Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz

Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz is a Saudi diplomat who served as ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States for more than twenty years until 2005, and then assumed the secretary-generalship of the National Security Council.[2][6] His service in the Saudi Armed Forces and in diplomatic work extended over thirty-nine years, until the end of his service as ambassador on 14 Jumada al-Akhirah 1426 AH, corresponding to 20 July 2005.[1]

Prince Bandar bin Sultan assumed the post of ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the United States, and his work in Washington extended over more than twenty years until 2005.[2] At the end of his service as ambassador he received the thanks of U.S. President Bush for his efforts during his term.[2]

In the same year, Prince Turki Al-Faisal was nominated as the Kingdom's ambassador to the United States as his successor, and Prince Bandar bin Sultan congratulated him on the royal confidence.[1]

Prince Bandar bin Sultan, in his capacity as ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the United States, held a dinner in Washington in honour of Nelson Mandela on 9 Rabi' al-Akhir 1426 AH, corresponding to 17 May 2005.[3]

In January 2005 he travelled to Johannesburg as a representative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to offer condolences to Nelson Mandela on the death of his son.[4] On 1 Jumada al-Akhirah 1426 AH, corresponding to 7 July 2005, he expressed his strong condemnation of the terrorist bombings that struck the British capital, London.[5]

After the end of his service as ambassador, Prince Bandar bin Sultan moved to the post of Secretary-General of the Saudi National Security Council.[6] Russian President Vladimir Putin received him at the Kremlin on 19 Rajab 1428 AH, corresponding to 2 August 2007, in his capacity as Secretary-General of the National Security Council.[6]

Vice President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping received him in Beijing on 7 Sha'ban 1429 AH, corresponding to 8 August 2008, in the same capacity.[8] In June 2007 he denied what the newspaper The Guardian had written about transfers of sums to his personal account at Riggs Bank, and explained that all the sums it referred to were transfers from the accounts of the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to other Saudi government accounts in the United States, and not to his personal accounts.[7]

The Royal Court announced on 8 Safar 1441 AH, corresponding to 7 October 2019, the death of the mother of Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, and the funeral prayer was held for her in the Grand Mosque in Makkah.[9] On 13 Safar 1441 AH, corresponding to 12 October 2019, the Governor of Riyadh Region, Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, offered his condolences and sympathy to Prince Bandar bin Sultan on the death of his mother.[10]

His daughter, Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan, took up her duties as ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States on 3 July 2019; she is the Kingdom's eleventh ambassador to the United States since 1945 and the first Saudi woman to hold the post.[11]

Q: Who is Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz? A: He is a Saudi diplomat who served as ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States for more than twenty years until 2005, and then as Secretary-General of the National Security Council.[2][6]

Q: How long was his service in the Armed Forces and in diplomatic work? A: Thirty-nine years, until the end of his service as ambassador on 20 July 2005.[1]

Q: Who succeeded him as the Kingdom's ambassador to the United States? A: Prince Turki Al-Faisal, who was nominated to the post in 2005.[1]

Q: What were the most prominent posts he held after his diplomatic work? A: The secretary-generalship of the National Security Council; in that capacity he was received by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in 2007, and by Vice President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping in Beijing in 2008.[6][8]

Q: Who is his daughter who served as the Kingdom's ambassador to the United States? A: Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan, the Kingdom's eleventh ambassador to the United States since 1945 and the first Saudi woman to hold the post.[11]

The work of Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz in the Armed Forces and in diplomatic work extended over thirty-nine years, including more than twenty years as ambassador in Washington, after which he assumed the secretary-generalship of the National Security Council.[1][2][6] Related topics on the platform include Prince Turki Al-Faisal, Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, King Abdulaziz and the Grand Mosque.