969 to 1970. He later appointed the director general of social welfare again at the same ministry in 1970. In November 1977, Fahd bin Sultan was appointed the deputy minister responsible for social welfare affairs in the ministry of labour and social affairs. Then he was appointed deputy president of sport and welfare. He was appointed governor of Tabuk province in July 1987, replacing Mamdouh bin Abdulaziz. He has been the governor since then.

Activities

In 2002, Fahd bin Sultan undertook the cost of extending power lines to al Assafiya village and paid the electric bills for 3 years. In 2003, he began to establish a college, Fahd bin Sultan College in Tabuk. The college was opened by his father, Sultan bin Abdulaziz. It was approved by King Abdullah as a university on 2 October 2011. In Tabuk, a private hospital was established with his name, Prince Fahd bin Sultan Hospital, in 1995. It features eleven outpatient clinics, emergency room, inpatient service, medical support services and other services.

Controversy

In January 2014, Prince Fahd hunted, 2100 endangered

houbara bustard The African houbara (''Chlamydotis undulata''), also known as the houbara bustard (''houbara'' from for bustards in general), is a relatively small bustard native to North Africa, where it lives in arid habitats. The global population is listed ...

s in Chagai,

Balochistan Balochistan ( ; , ), also spelled as Baluchistan or Baluchestan, is a historical region in West and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. This arid region o ...

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

. He hunted for 21 days – from 11 January to 31 January 2014– and hunted 1,977 birds, while other members of his party hunted an additional 123 birds, bringing the total bustard toll to 2,100 (roughly 2% of the remaining population). The houbara bustard is listed as an

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

; hunting it is completely banned in Pakistan. In Pakistan, hunting the houbara is only by special permit for visiting royalty. Such permits allow for a maximum total bag of 100 birds, which must not be hunted in reserved areas. The Prince reportedly hunted extensively in reserved areas. The houbara is widely prized in Arabia as a quarry for falconers, particularly because its meat is valued as an

aphrodisiac An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases libido, sexual desire, sexual attraction, sexual pleasure, or sexual behavior. These substances range from a variety of plants, spices, and foods to synthetic chemicals. Natural aphrodisiacs, such as ...

Other positions

Fahd bin Sultan is deputy chairman of

Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Foundation Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Foundation is a non-profit charity organization in Saudi Arabia set up and funded by former Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, Sultan in 1995. The foundation participates in proj ...

that deals with varied charity activities. He himself was reported to launch a number of charity projects under the Prince Fahd bin Sultan Social Charity Program Society that would target various sectors. He is also the honorary president of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society. He is chairman of the board of trustees of Fahd bin Sultan University, too.

Personal life

One of Fahd bin Sultan's sons, Faisal, is the deputy governor of Hail region.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Saud, Fahd Sultan 20th-century Saudi Arabian politicians 21st-century Saudi Arabian politicians 1950 births Governors of Tabuk Province King Saud University alumni Living people Princes of Saudi Arabia