Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud

Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud is King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister of the Council of Ministers, and Commander of the National Guard. As King, he is Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in Mecca and Medina. In March 2008 he called for interreligious dialogue among the monotheistic religions, including Judaism. Born in Riyadh in 1924, King Abdullah made state visits as Crown Prince to many countries, established libraries in Riyadh and Casablanca, headed Saudi delegations to international conferences, and inaugurated development projects in several Saudi cities. He condemns terrorism and has spoken for international cooperation to combat extremism. Human Rights Watch has criticized him and demanded that he end the persecution of religious minorities and critics of the Saudi government. King Abdullah has met with every US president since Gerald Ford, with the exception of Ronald Reagan. He was proclaimed the sixth King of Saudi Arabia on August 1, 2005 after the death of King Fahd bin Abdulaziz.