Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

Infobox Astronaut
name =Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

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type = Astronaut
nationality =Saudi
date_birth =June 27, 1956
place_birth =Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
occupation =Fighter pilot
rank =Colonel, Royal Saudi Air Force
selection =1985
time =7d 01h 38m
mission =STS-51-G
insignia =
offspring =Salman bin Sultan, Sahar bint Sultan, and Hala bint Sultan|

Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (Arabic: سلطان بن سلمان بن عبد العزيز آل سعود ) is an officer in the Royal Saudi Air Force and a former astronaut. He is a grandson of King Ibn Saud and is the only Saudi citizen to travel in space. He was also the first Arab, the first Muslim and the first member of royalty in space. [ [http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/198601/a.prince.in.space.htm A prince in space] at [http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com Saudi Aramco World] , January/February 1986, p20-29]

Background

Prince Sultan was born June 27, 1956, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the second son of the Governor of Riyadh Province, Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz. He completed his elementary and secondary education in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Master's Degree in Social and Political Science-The Maxwell School of Syracuse University, USA. He is a certified civil pilot (FAA, USA-1976) and a fighter pilot, Colonel (retired)- Royal Saudi Air Force.

Experience

Current Activities:Member of the Board and Secretary General (with the Rank of Minister), The Supreme Commission for Tourism (SCT), KSA [ [http://www.sct.gov.sa/SGCV/SGCV03/index.htm SCT fact sheet] ] . Chairman of the Board of Directors, The Disabled Children Association (DCA), KSA. Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Prince Salman Center for Disability Research (PSCDR), KSA. Founder and President, Al Turath, KSA (an organization dedicated to the preservation and development of Saudi national heritage).Founder and Chairman of the Board, The Saudi Aviation ClubChairman of the Executive Committee, The Prince Salman Science Oasis (The Riyadh Science Foundation)Founding Member and Member of the Board, The Graduates Society of Model Institute of the Capital, Riyadh, KSA. Member of the Executive Committee Development Ad-Diriyah, KSA. Member of the Board of Trustees, King AbdulAziz Foundation-al Madinah al-Monawarah, KSA.

In 1982, he was appointed to the position of researcher in the Department of International Communications at the Ministry of Information in Saudi Arabia.

In 1984, he served as Deputy Director for the Saudi Arabian Olympic Information Committee at the Olympics in Los Angeles, California. Later that year, when the Department of Advertising was created at the Ministry of Information, he was appointed its Acting Director.

In 1985, he flew as a Payload Specialist on STS-51-G Discovery (June 17-24, 1985). As one of a seven member international crew, which also included American and French astronauts, he represented the Arab Satellite Communications Organization (ARABSAT) in deploying their satellite, ARABSAT-1B.

Upon conclusion of his space flight, he helped in founding the Association of Space Explorers, an international organization comprising all astronauts and cosmonauts who have been in space, and served on its Board of Directors for several years.

In 1985 he was commissioned as an officer into the Royal Saudi Air Force. He holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and is qualified in several military and civilian aircraft.

In 1986 Prinz Sultan bought the old Al-'Udhaibat farm in the Wadi Hanifa, west of Riyadh. On the advice of Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil, who introduced him to the works of Hassan Fathy, he began a project of restoring the main farm building build in the traditional way with adobe walls. Under the direction of the Egyptian architect Saleh Lamei the project grew to a general study of traditional Saudi architecture and its adaption to modern techniques and needs. This spurred Prinz Sultan's involvement with the education of architects and civil engineers within the kingdom. [ [http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/199904/al-.udhaibat-building.on.the.past.htm Al-'Udhaibat, building on the past] at [http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com Saudi Aramco World] , July/August 1999, p32-45]

In 1989 and again in 1992, he was elected to the position of Chairman of the Saudi Benevolent Association for Handicapped Children, where he also served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Prince Salman Center for Disability Research.

In 1991, he accepted an invitation from the Board of Directors of the Saudi Computer Society to become Honorary Chairman, and in 1993 due to his special interest in architecture he agreed to serve as Honorary President of the al-Umran Saudi Association (a society of specialists in the fields of the built environment).

Prince Sultan bin Salman became the Secretary-General of the Supreme Tourism Commission (SCT) at the rank of minister in 2000. His term of service has been extended for another four years in February 2008. [ [http://www.saudiembassy.net/2008News/News/SpoDetail.asp?cIndex=7677 from the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington] ] , [ [http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=106705&d=12&m=2&y=2008 Article] in the Arab News from the 12th February 2008.]

This Minister of Tourism enjoys gliding, and skiing in what little spare time he has.

References

External links

* [http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/international/english/alsaud_salman.htm Spacefacts biography of Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud]
* [http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/al-saud.html Biographical Data from NASA]