Who Was King Abdullah Of Saudi Arabia?
King Abdullah was born in 1924 and was crowned King of Saudi Arabia in 2005. He earned the throne after the death of King Fahd who was his half-brother. Abdullah, like Fahd, was one of the many sons of Ibn Saud, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia. Abdullah had many political positions throughout most of his adult life; he became mayor of Mecca as a young man and in 1962 he was appointed commander of the National Guard. He also served as deputy defense minister and was name crown prince when Fahd took the throne in 1982. Where Fahd was sometimes criticized for being too fond of western-style luxuries, Abdullah is always regarded as a devout Muslim and a charismatic leader. After King Fahd suffered a fatal stroke in 1995, Abdullah became the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia until claiming the throne a decade later.
