Sultana bint Turki Al Sudairi
Saudi royal, first wife of King Salman (1940–2011)
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Sultana bint Turki Al Sudairi (Arabic: سلطانة بنت تركي السديري; c. 1940 – 30 July 2011) was a Saudi royal. She was the cousin and first wife of Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz. Three years after her death, Sultana's husband became king of Saudi Arabia.
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| Sultana bint Turki Al Sudairi | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | c. 1940 | ||||
| Died | 30 July 2011 (aged 71) Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | ||||
| Burial | 2 August 2011 Al Oud cemetery, Riyadh | ||||
| Spouse | |||||
| Issue | |||||
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| House | Al Saud (by marriage) | ||||
| Father | Turki bin Ahmed Al Sudairi | ||||
Biography
Sultana was the daughter of Turki Al Sudairi, who served as the governor of Asir Province from the early days of the Kingdom to 8 June 1969 before becoming governor of Jizan Province.[2] He was King Salman's maternal uncle.[3]
Sultana married Salman bin Abdulaziz in 1954 at the age of 14 years old.[4] They had six children: Prince Fahd, Prince Sultan, Prince Ahmed, Prince Abdulaziz, Prince Faisal and Princess Hessa.[3][5] The family lived in a palace near the royal court.[5]
She was involved in philanthropic activities through the Prince Fahd bin Salman Charitable Society for the Care of Kidney Patients and other charitable organizations in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.[6][7] She founded Princess Sultana Foundation in May 1990.[7] Its educational institution was established in 2000, and Princess Sultana University College for Women was established in 2001 which is a higher education institution for women in Islamabad, Pakistan.[7][8]
Sultana bint Turki had a kidney ailment since early 1980s[9] and frequently went abroad for treatment.[5] She spent long periods of vacation at the Casa Riad palace, located on the Golden Mile in Marbella next to the palace of King Fahd's family.[10] During her vacation in Marbella in 2011, she was treated at a private hospital there, but she was transferred in mid-July from Malaga airport to Riyadh with an air ambulance plane when her condition became much worse.[10] She died at age 71 in Riyadh on 30 July 2011.[6][10] Funeral prayers for her were performed at Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh on 2 August.[6]