22 February 2016**
The unification of the Arabian Peninsula at the hands of the founding King, Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, was built upon the sound creed sought by the regions of Arabia—establishing order and securing the roads. The experience of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in achieving unity stands as a pioneering model.
When Dr. Prince Salman bin Saud bin Abdulaziz undertook the study of King Saud’s experience in governance (1373–1384 AH) in his book “The History of King Saud: Document and Narrative”, I felt that he had assumed the role of a historian—observing, documenting, and analyzing a significant phase of our political and social history. I did not find in him merely the son who was born in 1373 AH, the very year his father ascended the throne; rather, I found a researcher reminding us of the remarkable coincidence between King Saud’s birth in 1319 AH in Kuwait and King Abdulaziz’s entry into Riyadh—his first step toward building the great entity that would become the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
I recall that when I supervised the Public Library in Taif, and my colleagues were re‑cataloguing the books and redistributing them across the halls, I found in the storage rooms copies of the book “The Righteous King, His Majesty the Late Abdulaziz Al Saud” by Abdul‑Mun‘im Al‑Ghulami. I photographed the section discussing King Saud. Later, when I moved to Riyadh, I acquired a copy of “King Saud: From His Speeches and Addresses” by Fouad Shaker, along with a copy of the Council of Ministers Law, issued in Rajab 1373 AH and published in Al‑Manhal magazine. In his speech opening the Council’s sessions, His Majesty referred to the great calamity, saying:
“Each of us knows and appreciates the magnitude of the great tragedy with which we were struck by the death of the renewer of our glory and the builder of the foundations of our state—our father, King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al‑Faisal—may God sanctify his soul and envelop him in His mercy.”
He then spoke of combating hunger, poverty, disease, and ignorance—establishing the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Agriculture, and urging the Ministry of Health to raise the nation’s health standards.
When I read the first volume of “The History of King Saud” by Dr. Prince Salman bin Saud, I returned to my collected materials and followed the author through a crucial era of our national political, social, and economic history. It was a period of organizing the policies of a modern state and building a nation rich in resources and in the minds of its men.
King Saud bin Abdulaziz—who had participated in the formation of the state and supervised a major region (Najd) as Deputy to the King—was sincere in his work, his words, and his support. This strengthened the bond between leader and citizen, for:
“Defending the homeland is the duty of all—rulers and citizens alike.”
The author highlights this through the section titled “Features of King Saud’s Domestic Policy”, noting that King Saud set for himself four major internal objectives:
- Organizing the structure of government work
- Implementing a broad development program covering transportation, agriculture, education, health, and communications
- Building the nation’s military strength
- Eliminating all violations of governmental regulations
These four overarching goals formed the general framework for the major achievements witnessed during King Saud’s reign.
We are thus before an important reference—faithful in its handling and analysis of documents—one that our era needs as we document our sources and record the history of a nation and a leadership that felt its responsibility at every stage.
We also see King Saud—the same man who led the Friday prayer in Pakistan during his visit in Sha‘ban 1373 AH—saying in his message to the Muslims of Pakistan:
“Muslims did not reach the heights they once attained—leading the nations of the world and spreading justice, peace, and truth among peoples—except through faith, honesty, sincerity, selflessness, and sacrifice for the sake of the Muslim word.”
He understood the importance of cooperation and unity, which appears clearly in the section on Islamic solidarity. The author notes:
“The idea of Islamic solidarity constituted a major part of King Saud’s political and Islamic thought. One can scarcely find a speech, interview, or public address by King Saud that did not raise, emphasize, or insist upon this idea in one form or another.”
Dr. Prince Salman bin Saud also discusses King Saud’s Arab role—his defense of Palestine, his support for Egypt during the Tripartite Aggression of 1956, and his role in the establishment of the Arab League to unify the Arab stance against colonialism and the plundering of Arab resources. One example he cites is the fundraising campaign for the Algerian Revolution in 1376 AH, and how popular support continued until Algeria’s independence in 1962.
Structure of the Book
Volume I (840 pages) covers three major themes:
- King Saud’s biography and reign (1373–1384 AH / 1953–1964)
- His efforts in Islamic affairs, divided into five chapters
- His political thought, divided into two sections:
- A critical study of 1950s–60s political literature and analysis of King Saud’s political thought
- King Saud and the management of crises during the “years of turmoil”, analyzed through five “circles”:
- His role in managing the 1956 crisis
- His view of the Zionist threat
- His support for the Arab‑Islamic strategic triangle
- His diplomatic and military mediation efforts
- His management of oil and political dynamics
Volume II (648 pages) discusses administrative reforms and economic development:
- Government organization
- Public institutions
- Oversight bodies
- Development and local administration
- Oil and minerals, industry, agriculture, currency, labor market, trade, transportation, and communications
Volume III (610 pages) covers four themes:
- Education
- Media
- Healthcare
- Social development
In the education section, we see King Saud’s early and sustained interest in education, including his statement:
“We ordered the opening of schools for girls, and what pleased us greatly was the strong public response to these schools. We directed education toward the correct and beneficial path consistent with our religious principles and the needs of our industrial, agricultural, and urban development.”
The book instills pride in a leader who gave much to his nation. When he left the throne, he did so wisely—his abdication was transparent and rooted in his understanding of the importance of preserving national unity at a time when external ambitions surrounded the region and values were in flux.
The author cites Khalid Al‑‘Adhm’s memoirs:
“King Saud was the first head of state whom Gamal Abdel Nasser attacked and insulted in numerous speeches broadcast from Damascus and Cairo. Later, King Hussein, Khrushchev, Abdul Karim Qasim, Abu Riqiba, Camille Chamoun, Sami Al‑Solh, Nuri Al‑Said, and Fadhil Al‑Jamali followed with harsh speeches mixing slander, threats, and incitement.”
Through this book, The History of King Saud, we discover the mechanisms used to distort great leaders and obstruct good, and how writers of the time maligned figures from one of the richest decades in Arab and Islamic history.
Dr. Salman bin Saud remained faithful to the documents, photographs, and books, extracting the biography of a unique Arab leader who was trained by the founding King Abdulaziz. He understood his surroundings and foresaw the future with the insight of a wise statesman.
He presents a book that clarifies essential historical dimensions—highlighting the political events and Arab conflicts that created deep fractures in the regional landscape, shaped by rivalries and ambitions, alongside the influence of external powers.
The author addresses readers interested in strategy and history, offering a detailed study of King Saud’s emergence as a major and influential Arab leader. He presents what he considers the true documentation proving that reform was central to King Saud’s strategic and political thinking.
What is remarkable—and what carries the reader beyond the technical depth of the research—is the author’s admiration for King Saud’s character. Yet he does not allow this admiration to obscure the truth; instead, he leaves the documents and photographs to speak for themselves.