Sultan bin Abdul Aziz (original) (raw)

Sultan bin Abdul Aziz (born 1927) is one of the most powerful princes in Saudi Arabia. He has been the Minister of Defense and Aviation since 1962, and in 1982 was named by his full brother King Fahd as Second Deputy Prime Minister, the position Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah each held immediately before becoming Crown Prince. Thus, though there is no formal line of succession in the Kingdom after the Crown Prince, he is generally considered likely to be the next Crown Prince, and thus second in line to be king.

His son Prince Bandar bin Sultan is Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to the United States, and his son Prince Khalid bin Sultan was a key Saudi general in the 1991 Gulf War.

He is one of the Sudairi Seven, seven close-knit sons of King Abdul Aziz "ibn Saud" by Hassa bint Ahmad Sudairi,of whom King Fahd is the oldest. Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz, the Interior Minister, and Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz, the Governor of Riyadh, are among the others.