Grandson of Genocide survivor one of wealthiest Saudi princes

September 4, 2017 - 12:10 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The grandson of Ibn Saud, the first Saudi king, one of world's most influential people Al-Waleed Bin Talal bin Abdulaziz al Saud, commonly known as Al-Waleed, is a descendant of an Armenian Genocide survivor.

The prince was born to Prince Talal and Mona Al Solh.

Al-Waleed's grandmother was named Munaiyir, whose family escaped the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1923. She was presented to Ibn Saud in 1921, when they were 12 and 45 years old, respectively.

According to some sources, Munaiyir was regarded by British diplomats in Saudi Arabia as one of King Abdulaziz’s favourite wives. She was as known for her intelligence as for her beauty.

Al-Waleed is the founder of the Kingdom Holding Company which carries out investments in companies in the financial services, tourism and hospitality, mass media, entertainment, retail, agriculture, petrochemicals, aviation, technology and real-estate sectors.

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres and deportations, involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, Italy, 45 U.S. states, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Argentina, Belgium, Austria, Wales, Switzerland, Canada, Poland, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, the Vatican, Luxembourg, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Sweden, Venezuela, Slovakia, Syria, Vatican, as well as the European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.