The late King Saud ascended the throne of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on November 9, 1953, succeeding his father, the Founder King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, who passed away that same day after a life filled with struggle and perseverance to unify the Arabian Peninsula and establish its security and stability.
King Saud’s reign, which lasted until November 2, 1964, witnessed rapid developments on the Arab, regional, and international levels. These circumstances required him to undertake numerous tours both inside and outside the Kingdom.
Domestic Tours and Vision for Reform
Within the Kingdom, King Saud traveled extensively across its vast regions to inspect the conditions of his people, ensure their well‑being, and determine what he could provide for them. True to his famous declaration:
“If my father’s era was the era of unification, then my era shall be dedicated to fighting poverty, ignorance, and disease.”
A Saudi writer once noted that King Saud was extraordinarily generous. During his tours, he distributed silver coins and clothing to citizens after witnessing their difficult living conditions. He opened the doors of education wide for both boys and girls, founded two universities in Riyadh and Madinah, and ushered in a new era of modern healthcare—moving society away from cauterization, folk healers, and incantations toward contemporary medical treatment. He also settled all outstanding state debts.
As the writer put it:
“Thus the foundations were laid—guided by God and firmly rooted—making his reign the true starting point for the nation‑building completed by the kings who succeeded him, during one of the most challenging periods marked by competing interests, unrest, and turmoil surrounding the Arabian Peninsula.”
A King Constantly on the Move
In addition to his many domestic tours, King Saud undertook numerous official and private visits abroad. In fact, during the first five years of his reign (1954–1959), he made more foreign visits than any of his successors.
His Foreign Visits (1954–1959)
1954:
He visited Cairo, Kuwait, Karachi, Jordan, and the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen, responding to invitations from President Muhammad Naguib, Sheikh Abdullah Al‑Salem Al‑Sabah, Governor‑General Ghulam Muhammad, King Hussein bin Talal, and Imam Ahmad Hamid Al‑Din.
1955:
He visited Qatar, Iran, Kuwait, Karachi, and Delhi, responding to invitations from Sheikh Ali bin Abdullah Al‑Thani, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Sheikh Abdullah Al‑Salem Al‑Sabah, President Iskander Mirza, and Jawaharlal Nehru.
1956:
He traveled to Cairo on March 9 for a summit with Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser and Syrian President Shukri Al‑Quwatli, returning to Jeddah aboard the Egyptian yacht Al‑Hurriya.
On November 13, he flew to Beirut at the invitation of Lebanese President Camille Chamoun to attend the second Arab Summit. On his return, he visited Syria and Jordan by land.
1957:
This year was particularly rich in diplomatic activity.
On January 21, he made his first visit to the United States as King. On his return, he stopped in Madrid, Rabat, Tunis, and Tripoli between February 10–23, responding to invitations from General Francisco Franco, King Mohammed V, Bey Muhammad Al‑Amin, and King Idris Al‑Senussi.
On February 24, he visited Cairo again for a summit with Nasser, Al‑Quwatli, King Hussein, and Grand Mufti of Palestine Haj Amin Al‑Husseini.
On May 18, he made a historic visit to Iraq at the invitation of King Faisal II and Crown Prince Abdul‑Ilah.
On June 8, he arrived in Amman at the invitation of King Hussein.
On July 19, he held a summit with Emperor Haile Selassie in Asmara.
Medical Trips and Later Visits (1958–1964)
From 1958 onward, most of his travels were for medical treatment and recuperation.
In July 1957, he traveled to Germany for treatment, stopping in Beirut and Athens. On his return in September, he stopped in Switzerland and Syria.
He repeated his medical trip to Germany in July 1959, departing Jeddah aboard the yacht Adriatic, which passed through the Suez Canal where he met Field Marshal Abdel Hakim Amer on behalf of President Nasser. He then traveled to Corfu to meet King Paul of Greece. On his return, he visited Egypt to meet Nasser in August.
He visited Qatar on November 26, 1959, and again on February 6, 1961.
On November 21, 1961, he made another long visit to the United States for medical tests and a meeting with President John F. Kennedy. On his return, he stopped in Madrid and made an official visit to Morocco at the invitation of King Hassan II.
On June 1, 1962, he traveled to Italy for treatment, then to Germany for recuperation.
His Visit to Bahrain
Did Bahrain have a share in these marathon journeys? Certainly. The deep historical ties between the two nations, their peoples, and their ruling families made such a visit natural.
On Saturday, 7 Sha‘ban 1373 AH (April 10, 1954)—less than six months after ascending the throne—King Saud left Riyadh for Dhahran, from where he traveled the next day to Bahrain on his first visit as King, responding to an invitation from the late Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
The visit was an opportunity to revive the long‑standing bonds between the two nations and their rulers. Relations dated back to the First Saudi State (1744–1818) and strengthened during the Second Saudi State (1843–1891), when Prince Saud bin Faisal visited Bahrain in 1870 and gifted Sheikh Isa bin Ali the famed sword “Al‑Ajrab” as a symbol of friendship.
Prince Abdullah bin Faisal made a similar visit in 1887.
Historical records also show that Imam Abdulrahman Al‑Faisal visited Bahrain in 1876 and again in 1891 to consult Sheikh Isa bin Ali while en route with his family—including his son, the future King Abdulaziz—from Riyadh to Kuwait.
After Imam Abdulrahman’s death in 1928 and King Abdulaziz’s successful restoration of his ancestral rule, the latter decided—now as King of the Hijaz and Sultan of Najd and its dependencies—to visit Bahrain to meet the man he affectionately called “father,” Sheikh Isa bin Ali.
This is evident from the letters King Abdulaziz sent him, beginning with the words:
“From Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al‑Faisal to the noble, esteemed, honorable, and gracious father Sheikh Isa Al Khalifa—may God protect him and prolong his life.”
The visit took place on February 25, 1930, just three days after the historic summit between King Abdulaziz and King Faisal of Iraq
King Faisal I of Iraq, son of Sharif Hussein, met King Abdulaziz aboard the British battleship Lupin, which was anchored off the northern coast of Bahrain. King Abdulaziz had arrived from the port of Ras Tanura aboard the Patrick Stewart, a vessel belonging to the Cable & Wireless Company, while King Faisal arrived on his ship Nargis.
There are numerous accounts describing attempts by British authorities in Bushehr and Bahrain to obstruct the meeting between the Saudi and Bahraini leaders. They reportedly sent a message to Abdulaziz claiming that Sheikh Isa was ill and unable to receive him, and another message to Sheikh Isa claiming that Abdulaziz had canceled his visit due to urgent commitments. Yet the meeting took place, thanks to Sheikh Isa bin Ali’s insistence on seeing the young man he had once met as a ten‑year‑old boy accompanying his father, Imam Abdulrahman—now the unifier of the Arabian Peninsula and a leader of historic stature. His sons—Hamad, Mohammed, and Abdullah—were equally determined that the visit should proceed despite British objections.
It is said that Sheikh Hamad bin Isa personally took a boat out to sea, boarded King Abdulaziz’s ship, and invited him to set foot on Bahraini soil, dismissing the British claims. After the blessed visit concluded, Sheikh Hamad bid farewell to King Abdulaziz on behalf of his father at the coast of Zallaq, where the King invited him to perform the Hajj.
On May 2, 1939, King Abdulaziz visited Bahrain again, sailing from the port of Khobar to Manama, arriving before sunset accompanied by 300 princes and members of his entourage. Those who witnessed the event recalled that Manama was adorned with flags and decorations in an unprecedented manner. The Bahraini sheikhs who came to greet him expressed such reverence that they laid down their cloaks and robes along the path of the royal procession so that the King’s convoy would pass over them in honor of the distinguished guest.
King Saud’s 1954 visit to Bahrain, mentioned earlier, was not his first. He had made six previous visits as Crown Prince. The most notable was his first, on December 9, 1937, at the invitation of Bahrain’s ruler, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. He returned to Riyadh via Al‑Ahsa on December 19. His second visit was alongside his father, King Abdulaziz, who arrived in Bahrain on May 2, 1939, and departed by sea to Khobar and then Dhahran on the 7th. His third visit took place on June 13, 1940, during his return to Riyadh by air with several of his brothers after a trip to Karachi and Bombay.
Some add a seventh visit to King Saud’s record—his symbolic “return” to Bahrain in February 2009 through the King Saud Traveling Exhibition, which made Bahrain its first stop outside Saudi Arabia, organized and supported by the late King’s sons and daughters.
What concerns us here is what occurred on the sidelines of King Saud’s fourth visit to Bahrain, whose 60th anniversary was marked last April. The visit was met with an unprecedented level of official and public celebration, especially as it coincided with the reopening of the newly renovated Qudaibiya Palace, prepared to host the King and his accompanying delegation of princes, ministers, and dignitaries.
The Birth of the Idea of the Saudi–Bahrain Causeway
The most significant event during this visit was King Saud’s proposal to construct a bridge linking Khobar on Saudi Arabia’s eastern coast to the islands of Bahrain. He emphasized the importance of the project and expressed his country’s readiness to contribute a substantial portion of its cost.
This occurred during a banquet held in his honor by the notable Hassan Al‑Mudayfi‘ at his farm in the Juffair district of Manama, near the current site of the Chinese Embassy. According to Sawt al‑Bahrain magazine (issue 7, year 4, Ramadan 1373 AH), the King said before Bahrain’s ruler, Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa and his sons, Sheikh Abdullah bin Isa Al Khalifa and his sons, Sheikh Hamoud bin Sabah Al Khalifa, and many Bahraini dignitaries:
“The bonds between Bahrain and the Kingdom are strong, and we must work to strengthen them. I have previously spoken to Your Highness about constructing a bridge between Khobar and Bahrain, and I still believe in the necessity of building this bridge. I hope you will study this project, and the Kingdom will contribute a large share of its expenses.”
He then added:
“National consciousness is growing, and the Arab peoples are more aware today. It is our duty to understand this reality, for we are shepherds, and every shepherd is responsible for his flock.”
The magazine noted that the King’s remarks were met with applause after every sentence.
As King Saud prepared to depart Bahrain, he sent a farewell message titled “From King Saud bin Abdulaziz to His Brothers in Bahrain.” The message reflected the deep affection he held for the people, rulers, and dignitaries of Bahrain. Among its lines:
“As I leave this dear land, I express my appreciation to my brothers in Bahrain for all the sincere sentiments I have witnessed and heard. I pray that God grants success to all in achieving goodness, happiness, and prosperity for the Arab nations in general and for our two countries in particular