By: Mohamed Salah El‑Din
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of EgyptThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the most glorious of all lands without exception, and the dearest to the hearts of Arabs and Muslims. Within it stands the Sacred Kaaba, to which believers from every corner of the earth make pilgrimage, and toward which they turn in prayer five times a day. And within it lies the tomb of the noble Messenger, Muhammad ibn Abdullah, whom God sent with clear signs as guidance and mercy to all creation.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia—Arabia itself—is the cradle of all Arabs. To it they belong, despite the differences of their homelands and regions. Their souls and spirits remain tied to it, even if distance grows and worldly ties weaken over the years.
In this barren peninsula the Arabs arose thousands of years ago. Here their character and virtues were shaped: generosity, courage, pride in lineage, dignity, and a deep love of freedom. These are noble qualities, though they were often marred by unrestrained individualism—understandable among desert dwellers—which led them to quarrel, feud, and boast arrogantly, taking pride even in wrongdoing and falling into grave sins, including associating partners with God. Truly, “polytheism is a great injustice.”
Then God willed abundant good for this land and sent forth from among its own people an Arab Prophet who embodied all the virtues of his nation and was free of its faults—a man of exalted character, worthy of the divine revelation entrusted to him.
Through the verses of revelation and the character of the Messenger, the Arab nation was brought from darkness into light, from the humiliation of ignorance to the honor of Islam. God addressed them in His Book: “And hold fast to the rope of God, all of you, and do not be divided. And remember God’s favor upon you: when you were enemies, He united your hearts, and by His grace you became brothers.”
With faith and unity, the Arabs raised the banner of Islam, and Islam raised the banner of the Arabs. They reached heights of knowledge, civilization, strength, and vast dominion unmatched by earlier nations. Yet later they grew complacent, neglected God’s remembrance, and abandoned His firm rope. Thus His displeasure befell them—not because God wronged them, but because they wronged themselves.
Their wisdom faded, their power vanished, and they fell to the bottom of nations after having been at their head. They lost their independence and unity, and foreign powers divided their lands and ruled over them. But foreign domination awakened their spirits, and they rose again across all their lands to reclaim their sovereignty, unity, and ancient glory.
Among the Arab lands that rose was the Arabian Peninsula, and its revival came at the hands of a great man: the late King Abdulaziz Al Saud.
The Emirate of Najd itself had been lost to his family. Yet before he reached twenty, he set out to reclaim it. With no more than forty men, he recaptured Riyadh, the capital of Najd. He besieged the city with most of them and scaled its walls with only seven. Riyadh fell to the courage of this singular man and his small band.
It was a miracle of daring and sound judgment, and the beginning of abundant good. From victory to victory, Abdulaziz built the great kingdom that stands today in the Arabian Peninsula.
He consolidated his rule with firmness and resolve, but also with forgiveness, wisdom, and the winning of hearts. In war he was a fierce wind; in peace a gentle spirit; in judgment a man of penetrating insight and patient prudence. Fortune smiled upon him, and in his time the Arabian Peninsula flourished. This yellow desert, this barren land, was granted by God abundant blessings: black gold flowed from its depths until Arabia became the richest land in petroleum—the lifeblood of modern civilization.
When Abdulaziz passed to his Lord, he left behind a strong, stable, youthful, industrious, prosperous kingdom, thriving under the shade of security and peace.
Before Abdulaziz, Arabia had been in a state of unrest, poverty, stagnation, and confusion—much like its condition in the days of pre‑Islamic ignorance. Pessimists feared for the kingdom after his death: the burden was heavy, his sons were many, and the void he left was immense. But God, the All‑Knowing, disappointed the pessimists and willed only good for the kingdom.
The lion’s cubs gathered around the eldest, supporting him with loyalty and devotion, as a bracelet encircles a wrist. The eldest son had matured during his father’s lifetime—indeed, he had become a second image of his great father: his stature, his features, his demeanor, his mind, his spirit, his dignity, his resolve, and his wisdom. And the new king, Saud bin Abdulaziz, echoed the words of Moses: “Appoint for me a minister from my family—Aaron, my brother. Strengthen me through him, and let him share my task, so that we may glorify You much and remember You much. Truly, You have always been watchful over us.”
Today the caravan moves forward by God’s blessing. The eyes of Arabs and Muslims follow it, and their hearts watch over it from every land. Is not the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia—the Arabian Peninsula—the cradle of the Arabs? Is it not home to the Kaaba, the qibla of believers? Is it not the resting place of the noble Prophet?
Yes—and Arabs and Muslims rejoice to know that the caravan advances in prosperity, stability, and security. They rejoice to hear good news from it and about it. They rejoice to hear King Saud proclaim that Israel is a malignant cancer in the heart of the Middle East, and that it must be removed even at the cost of many noble lives.
Blessings upon this noble king—blessings upon this great Arab.
King Saud of Arabia does not forget the great calamity that befell all Arabs when they were expelled from their homes in Palestine in a manner unmatched in history for injustice and tyranny. He does not forget the Arab refugees and the suffering, humiliation, and deprivation they endure. He, the guardian of the second qibla, does not forget the first qibla of Muslims—and no Muslim can ever forget it.
Arabs and Muslims are not obstinate; their religion is one of love and purity. But they refuse humiliation and will not accept oppression. They are not extremists, but they will not be victims of extremism.
These reflections—some joyful, some sorrowful—were shaped in my mind as I contemplated the character of King Saud bin Abdulaziz. Naturally, I must also recall thoughts that concern us Egyptians.
All the world knows that Egypt and Saudi Arabia have never differed on any detail of foreign policy since the founding of the Arab League. The late King Abdulaziz never missed an opportunity to defend Egypt’s cause. He defended it—and all Arab causes—when he met President Roosevelt on Egyptian soil during the Second World War. He defended it when Egypt presented its case to the UN Security Council in 1947. He defended it during the negotiations of 1950–1951. And he defended it most gloriously when Egypt abrogated the 1936 Treaty and during the Canal events. He would always say to the British and their American allies: “The Middle East will never know stability until the burden of occupation is lifted from Egypt.”
King Saud inherited from his forefathers a love for Egypt and Arab unity. He followed his great father’s path in defending Egypt’s just cause—evacuation and the unity of Egypt and Sudan. But he went even further.
While the United States worked to divide the Arabs and isolate Egypt, pressuring some Arab states to make peace with Israel; while the Turkish‑Pakistani pact was announced and Iraq seemed inclined to join it; while these maneuvers unfolded in the Middle East—King Saud issued his decisive declaration on Israel, rejected American aid, and explained clearly that Saudi Arabia could not accept such aid until Egypt’s cause was resolved through the evacuation of British forces.
O great king—you are truly of noble character and upright path. Egypt and the Arab nation will never forget this noble stand.
As for those who imagine that Egypt and Saudi Arabia form a bloc within the Arab League, they are gravely mistaken. The truth is simply that both nations walk a straight path, following what they know to be the will of the Arab peoples. They rejoice whenever any Arab government joins this path, for it is the only true road to Arab independence and comprehensive unity.