Prince Talal (II) bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud

Talal bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud (Arabic: طلال بن عبد العزيز آل سعود ‎) (born 1932), sometimes called "The Red Prince", is a member of the House of Saud and a half brother to King Abdullah.

Controversy

Prince Talal was one of a group of reformers and leader within the royal family known as the Free Princes. In 1958 he wrote a proposed constitution for Saudi Arabia which would have created a constitutional monarchy and expanded civil rights. He began to assemble an elected advisory committee, but his ideas were rejected by the king, and religious leaders in Saudi Arabia issued a fatwa declaring his constitution to be contrary to Islamic law. In 1961 the kingdom revoked his passport and attempted to silence him, but he expatriated to Egypt and declared himself a socialist. There, influenced by Gamal Abdel Nasser, Talal continued to push for reform and criticise the leadership of the Kingdom.

In 1964 Talal agreed to temper his criticisms in exchange for permission to reenter Saudi Arabia. He is now a successful businessman and prominent philanthropist. Though a senior member of Al Saud, his past political forays may have diluted any hopes of a future claim for the throne, though he denies it.

Prince Talal resumed his push for reform in Saudi Arabia in September 2007, when he announced his desire to form a political party (illegal in Saudi Arabia) to advance his goal of liberalizing the country.

International Positions

Development & Political

• President of the Arab Gulf Program For The United Nations Development Organizations (http://www.AGFUND.org/) Riyadh
• President of the Arab Council for Childhood & Development (http://www.arabccd.org/) Cairo
• Arab Network for NGOs President of the Board of Trustees (http://www.shabakaegypt.org/) Cairo
• Center of Arab Women for Training and Research President of the Board of Trustees (http://www.cawtar.org/) Tunis
• Arab Open University President of the Board of Trustees (http//www.arabou.org/) Kuwait
• Down Syndrome Charitable Association Honorary President (http://www.dsca.org.sa/) Riyadh
• Saudi Society of Family and Community Medicine (http://www.ssfcm.org/) Khobar
• Ameen Rihani Institute Honorary President (http://www.ameenrihani.org/) Washington D.C
• Ebsar Charitable Association Honorary President(http://www.ebsar.org/) Jeddah
• World Trade Organization Unit/Center of Excellence in Management Honorary President - Kuwait University (http://www.cba.edu.kw/wtou/) Kuwait
• Mentor Foundation Co-Founder & Member of Board of Trustees (http://www.mentorfoundation.org/) Geneva
• Member of the League for Development of the Pasteur Institute (http://www.pasteur.fr/) Paris
• Founding member of the Independent Commission for International Humanitarian Issues Geneva
• Member of the Arab Thought Forum (http://en.atf.org.jo/) Amman
• UNESCO Special Envoy for Water (http://www.UNESCO.org/) Paris
• UNICEF Special Envoy (http://www.unicef.org/) New York
• Minister of Finance & National Economy, Deputy Chairman of the High Council of Planning, Deputy Chairman of the High Council of the Holy Cities in Makkah and Medina
• Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the Republic of France
• Minister of Transportation And Telecommunication

Humanitarian Activities

• Foreign Education Scholarships from HRH's personal expense to Saudi students.
• Founded the first school of Vocational Training in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1954.
• Founded the first Girls School in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 1957.
• Donated to the Saudi Government Al-Zahra Palace in Taif where he was born to be the first Boys Collage in 1957.
• Founded the first Private Hospital in Riyadh city in 1957, 70% of its returns was for free health care, 10% for children's health care, *Donated the Hospital to the Government and was named after his father King Abdulaziz University Hospital.
• Founded the Arab Gulf Program for the United Nations Development Organizations in 1980 to help the 3rd world countries to implement human development and fight poverty.

Family

Wives

• Um Faisal bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud (Divorced)
• Mona Riad El-Solh, Mother of Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud and prince Khalid Bin Talal(Divorced)
• Moudie bint Abdulmohsen Alangary, Mother of Prince Turki bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud (Divorced)
• Princess Magdah bint Turki Al Sudairi, daughter of Human Rights Commission President Sheikh Turki bin Khaled Al Sudairi, a cousin of the Sudairi Seven.

Sons

• HRH Prince Faisal (Died 1991)
• HRH Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal
• HRH Prince Khaled
• HRH Prince Turki
• HRH Prince Abdul Aziz
• HRH Prince Abdul Rahman
• HRH Prince Mansour
• HRH Prince Mohammed
• HRH Prince Mashour

Daughters

• HRH Princess Rima
• HRH Princess Sara
• HRH Princess Noura
• HRH Princess Al Johara
• HRH Princess Hebatallah
• HRH Princess El Maha

Links

• Official website, Arabic/English: http://www.princetalal.net/new/index.php
• Political reform essential for Saudi Arabia, says Prince Talal (Gulf News Online, September 2003) http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/general/political-reform-essentia...
• Senior Saudi Royal demands reform(BBC News, 5 September 2007) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6980056.stm