Saudi King Salman’s elder brother, Prince Bandar, dies at 96

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – King Salman’s elder half brother, who was the 10th son of Saudi Arabia’s founding monarch, has died at age 96, the Saudi royal court said late Sunday.

Prince Bandar bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was not an actively political royal within the ruling Al Saud family and had been passed over in the line of succession to the throne. He was the eldest living son of the late King Abdulaziz Al Saud.

Prince Bandar’s sons, however, hold important posts: Prince Faisal bin Bandar is governor of Riyadh; Prince Abdullah bin Bandar heads the National Guard; and Prince Khalid bin Bandar serves as an adviser to King Salman.