During the reign of King Saud, a man named Saeed bin Farhan Al‑Wud‘ani, known as ‘Walad Bitla’, served as a guard in the Emirate of Al‑Baha. He was his mother’s only son. At the time, a dangerous criminal—known for selling alcohol, assaulting women, and believed by some to practice sorcery—had evaded arrest for more than five years. The Emir of Al‑Baha issued an order to capture him dead or alive.
When a group of men went to apprehend him, the criminal opened fire and wounded one of them. Saeed responded, shot him, and the criminal died. Saeed was imprisoned and sentenced to execution.
His mother traveled to King Saud, unveiled her face before him in supplication, and pleaded: ‘O our father, King Saud, he is my only son. He carried out the state’s order, and now they want to execute him.’
King Saud replied: ‘If what you say is true, then rejoice—your son will be saved.’
He summoned the Emir of Al‑Baha and questioned him. Fearing the King’s inquiry, the Emir hid the written order of “dead or alive,” but King Saud sensed the truth. He warned him: ‘By God, if I learn—even fifty years from now—that you issued such an order, I will hold you and all your officials accountable.’ Terrified, the Emir confessed.
King Saud then ordered: ‘Send the woman and her son to Mecca for Hajj in a state vehicle, and release him.’
The Emir told the mother: ‘Go and receive your son. If you cannot travel, we will bring him to you.’
She replied: ‘No—I will go to Hajj with him.’
She performed Hajj with her son and passed away a month later.
From that day, nearly every household in Al‑Sulayyil named a son ‘Saud’.
When King Saud later visited Al‑Sulayyil—the first king ever to do so—he was greeted by my grandfather, Amer bin Muhammad (Amer bin Sarah). When the King jokingly asked how he could pledge allegiance after seeing him only once, my grandfather replied: ‘A king who stands up for a helpless woman and saves her son—this is a king we pledge to, even at the cost of our lives.’
King Saud granted him a monthly stipend, giving him one thousand riyals instead of the usual one hundred.
During the Yemen war in King Faisal’s era, the stipends stopped. When my father, Abdullah, a retired colonel, considered requesting its reinstatement, my grandfather said: ‘Our country is at war. If we do not give to it now, we should not take from it.’
My grandfather’s brother later fought in the Jazan war and was martyred. These events cemented the tradition: every household in Al‑Sulayyil named a son Saud, and many performed Hajj and Umrah on his behalf.
May God grant King Saud the highest place in Paradise.”
— Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Amer Al‑Humeil Al‑Wud‘ani
When a group of men went to apprehend him, the criminal opened fire and wounded one of them. Saeed responded, shot him, and the criminal died. Saeed was imprisoned and sentenced to execution.
His mother traveled to King Saud, unveiled her face before him in supplication, and pleaded: ‘O our father, King Saud, he is my only son. He carried out the state’s order, and now they want to execute him.’
King Saud replied: ‘If what you say is true, then rejoice—your son will be saved.’
He summoned the Emir of Al‑Baha and questioned him. Fearing the King’s inquiry, the Emir hid the written order of “dead or alive,” but King Saud sensed the truth. He warned him: ‘By God, if I learn—even fifty years from now—that you issued such an order, I will hold you and all your officials accountable.’ Terrified, the Emir confessed.
King Saud then ordered: ‘Send the woman and her son to Mecca for Hajj in a state vehicle, and release him.’
The Emir told the mother: ‘Go and receive your son. If you cannot travel, we will bring him to you.’
She replied: ‘No—I will go to Hajj with him.’
She performed Hajj with her son and passed away a month later.
From that day, nearly every household in Al‑Sulayyil named a son ‘Saud’.
When King Saud later visited Al‑Sulayyil—the first king ever to do so—he was greeted by my grandfather, Amer bin Muhammad (Amer bin Sarah). When the King jokingly asked how he could pledge allegiance after seeing him only once, my grandfather replied: ‘A king who stands up for a helpless woman and saves her son—this is a king we pledge to, even at the cost of our lives.’
King Saud granted him a monthly stipend, giving him one thousand riyals instead of the usual one hundred.
During the Yemen war in King Faisal’s era, the stipends stopped. When my father, Abdullah, a retired colonel, considered requesting its reinstatement, my grandfather said: ‘Our country is at war. If we do not give to it now, we should not take from it.’
My grandfather’s brother later fought in the Jazan war and was martyred. These events cemented the tradition: every household in Al‑Sulayyil named a son Saud, and many performed Hajj and Umrah on his behalf.
May God grant King Saud the highest place in Paradise.”
— Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Amer Al‑Humeil Al‑Wud‘ani