Saudi Princess passes away

Riyadh: Saudi Princess Hind bint Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, a member of Saudi Arabia’s royal family, has passed away, the Saudi Royal Court announced on Tuesday.

According to a statement reported by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the Royal Court said that Princess Hind bint Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud passed away outside Saudi Arabia.

The funeral prayer will be performed on Wednesday, January 14, after the Asr prayer at Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh.

The House of Saud, the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia, traces its origins to Muhammad ibn Saud in the 18th century, but the modern dynasty was solidified by Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, who unified the kingdom in 1932.

The extended family is vast, with estimates placing the total number of members at around 15,000, though power, influence, and wealth are predominantly held by an inner circle of about 2,000 individuals.

This large size stems from polygamous traditions; for instance, Ibn Saud had approximately 45 sons and numerous daughters from multiple wives, leading to exponential growth across generations.

The family has produced all seven kings of Saudi Arabia since its founding, with succession historically passing among Ibn Saud’s sons until the recent appointment of his grandson, Mohammed bin Salman, as crown prince in 2017.

The Saudi royal family’s immense wealth, estimated at up to $1.4 trillion when including holdings like Saudi Aramco, makes it one of the richest in the world, though more conservative figures peg the combined net worth at around $100 billion.

Wealth distribution includes a formal stipend system managed by the Ministry of Finance, where in the mid-1990s, payments ranged from $800 monthly for distant relatives to $200,000-$270,000 for senior princes, with bonuses for events like marriages or palace construction, costing the kingdom about $2 billion annually at that time.