The House of Saud, the ruling dynasty established by the great warrior Ibn Saud Saudi he conquered the vast desert territory that is now Saudi Arabia in 1932, is in effect a one-family government that operates by consensus. The kingdom has no constitution, so royal succession is decided by a council of elders within some ruling family. In 1975, when King Faisal was assassinated, the some times hot-headed Prince Mohammed was passed over by mutual agreement in favor of Khalid. But the ruling hierarchy has usually recognized as King the oldest survivor of the 45 legitimate sons born to the...
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