From the recollections of ʿAbdulaziz al‑Hazzāʿ regarding King Saud—may God have mercy upon them both
When he was admitted to the Orphans’ Home in Riyadh during the reign of King ʿAbdulaziz, may God have mercy on him, he found that some basic necessities were lacking for the residents. He and a group of his companions planned to submit a complaint to the Founder. At the gate of the palace—which was open to all—the guards informed them that His Majesty was receiving an official guest. They therefore decided to go to the Crown Prince, King Saud, may God have mercy on him.
He received them with a smile and warm welcome, listened attentively to all their needs and to what the home lacked, and not only ensured that their requirements were met, but also ordered that those responsible for the shortcomings be held accountable.
Al‑Hazzāʿ added:
“The first performance that earned me widespread fame among the public was the play ‘A Bedouin on the Airplane’. People believed that the roles were performed by more than one person, though it was only me. I presented this play before King Saud during his visit to the Eastern Province. I performed all the roles in front of him, and a smile never left his face. He admired the performance and my talent greatly and rewarded me generously with one thousand silver riyals—a substantial sum at the time. The King even requested that the play be recorded on cassette so he could take it with him to his residence. He later summoned me to his palace in Dammam, where I performed it again in the presence of his family and guests, proving to everyone that the voices were all mine.”
He continued:
“King Saud ibn ʿAbdulaziz—may God have mercy on him—was among those who admired and encouraged me from the moment I performed ‘A Bedouin on the Airplane’ before him during his visit to the Eastern Province in the 1950s. He was impressed by my talent, granted me a large reward for that era, and asked that the play be recorded so he could surprise his family and guests with it.”
Al‑Hazzāʿ also performed the same play from behind the curtain during the graduation ceremony of a class of officers at the King ʿAbdulaziz Military College in Riyadh in the 1950s, in the presence of King Saud. Among the guests were King Faisal II of Iraq and his uncle and Crown Prince, Prince ʿAbd al‑Ilāh. When the Iraqi guests learned that the performance was done by a single actor, they were astonished and requested a recorded copy to take back to Iraq.
When the Iraqi royal family and their guests listened to the recording in Baghdad, they too doubted that one man could perform all the voices. To settle the matter, King Faisal II asked King Saud to permit al‑Hazzāʿ to travel to Baghdad and perform ‘A Bedouin on the Airplane’ before the royal family at the al‑Rihab and al‑Zuhur palaces. He even sent a private plane to Riyadh to bring him.
Al‑Hazzāʿ recounted:
“When the plane landed in Baghdad, I found the Saudi Embassy’s car waiting for me, along with a representative from the Iraqi Ministry of Information. He greeted me with a smile and asked about my troupe, and I replied: ‘It is all inside me.’ We then went to the palace, where Prince ʿAbd al‑Ilāh awaited us. When I entered the hall, I was surprised to find the entire royal family present. I was unsettled, as I was not accustomed to performing in the presence of unveiled women, each holding a recorder. I sat confused for a moment, then gathered myself and began. I spent wonderful days in Baghdad, staying at the al‑Rashid Hotel for two full months, visiting the royal family and performing for them, until longing for my homeland overtook me.”
He asked the Saudi ambassador to request permission from King Faisal II for his return. The King agreed, on the condition that al‑Hazzāʿ record material for Iraqi Radio, and he also performed the play on Iraqi television after the public doubted that one man could perform all the roles.
A week after his return to Saudi Arabia, the Iraqi Revolution erupted, during which King Faisal II, Prince ʿAbd al‑Ilāh, and several members of the royal family were killed.
Al‑Hazzāʿ said:
“When I went to greet King Saud after returning from abroad, he joked with me: ‘It seems you are a bad omen for Iraq.’ I immediately replied: ‘What does Your Majesty think—shall you send me to Israel? Perhaps the misfortune I bring will reach them.’ The King laughed, as did everyone present.”
May God have mercy on them all.