A vigorous and socially aware man, Crown Prince Sultan takes an active interest in the multitude of charities and organizations that carry his name.
Born in 1928, his life covers the entire history of the modern Saudi state. He was four years old when, in 1932, his father, King Abdul Aziz, finally achieved the unification of the Kingdom.
His early education was traditional Najd — not the structured academic education of today. Tutored in his father’s palace, it embraced a combination of Islamic studies, language and natural philosophy. Part of the educational mix was instruction in physiognomy — the study of physical characteristics and their relationship to personality. Prince Sultan’s well-known ability to recognize and remember people he has not met for many years is said to have resulted from this most traditional aspect of his early education. While receiving education in formal subjects, he was immersed in the affairs of state going on around him and was often to be seen sitting in on meetings and the visits of foreign delegations.
Forever near his father’s side in court, the young Sultan met and listened to the key players, both Saudi and visiting foreigners, who helped shape the infrastructure of the modern history of Saudi Arabia. His early knowledge of the affairs of state and the internal workings of the bureaucracy needed to run the country was put to the test early. It was here that his now legendary ability to read and remember people’s faces and their connections came to the fore.
At the age of 15 he was appointed chief of the Royal Guard. Although more an honorific than working appointment, it imbued the young prince with a feeling for military discipline and put his theoretical knowledge gleaned from court to the test.
Having acquitted himself well, at 19 he was made governor of Riyadh — little more than a village at the time. Crown Prince Sultan however exhibited a talent for planning and organization and demonstrated it by devising and laying down the ground plans for the modern city.
Capitalizing on this burgeoning talent, he was moved through posts of minister of agriculture — setting out massive irrigation projects and overseeing the resulting boom in food production — minister of communications — where he set up telecom networks and rationalized the revenue collections systems until in 1962 was appointed minister of defense.
He has held this post ever since, making him the longest serving minister in any political system anywhere.
A multi-faceted man, his interests are not bounded solely by his ministerial responsibilities. He has chaired a vast array of committees, covering social reform, education policy, Islamic Daawa, airlines and economic development — to name but very few.
His lasting personal legacy will surely be his largely private creation of and contribution to charitable organizations throughout the world.
Deeply concerned with the welfare of the needy and older members of society, the Prince Abdul Aziz Charity Foundation is a family concern, chaired by Prince Sultan and with a board made up of each of his sons who are over 20 years of age.
The composition of the board and the huge financial liability of the foundation are physical demonstrations of the commitment Prince Sultan makes for himself and for his family to contributing to the welfare of Saudi citizens.
Amongst the more visible contributions are the 250 bed Medical City with a host of research and after care and disabled persons facilities, an Internet based on-line medical communications network, the funding of the Arabic Encyclopaedia and support and donations to Islamic development work and UNICEF.
These national and international activities are in stark contrast to what many people know about Prince Sultan, the man.
For many who benefit from his charitable work and who meet him face to face for a second time, never cease to be amazed by the one thing that affects their self-esteem most of all. He remembers their name. That simple yet invaluable talent humanizes the huge organizations and connects those who benefit with those who give and reinforce the element of personal contact that makes the foundation unique.
