Saudi Arabia

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Saudi Arabia

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The order of succession to the throne of Saudi Arabia is determined by, and within, the House of Saud. It follows very closely agnatic seniority, but a prince may be surpassed, or another elevated.

Current King Abdullah has appointed his half-brother Sultan as the Crown Prince of the kingdom. At least three brothers (Bandar, Musa'id, Mishaal) are older than Sultan, but these have either stepped aside or have been sidelined for health reasons, by family consensus, or by their unwillingness to participate in governing.

In October 2006, King Abdullah announced the creation of the Bay'ah Council to be made up of the sons and senior grandsons of the Kingdom's founder. The Council's function is to ensure the smooth transition of power in the event of incapacitation or death of both the King and the Crown Prince, and the selection of an heir. This, along with an earlier decree by King Fahd, also has opened the possibility of considering Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud's grandsons as viable candidates. Beyond age, the criteria appear to include:

• Support within the Al Saud
• Tenure in government
• Tribal affiliations and origins of a candidate's mother
• Religious persona
• Acceptance by the Ulema
• Support by the merchant community
• Popularity among the general Saudi citizenry.

The reform was finally implemented in October 2007.^[1]

The following surviving sons of Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud are considered candidates to the Line of Succession, following Crown Prince Sultan:

• Abd al-Rahman bin Abdul Aziz
• Mutaib bin Abdul Aziz
• Badr bin Abdul Aziz
• Nayef bin Abdul Aziz (appointed Second Deputy Premier in March 2009)^[2]
• Salman bin Abdul Aziz
• Ahmed bin Abdul Aziz
• Sattam bin Abdul Aziz
• Muqran bin Abdul Aziz

Grandsons who appear to have the necessary support and experience to be considered candidates include:^{[citation needed]}

• Khalid al Faisal
• Saud al Faisal
• Mutaib bin Abdullah
• Turki al Faisal
• Saud bin Abdul Mohsin
• Khalid bin Sultan
• Bandar bin Sultan
• Mohammed bin Fahd

[edit] References

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