Young Royals
Words: Mohammad Dagman
Of the many royal families that have existed in the Middle East, only a relative few have survived as long and accomplished as much as the Saudi family, who first established a state in 1744. In 1818, however, they were forced to surrender their capital al-Dar’iyah in a war with the Turks, who sent Mohammad Ali, then-ruler of Egypt, against them. But these years of misfortune changed with the second generation of the Saudi family. The epic journey of King Abd al-Aziz and his kin made Saudi Arabia the rich and powerful country it is today.
The Founding King
King Abd al-Aziz ibn Abd al-Rahman al Saud (1876-1953) was a man with a piercing look who stood well above two meters tall. At a young age he escaped with his family to one of the harshest, most hostile places in the world: the Empty Quarter. It would not be the last time in his tumultuous life that he would find refuge in that desert. In 1901, raiding enemy lines with only a handful of men, he was defeated and forced into the Empty Quarter again to endure another test of survival. King Abd al-Aziz finally succeeded in changing history when, with only 20 men, he took over the palace of al-Riyadh’s ruler. From that base he went on to establish the kingdom that bares the name of his family. Without this man and his prowess, modern Saudi Arabia would not exist.
The Builder
King Faisal ibn Abd Aziz (1904-1975) was the first Foreign Minister when the Saudi state was formed in 1932. From a very young age he was his father’s envoy to the world, where he learned world politics and its intrigues. He became king in 1964 and ruled until he was assassinated by a member of his own family in 1975. The US-educated assassin was avenging the murder of yet another relative—a conservative one—who died protesting the opening of (then-Prime Minister) Faisal’s radio and TV station. King Faisal was considered the most auspicious leader in the Arab world at the time of his death, especially because he used oil as a weapon for political gain. His reputation in the Arab world rose greatly when he forced an oil embargo on the West in protest of their policies during the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.
He has the reputation of being a builder, a reformer, and a modernizer. Beginning with Faisal’s radio and TV station in 1965, many such projects followed in the conservative kingdom. Most of the kingdom’s administrative systems were built during his reign.
The King
King Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Aziz (1924- ) is the current ruler of Saudi Arabia. He was first appointed to head the National Guard by older brother Faisal in 1962, making him an important figure in the support of King Faisal’s reforms. Abd Allah rose up in stature throughout the 1960s and ’70s. In 1982 he was appointed Crown Prince, and de facto ruler in 1996 when then-King and brother Fahd fell severely ill. Abd Allah was officially made king in 2005, when King Fahd passed away.
Today, whether you like the policies of Saudi Arabia or not, King Abd Allah leads a thriving nation through its new renaissance. Under King Abd Allah, Saudi Arabian youth are making their mark in the Middle East, female Saudi writers are publishing bestsellers, and Saudi drama rivals that of Syria and Egypt, which have always been considered the finest in that field. Current music and art trends from the Kingdom are extremely entertaining, as well. Still, it plays a leading role in the Islamic world, as some of the world’s holiest shrines are located there. Saudi Arabia deserves more credit for shaping Middle Eastern life than it often receives, because a rich cultural presence is growing beneath its conservative veil.
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