Princess Fahda bint Saud bin Abdulaziz:
“You Have Been Unfair to My Father — and These Are the Reasons for His Trust in Al‑Turaiki!”**
King Saud and Abdullah Al‑Turaiki
By Princess Fahda bint Saud bin Abdulaziz
The interest shown by the news platform Elaph in recounting the history of Sheikh Abdullah Al‑Turaiki—may God have mercy on him—highlighting aspects of his family life and the views of those who admired him, is an effort worthy of appreciation. It honors one of the Kingdom’s loyal men who played an important role in its economic development. I extend special thanks to Mr. Mohammed Al‑Saif, whose diligent work in gathering material from diverse and valuable sources is evident. His work complements and parallels the volume The Complete Works of Abdullah Al‑Turaiki, edited by Dr. Walid Khadduri, which compiled many testimonies from those who knew and worked closely with Al‑Turaiki.
However, I found in these collective works a significant injustice to the history of King Saud—may God have mercy on him—and a disregard for his role. It was King Saud who appointed Al‑Turaiki as Minister of Oil and granted him full freedom in his work, believing in the importance of establishing a technocratic ministry led by a new generation of Saudi youth educated abroad, capable of assuming leadership positions during a challenging phase that followed the completion of the Kingdom’s foundational infrastructure—a process King Saud had begun upon assuming the throne in 1953.
As Prime Minister, King Saud formed the first technocratic cabinet in the Kingdom’s history. Among its members was Sheikh Abdullah Al‑Turaiki, appointed as the first Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources on 22 December 1960—the first such ministry in Saudi history. The significance of this cabinet lay in the fact that, for the first time, it included a group of educated young Saudis representing the middle class—an elite cadre of experienced administrators—who began serving as ministers and advisers. This cabinet included:
- Dr. Hassan Naseef — Minister of Health
- Abdullah Al‑Dabbagh — Minister of Agriculture
- Ahmed Shatta — Minister of Commerce
- Abdullah Al‑Turaiki — Minister of Petroleum
- Abdulaziz Al‑Muammar — Adviser
- Faisal Al‑Hujailan — Adviser
- Nasser Al‑Manqoor — Minister of State
This carefully selected cabinet reflected three strategic directions King Saud sought to achieve:
- Nationalization of leadership positions by empowering qualified Saudis.
- Strengthening the role of the educated middle class by giving them opportunities to assume specialized leadership roles.
- Utilizing expert consultation in support of national development.
During the first Council of Ministers session on 24 December 1960, Sheikh Nasser Al‑Manqoor announced King Saud’s plan to establish institutions responsible for shaping the country’s economic policies. In January 1961, King Saud announced the establishment of the Court of Appeals, composed of senior scholars and chaired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al‑Sheikh. This was followed by the creation of the Supreme Planning Council, which included:
- Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz — Minister of Finance
- Prince Badr bin Abdulaziz — Minister of Communications
- Sheikh Abdullah Al‑Turaiki — Minister of Petroleum
- Ahmed Shatta — Minister of Commerce
- Abdullah Al‑Dabbagh — Minister of Agriculture
The council was tasked with planning and implementing comprehensive development projects and coordinating economic strategies.
On 11 September 1961, a temporary cabinet was formed under King Saud with the same ministers, with minor adjustments. Al‑Turaiki remained in office until 15 March 1962, when a new cabinet was formed and he, along with several ministers, exited the government—despite King Saud’s insistence on retaining him and his confidence in Al‑Turaiki’s abilities and loyalty. One of the main reasons for Al‑Turaiki’s departure was his exposure of the Japanese Oil Company scandal to the Council of Ministers—an act driven by his national integrity—which King Saud had not been aware of.
It is clear that during Al‑Turaiki’s tenure in King Saud’s government (22 December 1960 – 15 March 1962), all members worked with a unified vision for development, supported by leadership that shared their goals and encouraged reliance on national human capital. This environment enabled Al‑Turaiki to serve effectively as Minister of Petroleum.
Reasons for King Saud’s Confidence in Al‑Turaiki
As noted by Mr. Abdulrahman Al‑Rashed, Al‑Turaiki was among the few who understood the intersection of oil, politics, and economics. This was the basis of King Saud’s trust in him, as both men agreed on the importance of leveraging oil as a political and economic instrument for the Kingdom. King Saud’s commitment to this approach is evident in several key decisions:
1. A National Oil Policy
King Saud adopted an oil policy aimed at enabling Saudis to seize every opportunity in the oil industry. He approved a proposal by Abdullah Al‑Sulaiman and Mohammed Ali Reza to establish a Saudi tanker company in partnership with the Greek businessman Aristotle Onassis, who owned a vast fleet of tankers.
The U.S. government and ARAMCO objected, but King Saud dismissed their objections as interference in Saudi sovereignty. He inaugurated the first Saudi oil tanker on 20 April 1954.
U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles viewed this as an attempt by King Saud to assert greater Saudi control over oil at the expense of American interests.
However, when a business associate sued Onassis and revealed confidential dealings and commissions, ARAMCO seized the opportunity to file its own lawsuits, ultimately sabotaging the partnership. This deeply disappointed King Saud, who had envisioned long‑term national benefits from the project.
2. Using Oil as a Political Weapon
For the first time in Saudi history, King Saud used oil as a tool of political pressure. He cut off oil supplies to Britain and France, banned all ships carrying oil to them, and severed diplomatic relations in support of Egypt during the 1956 Suez Crisis.
This occurred before Al‑Turaiki became minister, but King Saud recognized in him the same nationalist zeal and the potential to use oil strategically to build Arab economic and political unity—one of the key reasons he appointed him Minister of Petroleum.
3. Building Saudi Expertise in the Oil Sector
King Saud dreamed of Saudis possessing the expertise and capability to manage the oil industry independently, without reliance on foreign partners. He sought to ensure that foreign oil companies operated under Saudi oversight by appointing loyal Saudi members to their boards in proportion to the Kingdom’s interests.
In line with this vision, he approved the Japanese Oil Company concession on 14 October 1957, granting Saudi Arabia a 56% share—an unprecedented arrangement at the time.
This was before Al‑Turaiki’s appointment, but King Saud saw in him the integrity and patriotism needed to advance such a policy.
4. Founding of OPEC
King Saud tasked Al‑Turaiki with inviting representatives from Iran, Kuwait, Iraq, and Venezuela to discuss the establishment of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
OPEC was officially founded in 1960, and Al‑Turaiki signed on behalf of Saudi Arabia as Minister of Petroleum. The organization began implementing its policies in 1961, and Al‑Turaiki played a prominent role in its formation.
Sheikh Abdullah Al‑Turaiki emerged as a key figure in shaping Saudi economic policy within a national strategic framework—empowered by the trust King Saud placed in him. King Saud recognized in him sincerity, loyalty, and sharp intellect, and both men shared a conviction that oil should serve as a powerful economic and political tool in support of Arab causes.
May God have mercy on them both.