The biographies of the nation’s men are part of its history, and it is our duty not to forget their great contributions to building the administrative foundations of the state, as well as their roles in cultural development, economic progress, and intellectual life. Among these figures is the late Sheikh Abdullah Al‑Saad Al‑Qablan, who once served as Minister of Communications, Chairman of the Agricultural Bank, a board member of the electricity companies of Mecca, Jeddah, and Taif, a founding member of King Abdulaziz University, a member of the Al‑Bilad Press Foundation, and a board member of the Arabian Cement Company.
Alongside these roles, he was a cultured man of letters, a refined writer, a journalist, and the author of several works. Yet despite all this, we observe a surprising neglect of his legacy—his name omitted from some biographical dictionaries of Saudi writers without justification. Here, we record part of his life story as a reminder to rising generations and in honor of enduring achievements.
Place and Time: A Birth in the Desert
Abdullah Al‑Saad Al‑Qablan Al‑Harithi was born in the vast expanses of the desert. His birth was not a coincidence during a sudden journey, as some city dwellers might imagine. His eyes first opened among mountains and plains, for his family and tribe—whom he cherished and who cherished him—were nomadic Bedouins, constantly moving in search of pasture, their way of life tied to camels and sheep.
As for the place—where landmarks resemble one another across the open wilderness—it was southeast of Taif, specifically between Taif and Turbah. He was born near Mount Ḥaḍan, which became his first cradle. In the terminology of geographers, Ḥaḍan is considered the first gateway to Najd. Thus, he was Hijazi by origin, Najdi by birth, molded by the soil of his homeland in a transitional region where political tensions would soon flare.
As for the time of his birth, it cannot be determined precisely—like most births in central Arabia before the last half‑century, when people, Bedouin and settled alike, dated events by major happenings rather than by calendar years. His birth is estimated to have occurred between 1328 AH, known among some Najdis as “Sannat Sāḥūt” (the Year of Drought and Famine), and 1330 AH, known to some as “Sannat Al‑Ḥaṣbah” (the Year of Measles) and to others as “Sannat Abu Dukhn.” The latter is the date recorded in his official employment file, though the former is more likely.
The Sweetness and Bitterness of Early Childhood
The young Al‑Harithi tasted the sweetness of early childhood in the care of his parents, enjoying their affection in the pure desert environment that stretched endlessly before him—despite the harshness of life and scarcity of resources. Even if a Bedouin owned camels and sheep, his life revolved around basic necessities, with no time or means for luxuries. Yet in seasons of rain and spring, no one could rival him in joy and contentment.
But happiness in the desert is fleeting. When the boy reached the age of seven—or slightly beyond—life’s sweetness turned bitter. The vast desert suddenly felt narrow around his small body. He was struck by the death of both his father and mother on the same day.
The yellow fever epidemic, or the Spanish influenza, swept across the Arabian Peninsula in 1337 AH, claiming countless lives. People called it “Sannat Al‑Sukhūnah” (the Year of Fever), replacing the letter sīn with ṣād in their dialect; others called it “Sannat Al‑Raḥmah” (the Year of Mercy), out of hopeful optimism.
By divine decree, the year he lost his parents coincided with the entry of Turbah and its surrounding areas under the rule of King Abdulaziz, following the famous Battle of Turbah on 25 Sha‘ban 1337 AH, in which the forces of Abdullah bin Al‑Husayn were decisively defeated. This event became one of the key reasons that the course of his life later turned eastward—toward the capital of Sultan Abdulaziz Al‑Saud.
From the Desert to the City
His parents passed away, leaving him and his brothers as helpless orphans with no strength, no means, and no wealth to sustain their lives. Although they had some relatives, those relatives were themselves struggling to survive. It was as if the last threads tying them to the desert were severed with the death of their parents. They did not remain there long. He and his brothers left Bedouin life behind and set their faces toward Riyadh, the capital of Sultan Ibn Saud, in 1340 AH, after selling what remained of their few camels and sheep. They were driven by dreams of a dignified life near the Sultan whose virtues were spoken of far and wide.
In Riyadh, the brothers settled first with the groups of students in Masjid Al‑Zuheirah, then in Hillat Al‑Ajnab, dedicating their time to studying in the kuttāb attached to the mosques. One source notes that he studied in the kuttāb of the teacher Ibn Mufayrij in the Dakhna district. As for their food, it came from the communal guesthouse of Al‑Ajnab, which the King had established for all newcomers to Riyadh—whether needy or not, Bedouin or townspeople. They also received a few rupees from the Minister of Finance—indeed, the minister of everything at that time—Shalhoub Abu Saleh, by order of the Sultan. With these rupees they bought clothes and covered their simple needs.
Two or three months after their arrival in Riyadh, another loss struck the young boys. Their eldest brother, whose ambitions exceeded what Riyadh could offer him, left them and traveled to Bahrain and Qatar, joining the pearl divers. He dreamed of becoming a merchant overnight, then returning to Riyadh to take his brothers with him to the land of wealth in the Gulf. But he disappeared for several years and eventually returned to them in Mecca burdened with debt, having been struck by the collapse of the pearl market that swept across the Gulf at that time.
In the Care of the Al‑Sulayman Family
After his elder brother left, divine providence guided him to the noble Al‑Sulayman family. Abdullah Al‑Sulayman Al‑Hamdān was working in the King’s court—before becoming a minister—and the orphan boy lived under his care. Al‑Sulayman showed him the utmost kindness, as did his brother Hamad Al‑Sulayman. They treated him like one of their own children—sharing with him their food, home, education, and care—until he grew older and acquired a solid foundation of knowledge.
Abdullah Al‑Saad later said:
“I was raised in the care of Abdullah Al‑Sulayman from childhood. He nurtured me, honored me, and treated me with kindness throughout my life. He supported my advancement in every position I held in the state until I became a deputy minister. I will never forget his compassion and tenderness toward me.”
The Triangle of Hardship: Orphanhood, Exile, and Illness
While studying in Riyadh—far from his family and tribe, and separated from his elder brother—the orphan boy was struck by severe and persistent illnesses. It was as if tragedies had scheduled appointments with him, one after another, following the trauma of losing his parents and the emotional and social pain that came with it. His illness weakened his small body, and he had nowhere to turn. There were no hospitals or doctors in the heart of the Arabian Peninsula, isolated as it was from the world. People relied on traditional remedies, and almost every person of that era bore the scars of cauterization, which was considered both the first and last form of treatment.
The nearest place with modern medical care was Bahrain, home to the American Mission Hospital. But travel there was not easy, nor was it common knowledge among the general population that such hospitals existed in Bahrain, Kuwait, or Basra. Perhaps because his brother was in those regions, and because of the connections he had through Ibn Sulayman—close to King Abdulaziz—he was able to travel to Bahrain for treatment in 1343 AH. He remained there for a long time, returning only in 1344 AH.
But he returned a sad and broken young man—despite recovering from his illness. Why?
Because the delayed treatment had left him with a permanent disability: the loss of function in his right hand, a vital part of his frail body. Losing it could have extinguished his hope of continuing his education—were it not for God’s grace and the determination and ambition that filled his young heart. These were the early signs of destiny shaping a resilient orphan, forging him in the furnace of hardship and self‑reliance. He had lost his parents before losing his hand, and neither loss broke his spirit or diminished his resolve.
His Education
The young man was determined to seek knowledge, but education in Najd at that time was not formal or modern. It consisted of kuttāb schools where teachers taught reading, writing, the Qur’an, and basic religious and linguistic knowledge.
In 1344 AH, he traveled with the Al‑Sulayman family to Mecca, which had come under Saudi rule while he was receiving treatment in Bahrain. After the Hajj season ended that year—around early 1345 AH—he began a new stage of formal education unfamiliar to Najdi students. He enrolled in Al‑Mas‘a Primary School, the only government primary school at the time, and earned its certificate.
Some sources claim he graduated in 1349 AH, but more reliable sources confirm that in that year he was already a student at the Saudi Scientific Institute in Mecca, located in Ajyad opposite the building known as the Ministry of Finance—a historic Ottoman structure. The institute was first headed by Sheikh Kamil Qassab, then by Ibrahim Al‑Shura. Among his classmates were Sheikh Abdullah Khayyat and Sheikh Ahmed Ali. He earned his institute certificate in 1352 AH, at about twenty years of age.
He intended to pursue higher education abroad through government scholarships, but overwhelming circumstances—chief among them illness—prevented this, despite the support of Minister Ibn Sulayman.
His illnesses persisted throughout his studies, worsening during exam periods due to exhaustion and sleeplessness. Yet God healed him completely one year after graduation. He later said:
“After becoming an orphan, I fell prey to severe illnesses for about thirteen years. I entered school sick and completed my primary and secondary education sick. I intended to pursue higher education, but circumstances—chiefly illness—prevented it. After graduating and recovering, I knocked on the door of employment.”
His Career
A close look at Abdullah Al‑Saad’s career reveals that he rose through government positions steadily for thirty‑one uninterrupted years, never looking back and never skipping a step. Despite the storms that blew against him, the obstacles placed in his path, and the personal and professional challenges he faced, he overcame them through deep faith, patience, endurance, and the flexibility required of every successful public servant.
He began his career with a simple job in the Ministry of Finance as a statistics clerk, then became a telegraph clerk in the Minister’s office, then assistant warehouse director, then assistant department director, then department director, then head of finance, then assistant director‑general, then director‑general, then assistant deputy minister.
He was later appointed by royal decree as Deputy Minister of Finance for Royal Affairs.
In recognition of his competence and the King’s trust in him, King Saud issued Royal Decree No. 1867 on 22 Sha‘ban 1375 AH, transferring him from the Ministry of Finance and appointing him Deputy Minister of Communications. He became the right‑hand man of its ministers—Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz (1375–1380 AH) and then Prince Badr bin Abdulaziz (1380–1381 AH).
On 1 April 1381 AH, Royal Decree No. 13 appointed Abdullah Al‑Saad as Minister of Communications, succeeding Prince Badr. He became the fourth minister to lead the ministry and the first non‑royal to hold the position. At that time, the ministry oversaw roads, bridges, ports, railways, telegraph, mail, and telephone services. He thus joined the Council of Ministers under King Saud.
But he served in this role for only one year, one month, and eighteen days, until King Saud issued Royal Order No. 17 on 18 May 1382 AH, dismissing the government and assigning Crown Prince Faisal to form a new cabinet.
Writer Hussein Mansouri wrote under the title “Farewell, O Minister”:
“It is difficult for any citizen to think of the Ministry of Communications without remembering Abdullah Al‑Saad. He was truly its devoted son.”
This marked the end of Abdullah Al‑Saad’s government service. He retired at around fifty years of age, after 31 years, 2 months, and 10 days of service—meaning he entered government work on 28 Rabi‘ Al‑Awwal 1351 AH, which suggests that his graduation from the Saudi Institute was earlier than some sources claim, since he did not seek employment until after completing his studies.