His Royal Highness the Crown Prince with His Sons
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Prince Saud, devotes great care to his sons and to the sons of the nation. He works tirelessly for the spread of education throughout Saudi Arabia and accords special attention to elevating standards of upbringing across all social classes.
In one of his statements, His Royal Highness said: “The upbringing and education of the sons of my nation, from one end of the Kingdom to the other, take precedence over the upbringing and education of my own sons. I pray that God will fulfill our hopes so that we may follow the path that leads to the eradication of ignorance — a task that requires both gentleness and foresight.”
In pursuit of his far‑reaching educational vision, His Royal Highness ordered the establishment of a school for his sons, open also to the sons of the people close to the Court. He set for it a curriculum that expanded as the children advanced, enabling the school to make significant progress. As is well known, the school observes the child’s behavior, refines his character, and guides him toward virtue with dedication, firmness, and integrity.
Outside the school, each of His Royal Highness’s sons is accompanied by a personal attendant responsible for his upbringing, moral guidance, horsemanship, and athletic training. These attendants were appointed only after careful examination of their conduct, character, and public and private behavior. His Royal Highness meets them weekly to deliver instructions and valuable guidance regarding the children. Among his words, may God preserve him: “A man is defined by his morals and manners. Instill noble qualities in them and guide them toward manliness, dignity, and honor.”
His Royal Highness also instructed each attendant to ensure that the children perform their prayers on time. At sunrise, he would inspect them one by one; once gathered around him, he invited them to breakfast before they proceeded to school at one o’clock in the morning, remaining there until five. The school followed the standard system of the Ministry of Education in organizing time and distributing lessons. Afterward, they returned to take lunch with their father and perform the noon prayer with him, then went back to school until the afternoon prayer, which they also performed with him. His Royal Highness is committed to raising his sons with exemplary religious discipline, permitting them to pray only with him during all five obligatory prayers.
A prominent figure once observed the presence of the young princes with their father during the evening and dawn prayers. Admiring this, he remarked that while such discipline aligns with religious teaching, some of the princes were under five years old, and attending night prayers might be difficult for them. His Royal Highness replied: “A child’s righteousness depends on proper upbringing. Instilling love for prayer makes it a natural habit that he will not neglect when he becomes a grown man, God willing. By God, when I see my young son performing his bowing and prostration correctly, I feel deep joy, for it reflects their readiness and acceptance — praise be to God — of the true faith and sound creed.”
Source: Al‑Madina Newspaper, 8 Dhū al‑Ḥijjah 1369 AH / 21 September 1950 AD.