Abdullah bin Musa'ad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Abdullah bin Musa'ad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (born 19 February 1965, Riyadh) (Arabic: عبد الله بن مساعد بن عبد العزيز آل سعود) is a Saudi prince and businessman.[1] He is a son of Prince Musa'id bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and is the former general president of Youth Welfare. He has various business interests including paper manufacturing in his homeland, along with various sporting franchises. He is also the owner of Sheffield United Football Club and Beerschot and Al Hilal United in UAE. His elder half-brother Faisal bin Musaid assassinated his uncle, King Faisal and was subsequently executed by beheading.
Abdullah bin Musa'ad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud | |||||
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Born | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | 19 February 1965||||
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House | House of Saud | ||||
Father | Musa'id bin Abdulaziz Al Saud | ||||
Alma mater | King Saud University | ||||
Early life and education
Prince Abdullah, is a son of Prince Musa'ed bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and his mother is Princess Fatima bint Hashim bin Turki, who was of partial Turkish descent. He was born in 1965 in Riyadh. Before moving to study in Beirut he returned to Riyadh at the age of ten and studied in the schools of Al Faisaliah. After completing his high school, he moved to King Saud University studying engineering and received his bachelor's degree with honours, then got a master's degree in engineering from King Saud University in Riyadh.[2]
Business activities
Prince Abdullah established a paper manufacturing company in Saudi Arabia (SPMC Group) in 1989,[3] accompanied by some partners, which became one of the largest companies in Middle East, with significant overseas interests. He now owns a 40 percent stake in the operation.[2]
Prince Abdullah was the chairman of Al-Hilal FC between 2002 and 2004,[4] during which time the club won the Crown Prince Cup. He remains a supporter of the club. In September 2013, he purchased a 50 percent stake in English then-EFL League One club Sheffield United and became co-chairman with Kevin McCabe.[5] In February 2018, Prince Abdullah entered into negotiations with McCabe to take full control of Sheffield United.[6]
Since halfway 2018, Prince Abdullah controls 50% of Belgian football club KFCO Beerschot Wilrijk in the Southern part of the city of Antwerp. The club has just promoted to the premier league after seven years. The club recently changed its name back to K Beerschot V A after the original name from the origin of the club. [7] Around February 2020, it was announced that he has ownership to the newly established Al Hilal United FC in Dubai.[8] In October 2020, it was announced that he has ownership to the newly established Kerala United FC in Calicut, India.
Government
In June 2014, Prince Abdullah was appointed to the position of General President of Youth Welfare in Saudi Arabia.[4] His tenure ended in April 2017 when he was replaced by Mohammed Abdulmalik Al Sheikh in the post.[9]
Personal life
Prince Abdullah married Princess Jawaher bint Fahd bin Abdullah Al Saud. He has five daughters and two sons.[10] Prince Abdullah is known for his love of reading and American football.[11] He is a fan of San Francisco 49ers, an American football club based in San Francisco.[12] During the annual football season, he watches the games with friends every Sunday.[13]
References
- "The Prince Who Would Be Fantasy King". ESPN. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
- "The Paper Prince: Abdullah bin Mosaad Abdulaziz Al Saud | Campden FB". www.campdenfb.com. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
- "Saudi Paper Manufacturing Company". Arabian Business. 4 September 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
- "Prince Abdullah lands Saudi youth role". The Sheffield Star. 28 June 2014. Archived from the original on 28 July 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
- "Saudi prince buys 50% of Sheffield United". Arabian Business. 3 September 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
- "Sheffield United: Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in talks over buyout". BBC. 8 February 2018. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
- "Beerschot Wilrijk ontrolt nieuwe structuur: 50% DCA, 50% Saudisch". Gazet van Antwerpen. 27 July 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
- "عبدالله بن مساعد يعلن ملكيته لنادي الهلال يونايتد في الإمارات" (in Arabic). البيان. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
- "Saudi King adopts royal decrees reshuffling senior-level posts". KUNA. 23 April 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
- "The Paper Prince: Abdullah Bin Mosaad Abdulaziz Al Saud | Campden FB". www.campdenfb.com. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
- Karen Elliott House, On Saudi Arabia: Its People, past, Religion, Fault Lines and Future, New York, New York: Alfred P. Knopf, 2012, p. 123
- "United secure new international partner". Sheffield United F.C. 5 September 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
- Karen Elliott House, On Saudi Arabia: Its People, Past, Religion, Fault Lines and Future., New York, New York: Alfred P. Knopf, 2012, p. 123
Preceded by Nawaf bin Faisal |
President of the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation 4 December 2014 – present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |