She witnessed all the battles of King Abdulaziz, surrounded him with affection and loyalty, and became one of those he relied upon in managing the internal affairs of his palace.
Prepared by: Mansour Al‑Assaf
King Abdulaziz—may God rest his soul—was keen on uniting the tribes and families of the Arabian Peninsula and strengthening bonds of closeness and harmony between himself and the various princes, sheikhs, and notables of society. Historians note that one of the founder’s aims in marrying from different tribes was precisely this: to bring people together and reinforce ties with the leaders and dignitaries of the land. The British newspaper The Daily Express even alluded to this point.
John Vanis wrote in his book Among My Oldest Arab Friends that King Abdulaziz would sometimes divorce a wife to marry another, with the purpose of forging alliances with tribes. Historian Abdulrahman Al‑Ruwayshid documented the founder’s marriages in his works on the Saudi royal family. He noted that King Abdulaziz married for the first time at the age of seventeen, when his father arranged for him to wed a young Bedouin woman. She lived with the family but passed away only six months after the marriage, around 1312 AH (1894 CE). A study published by Al‑Darah magazine identified her as Sharifah bint Saqr Al‑Fajri of the Banu Khalid tribe.
Among the wives of King Abdulaziz—may God have mercy on him—was Princess Wadha bint Mohammed bin Hamadah bin Mishari bin Hussein bin Mohammed bin Hamadah bin Ar‘ayir bin Dujain bin Sa‘doun Al‑Ar‘ayir, from the leading family of the Banu Khalid tribe. She was the mother of King Saud—may God have mercy on him—and the founder married her during his stay in Kuwait.
A Woman of Charity: She Dedicated One‑Third of Her Wealth to the Poor
Princess Wadha was the founder’s second wife from the Banu Khalid leadership. She bore him his firstborn son, Prince Turki, after whom King Abdulaziz was known (Abu Turki). Turki was born around 1318 AH (1900 CE), though some sources suggest an earlier date. He passed away in 1337 AH, the year known in Najd as “The Year of Mercy”, when the Spanish influenza epidemic—fueled by the devastation of World War I—swept across much of the world.
Princess Wadha also gave birth to Prince Abdullah, Prince Khalid, and Princess Munirah. Abdullah and Khalid died in childhood, while Munirah passed away during the reign of her grandfather King Abdulaziz. Dr. Dalal Al‑Harbi suggests that Munirah died in 1360 AH, based on a charitable endowment document in which Princess Wadha dedicated a house to her daughter and allocated an annual sacrificial offering on her behalf. However, Umm Al‑Qura newspaper reported that Munirah died on 14 Jumada Al‑Akhirah 1358 AH after an illness lasting about a week—while she was pregnant.
Prince Fahd the First
Turki, Abdullah, Khalid, and Munirah were full siblings of King Saud. All were afflicted in their youth by the same illness, though Saud survived, as noted by Fuad Hamzah in The Arabian Peninsula. Princess Wadha also raised Prince Fahd, son of King Abdulaziz from a mother of the Al‑Dakhil family of Buraydah, who died when he was an infant. Wadha cared for him as one of her own children. Prince Fahd died alongside his brother Turki in the Year of Mercy (1337 AH). Two years later, King Abdulaziz named another son Fahd, known as Fahd II.
Affection and Loyalty
Although Princess Wadha eventually separated from King Abdulaziz, the founder continued to hold her in high esteem, appreciating her noble conduct and surrounding her and her children with affection. He ensured they lived with him wherever he resided. Wadha was the first of his wives to join him after he recaptured Riyadh, arriving with his father Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal. Both she and the King’s sister, Noura bint Abdulrahman, were among the women he relied upon in managing the internal affairs of his palace.
Her Family’s Move to Kuwait
Wadha’s mother, ‘Abta Al‑Sardah, was known for her resilience, patience, and strong character. She spent her final years with her daughter in Riyadh and died shortly after the Battle of Al‑Sabla in 1347 AH. King Abdulaziz married Wadha during his stay in Kuwait. Wadha’s sister, Hessa, later married Sheikh Mubarak Al‑Sabah, ruler of Kuwait.
After the death of Wadha’s father, Mohammed bin Hussein Al‑Ar‘ayir, her mother moved with her daughters to Al‑Qatif to live near her brothers, Nahar and Talmas. Their cousin, Hamadah bin Abdullah Al‑Ar‘ayir, who lived in Kuwait and was close to King Abdulaziz and Sheikh Mubarak Al‑Sabah, facilitated their move to Kuwait—where the founder married Wadha.
Her Death and Charitable Legacy
Princess Wadha lived through all the battles of her husband King Abdulaziz and witnessed the deaths of all her children. She passed away—may God have mercy on her—forty days after the death of King Saud, in Riyadh on 17 Safar 1389 AH, at over ninety years of age.
She was remembered as a righteous woman known for her generosity, kindness, and compassion toward the weak and needy. She dedicated one‑third of her wealth as a perpetual charity for the poor and instructed that her assets be invested after her death as endowments for humanitarian causes.
Researchers have found numerous rare documents and manuscripts in which Princess Wadha directed that her wealth be used for charitable purposes, supporting the needy, freeing enslaved individuals, and funding Hajj caravans. She closely monitored the conditions of her relatives, assisting the vulnerable among them, and dedicated the income from her farms in Al‑Kharj and Al‑Ahsa to charitable work.
Before her death, she reaffirmed her will that one‑third of her wealth be allocated to endowments and charitable causes.
May God envelop her in His vast mercy.