The world erupted in turmoil, and the Cold War shifted into the Middle East. The newly independent Afro‑Asian states raised their voices, demanding that colonial powers withdraw from their colonies and grant peoples the right to self‑determination—a principle first articulated in Wilson’s 1919 memorandum following the First World War.
In Egypt, President Gamal Abdel Nasser seized control of the state, dissolved all political parties, and suppressed both the Muslim Brotherhood and the communists. In Syria, partisan conflict reached its peak, with coups constantly looming. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, certain left‑leaning tendencies began spreading their doctrines. In Lebanon, the struggle for political “seats” persisted, and the population remained divided, as usual. Meanwhile, Israel engaged in intermittent border skirmishes with Syria and Jordan. Such was the condition of the Arab East—perched on the edge of a volcano.
In the Far East, Prime Minister Nehru extolled the philosophy of neutrality, while Indonesian President Ahmed Sukarno championed the Five Principles. Zhou Enlai, the Chinese leader, relied on the weight of China’s vast population and demographic power. Together, these leaders across Africa and Asia expressed the aspirations of the overwhelming majority of the world’s awakened, resentful, and anti‑colonial peoples, and the echoes of their agitation reverberated through the capitals of the major powers.
In Washington, U.S. foreign policy aimed at eliminating communism. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles firmly believed that only military alliances could form an effective barrier against it. Thus, he pursued a policy of alliances—from NATO to the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, and then to the Baghdad Pact.
In London, Britain continued to waver—lagging behind the global tide—between resistance and retreat. With no room left for further advance, the policy of positive neutrality began to take effect, and the principles of self‑determination were gaining ground everywhere.
As for Moscow, despite leading the Warsaw Pact, it stood at the forefront of those attacking Western alliances. It sought, by every means available, to ignite conflict among ruling elites and to provoke class struggle whenever and wherever circumstances allowed.
From this international struggle, it was natural for a third force to emerge—one that adopted a position of neutrality, especially since its constituent states viewed both competing superpowers as covetous of them, each seeking to dominate the resources of the developing world at the expense of the other.
Out of this painful reality arose the philosophy of “positive neutrality,” or the “third force,” led by three figures: Gamal Abdel Nasser, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Ahmed Sukarno.
On 18 April 1955, the Bandung Conference convened. Six hundred delegates representing twenty‑nine Asian and African states gathered in Jakarta—states whose populations constituted three‑fifths of the world and whose lands were rich in energy resources and natural wealth, with histories deeply rooted in the ancient civilizations of humanity.
The conference examined all the afflictions plaguing the developing nations and adopted the principle of decolonization. President Nasser, leveraging his influence and personal authority, succeeded in placing the Palestinian issue on the agenda.
King Saud did not personally attend the Bandung Conference; instead, he delegated his Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Prince Faisal, to represent him. The conference adopted the principle of complete neutrality and endorsed the Five Principles, which significantly shaped the pursuit of national objectives in Asian and African countries.
Source: The History of King Saud, by Salim Wakim.