Abdullah bin Abdul-Rahman

Abdullah bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud ( ʿAbd Allāh bin ʿAbd ar Raḥman Āl Suʿūd; 1893 – 4 December 1976) was a Saudi Arabian statesman, soldier, and royal counsellor. He was a prominent advisor and member of the inner council of his elder half-brother, King Abdulaziz. After Abdulaziz died in 1953, Prince Abdullah continued to be involved in state affairs during the reigns of his nephews Saud, Faisal, and Khalid. He died in 1976. Early life Abdullah bin Abdul Rahman was born in 1893. He was the seventh son of Abdul Rahman bin Faisal, Emir of Nejd, and one of the grandsons of Emir Faisal bin Turki. He had a number of half-siblings on his father's side; his half-brother Abdulaziz would become the king of Saudi Arabia, while his half-brothers Muhammad, Ahmed, and Musaid would all play an important role in the Saudi government. Career Abdullah bin Abdul Rahman was prominent in the military campaigns of his elder half-brother Abdulaziz as he laid the foundations of the future state of Saudi Arabia. He led the Saudi forces in the capture of Hijaz in 1924. He was responsible for the capture and destruction of the Ikhwan centre of Ghat Ghat during the Ikhwan Revolt of 1929. He became a frequent participant in the political committee formed by the King in 1932 following the establishment of Saudi Arabia. Prince Abdullah and other senior family members met with King Abdulaziz upon the latter's request in late December 1934 to reaffirm their allegiance to Crown Prince Saud who had been appointed to the post in May 1933. However, Abdullah and his half-brothers Muhammad and Ahmed told the king that their allegiance to him was still active, but they did not renew their allegiance to the crown prince. Then they sent a letter to King Abdulaziz explaining the reasons for their views about Crown Prince Saud. However, Abdullah continued to be the key counsellor of the King, a member of the privy council, and one of the king's official advisors until the King's death in 1953. He was a participant at the meeting with the British prime minister Winston Churchill in 1945, and was given a left-hand side Rolls-Royce. He also accompanied King Abdulaziz to the meeting with Franklin D. Roosevelt on 14 February 1945.