Hassa bint Salman Al Saud
Born1974 (age 49–50)
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
SpouseMamdouh bin Abdul Rahman bin Saud (divorced)
Fahd bin Saad Al Saud
IssuePrince Saud
Princess Al Jawhara
Princess Al Hunuf
Princess Al Rym
Names
Hassa bint Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
HouseAl Saud
FatherKing Salman
MotherSultana bint Turki Al Sudairi

Hassa bint Salman Al Saud (Arabic: حصة بنت سلمان بن عبد العزيز آل سعود; born 1974) is a Saudi royal and academic. She is the daughter of King Salman.[1]

Early life and education

Princess Hassa is the only daughter of King Salman.[2] Her mother is Sultana bint Turki Al Sudairi who was King Salman's first wife and first cousin. Her full brothers are Prince Fahd, Prince Sultan, Prince Ahmed, Prince Abdulaziz and Prince Faisal. She is the half-sister of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.[3]

She was named Hassa after her paternal grandmother, Hassa bint Ahmed Al Sudairi.

Although she attended King Abdulaziz University (KAU) in Jeddah for a year during her undergraduate studies,[4] she received her bachelor's degree in English language and literature from King Saud University in Riyadh.[5]

Her exact age is unknown with the AP reporting that as of 2019 she was believed to be in her 40s.[2]

Activities

Hassa bint Salman works a lecturer in the faculty of law and political studies at King Saud University.[6] She has been publicly supportive of her father since he came to the throne in 2015.[4] In 2016 the Princess delivered a keynote address at Al Yamamah University lauding the achievements of Saudi women.[7] She participated in the activities of the Saudi human rights commission.[8] In June 2020 Hassa bint Salman was made the honorary chair of the Saudi Social Responsibility Association.[9]

French court case

In 2016 French magazine Le Point first reported that Hassa bint Salman ordered her bodyguard Rani Saïdi to beat a craftsman for taking a picture of her.[3] The craftsman was called to the apartment in the west of Paris to see to a broken bathroom fixture. In the course of taking reference photographs of the scene he accidentally took a picture in which the Princess could be seen reflected in a mirror. The Princess took offense to this and ordered her bodyguard to beat the man and then forced him at gunpoint to apologize and kiss her feet, an act the craftsman found to be extremely humiliating. He had formerly worked on a bathroom in an apartment on Avenue Foch owned by King Salman. The craftsman testified that the Princess said "Kill him, the dog, he doesn’t deserve to live.”[10] In 2018 a French Judge ordered the arrest of Hassa bint Salman Al Saud.[11]

In September 2019 she was convicted in absentia of armed violence for this incident.[12] She received a 10-month suspended prison sentence and a fine of 10,000 euros.[13] Her bodyguard Rani Saïdi was convicted of violence, sequestration, and theft.[10]

Personal life

On 28 May 2021 she wed Fahd bin Saad Al Saud at the Royal Sea Place in Jeddah.[14]

Ancestry

References

  1. ^ "Kingdom mourns loss of princess". The Siasat Daily. 3 August 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Saudi Princess Hessa bint Salman found guilty of ordering plumber's beating in Paris". CBS News. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  3. ^ a b Beatrice Christofaro (13 June 2019). "'Kill him, the dog': The sister of the Saudi crown prince is set to face trial in Paris for allegedly ordering her bodyguard to beat up a plumber". Insider. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Princess Hussa bint Salman attends KAU graduation ceremony". Arab News. 25 March 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  5. ^ "The Road to Success Is Never Easy: Princess Hussa". Arab News. 12 June 2003. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  6. ^ "King Abdullah championed women's rights". Arab News. Riyadh. 13 February 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  7. ^ "Princess Hussa bint Salman hails role of Saudi women in nation building". Arab News. 2 May 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  8. ^ Ben Hubbard (21 March 2020). "MBS: The Rise of a Saudi Prince". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  9. ^ "Princess Hussa bint Salman.. the Honorary Chairperson of The Social Responsibility Association". Aetoswire. Riyadh. 4 June 2020. Retrieved 11 September 2020.[permanent dead link]
  10. ^ a b Noemie Bisserbe; Matthew Dalton and. "Saudi Princess Convicted in France of Ordering Bodyguard to Beat Worker". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  11. ^ Kim Willsher (15 March 2018). "French judge orders arrest of Saudi princess after she allegedly ordered beating of workman". LA Times. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  12. ^ Saskya Vandoorne; Sam Bradpiece; Rob Picheta; Schams Elwazer. "Saudi Princess found guilty of ordering bodyguard to beat up Paris craftsman". CNN. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  13. ^ Aurelien Breeden (12 September 2019). "Saudi Princess Convicted in French Assault Case: 'This Dog Must be Killed'". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  14. ^ Maria Naguib (4 June 2020). "A Closer Look At The Dreamy Wedding Dress Of Saudi Arabia's Princess Hassa bint Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud". Harper's Bazaaar Arabia. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  15. ^ "Royal Family Directory". www.datarabia.com. Archived from the original on 18 March 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
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