Muhammad bin Abd al-Rahman

Muhammad was the son of Abd al-Rahman ibn Faisal, Amir of the Second Saudi State based in Riyadh. There is some controversy regarding the date of his birth, with some sources making him older than his brother, the future king Abd al-Aziz, an important factor in his later manoeuvering for succession to rule, in a society in which seniority carried significant weight. He followed his family to exile in Kuwait after the collapse of the Saudi state in 1891 and in 1902 was one of Abd al-Aziz's companion on the raid which retook the Masmak Castle. Muhammad played a major role in subsequent military expeditions, but as Abd al-Aziz's own sons came of age and began to assume positions of responsibility, he saw his own importance overshadowed. As it became apparent that Abd al-Aziz was grooming his elder sons for succession, Muhammad began to put forward the candidacy of his own eldest son, Khalid. This may have had some support at first, but eventually a family consensus emerged and Khalid's supporters dwindled in number. Rumours abounded of plots and assassination attempts, with Khalid alleged to have tried to kill Saud ibn Abd al-Aziz and Saud said to have attempted to take Khalid's life. Whatever the truth, Khalid bin Muhammad died under mysterious circumstances in 1938. By now Muhammad was totally excluded from public life, and he died alone in 1943. His descendants today hold important administrative positions in government.