King of the Arabians, Sheikh of the Burning Sands Abdullah's... Fifth out of 37 sons of King Abdulaziz to ascend to the throne. He is, after his half-brothers Bandar and Musa'id, the third eldest of the living sons of Abdul Aziz ibn Saud. Abdullah's mother is from the Rashid clan, longtime rivals of the Saud. He has 6 sons and 15 daughters and about $20 billion. His youngest son is just seven years old...
initiative to make the GCC countries a single entity."
King Abdullah on Monday asked the GCC leadership to "move from a phase of cooperation to a phase of union," arguing the region's "security and stability are threatened" and that such challenges require "vigilance and a united stance."
He did not elaborate on what form such a union might take, or any proposed steps to create it.
The GCC -- comprised of Soddy Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates -- was formed in 1981 as a security alliance to counter post-revolution Iran.