To the Soul of My Father, King Saud bin Abdulaziz — May God Have Mercy on Him — On the Anniversary of His Passing
By Fahda bint Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud 24 January 1998
Our beloved nation is perhaps among the richest of nations in its generosity, and ever since God honored it with the Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad (peace be upon him), it has continued to offer humanity the finest examples of exceptional individuals in every field. Anyone who studies history acknowledges this, and every fair‑minded observer affirms it. This nation has produced many great men whose legacies reached both East and West, foremost among them the late King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman, followed by his righteous sons.
History records for King Abdulaziz—may God bless his soul—the unification of the Arabian Peninsula. God granted him the means to bring together the two holiest sites on earth, the Sacred Mosques in Makkah and Madinah, which represent the spiritual center of the Islamic world and the focus of all Muslims. In addition, God endowed this land with vast oil wealth upon which the global economy depends, holding the world’s largest oil reserves. This granted the Kingdom a unique religious and economic standing among nations, and allowed its economic strength to serve its Islamic mission—so that the word of Islam may rise again and its glory and power be restored.
This responsibility was inherited by the sons of the late King Abdulaziz, foremost among them King Saud bin Abdulaziz, may God have mercy on him, who carried this great trust after his father’s passing, followed by his brothers who later assumed the throne. King Saud expressed this historic moment in his famous statement on the anniversary of his accession:
“My father’s reign, may God have mercy on him, was known for its conquests and good deeds. My reign shall be a continuation of my father’s work in the fight against poverty, ignorance, and disease.”
This declaration became the foundation upon which he began fulfilling his responsibilities in developing his country—relying on God, and on the strength, determination, and resolve granted to him. He built upon the solid foundations laid by his father, and upon the noble qualities God had bestowed upon him: humility, generosity, courage, justice, and equality among people, all firmly rooted in the teachings of the Qur’an and the Sunnah.
King Saud fought ignorance with knowledge, making education a priority from the beginning of his reign. His encouragement of girls’ education paralleled that of boys, and he instilled in us—his children—a love of learning from an early age.
He launched the educational renaissance by opening the Crown Prince’s Sons School, one of the earliest boys’ schools in Najd after the Princes’ School and the memorial schools established by King Abdulaziz.
Later, in 1951, he opened Al‑Karimat School for Girls, the first girls’ school in Najd. His directives emphasized equal treatment for all students and granting full administrative and educational authority to female teachers. The school included all levels of general education.
King Saud continued to prioritize education until the Directorate of Knowledge, established by King Abdulaziz in 1926 (1344 AH), was transformed into what we now know as the Ministry of Education.
On 18 Rabi‘ al‑Thani 1373 AH (24 December 1953), Royal Decree No. 5/3/26/2950 was issued establishing the Ministry of Education and appointing the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Fahd bin Abdulaziz, as its first minister. Its goals focused on higher education, teacher institutes, free education, combating illiteracy, and developing vocational training.
In his desire to encourage citizens to pursue education, King Saud allocated monthly stipends ranging from 100 to 300 riyals for each student.
King Saud also donated ten royal palaces in the Al‑Ruways district to the Ministry of Education, naming them “King Saud Scientific City.”
He then established King Saud University in Riyadh in 1957 (1377 AH), the first university in the Kingdom, followed by the Islamic University in Madinah in 1961 (1381 AH).
In the field of girls’ education, a royal decree was issued in 1959 (1379 AH) mandating the opening of girls’ schools. An independent authority—the General Presidency for Girls’ Education—was established, and its first schools opened in 1960 (1380 AH).
King Saud also fought poverty and encouraged charitable institutions. He was the first to support the establishment of the Charity Fund (Sunduq al‑Bir), proposed by Al‑Bilad newspaper in Makkah in 1951 (1371 AH) to assist poor families. His support encouraged wealthy families to donate generously.
He later ordered the establishment of a Charity Fund in Riyadh in 1954 (6/9/1374 AH), followed by many similar funds across the Kingdom. These institutions evolved into what is now known as the Charitable Society for Social Services (Jam‘iyyat al‑Bir).
He also played a major role in caring for orphans. He encouraged his daughters—Noura, Modhi, and Hessa—to establish “Mabrāt Karīmāt al‑Malik Saud,” the first shelter for orphaned girls in Riyadh. King Saud inaugurated it in 1956 (Sha‘ban 1376 AH). It accommodated 100 orphan girls who lived and studied in the facility. The external section admitted non‑orphan students as well.
The respected educator Mrs. Zahia Asseiran was appointed director. The shelter continued its charitable work until it was incorporated into the General Presidency for Girls’ Education in 1965 (1385 AH).
By 1956, nearly thirty orphanages had been established across cities and villages, providing shelter, food, and education under state care.
King Saud’s fight against disease was evident in his focus on healthcare. He established hospitals across the Kingdom, including King Saud Hospital in Riyadh, Al‑Hada Tuberculosis Hospital, and the Chest Diseases Hospital in Hada. He also established the quarantine station in 1956 (1376 AH) and the mobile desert hospital, among other healthcare facilities.
King Saud’s achievements spanned countless fields. His focus was always on elevating his nation and its people, relying on God, on the foundations laid by his father, and on his own noble qualities—humility, generosity, courage, justice, purity of heart, dignity, and his deep affection for his people. He possessed remarkable patience, endurance, determination, and an unwavering desire to advance his country.
On this anniversary of your passing, my father, I wish to say that you were always the model of the righteous parent whom I followed throughout my life, and to whom I owe everything I have learned. I will remain faithful to the values, ethics, and generosity you instilled in me, just as your father, the late King Abdulaziz—may God bless his soul—instilled them in you.
Your memory will remain eternal in your deeds and your noble legacy.
May your pure soul rest peacefully in its final abode, my father, and may God grant you the highest gardens of Paradise.
• Born: 12 January 1902 — Passed away: 24 January 1969
• Reigned: 1953 — 1964