Another prince among thousands, heir to a six figure allowance, free phone calls, free kilowatts, free first-class seats worldwide. Another claimant to a penthouse office in government, to rich commissions on contracts, to lucrative business partnerships. Another reason, in short, why Saudi Arabia's proliferating princelings may soon become Saudi Arabia's king-sized problem. It seems that Mr Hanley really knows Al-Saud's methods and way of government. But sometimes they're smuggled out, like the notes for 'Princess,' the memoirs of a Saudi royal.
Every provincial governor is a prince or in-law, and the family members control key military staffs.
Stalin had his commissars, The House of Saud has its princes. An American human rights group, 'Freedom House' says that the Saudi royal family virtually runs the country as a private fiefdom. No 'Debrett's Peerage' lays out pedigrees for an inquisitive public, as in Britain. But enough is known to sketch in some details about the planet's biggest, richest royal family - although just how big is not necessarily one of those details. A government source told a reporter there are 2,700 princes and princesses.