Fahd bin Salman Al Saud (Arabic: فهد بن سلمان آل سعود, romanized: Fahd bin Salman Āl Su‘ūd; 1955 – 25 July 2001) was a Saudi royal, businessman, and thoroughbred racer.
Prince Fahd was born in Riyadh in 1955.[1] He was the eldest son of Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz (later king of Saudi Arabia).[2] His mother was Sultana bint Turki Al Sudairi, who died in July 2011.[3] She was the daughter of Prince Salman's uncle, Turki bin Ahmed Al Sudairi,[4] who was formerly the governor of Asir Province.[5] Fahd bin Salman was a full brother of Prince Ahmed, Prince Sultan, Prince Abdulaziz, Prince Faisal, and Princess Hassa.[6]
Fahd bin Salman received a bachelor's degree from King Saud University in Riyadh,[7] followed by a second bachelor of arts degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley.[1][failed verification]
On his return to Saudi Arabia, Fahd bin Salman joined the ministry of interior as an advisor.[1] Later he served as deputy governor of the Eastern province from February 1986 to February 1993.[7][8][9] He claimed that he spent about $4 million from his own pocket, on feasts and largesse for commoners in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan during his deputy governorship.[10]
From 1991 to his death in 2001, Fahd bin Salman was involved in private business ventures. One of his companies was the Eirad Company, a space technology firm based in Riyadh.[11]
Fahd bin Salman was introduced to horse racing in the early 1980s by his father-in-law, Khalid bin Abdullah, and he bought the famous Whatcombe stable near Lambourn in 1984.[12] He later acquired a stable of Thoroughbred racehorses and established Newgate Stud in Dorset and in Lexington.[12][13]
His greatest success came with the colt Generous whose victories included the 1991 Epsom Derby, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and the Irish Derby.[14] He won the Irish Oaks twice, in 1990 and 1999, with Knight's Baroness and Ramruma, respectively.[15] Prince Fahd also won the Irish St Leger (1990), Derby Italiano (1994) and the French Derby (Prix du Jockey Club).[12]
His other horses included Ibn Bey, Broken Hearted, Zoman, Insan, Bint Pasha, Magic Ring and Dilum.[14] In his later years, he began to devote himself to breeding horses rather than to racing.[12][16]
The Prince Fahd bin Salman Charity Organization for Renal Failure Patient Care is a charitable organization[17] founded by Prince Fahd, who was its first secretary-general. The association was formerly known as the Wafa Kidney Center in Namas and was renamed after the death of Fahd bin Salman.[18] His father, Salman bin Abdulaziz, serves as its chairman,[17] and as of 2012 his brother, Abdulaziz bin Salman, was the secretary general.[19]
Prince Fahd married his cousin Nouf bint Khalid Al Saud (1962–2021), the daughter of his paternal aunt Al Jawhara bint Abdulaziz and Prince Khalid bin Abdullah.[9][14] In 2017 Nouf involved in a London court hearing about her property deals in the United Kingdom.[20] She died on 20 July 2021.[21]
Fahd bin Salman's children are Sultan, Sara, Ahmed and Reema.[22] One of his daughters, Princess Sara, married Talal bin Abdulaziz, a grandson of Bandar bin Abdulaziz on 26 May 2011.[23] Their marriage ceremony was also held in Marbella on 2 July 2011.[24]
It was announced that Fahd bin Salman died due to heart failure in Riyadh on 25 July 2001. He had booked an appointment with a dentist at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre for a toothache.[12][25][26] Funeral prayers were held at the Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh following regular afternoon prayer on 25 July 2001.[7] He was buried in Al Oud cemetery in Riyadh.[27]