The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, directed that the Saudi Electronic University in Riyadh be named after Prince Musaed bin Abdulrahman, based on what was submitted by Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
The directive came in appreciation and loyalty from the Saudi leadership for the great efforts and deeds provided by Prince Musaed bin Abdul Rahman. As one of the statesmen who made notable and distinguished national contributions.
Growing up and responsibilities
Prince Musaed bin Abdul Rahman is the brother of the founding King Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Rahman. He was born in Al-Hukm Palace in Riyadh in 1918. He received his education from the most prestigious book in the capital, Muhammad bin Marhoum, known as “Al-Musabih”. Then he moved to the circle of teaching Islamic and Arabic sciences at the hands of the scholars Saad bin Ateeq, Hamad bin Faris, Muhammad bin Abdul Latif, Ibn Samhan and others.
Prince Musaed assumed a number of positions and responsibilities. Among them are the advisor to King Saud bin Abdulaziz, the head of the Board of Grievances in 1954, the state auditor (before the issuance of the General Audit Office system), the king’s advisor and member of the Council of Ministers (1957), the Minister of the Interior in (1960), and the Minister of Finance and National Economy (1962). He died on December 9, 1986 in Riyadh.
Interest in science
Prince Musaed bin Abdul Rahman was known for his interest in science, knowledge and culture from an early age, and this was embodied in his establishment of the first public library in Riyadh inside his palace in 1944, in which he collected a collection of valuable books and manuscripts, and allowed students and visitors to benefit from them for reading and benefiting from their contents.
Changing the name of the university, which was established in Riyadh in 2011, represents an extension of the knowledge legacy of Prince Musaed bin Abdul Rahman, to continue its educational mission and its role in building knowledge and qualifying generations, bearing the name of a national figure associated with the appreciation of science.
Launching the name reflects the leadership’s keenness to preserve national memory and introduce generations to the contributions of statesmen who participated in the process of building it. In a way that enhances pride in the country’s history, and immortalizes the sincere contributions they made.
An idea for development
In a television interview in 2021, Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed an idea related to real estate development that had been presented by Prince Musaed more than 5 decades ago, and said that it “was proposed during the reign of King Faisal and the beginning of the reign of King Khalid, by his uncle, Prince Musaed bin Abdul Rahman.” He was met with opposition from ministers and officials who opposed the idea of making room for the private sector, and his idea was rejected.
The Crown Prince added: “Because of that historical circumstance, what happened happened with the bad plans and bad services provided for residential units and real estate units in Saudi Arabia,” continuing: “If this idea had been implemented at that time, today we would have one of the largest real estate development companies in the world, but for it to come today is better than never to come. Today, Roshen Company is targeting real estate development in the Kingdom to meet part of the existing demand.”
Commemoration
In 2017, the General Audit Bureau named the grand main hall of its new building in Riyadh after Prince Musaed bin Abdul Rahman, in honor of and in memory of him as the first president of the Bureau and the one who laid the first brick for its founding and established the rules of administrative and professional work there.
Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Governor of the Riyadh Region, said during the inauguration of the hall in the building, which is considered one of the urban landmarks in the capital, during a ceremony in early 2018: “We do not forget the efforts of Prince Musaed bin Abdul Rahman, may God have mercy on him, and the work he performed, and his righteous stances that established this approach.”
