Yaacob II
| Yaacob II | |
|---|---|
| يعقوب الثاني Yakob Al-Thani | |
| Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques | |
 Official portrait of Yaacob II of Arabia | |
| Caliph of Arabia | |
| Reign | 8 April 2039 - Present |
| Coronation | 29 June 2040 |
| Predecessor | Ibrahim |
| Successor | Incumbent |
| Queen | TBD |
| Grand Mufti | TBD |
| Vizier | TBD |
| Heir Apparent | Farhan, Crown Prince of Arabia |
| Crown Prince of Arabia | |
| In Office | 11 Feb 2035 - 8 Apr 2039 |
| Caliph | Ibrahim |
| Preceded by | TBD |
| Succeeded by | TBD |
| Personal Information | |
| Born | Yaacob bin Khalid Al-Saud 3 November 2010 (age 35) Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| House | Al-Saud |
| Spouse | Noura of Arabia (m. 2030) Malika Zahra of Medina (m. 2034) Malika Anisa of Asir (m. 2035) Malika Hawa of Jazan (m. 2037) Sheikha Inaya, Duchess of Al-Kharj (m. 2038) |
| Royal Consorts | Sheikha Sofia, Duchess of Khobar (m. 2041) Sheika Maryam al-Libani (m. 2041) Sheika Lilian, Countess of Al-Makhwah (m. 2042) Sheikha Alishba al-Britani (m. 2042) Sheikha Ambra al-Akhdari (m. 2043) Sheika Helena al-Akhdari (m. 2043) |
| Issue | Crown Prince Farhan (b. 2031) Princess Amira (m. 2033) Prince Osman (b. 2035) Prince Haroon (b. 2035) Princess Noor (b. 2036) Prince Ibrahim (b. 2036) (+ 36 others) |
Yaacob II of Arabia (Yaacob bin Khalid Al-Saud; born 3 November 2011) is the current Caliph of Saudi Arabia and Head of the Commonwealth of Arab States, having ascended to the throne on 8 April 2039. He is the fourth son of Caliph Ibrahim, and served as Crown Prince of Arabia for four years prior to his accession. He has a reported personal wealth of at least $550 billion, making him the wealthiest royal in the world.
In addition to his royal duties, Yaacob has also served in numerous government positions, including Minister of Finance (2035 - 2038), Minister of Education (2034 - 2035) and Minister of Culture and Information (2033 - 2034). He attended the Sandhurst Military Academy in the United Kingdom and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 2029. He served in the Arabian Armed Forces from 2028 to 2033 and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel before leaving to focus on his royal duties. As Crown Prince, he was named the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Arabian Armed Forces, and was given the honorary rank of Field Marshal.
As Caliph, Yaacob's has made significant contributions to Saudi Arabia's standing in the world. He has favored a continuation of his father's policy of projecting strength through finance and economics, overseeing more than $26 trillion in foreign investment since 2039. Under his reign, Saudi Arabia has become the world's second-largest economy, behind China, and has the world's highest per-capita GDP.
"Historically, the Arabs have made innumerable contributions to the human race, including the creation of universities, hospitals, and algebra. Now, the world is ready for a new age of Arab leadership. Our Caliphate is already at the forefront of science, technology and innovation, and we will continue building a conducive environment for further breakthroughs in these areas.
In recent years, we have developed a vaccine for previously-incurable diseases, such as AIDs. In the coming years, we seek to find a cure for cancer, and in so doing, we will revolutionize the ability of humans to lead healthy, high-quality lives."
Yaacob IICaliph of Arabia
29 June 2040
Under Yaacob's reign, Saudi Arabia further expanded its sphere of influence by securing concessions from the United States for the establishment of autonomous zones in New Jersey and Maryland, where Sharia law is enforced subject to the jurisdiction of the International Sharia Commission headquartered in Riyadh. This follows the implementation of similar autonomous zones in the states of Georgia and South Carolina, as well as the British city of Birmingham and the Spanish city of Cordoba, during the reign of his grandfather Yaacob I.
In January 2042, the Saudi Royal Household Office incorporated Fatimiyyah Holdings, a sovereign wealth fund wholly owned by the Crown Estate, and dedicated to the management of the Crown's private assets. On 29 January, Yaacob was named as the Chairman of Fatimiyyah Holdings. According to an official news release, Fatimiyyah had over $300 billion in assets under management as of December 2044. Between 2042 to 2045, Fatimiyyah acquired minority stakes in a number of influential multinational companies, including Skyshroud, Banque Saint-Germain, HSBC, AstraZeneca, Google and Huawei.
Yaacob is a self-professed Anglophile. His interest in British culture and history began in his early childhood, and was further developed as a result of his time spent in the United Kingdom as an officer cadet at Sandhurst and as a student at Cambridge University. In July 2042, he took Princess Lilibet of Sussex, the niece of King William V, as a Royal Consort, following which she converted to Islam and received the Arabian noble title Sheika Alishba al-Britani. In August 2044, Sheikha Alishba was appointed to the position of Assistant Special Advisor to the Royal Commission for Arab-European Relations, marking the first time in the Caliphate's history that a foreign-born royal was appointed to an official working government position.