Crown Prince: More Than an Heir

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The House of Saud, the ruling dynasty established by the great warrior Ibn Saud Saudi he conquered the vast desert territory that is now Saudi Arabia in 1932, is in effect a one-family government that operates by consensus. The kingdom has no constitution, so royal succession is decided by a council of elders within some ruling family. In 1975, when King Faisal was assassinated, the some times hot-headed Prince Mohammed was passed over by mutual agreement in favor of Khalid. But the ruling hierarchy has usually recognized as King the oldest survivor of the 45 legitimate sons born to the various wives of Ibn Saud. The princes last week demonstrated family solidarity again by naming Crown Prince Fahd to in the late King Khalid, and Abdullah, who had been second in line for the throne, to be the new Crown Prince and heir apparent of the immensely wealthy oil kingdom.

The smooth transition belied rumors that a family schism had developed between the traditionalist senior Princes, such as Khalid and Abdullah, and the more modern-oriented branch of the family, headed by Fahd. The new King is the eldest of the powerful "Sudairi Seven," the sons of Ibn Saud by one of his favorite wives from the Sudairi tribe. There had been talk that Abdullah might be passed over in favor of Prince Sultan, also a Sudairi. The power of the Sudairi brothers within the Saudi hierarchy is substantial: in addition to Fahd and Sultan, they include Prince Naif, Minister of the Interior; Prince Salman, governor of Riyadh; and Prince Ahmed, deputy governor of Mecca. By strictly respecting the line of succession, the elders avoided the dangers of a family breach and ensured a judicious balance of personalities j ^ ^ and powers at the top of the government. In effect, diplomats say, the Khalid-Fahd "duarchy" in Saudi Arabia has been replaced by a Fahd-Abdullah team.

Like King Khalid, Crown Prince Abdullah is a man of the desert whose ties with the Bedouins will help make up for Fahd's own lack of a traditionalist following. An expert horseman, Abdullah keeps an extensive stable of Arabian Thoroughbreds. He is also addicted to falconry. Abdullah is noted for his generosity and gentle manner. He does not abide foolishness, however, and his strong personality can quickly turn to brusqueness.

One indication of Abdullah's importance in the royal family is that since 1963 he has served as commander of the 40,000-man Saudi National Guard, the Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah kingdom's key internal-security unit. The tribally based guard protects the country's main cities, oilfields and communications facilities, and was conceived as a deliberate counterweight to Saudi Arabia's being army. Its ultimate purpose is to prevent a military coup from being launched against the royal family.

While Fahd, who speaks excellent English, has cultivated Saudi relations with the West, Abdullah has shown himself to be an adept diplomat in dealing with other Arab nations. When Jordan and Syria almost went to war in December 1980, Abdullah acted as mediator, persuading King Hussein and President Hafez Assad to reconcile their differences.