Mutaib bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

Mutaib bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Born	1931 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Died	2 December 2019
Occupation(s)	Politician, businessman
Known for	Eldest living son of King Abdulaziz (from July 2019 until death), former minister of municipal and rural affairs

Mutaib bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (, Mutʿib bin ʿAbd al ʿAzīz Āl Suʿūd) (1931 – 2 December 2019) was a prominent figure within the Saudi royal family and, following the passing of his half-brother Prince Bandar in July 2019, he became the eldest living son of King Abdulaziz.

Early life and education

Born in Riyadh in 1931, Prince Mutaib was the seventeenth son of King Abdulaziz. He shared his mother, Shahida (deceased 1938), with Prince Mansour, Prince Mishaal, and Princess Qumash. Shahida, who was Armenian, was reportedly among King Abdulaziz’s favored consorts.

In 1955, Prince Mutaib completed a bachelor's degree specializing in political science in the United States.

Career

Between 1951 and 1956, Mutaib bin Abdulaziz held the position of deputy minister of defense under his brother Mishaal bin Abdulaziz. Subsequently, he was appointed governor of Makkah province, serving from 1958 until 1961. During this period, he maintained a close relationship with oil minister Abdullah Tariki. Both he and Mishaal were removed from office by King Saud, but were reinstated in 1963 when Crown Prince Faisal assigned them gubernatorial roles. Their resignation occurred in 1971 for reasons that remain unclear.

At the close of 1975, Mutaib returned to government as minister of public works and housing, a newly established ministry under King Khalid, where he served until 1980. His appointment, alongside Prince Majid as minister of municipal and rural affairs, was a calculated effort by King Khalid to diminish the cabinet influence of the Sudairi Seven. Muhammed bin Ibrahim Al Jarallah succeeded him in this role in 1980.

Following this, Prince Mutaib occupied the office of minister of municipal and rural affairs from 1980 through 2009. After his resignation, his son Prince Mansour took over the position in November 2009.

Business activities

Prince Mutaib reportedly profited extensively from all land development initiatives within Saudi Arabia, citing a grant from King Abdulaziz that entitled him to revenues from the Kingdom's fisheries. He was involved as a partner in the National Fisheries Company, established by the House of Saud. Furthermore, he held stakes in Société Générale d'Entreprises Touristiques, a real estate enterprise chaired by Walid Saab, and owned a company operating within the beverage sector.

Personal life

In his later years, Prince Mutaib lived in New York City’s Trump Tower, where he owned an entire floor. Father to ten children—two sons and eight daughters—he also acted as guardian to his nephew Prince Talal bin Mansour. His daughter Princess Nouf was married to Prince Talal but died at age 34 in Riyadh in 2001.

By 2013, Prince Mutaib was ranked as the 98th wealthiest Arab individual with an estimated net worth of US$110.1 million.

He passed away on 2 December 2019; his funeral prayer was conducted at the Great Mosque of Mecca on the following day.