Faisal bin Salman Al Saud ( ar, فيصل بن سلمان آل سعود ''Fayṣal bin Salmān Āl Suʿūd''; born 25 December 1970) is a member of the

House of Saud The House of Saud ( ar, آل سُعُود, ʾĀl Suʿūd ) 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 governor of

Madinah province The Medina Province ( ar, مِنْطَقَة ٱلْمَدِيْنَة ٱلْمُنَوَّرَة, Minṭaqat Al-Madīnah Al-Munawarah) is a province ('' minṭaqah'') of Saudi Arabia, located on the country's western side, along the Red Sea coa ...

in Saudi Arabia.

Early life and education

Prince Faisal was born in Riyadh on 25 December 1970. He is the fifth son of

Salman bin Abdulaziz Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ( ar, سلمان بن عبد العزیز آل سعود, , ; born 31 December 1935) is King of Saudi Arabia, reigning since 2015, and served as Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2022. The 25th son of King ...

, the

King of Saudi Arabia The king of Saudi Arabia is the monarchial head of state and ruler of Saudi Arabia who holds absolute power. He is the head of the Saudi Arabian royal family, the House of Saud. The king is called the " Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques" (), ...

. His mother is

Sultana bint Turki Al Sudairi Sultana bint Turki Al Sudairi ( ar, سلطانة بنت تركي السديري; 1940 – 30 July 2011) was a Saudi royal. She was the first wife of Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, who later became king of Saudi Arabia. Biography Sultana was the ...

, who died in July 2011. She was a daughter of King Salman's uncle, Turki bin Ahmed Al Sudairi, who was formerly the governor of

Asir Province Asir Province was once a province of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the List of As ...

. Faisal is a full brother of Prince Fahd, Prince Ahmed, Prince Sultan, Prince Abdulaziz and Princess Hassa. Faisal bin Salman holds a bachelor's degree in

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and ...

from

King Saud University King Saud University (KSU, ar, جامعة الملك سعود) is a public university in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Established in 1957 by Saud of Saudi Arabia, King Saud bin Abdulaziz to address the country's skilled worker shortage, it is the firs ...

. He received a PhD from

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

in 1999. His PhD thesis was titled "Iran, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf: Power Politics in Transition 1968-1971", and was published by

I.B.Tauris I.B. Tauris is an educational publishing house and imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing. It was an independent publishing house with offices in London and New York City until its purchase in May 2018 by Bloomsbury Publishing. It specialises in non- ...

in 2003.

Career

He was a professor of political science at

. He studied especially political relations in the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bo ...

region among the others during his academic career. During this period he was a research fellow at

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...

. After the death of his brother Prince Ahmed in 2002, Prince Faisal took over as chairman of the Saudi Research and Marketing Group (SRMG), reportedly the largest media company in the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''no ...

and

Central Africa Central Africa is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries according to different definitions. Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, E ...

. He was reported to own around seven percent of the company, while the family of his late brother Ahmed owns three percent. It is reported that the newspapers owned by the SRMG, including '' Arab News'', ''

Asharq Al-Awsat ''Asharq Al-Awsat'' ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, Aš-Šarq al-ʾAwsaṭ, meaning "The Middle East") is an Arabic international newspaper headquartered in London. A pioneer of the "off-shore" model in the Arabic press, the paper is often noted ...

'' and ''

Al Eqtisadiah Al Eqtisadiah ( ar, الاقتصادية, 'The Economy') is a Saudi daily business newspaper, published by Saudi Research and Publishing Company. It has been in circulation since 1962. History ''Al Eqtisadiah'' was first launched as an economic ...

'' take a pro-government position and supported King Abdullah's cautious reforms. Faisal bin Salman began to publish a new magazine through the SRMG that is an Arabic translation of the magazine ''

Robb Report The ''Robb Report'' is an American, English-language, luxury- lifestyle magazine featuring products, including automobiles, aviation, boating, real estate and watches. Founded in 1976, it is currently owned by Penske Media Corporation. It also d ...

''. He also established a school for training journalists and other media people. He has been the chairman of

Jadwa Investment Jadwa Investment is the premier investment management and advisory firm in Saudi Arabia and the wider region. Headquartered in Riyadh with three regional offices, the firm has over SAR 70 billion in client assets under management and advisement. ...

, a Riyadh-based leading Saudi investment bank, since 2006. On 14 January 2013, Faisal bin Salman was appointed governor of

at the rank of minister, replacing

Abdulaziz bin Majid Abdulaziz bin Majid Al Saud (born 1960) is the former governor of Madinah Province and a member of House of Saud. Early life and education Prince Abdulaziz was born in 1960. He is Majid bin Abdulaziz's second son. Abdulaziz's mother is Nuf bint ...

in the post. After his appointment as governor, Faisal bin Salman was succeeded by his half-brother, Turki bin Salman, as chairman of the SRMG.

Other positions

Prince Faisal joined the council of the

International Institute for Strategic Studies The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is a British research institute or think tank in the area of international affairs. Since 1997, its headquarters have been Arundel House in London, England. The 2017 Global Go To Think ...

(IISS) in 2009. He is also chairman of the board of social responsibility in Riyadh. In addition, he chairs the executive committee of “Ensan Society” that deals with various support programs for orphans.

Views

Faisal bin Salman stated in 2007 that social change in Saudi Arabia had to be slow.

Awards

Faisal bin Salman was named "The Man of the Year 2004 in business" by ''

Arabian Business ''Arabian Business'' (''AB'') is a weekly business magazine published in Dubai and focusing on global and regional news analysis. The brand is aimed at the English- and Arabic-speaking communities and is published in both languages. Its circul ...

'' in 2004. He was also named the Media Personality of the Year by the

Arab Media Forum Arab Media Forum (Arabic: منتدى الإعلام العربي) is an international media forum organized by Dubai Press Club, founded in 2001 and based at Dubai, United Arab Emirates Dubai (, ; ar, wikt:دبي, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ...

in 2009.

Horse racing

His brothers Prince Fahd and Prince Ahmed, both deceased, were involved in

thoroughbred horse racing Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

. After the death of Prince Ahmed in 2002, Prince Faisal succeeded him as the head of

The Thoroughbred Corporation The Thoroughbred Corporation is a Thoroughbred horse racing and breeding operation established in 1994 by principal partner Prince Ahmed bin Salman of the Saudi Arabian royal family. It was based at an facility at Bradbury Estates, in Bradbury, ...

. In addition, he owns Belgrave Bloodstock in England. In 2002 Faisal bin Salman had 12 horses in training, with

Paul Cole Paul F. I. Cole (born 11 September 1941) is a British racehorse trainer. Since 1987 he has been based at Whatcombe Estate in Berkshire, the former stables of Dick Dawson and Arthur Budgett. He was British flat racing Champion Trainer in 1991 ...

Sir Mark Prescott Sir Mark Prescott, 3rd Baronet (born 1948), is an English race horse trainer with over 2000 winners to his name, including Alpinista, winner of the 2022 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He is based at Heath House Stables, an historic 50 box yard at th ...

and

John Gosden John Harry Martin Gosden (born 30 March 1951) is a British racehorse trainer. He has trained over 3,000 winners worldwide, including winners of the Breeders' Cup Classic, the Derby, the Arc, the King George, the Eclipse, and over 600 winners ...

in England;

Aidan O'Brien Aidan Patrick O'Brien (born 16 October 1969 in County Wexford, Ireland) Aidan O'Brien bio NTRA ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

;

Jean-Claude Rouget Jean-Claude Rouget (born 1953 in Normandy) is a French Thoroughbred horse trainer A horse trainer is a person who tends to horses and teaches them different disciplines. Some of the responsibilities trainers have are caring for the animals' phys ...

in France; and Julio Canini and

Graham Motion H. Graham Motion (born May 22, 1964, in Cambridge, England) is an American horse trainer, notable for his work with 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom and Better Talk Now. Motion started out training and winning with his own Thoroughbred h ...

in the United States. It is reported that his best horse is Last Second, dam of Aussie Rules. She won both the

Sun Chariot Stakes The Sun Chariot Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 ...

and

Nassau Stakes The Nassau Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 1 mile, 1 furlong ...

in 1996. Prince Faisal also won the 1995 Cherry Hinton Stakes with another horse, Applaud. Last Second later became his most successful broodmare. He has his own stud, Denford Stud near Hungerford, Berkshire. His racing manager is James Wigan. In 2011 Central Park was Faisal's best juvenile. Prince Faisal bred Aussie Rules in

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virgini ...

and is racing him in cooperation with Susan Magnier and

Michael Tabor Michael Barry Tabor (born 28 October 1941) is a British businessman, bookmaker, gambler and owner of thoroughbred racehorses. Tabor regularly appears on the ''Sunday Times Rich List'' of the richest people in Britain. In 2012 his fortune ...

. He had four mares boarded at Indian Creek Farm near Paris (Kentucky). The dam of Aussie Rules, Last Second, has had only one foal sell at public auction, Bold Glance, who went for $2,202,250 in October 2005. Belgrave also has kept several fillies out of Last Second, including stakes winner Approach. Other mares are kept at Chris Budgett's Kirtlington Stud in the United Kingdom.

Ancestry

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Saud, Faisal Salman

Faisal Faisal, Faisel, Fayçal or Faysal ( ar, فيصل) is an Arabic given name. Faisal, Fayçal or Faysal may also refer to: People * King Faisal (disambiguation) ** Faisal I of Iraq and Syria (1885–1933), leader during the Arab Revolt ** Faisal ...

1970 births Alumni of the University of Oxford

King Saud University alumni King Saud University faculty Living people Saudi Arabian corporate directors Saudi Arabian media executives Saudi Arabian racehorse owners and breeders