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King of Saudi Arabia | |
---|---|
ملك المملكة العربية السعودية | |
Incumbent | |
Salman since 23 January 2015 | |
Details | |
Style | Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (formal) His Majesty (diplomatic relations) |
Heir presumptive | Mohammed |
First monarch | Abdulaziz |
Formation | 23 September 1932 |
Residence | Al Yamamah Palace (Riyadh) Al Salam Palace (Jeddah) |
Website | https://houseofsaud.com/ |
Member State of the Arab League |
Basic Law |
Saudi Arabia portal |
The king of Saudi Arabia, officially the King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Arabic: 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" (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]