Badr bin Abdullah Al Saud
Official portrait, 2018
Saudi Minister of Culture
Assumed office
2 June 2018
MonarchSalman
Prime MinisterSalman
Mohammed bin Salman
Preceded byOffice established
Governor of the Royal Commission for Al-'Ula
Assumed office
June 2017
Appointed byKing Salman
Chairman
Personal details
Born (1985-08-16) 16 August 1985 (age 38)
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Residence(s)Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
EducationKing Saud University

Bader bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan Al Saud (Arabic: بدر بن عبد الله بن محمد بن فرحان آل سعود Badr bin ʿAbdullāh bin Moḥammed bin Farḥān Āl Suʿūd; born 16 September 1985) is a Saudi Arabian businessman and politician who is a member of the Saudi royal family and the inaugural Saudi Arabian minister of culture. He is in charge of various key positions directly related to the execution of Saudi Vision 2030. Prior to his appointment as minister of culture, he was the chairman of the Saudi Research and Marketing Group. He was also appointed Governor of the Royal Commission for AlUla Governorate in July 2017.[1]

Early life and education

Prince Bader was born on 16 September 1985.[2] He received a bachelor's degree in law from King Saud University.[3] Bader began his career as a business executive and investor in the fields of energy, real estate and telecoms.[4]

Government positions

From December 2015 to June 2018,[5] Prince Bader was chairman of the Saudi Research and Marketing Group (SRMG), a large media publishing company with close ties to the Mohammed bin Salman government in Saudi Arabia.[6][7][8][9] In September 2017, the company made a deal with Bloomberg to launch its first Arabic-language news service, Bloomberg Al Arabiya; followed by the acquisition of a 51% stake in the Saudi online financial news service Argaam.[10][11]

In 2017, Bader was identified by US intelligence as having purchased Leonardo's Salvator Mundi on behalf of Mohammed bin Salman. Bader acted as an intermediary. At the price of $450m, it was the most expensive painting ever sold.[12]

Royal Commission for Al-Ula

Main article: Royal Commission for Al-'Ula

In June 2017, Prince Bader was appointed as governor of the Royal Commission for Al-Ula, a newly established body to develop the 2,000 year-old historical site of Al-Ula, in Madinah province, into a cultural attraction.[13] In April 2018 he signed an agreement with the French minister of Europe and foreign affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian to involve French expertise in the restoration of Al-Ula over a ten-year period.[14][15]

Purchase of the most expensive painting recorded in history

On November 15, 2017, the Salvator Mundi, attributed in whole or in part to Leonardo Da Vinci, was purchased at auction during Christie's New York's Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale for $450 million, the highest price ever paid for a painting up until this date. The New York Times disclosed Prince Badr's successful bid on December 6, 2017, sparking speculation that the acquisition might have been executed on behalf of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.[16] The Wall Street Journal reported that same date, citing US intelligence assessments having named Badr as the proxy buyer for Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.[17] One day later Christie's published a statement confirming that the country’s Department of Culture and Tourism had acquired the painting for display at the Louvre Abu Dhabi.[18]


Minister of Culture and other positions

In April 2018, Prince Bader was appointed to the board of the General Authority for Culture.[19]

On 2 June 2018, Prince Bader was appointed as Saudi Arabia's first minister of culture and stepped down as chairman of SRMG.[20][21] The ministry's mandate is to advance the cultural programs within Saudi Vision 2030.[3] He said the ministry would seek to enhance Saudi identity and would support the efforts of young people in creative fields.[22]

In November 2019, he was appointed as Chairman of the Saudi National Committee for Education, Culture, and Science.[23] He chairs the Board of Directors for Taif Development Authority.[24] He is on the boards of the Misk Art Institute,[25] Arabian Leopard Fund,[26] Panthera,[27] and the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH),[28] as well as various Saudi cultural institutions.[29]

References

  1. ^ "Royal Commission For AlUla, About the Governor". www.rcu.gov.sa. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  2. ^ "Who is the new Saudi Minister of Culture?". CNN Arabic. 20 June 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Who is the new Saudi culture minister and why was the ministry established?". Al Arabiya. 3 June 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  4. ^ David Kirkpatrick (6 December 2017). "Mystery Buyer of $450 Million 'Salvator Mundi' Was a Saudi Prince". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  5. ^ "FaceOf: Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan, KSA's first minister of culture". Arab News. 2018-06-02. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  6. ^ "Independent joins Saudi group to launch Middle East websites". the Guardian. 2018-07-19. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
  7. ^ "Prince Badr SRMG chairman". Arab News. 14 December 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  8. ^ "SRMG Chairman Inaugurates New Headquarters in London". Asharq Al Awsat. 11 February 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  9. ^ "Arab News owner SRMG inaugurates office in Washington's National Press Building". Arab News. 22 March 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  10. ^ "Bloomberg and Saudi Research and Marketing Group (SRMG) Sign Agreement to Launch 'Bloomberg Al Arabiya'". Bloomberg. 20 September 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  11. ^ "SRMG buys key stake in Saudi financial news service Argaam". Trade Arabia. 18 October 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  12. ^ Shaheen, Kareem (2017-12-08). "Leonardo's Salvator Mundi: Abu Dhabi bought world's most expensive painting". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  13. ^ "A number of royal orders issued". Saudi Press Agency. 20 July 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  14. ^ "Riyadh, Paris Agree to Develop Al-Ula Province". Asharq Al Awsat. 11 April 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  15. ^ Aqeel Bukhamseen (9 April 2018). "Historic Saudi region to be developed with French partnership". Al Arabiya. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  16. ^ Kirkpatrick, David D. (6 December 2017). "Mystery Buyer of $450 Million 'Salvator Mundi' Was a Saudi Prince". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  17. ^ Harris, Shane; Crow, Kelly; Said, Summer (7 December 2017). "Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Identified as Buyer of Record-Breaking Da Vinci". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  18. ^ "Statement: Salvator Mundi By Leonardo Da Vinci". Christie's. Christie's. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  19. ^ "Allies of Saudi crown prince appointed to board of new culture authority". Reuters. 6 April 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  20. ^ Khaoula Ghanem (3 June 2018). "Saudi Arabia Has Appointed its First Minister of Culture". Vogue Arabia. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  21. ^ Stephen Kalin; Marwa Rashad (2 June 2018). "Saudi Arabia names businessman as labor minister, boosts culture and environment". Reuters. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  22. ^ "Saudi Culture Minister Prince Badr makes first official statement". Al Arabiya. 3 June 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  23. ^ "Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan". Arab News. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  24. ^ "Saudi culture minister to head board of directors for Taif development commission". Arab News. 2022-05-12. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  25. ^ "Saudi Arabia Has Appointed its First Minister of Culture". Vogue Arabia. 2018-06-03. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  26. ^ "The Fund". Arabian Leopard Fund. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  27. ^ "Board". Panthera. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  28. ^ "Our governance | Aliph Foundation - Protecting heritage to build peace". Aliph Foundation. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  29. ^ "Plan approved to establish Institute of Traditional Arts in Saudi Arabia". Arab News. 2019-10-23. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
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