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Prince Nayef Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud
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| Offices: Minister of the
Interior | |
| Born: 1934, Taif |
| | Education: Educated in the study of religion,
diplomacy, and security affairs | | | Lineage: Son of
King Ibn Saud, member of the "Sudairi Seven" | | | Line to Throne: Second | | | Miscellaneous: Heads the Saudi Committee for
Support of the al-Quds Intifada, which aids the families of Palestinian
suicide bombers. | |
| Quote: "We know that the Jews
have manipulated the September 11 incidents and turned American public
opinion against Arabs and Muslims" | |
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Since 1975, Prince Nayef has headed Saudi Arabia's Ministry of the
Interior, which oversees the nation's civil security forces and
maintains stability within the kingdom. As the primary threats to the
Saudi government have shifted from external countries such as Iraq and
Iran to internal volatility, power has shifted subtly from Prince
Sultan's military to Nayef's interior service forces.
Prince Nayef's politics are aligned with the conservative Islamic tenets that
underpin Saudi Arabian society. The House of Saud is historically bound
to a particularly devout platform of Islam based upon the teachings of
the 18th century cleric Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, who was an important
ally of Saud family patriarch Muhammad bin Saud. While Crown Prince
Abdullah has begun to advance reformist policies, Prince Nayef has
garnered political clout from conservative Saudis and courted support
for the Saud regime with right-wing religious factions. In what some
viewed as a tough stance toward Western power, Nayef denied the U.S.
access to several Saudis implicated in the 1996 bombing of Khobar Towers
in Dhahran, which killed 19 American servicemen. More
recently, Nayef has been accused of turning a blind eye to the
activities of radical clerics who wish to cleanse the Islamic holy land
of non-Muslims. Progressive Saudis criticize hardliners like
Nayef for seeking to uphold the kingdom's strict Islamic traditions at
the expense of its citizens and its future.
An influential player within the House of Saud, Prince Nayef's rank within the family rose even higher with the death of his brother King Fahd. Younger than Crown Prince Sultan and an active participant in state affairs, Prince Nayef may yet get his chance at the Saudi throne.
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Photo Essay - Take a look
at the faces and places of Saudi Arabia
Interactive Map - Learn about
the Saudi oil industry and the world's dependence on such.
Info-Graphic -
Examine the numbers of Muslims in the World and in the West.
Debate: Islam and
Democracy Two scholars, Dr. Daniel Pipes and Dr. Muqtedar Khan
discuss the compatibility of Islam and democracy.
Interactive Map: Middle
East- Learn more about the politics, population and history of
Middle East countries.
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