Saud Al‑Mutairi
Jean‑Jacques Berbey, a French orientalist specializing in Arab affairs and a lecturer at the Institute of Higher Studies in Islamic Administration, was among the researchers who turned their attention to the Arab East following the failed Suez Campaign and the crisis that struck European industries when Arab oil supplies were halted after the pipelines were sabotaged in 1956 and the Suez Canal was closed.
During that period, Western writers specializing in political, economic, and historical studies—including Berbey—sought to explain the conditions of the Arab countries through objective studies aimed at informing their own publics and building solid bridges of cooperation across various fields.
At that time, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had already begun to assert itself as an economic and political power, in addition to its geographic and spiritual centrality. This period also witnessed the beginning of King Saud’s reign—may God have mercy on him—during which he assumed, alongside the responsibility of continuing his father’s internal development project, the burdens of foreign policy in the region and the stewardship of the Arab Solidarity Pact.
The region was experiencing a series of turbulent and complex events and divisions, which Jean‑Jacques Berbey described while highlighting the influential role of King Saud, whom he referred to as “the Bedouin” or “the Flying Leader,” along with his brother and principal supporter, King Faisal, in containing regional crises and overcoming numerous obstacles.
We begin this series with what Berbey wrote in his book The Arabian Peninsula about the personality of King Saud, who continued the path of his father and under whose reign many ministries were established, along with a series of enduring achievements too numerous to detail here. He writes:
“The current king, Saud bin Abdulaziz, born in 1902, was appointed Crown Prince in 1933 and succeeded his father on November 9, 1953. He is sometimes referred to as ‘Ibn Saud II.’
The eldest son of the late king gradually acquired a position of increasing importance as he assumed a substantial share of governmental administration. During this period, he learned the profession of the future, while his brothers became accustomed to respecting his authority.”
The specialist in Arabian affairs, John Philby—friend of King Abdulaziz and eyewitness to Saudi history—explains:
“When the physical strength of the late king began to decline in the final years of his eventful life, his son Saud assumed, in his father’s name, a share of the administration of the country that grew increasingly significant.
A few weeks before King Abdulaziz’s death, when the Council of Ministers was established, the Crown Prince and Commander‑in‑Chief of the Armed Forces became Prime Minister, while his brother Faisal assumed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the position of Deputy Prime Minister.”
In practice, several ministries had been created during King Abdulaziz’s reign. One month before his death, he convened the Council of Ministers for the first time, appointing his eldest son and Crown Prince, Prince Saud, as its president, and his second son, Prince Faisal, as deputy president.
After King Abdulaziz’s death, and during the first months of the new king’s reign, new ministries were established: the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Agriculture on December 24, 1953, and the Ministry of Commerce on March 17, 1954. In 1955, the Ministry of Information and National Guidance was created, and other ministries—such as Finance and Economy—were reorganized.
Prince Faisal then became the second most important figure in the Kingdom after being declared Crown Prince.
Due to the complications and burdens of governmental responsibilities at the time, King Saud tended to delegate secondary tasks. Thus, the Hijaz Consultative Council was expanded to include representatives from all provinces. Nevertheless, the King remained the sole reference for all authorities, except when he deemed delegation beneficial. Those whom he selected and trusted were accountable to him—and to him alone—for all their actions.
The first official session of the Council of Ministers was held on March 8, 1954. A few days later, Umm al‑Qura (the semi‑official newspaper) published two royal decrees concerning the organization of the Council of Ministers and its affiliated bodies.
Five months later, on August 17, a more significant historic decision was issued, formalizing the new changes in the governmental structure and appointing Crown Prince Faisal—Minister of Foreign Affairs—as President of the Council of Ministers.
The royal decrees issued on 18 Rajab 1373 AH and published in Umm al‑Qura must be regarded, without doubt, as constitutional laws, and the procedures they established were the most important for state administration since the 1926 Basic Law.
The first decree organized the Council of Ministers, while the second defined the responsibilities of its affiliated agencies.
The first decree states that the Council of Ministers consists of active ministers appointed by royal decree, advisers to the throne who are effectively considered members of the Council, and any person the King deems useful for deliberation.
Ministers are accountable to the King and to the Council of Ministers, and their resignations must be approved by the King.
The Council of Ministers directs the internal and external policies of the state. It is specifically responsible for approving the budget, treaties, and international agreements; contracts granting concessions or loans exceeding thirty million Saudi riyals; the establishment of joint‑stock companies; licenses for foreign companies to operate in the Kingdom; and resolving disputes involving the state when the disputed amount exceeds fifty million riyals.
It also appoints and dismisses senior officials, creates new positions not listed in the budget, and signs all contracts related to the employment of foreigners.
The members of the government who sat on the Council of Ministers at that time were responsible for the following ministries: Agriculture, Commerce, Communications, Defense, Education, Finance and National Economy, Interior, and Public Health, along with several Ministers of State—seven in 1957—including Sheikh Yusuf Yassin, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Al‑Riyadh Newspaper