Saud of Saudi Arabia

Saud bin Abdul Aziz, King of Saudi Arabia ([born in Kuwait]], 1902 - February 23, and died in Greece in 1969) (Arabic: سعود بن عبد العزيز آل سعود) was King of Saudi Arabia from 1953 to November 2, 1964.

He was the eldest surviving son of Ibn Saud, his mother being Wadhba bint Muhammad al-Hazzam. He became heir to the throne after the death of his older brother, Turki bin Abd al-Aziz (1900-1919) who was the eldest son of Abd al-Aziz Al Saud. Turki was Crown Prince of Nejd from his father's conquest of Riyadh on January 15, 1902, to his death during the influenza pandemic of 1919. The law of succession was changed immediately after Turki's death, so that the kingship of Nejd, and later all Saudi Arabia would, starting with Saud, pass from brother to brother and not father to son.

Before becoming king, Saud, along with his half-brother Faisal, was given great responsibilities in the establishment and running of the lands of Ibn Saud. He leaded the first war against Hail in 1921, and became the leader of the Saudi troops in fighting Yemen. Shortly after the formal establishment of Saudi Arabia, he was made a crown prince on May 11, 1933, bypassing his father's own brothers. When Ibn Saud died in 1953, Saud became king.

File:President Truman with Saud.jpg

U.S. President Harry S. Truman conferring the Order of the Legion of Merit Degree of Commander.

During his reign he was responsible for the establishment of numerous governmental ministries, and also for the establishment of King Saud University (renamed to Riyadh University after Saud's abdication) in Riyadh.

Reign

1956: Saudi Arabia stopped exporting oil to Britain and France due to the Suez Crisis
1957: State visit to the United States at invitation of President Eisenhower
1957: Saudi Arabia became a member at the International Monetary Fund
1961: a royal decree was made to establish the Institute of Public Administration
1961: Saud became sick and traveled to U.S for treatment.
1962: King Saud established the Saudi T.V.
1963: Saudi Arabia withdrew its troops from Kuwait, after the end of the Iraqi-Kuwaiti conflict
1962: a royal decree was made to stop slavery in Saudi Arabia[1]

His reign was marked with dissatisfaction within his own family. Saud surpassed his father in the number of children he had. He had 45 sons and over 50 daughters. Saud was keen to give his own sons power, and placed them in high governmental positions. This annoyed his half-brothers, who thought that Saud's sons were too inexperienced, and began to fear that Saud would select his own son to succeed him. He was also known for his lavish spending squandering state funds for his own family, and on palaces, all at a time when Saudi Arabia was still struggling economically. Despite cordial relations with Egypt at the beginning of his reign in order to oppose the Hashemite kingdoms of Iraq and Jordan, Saud would later grow weary of Egyptian influence in the Arab world, which led to numerous diplomatic blunders, such as a supposed plot to assassinate Gamal Abdel Nasser. Saud also began supporting royalist forces in the Yemeni Civil War, that saw Egypt supporting republican forces. These factors, coupled with an intense rivalry with his half-brother Faisal helped to bring about his downfall.

Removal from Throne

He was deposed in 1964 by a family coup which had the support of the ulema and replaced by his half-brother Faisal as king. Forced into exile, though well funded by the new king, Saud moved to Geneva, Switzerland, and then on to other European cities. In 1966 Saud was invited to live in Egypt by president Nasser. Saud died in Athens, Greece in 1969. After his abdication, he was generally not mentioned in Saudi Arabia, with numerous institutions bearing his name being renamed, and his reign being given passing if any reference in official history books. Likewise, his sons remained largely marginalized from positions of power though two were named governors to minor provinces during the reign of King Fahd.