King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia After King Fahd suffered a debilitating stroke in 1995, Abdullah ran the daily affairs of the country. He became king in 2005 and ruled until his death in 2015. (more) Abdullah of Saudi Arabia king of Saudi Arabia Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Print print Print Please select which sections you would like to print: Table Of Contents Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/biography/Abdullah-of-Saudi-Arabia Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites ABC News - King Abdullah: A former military commander who gradually pushed for economic and social reform King Abdullah Foundation - Abdullah Wilson Center - King Abdullah: A Look Back At His 10-Year Rule BBC Sounds - Newshour - Saudi King Abdullah dies Center for Strategic & International Studies - Saudi Arabia�s Smooth Succession: The King is Dead, Long Live the King The Independent - King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia: The King who initiated mild reforms at home while tightening Saudi Arabia�s grip on the Middle East National Council of U.S.-Arab Relations - King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Sa'ud: In Memoriam (PDF) NPR - Saudi King Abdullah Leaves Behind A Complex Legacy Britannica Websites Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Abdullah - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) Ask the Chatbot a Question Also known as: ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, ʿAbdullah ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAziz al Saʿud, Abdullah Written by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Jun 26, 2025 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot Quick Facts In full: عبد الله بن عبد العزيز آل سعود (ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Āl Saʿūd) (Show more) Born: c. 1923 (Show more) Died: January 23, 2015, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Show more) Title / Office: king (2005-), Saudi Arabia (Show more) Notable Family Members: father Ibn Saud brother Fahd brother Salman of Saudi Arabia (Show more) See all related content { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " When did Abdullah become the king of Saudi Arabia? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Abdullah became the king of Saudi Arabia in 2005 after King Fahd died." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What was Abdullahu2019s role in the Saudi administration before becoming king? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Before becoming king, Abdullah served as crown prince from 1982 to 2005 and was the de facto ruler after King Fahdu2019s stroke in 1995." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What was the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative proposed by Abdullah? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "The 2002 Arab Peace Initiative called for Israel to withdraw from territories occupied in 1967 in exchange for full Arab normalization of relations with Israel." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What domestic reforms did Abdullah introduce in Saudi Arabia? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Abdullah introduced moderate reforms, including limited deregulation, foreign investment, privatization, and the countryu2019s first municipal elections based on adult male suffrage." } } ] } Top Questions When did Abdullah become the king of Saudi Arabia? Abdullah became the king of Saudi Arabia in 2005 after King Fahd died.

　　What was Abdullah’s role in the Saudi administration before becoming king? Before becoming king, Abdullah served as crown prince from 1982 to 2005 and was the de facto ruler after King Fahd’s stroke in 1995.

　　What was the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative proposed by Abdullah? The 2002 Arab Peace Initiative called for Israel to withdraw from territories occupied in 1967 in exchange for full Arab normalization of relations with Israel.

　　What domestic reforms did Abdullah introduce in Saudi Arabia? Abdullah introduced moderate reforms, including limited deregulation, foreign investment, privatization, and the country’s first municipal elections based on adult male suffrage.

　　Abdullah of Saudi Arabia (born c. 1923—died January 23, 2015, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) was the king of Saudi Arabia from 2005 to 2015. As crown prince (1982–2005), he had served as the country’s de facto ruler following the 1995 stroke of his half-brother King Fahd (reigned 1982–2005).

　　Abdullah was one of dozens of sons born to King Abdulaziz ibn Saud’s. For his support of Crown Prince Faisal (1964–75) during Faisal’s power struggle with King Saud (1953–64), Abdullah was rewarded in 1962 with command of the Saudi National Guard. In 1975 King Khalid (1975–82), Faisal’s successor, appointed him deputy prime minister, and in 1982 King Fahd appointed him crown prince and first deputy prime minister. In 1995 Fahd suffered a debilitating stroke, and Abdullah briefly served as regent the following year. Although Fahd subsequently returned to power, Abdullah ran the daily affairs of the country and became king after Fahd died in 2005.

　　Foreign relations: September 11, 2001, and the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative Abdullah was committed to preserving Arab interests, but he also sought to maintain strong ties with the West, especially with the United States. In 2001 relations between the two countries grew strained over Saudi claims that the U.S. government was not evenhanded in its approach to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The situation worsened later in the year, following the September 11 attacks against the United States and the subsequent revelation that most of the attackers were Saudi nationals. Abdullah condemned the attacks and, in a move to improve relations, proposed the Arab Peace Initiative that was adopted at the 2002 Arab summit meeting. The plan called upon Israel to withdraw from the occupied territories (the Gaza Strip, West Bank, and Golan Heights) and promised in return a full Arab normalization of relations with the Jewish country. Tensions between the United States and Saudi Arabia resurfaced, however, after Abdullah refused to support a U.S.-led attack on Iraq or to allow the use of Saudi military facilities for such an act. (See Iraq War.)

　　Britannica Quiz Kings and Emperors (Part III) Quiz Domestic reform: addressing Islamism, elections, and succession On the domestic front, Abdullah introduced a program of moderate reform to address a number of challenges facing Saudi Arabia. The country’s continued reliance on oil revenue was of particular concern, and among the economic reforms he introduced were limited deregulation, foreign investment, and privatization. He originally sought to placate extreme Islamist voices—many of which sought to end the Saudi dynasty’s rule—yet the spectre of anti-Saudi and anti-Western violence within the country’s borders led him, for the first time, to order the use of force by the security services against some extremists. At the same time, in 2005 Abdullah responded to demands for greater political inclusiveness by holding the country’s first municipal elections, based on adult male suffrage. Uncertainty surrounding succession in the kingdom was a further source of domestic concern, and late the following year Abdullah issued a new law refining the country’s succession policies. Among the changes was the establishment of an Allegiance Commission, a council of Saudi princes meant to participate in the selection of a crown prince—previously the task of the king alone—and to oversee a smooth transition of power.

　　In February 2009 Abdullah enacted a series of broad governmental changes, which affected areas such as the judiciary, armed forces, and various ministries. Notable among his decisions were the replacement of senior individuals within the judiciary and the religious police with more moderate candidates and the appointment of the country’s first female deputy minister, who was charged with overseeing girls’ education. Upon Abdullah’s death in 2015, his half-brother Salman was appointed king.

　　The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Zeidan.