Saudi Arabia

Kings of Saudi Arabia (1932-Present)
Name Born-Died King from King until Notes
King Abdul Aziz (Ibn Saud) 1876 - 1953 22 September 1932 9 November 1953 Founder of Saudi Arabia
King Saud 1902 - 1969 9 November 1953 2 November 1964 Son of King Abdul Aziz, deposed
King Faisal 1906 - 1975 2 November 1964 25 March 1975 Son of King Abdul Aziz, assassinated
King Khalid 1913 - 1982 25 March 1975 13 June 1982 Son of King Abdul Aziz
King Fahd 1923 - 2005 13 June 1982 1 August 2005 Son of King Abdul Aziz
King Abdullah 1924 - 1 August 2005 Present Son of King Abdul Aziz

King Abdul Aziz began conquering today's Saudi Arabia in 1902, by restoring his family as emirs of Riyadh. He then proceeded to conquer first the Nejd (1922) and then the Hejaz (1925). He progressed from Sultan of Nejd, to King of Hejaz and Nejd, and finally to King of Saudi Arabia (1932).

The other kings have all been sons of his, and all likely immediate successors to the reigning King Abdullah are his sons as well. Sons of Ibn Saud are considered to have primary claim on the Kingship of Saudi Arabia. This makes the Saudi Monarchy quite distinct from Western monarchies, which usually feature large, clearly defined royal families and orders of succession. The kings after Faisal have named a "second Deputy Prime Minister" as the subsequent heir after the Crown Prince, who is also the "Deputy Prime Minister." The current Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia is Abdullah's half-brother, Prince Sultan, and it is intended that a family assembly choose heirs from their or the next generation at some time in the future, however at the current time, Abdullah has named no "second Deputy."

The King of Saudi Arabia is also considered the Head of the House of Saud and Prime Minister.

Saudi Arabia is ruled by Islamic law and purports to be an Islamic state; but many Muslims see a monarchy as being a non-Islamic system of government. This attitude stems in part from traditional Sunni doctrine, which prefers selecting rulers based on who is most qualified, even though the caliphate became a hereditary system after the time of the first four Sunni Caliphs (the Rashidun). The ruling family itself is often perceived as unreligious due to rumours of decadent behaviour. This is part of a deeper underlying tension in Saudi Arabia between the strive for modernization and conservation of culture and values.

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