Sultan bin Salman Al Saud

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Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Sultan Salman Al-Saud.jpg
Payload Specialist
Nationality Saudi
Born (1956-06-27) 27 June 1956 (age 56)
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Other occupation Fighter pilot
Rank Colonel, Royal Saudi Air Force
Time in space 7d 01h 38m
Missions STS-51-G
Mission insignia Sts-51-g-patch.png

Sultan bin Salman (Arabic: سلطان بن سلمان بن عبد العزيز آل سعود‎ (born 27 June 1956) is a former Royal Saudi Air Force pilot who flew aboard the STS-51-G Space Shuttle mission as a payload specialist, and a member of House of Saud. He is thus the first of royal blood, and the first Arab and Muslim to be in outer space.

Contents

Early life [edit]

Sultan was born in Riyadh on 27 June 1956.[1][2] He is the second son of Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz.[3] His mother is Sultana bin Turki Al Sudairi who died in July 2011.[4] She was a daughter of Prince Salman's uncle, Turki bin Ahmad Al Sudairi,[5] who was one of the former governors of Asir Province.[6] Prince Sultan is full brother of Fahd, Ahmed, Abdulaziz, Faisal and Hussa (born 1974).[7][8]

Education [edit]

Sultan completed his elementary and secondary education in Riyadh. He is a graduate of the University of Denver with a degree in mass communications.[9] Then, he received a master's degree in social and political science from Syracuse University in 1999.[1][2]

Early experience [edit]

Sultan bin Salman started his career as a researcher at the department of international communications at the ministry of information in Saudi Arabia in 1982.[10] His tenure lasted until 1984.[11] He served as deputy director of Saudi media committee for the Saudi athletes participated in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Later that year, the department of TV advertising was created at the ministry of information, and he was appointed its acting director.[10]

On 17 June through 24 June 1985, he flew as a payload specialist on STS-51-G Discovery. As one of a seven-member international crew, which also included American and French astronauts, he represented the Arab Satellite Communications Organization (ARABSAT) in deploying their satellite, ARABSAT-1B. Sultan also holds the record for being the youngest person to fly on the Space Shuttle, at the age of 28.[9][10]

Later, he assisted the establishment of the Association of Space Explorers, an international organization comprising all astronauts and cosmonauts who have been in space, and served on its board of directors for several years.[10]

Portrait of STS 51-G crew

In 1985, Sultan recorded a commercial message that was broadcast on MTV during the Live Aid concert event. His message mentioned his recent trip on the Space Shuttle and was one of 33 such by notable individuals including Caesar Chavez, Coretta Scott King, Carl Sagan, Jesse Jackson and Peter Ueberroth. Sultan bin Salman began to work as an officer in the Royal Saudi Air Force in 1985 and held the rank of lieutenant colonel.[10][12] He retired from the air force in 1996 with the rank of colonel.[13]

Patrick Baudry and Prince Sultan in 1985

Positions [edit]

Sultan bin Salman became the Secretary-General of the Supreme Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) in 2000 when SCTA was established.[13] His term of service was extended for another four years in February 2008.[14] It is claimed that Sultan bin Salman as a Secretary-General of SCTA significantly contributed to the improvement of tourism strategy of Saudi Arabia.[14] He is in fact regarded as the tourism minister of Saudi Arabia.[15]

Membership [edit]

Sultan bin Salman also holds the following titles:[2][10][13]

  • Honorary President for the Saudi Society for Archeological Studies, King Saud University
  • Vice-Chairman of the Historic Jeddah Development Committee (proposed UNESCO World Heritage Site)
  • Founder of the Advisory Committee for the King Saud University College of Tourism and Antiquities
  • Member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee, Chairman of the Riyadh King Khaled International Airport (KKIA) Development Board - General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA)
  • Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Disabled Children Association (DCA), KSA.
  • Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Prince Salman Center for Disability Research (PSCDR), KSA.
  • Founder and President, Al Turath, KSA (an organization dedicated to the preservation and development of Saudi national heritage).
  • Founder and Chairman of the Board, Saudi Aviation Club
  • Chairman of the Board, The Prince Salman Science Oasis (A science center and museum)
  • Founding Member and Member of the Board, The Graduates Society of Model Institute of the Capital Schools, Riyadh, KSA.
  • Member of the Supreme Committee for the Development of Al-Dir'iyyah (a UNESCO World Heritage site) Ad-Diriyah, KSA.
  • Member of the Committee of the Center for the History of Makkah, King AbdulAziz Foundation for Research and Archives, KSA.
  • Chairman of the Executive Committee, Princess Hassa Al Sudairi Charitable Foundation
  • Member of Dana Gas corporation[16]

Views [edit]

Regarding the connections between the state and the people he argued “Every citizen of this country is a responsible person. Here the state is the citizen and the citizen is the state. There is no division between the leadership and the citizens.”[17]

Personal life [edit]

Sultan bin Salman is married to the daughter of Saud bin Faisal, the minister of foreign affairs of Saudi Arabia.[18] They have three children.[3][19] His son, Salman (born 1990), attended St. Andrew's University in Scotland.[20] His son Salman is married to a daughter of Prince Khalid bin Saud Al Saud, a great-grandson of Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman in Riyadh on 5 December 2012.[21]

He enjoys gliding and skiing in his spare time.[10] He was awarded the Chancellor’s Medal by Syracuse University (SU) in November 2012 for his key role in helping launch a collaborative partnership between SU and Princess Nora bint Abdul Rahman University.[22]

Diriyah farm [edit]

Prince Sultan owns a farm in Diriyah which is a model of modern facilities in historical setting. His farm reflects his attempt to retrace the origins of the Al Saud family, and to document the Al Saud's claims over the Najd.[23]

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b "Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz". Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiques. Retrieved 24 May 2012. 
  2. ^ a b c "Biographies of international astronauts". Space Facts. Retrieved 24 May 2012. 
  3. ^ a b "Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz". Official Website. Retrieved 13 April 2013. 
  4. ^ "Princess Sultana bint Turki Al Sudairi dies". Arab News. 1 August 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2012. 
  5. ^ "Sultana, wife of Riyadh Emir, passes away". Saudi Gazette. 3 August 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2012. 
  6. ^ "Sultana bint Ahmad bin Muhammad al Sudairi". Datarabia. Retrieved 8 May 2012. 
  7. ^ "Family Tree of Salman bin Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud". Datarabia. Retrieved 1 May 2012. 
  8. ^ "Kingdom mourns loss of princess". The Siasat Daily. 3 August 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2012. 
  9. ^ a b Lawton, John; Patricia Moody (January-February 1986). "A Prince in Space". Saudi Aramco World 37 (1). Retrieved May 24, 2012. 
  10. ^ a b c d e f g "Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud Payload Specialist". NASA. Retrieved 24 May 2012. 
  11. ^ "First Arab astronaut makes a royal tour of space". The Windsor Star (New York). 20 June 1985. pp. B12. Retrieved 3 March 2013. 
  12. ^ Henderson, Simon (1994). "After King Fahd" (Policy Paper). Washington Institute. Retrieved 2 February 2013. 
  13. ^ a b c "HRH Prince Sultan bin Salman". Prince Salman Center for Disability Research. Retrieved 24 May 2012. 
  14. ^ a b Abdul Ghafour,, P.K. (12 February 2008). "Prince Sultan Gets 4-Year Extension as SCT Secretary-General". Arab News. Retrieved 24 May 2012. 
  15. ^ "Spotlight on the Saudi succession process". Al Arabiya. Reuters. 16 June 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2012. 
  16. ^ "About Us". DANA Gas. Retrieved 24 May 2012. 
  17. ^ Teitelbaum, Joshua (4 April 2011). "Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and “the Day of Rage” that Wasn’t". BESA Center. Retrieved 24 April 2012. 
  18. ^ Sabri Sharaf (2001). The House of Saud in Commerce: A Study of Royal Entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia. Sharaf Sabri. p. 142. ISBN 978-81-901254-0-6. Retrieved 2 April 2013. 
  19. ^ Family Tree of Prince Sultan bin Salman http://www.datarabia.com/royals/famtree.do?id=176828 retrieved 27 March 2012
  20. ^ "Cable reference id: #10RIYADH31 (5 January 2010)". Wikileaks. Retrieved 6 April 2012. 
  21. ^ "سمو ولي العهد يشرف حفل زواج حفيده الأمير سلمان بن سلطان من كريمة الأمير خالد بن سعود". Al Riyadh. 6 December 2012. Retrieved 7 December 2012. 
  22. ^ Chapman, Ken (16 November 2012). "Saudi Arabian Prince honored by Syracuse University". CNY Central. Retrieved 17 November 2012. 
  23. ^ Joseph A. Kechichian (6 July 2001). Succession In Saudi Arabia. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-312-23880-3. Retrieved 13 April 2013. 
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