Sara Bint Mashour Al Saud: Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s Wife—Alleged Domestic Abuse Leading to Hospitalization
Princess Sara Bint Mashour Al Saud is the wife of the revered political leader and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS).
Owing to her husband’s political status, many have become curious about the details of her life and marriage to the Crown Prince. So, I’m here to bring you the most relevant information about Sara Bint Mashhour Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
In this post, I’ll share everything about the HRH Princess, from her early life, education, and marriage to the prominent Saudi Arabian Crown Prince.
Who Is Sara Bint Mashour Al Saud?
Sara Bint Mashour Al Saud is a Saudi Arabia princess. Born and raised in Riyadh, her exact date of birth is unclear, but some speculate her age to be around 50 years old.
She’s not to be confused with Princess Sara bint Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, commonly known as the “Barbie Princess,” who sought political asylum in the UK in 2012.
Her father is Prince Mashour Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, an essential member of Saudi Arabia’s Allegiance Council. He’s also a half-brother to King Salman, father of Mohammed Bin Salman.
Her mother, Princess Noura, is the daughter of Mohammed Bin Saud Al Kabeer, a Saudi royal and businessman.
The princess is a direct descendant of King Abdulaziz, the late king who was dubbed as the country’s architect for his contributions. He ruled from 1932 to 1953.
King Abdulaziz presided over Saudi Arabia’s infrastructure, established roads, introduced communication systems, boosted agriculture, and improved health and education services.
Education and Career
Unlike many of her royal kin, Princess Sara Bint Mashour Al Saud remained in Saudi Arabia for her education. She graduated from one of the KSA’s significant universities.
Deeply committed to charitable endeavors, Princess Sara Bint Mashour Al Saud spearheaded many notable initiatives in social and educational initiatives.
In 2023, the Princess launched and became the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ilmi Center, dedicated to advancing Saudi Arabia’s Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STREAM) learning.
Commenting on the launch of Ilmi, Princess Sara Bint Mashour Al Saud said that the initiative will “be a beacon of creativity, learning and accessibility.”
She also hopes the center provides “Saudi Arabia’s young and lifelong learners the ability to realize their potential,” and “drive further advances in the Kingdom, and help shape the future.”
“Ilmi” in Arabic means “my knowledge.” The STREAM Center will become available to KSA’s young learners in 2025.
Marriage to Saudi Arabia Crown Prince
In 2008, Princess Sara bint Mashour bin Abdulaziz Al Saud married Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud in a private ceremony. They’re royal cousins, related to the late Saudi Arabia founder, King Abdulaziz.
That said, the circumstances surrounding the marriage are hidden from the media.
The royal blood’s union resulted in five children, two girls and three boys. Their names, excluding one of the princesses, are Princess Fahda, Prince Salman, Prince Mashour, and Prince Abdulaziz.
As many followers of the royal couple noticed, they named four of their children after their royal grandfathers. Their youngest son, Prince Abdulaziz, is named after Princess Sara bint Mashour Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s grandfather.
Sara Bint Mashour Al Saud Maintains a Low Profile
Despite the high station of her soon-to-be-king husband, Princess Sara Bint Mashour Al Saud chose to maintain a low profile away from the media majority of her time.
She also mostly remained in Saudi Arabia and hasn’t been seen in many of her husband’s international travels and visits.
When asked about his wife’s whereabouts during a 2018 press conference at the Élysée Palace with President Emmanuel Macron, Prince Mohammed bin Salman expressed his respect for her wife’s private lifestyle.
He also conveyed his desire for his family to live “a very normal life away from the spotlight” away from “political pressure and attention.”
Mohammed Bin Salman Domestic Violence Rumors
However, around the same time as MBS’s comments on her wife’s sheltered lifestyle, rumors of domestic violence in the royal marriage emerged.
According to some reports, the Crown Prince beat his wife, which led to the Princess’s hospitalization. The alleged domestic abuse happened days before MBS met with the U.S. President, Donald Trump, in 2018.
Concrete evidence supporting the claims of physical abuse to her wife is yet to surface.
That said, before the rumored violence, Saudi’s Crown Prince had been already described as aggressive by several people.
In his book, Saudi Bodyguard (2011), Mark Young, a retired Saudi bodyguard, characterized MBS as “forceful” and “bully.” Young claimed that the Crown Prince inherited his parents’ fierce temperament.
Prince Mohammed Bin Salman was also speculated to have a “bizarre” friendship with American actress Lindsay Lohan in the following years.
The father of the actress later clarified that MBS and Lohan only have a “platonic and respectful” relationship. “Lindsay has a lot of powerful friends in the Middle East because she is huge out there,” Mr. Lohan told the New York Post.
So, what was Sara Bint Mashour Al Saud’s say in all this? Unfortunately, I found that the princess refused to provide any statement concerning the issues surrounding her husband.
Who Is Mohammed Bin Salman?
Colloquially known as MBS, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman is the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He’s primarily noted for his stringent foreign policies and controversial social reforms.
Mohammed has already expressed his interest in governance at a young age. He closely followed in his father’s footsteps, learned to communicate with dignitaries, and began learning about his responsibilities.
Aiming to take over his father’s work, he attended the King Saud University of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh. The Prince graduated in 2007, a year before his marriage to Princess Sara Bint Mashour Al Saud, with a bachelor’s degree in law.
After completing his education, MBS founded several non-profit organizations and firms, intending to promote entrepreneurship within Saudi Arabia.
Mohammed Bin Salman was named Crown Prince in 2017, shortly after his father’s ascendance to the throne. He was also appointed as the country’s defense minister, the youngest in the world, at 32.
Final Thoughts
To recap:
Princess Sara Bint Mashour Al Saud is the royal wife of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Mohammed Bin Salman. She married the Prince in 2008 and was blessed with five children named after their grandparents.
The Princess is a steadfast advocate for science and innovation in Saudi Arabia. She’s currently enjoying a quiet, private life away from the media.
