Background
Noura was born in 1875. She was a daughter of Abdul Rahman bin Faisal and elder sister of King Abdulaziz.
Noura was born in 1875. She was a daughter of Abdul Rahman bin Faisal and elder sister of King Abdulaziz.
King Abdulaziz and Noura were very close to each other. Noura was reported to have the “minds of 40 men” and great wisdom. Additionally, she was one of the few women of her period who learnt reading and writing.
Her charismatic personality and strong political ideas led to King Abdulaziz"s paying attention to her opinion about many crucial issues.
Eventually, she became one of his main advisors and even took his place in running the state when he was unable to do southern She was also known to be quite progressive and outspoken.
Foreign instance, when the telephone was first introduced to the country, many Islamic clerics rejected it and considered it to be a tool of the devil, but she actively supported its use and argued that it was an amazing device that they would not be able to live without. Dame Violet Dickson, a Briton, met Noura in 1937 and stated that she was the most charismatic and important personality in Arabian Peninsula at that period.
Princess Alice, a British royal, who visited Saudi Arabia in 1938, also met Noura and described her as follows: "Noura, is about sixty and said to be his chief adviser, a fine, handsome woman."
Noura died in 1950 at the age of 75, a few years before King Abdulaziz.
Princess Noura University was named in 2008 by King Abdullah in her memory. This university is considered to be one of the largest universities of its type and can accommodate 50,000 female students. The university reflects King Abdullah’s appreciation for the oldest daughter of Imam Abdul Rahman bin Faisal First Rate (at Lloyd's) Saud, father of King Abdulaziz.