From 11 to 18 May 1957, King Saud bin Abdulaziz, the Saudi monarch, visited Iraq accompanied by a large delegation. During the visit, he held talks with the Iraqi monarch King Faisal II, the Crown Prince Prince ‘Abd al‑Ilah, and Prime Minister Nuri al‑Said.
An Iraqi honor delegation had departed earlier on a special plane to Riyadh to accompany King Saud on his journey to Iraq. The delegation was headed by Dr. Abdullah al‑Damlouji, Iraq’s roving envoy.
Seven princes accompanied King Saud on his visit:
Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz,
Prince Mishaal bin Abdulaziz,
Prince Mohammed bin Saud Al Saud,
Prince Mohammed, son of King Saud,
Prince Saad bin Saud,
Prince Turki Al Saud,
and others.
Ceremonial Events and Military Displays
A luncheon was held in honor of King Saud at Habbaniyah, attended by King Faisal II, Crown Prince ‘Abd al‑Ilah, and Prime Minister Nuri al‑Said. Before the luncheon, the Saudi monarch watched an aerial display and the parachute landing of several Iraqi paratroopers, led by Major Qaylan Ahmad Madhat, commander of the paratroopers, who were received personally by King Saud.
The King then visited the Equestrian Club in al‑Mansour, where he watched a race of purebred Arabian horses. King Saud and King Faisal II jointly presented awards to the winners.
Meeting with Iraqi Religious Scholars
A delegation of prominent Iraqi religious scholars visited King Saud at his residence in Qasr al‑Zuhur. The delegation included:
- Sheikh Amjad al‑Zahawi
- Najm al‑Din al‑Wa‘iz
- Abdulaziz al‑Shawwaf
- Muhammad al‑Qazlaji
- Abdulhamid al‑Atroshi
- Abdullah al‑Shaykhli
- Muhammad Mahmoud al‑Sawwaf
King Saud emphasized to them the necessity of spreading the true Islamic creed among the people, enjoining good and forbidding evil. He said:
“I pledge before God to strive and work for Islamic causes, and to uphold the Qur’an and the Sunnah.”
Military Review and Equestrian Events
King Saud also attended a military parade of the Iraqi Army and expressed admiration for the combat capabilities of the Iraqi armed forces.
He later attended another equestrian event at the Hunting Club in al‑Mansour, accompanied by King Faisal II and Crown Prince ‘Abd al‑Ilah. Once again, King Saud and King Faisal II presented awards to the winners.
Farewell Gift
Upon King Saud’s departure, King Faisal II presented him with a rare, jewel‑encrusted sword as a farewell gift.
Joint Iraqi–Saudi Communiqué
A joint communiqué was issued stating:
“In response to the invitation of His Majesty King Faisal II, King of the Kingdom of Iraq, His Majesty King Saud, King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, visited his brother King Faisal II from 12–19 Shawwal 1376, corresponding to 11–18 May 1957.
This visit marked the beginning of a new era in Arab relations between the two countries, bound by the strongest ties of neighborhood, nationalism, and history.”
Both sides agreed on:
- Full adherence to the Arab League Charter, collective security, the UN Charter, and the resolutions of the Bandung Conference.
- Upholding all agreements and treaties between the two countries “in letter and spirit.”
- Protecting their independence, spiritual values, and Islamic heritage.
- Resisting all forms of foreign intervention in their internal affairs.
- Recognizing Zionism, subversive ideologies, and colonialism as threats to the Arab nation.
- Working to unify Arab ranks and strengthen Arab solidarity.
- Supporting the Algerian people in their struggle for freedom and independence.
- Preserving Arab rights in the Gulf of Aqaba, described as a closed Arab gulf connected to Islamic holy places, and preventing Israel from violating it by all possible means.
- Ensuring that no Arab state interferes in the internal affairs of another.
- Agreeing to prevent the flow of oil to Israel from Arab and Islamic sources.
Nuri al‑Said’s Press Conference
After King Saud’s departure, Nuri al‑Said held a press conference on 18 May 1957, lasting more than ninety minutes and attended by dozens of journalists and news agency correspondents who had come to Baghdad to cover the visit. He expressed great satisfaction with the discussions held with King Saud.
One notable outcome of the visit was a Saudi request for Iraq to supply water to Riyadh. The Iraqi cabinet, chaired by Nuri al‑Said, convened immediately and approved the request, expressing readiness to provide all facilities for this vital project, which involved extending water pipelines from Iraq to Riyadh.
This project had originally been proposed during the 1931 meeting between King Faisal I and King Abdulaziz Al Saud, when Nuri al‑Said was also Prime Minister. Financial limitations at the time prevented its implementation.
In 1957, the project resurfaced, and Nuri al‑Said welcomed it enthusiastically. However, Saudi Arabia later abandoned the plan due to the discovery of significant groundwater resources within the Kingdom.
Source: Al‑Abbasiya News