Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has ordered the Saudi Electronic University in Riyadh renamed after Prince Musaid bin Abdulrahman, following a recommendation by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.
The directive honors Prince Musaid bin Abdulrahman for his distinguished service and contributions as one of the Kingdom’s prominent statesmen.
Prince Musaid, a brother of Saudi Arabia’s founder King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman, was born at Al-Hukm Palace in Riyadh in 1918. He studied at one of the capital’s leading traditional Quranic schools before attending lessons in Islamic studies and Arabic under several prominent scholars.
He held a series of senior government positions, serving as an adviser to King Saud bin Abdulaziz, president of the Board of Grievances in 1954, state auditor before the establishment of the General Auditing Bureau, royal adviser and Cabinet member in 1957, interior minister in 1960, and minister of finance and national economy in 1962. He died in Riyadh on Dec. 9, 1986.
Commitment to knowledge
Prince Musaid was known from an early age for his interest in education, knowledge and culture. In 1944, he established Riyadh’s first public library inside his palace, assembling a collection of valuable books and manuscripts and opening it to students and visitors.
Renaming the university, established in Riyadh in 2011, is intended to carry forward that intellectual legacy and preserve the memory of a national figure closely associated with education and public service.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman referred to Prince Musaid’s forward-looking ideas in a 2021 television interview, recalling a real estate development proposal he had put forward more than five decades earlier.
The Crown Prince said the proposal, raised during the reign of King Faisal and the beginning of King Khalid’s reign, faced opposition from ministers and officials who resisted allowing greater private-sector involvement.
He said the rejection contributed to poor urban planning and services in Saudi housing developments, adding that had the proposal been implemented at the time, Saudi Arabia could have developed some of the world’s largest real estate companies. He cited ROSHN as a company now seeking to help meet housing demand in the Kingdom.
Honoring his legacy
Prince Musaid’s public service has previously been commemorated. In 2017, the General Auditing Bureau named the main hall at its new Riyadh headquarters after him, honoring his role as the bureau’s first president and his contribution to establishing its administrative and professional foundations.
At the hall’s inauguration in early 2018, Riyadh Governor Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz paid tribute to Prince Musaid’s work and his role in laying the foundations for the institution’s approach.
Dr. Mohammed bin Yahya Mardi, president of the newly renamed university, said the name carries national and academic significance and reflects the leadership’s recognition of Prince Musaid’s contributions to the Kingdom.
Mardi noted that the prince’s longstanding interest in education, culture, and knowledge aligns with the university’s mission to build capabilities and expand access to learning.
He said the university would continue pursuing excellence and innovation while strengthening its national impact, drawing inspiration from the intellectual and national legacy associated with Prince Musaid’s name.
Mardi added that continued government support has helped drive significant advances in Saudi higher education, enabling universities to develop human capital, advance knowledge, serve society and contribute to the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
