| Royal Title: | King |
| Realm: | Saudi Arabia |
| Coatofarms: | Royal Standard of Saudi Arabia.svgborder |
| Type: | Saudi Arabian |
| Incumbent: | Salman |
| Incumbentsince: | 23 January 2015 |
| Heir Presumptive: | Mohammed |
| First Monarch: | Abdulaziz |
| Date: | 23 September 1932 |
| Residence: | Al Yamamah Palace (Riyadh) Al Salam Palace (Jeddah) |
| Style: | Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (formal) His Majesty (diplomatic relations) |
| Website: | https://houseofsaud.com/ |
The king of Saudi Arabia, officially the King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (ar| ملك المملكة العربية السعودية), is the head of state and head of government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who holds absolute power. He is the head of the Saudi Arabian royal family, the House of Saud.[1] The king is the commander-in-chief of the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces and the head of the Saudi national honors system. The king is called the "Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques" (Arabic: خادم الحرمين الشريفين), a title that signifies Saudi Arabia's jurisdiction over the mosques of Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and Al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina. The title has been used many times through the history of Islam. The first Saudi king to use the title was Faisal; however, King Khalid did not use the title after him. In 1986, King Fahd replaced "His Majesty" with the title of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and it has been since used by both King Abdullah and King Salman.[2] The king has been named the most powerful and influential Muslim and Arab leader in the world according to the Muslim 500.[3]
King Abdulaziz Al Saud, known in the West as Ibn Saud, regained his patrimony, which is known as today's Saudi Arabia in 1902. Restoring his family as emirs of Emirate of Riyadh, he then established the Sultanate of Nejd as his headquarters in 1922. Following the establishment of Riyadh as the capital of his state, Ibn Saud then captured Hejaz in 1925.[4]
Ibn Saud proclaimed his dominions as the Sultanate of Nejd in 1921, shortly before completing the unification of the region. He was proclaimed king (malik) of Hejaz in 1926, and raised Nejd to a kingdom as well in 1927. For the next five years, Ibn Saud administered the two parts of his realm, the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd as separate units. On 23 September 1932, he formally united his territories into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.[5] [6]
The kings since Ibn Saud's death have all been his sons, and all likely immediate successors to the reigning King Salman will be from among his progeny.[7] This makes the Saudi monarchy quite distinct from Western monarchies, which usually feature large, clearly defined royal families and orders of succession, and use the primogeniture system of succession. Muhammad bin Nayef was the first grandson of Ibn Saud to be in the line of succession before being deposed from the position of Crown Prince by a royal decree in 2017.[8]
The king of Saudi Arabia is also considered the head of the House of Saud and, until 2021, the prime minister. The crown prince was also the "deputy prime minister" until 2021 and is currently prime minister. The kings after Faisal have named a "second deputy prime minister" as the subsequent heir after the crown prince.
Criticism of the King, religious leaders, or government is not allowed and can generally mean jail time for the critics. It can also result in death.[9] [10]
See also: Flag of Saudi Arabia.
The script on the flag is written in the Thuluth script. It is the shahada or Islamic declaration of faith:
Arabic: لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا الله مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ الله
There is no god but God: Muhammad is the Messenger of God."[13]