Q: Your Highness, you are known to be fond of travel. When was your first trip outside the Kingdom, and do you remember its stops?
I recall that my father used to send one of his attendants at dawn to wake us up half an hour before the prayer so we could prepare for ablution and join him for the congregational prayer. His palace was in Al‑Ruways in Jeddah. But on that particular day, things were different. The attendant came an entire hour before dawn. It was my father’s loyal aide, Abdullah bin Bilal—may God have mercy on him—whose descendants still live in Al‑Nasiriyyah.
He arrived unusually early, so we asked him about the reason. He said: “Your father has flown to Taif, where King Abdulaziz is, and he ordered the plane to return to pick you up.” We realized then that something serious was happening. We boarded the plane and traveled to Taif.
Upon arrival, a car was waiting to take us to King Faisal’s former palace, which is now the government complex and King Fahd’s palace. As we descended from the airport road into Taif, something caught my attention in front of Prince Mansour Military Hospital: a crowd of citizens weeping and wiping their tears with their headcloths. I sensed that a calamity had occurred.
When we reached the bottom of the slope, I noticed that the Saudi flag had been removed from its place atop King Faisal’s palace, where King Abdulaziz resided. Only the flagpole remained. When we entered, it became clear that the King was either gravely ill or had passed away.
Inside the palace, we found King Saud and all his brothers—King Faisal, King Khalid, Prince Saad, Prince Nasser, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and the rest of the princes—gathered with my father in one room. As soon as we entered, Abdulrahman Al‑Tubaish—may God have mercy on him—received us and said: “Go in to your father and uncles and offer your condolences. Your grandfather passed away last night.”
We entered and offered condolences. By then, the princes had already pledged allegiance to King Saud, and he had appointed King Faisal as Crown Prince.
My father then said to us: “Go in and see your grandfather.” We entered and found him laid on a mattress placed on the floor. We uncovered his face and kissed his forehead. Our grief was profound and overwhelming.
After the funeral prayer was performed at the open Eid Mosque, the body of King Abdulaziz was transported to Riyadh. My father had to remain in Taif, then later traveled to Jeddah to receive official recognition of the new King and the new government from the ambassadors and consuls present in Jeddah at the time.
My uncles—Princes Faisal, Khalid, Saad, Nasser, Talal, Abdullah, Sultan, and nearly all the sons of King Abdulaziz—accompanied the body. King Faisal was very ill at the time, and his treatment was supervised by King Abdulaziz’s personal physician, Professor Milliez, the most renowned doctor in France then. I sat with him, and he showed me the medical file of King Abdulaziz, the treatments he used, and the illnesses he suffered from, as well as King Saud’s file. I was also receiving treatment from him, and he still has the files to this day. He held King Abdulaziz in great esteem, as he did all members of the royal family whom he treated.
I remember sitting with my father, who had no residence in Taif. He stayed in a place called Jabrah behind Shabrah, a palace that had served as King Faisal’s office. Abdullah Al‑Sulayman had leased it from the authorities for one hundred pounds for one hundred years. The palace had a swimming pool where we used to swim regularly.
Later, my father traveled to Jeddah, where we stayed in the palaces of Abdullah and Mohammed Al‑Sulayman—may God have mercy on them. He held his gatherings there. There was also King Abdulaziz’s palace, known as the Green Palace, which was old and housed his mother and some of his family members.
My father remained there for about seven days, receiving between four and six non‑Saudi ambassadors daily, who came to offer condolences from all parts of the Makkah region. Delegations arrived continuously day and night, and three reception halls were designated for them.
After the mourning period ended, we flew to Riyadh. From the airport, we went directly to Al‑‘Ud Cemetery to check on King Abdulaziz’s grave. My father was accompanied by Sheikh Ibn Faris, the cemetery’s custodian. I remember my father carrying a cane resembling bamboo. He drew a line next to King Abdulaziz’s grave and said: “This spot is a trust, Ibn Faris.”
Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz—may God preserve him—was with my father at the time. Indeed, when King Saud—may God have mercy on him—passed away and his body arrived from Greece, Prince Salman said to me: “Look, Mohammed, we buried King Saud in the spot he reserved beside his father.” Next to them is buried King Abdulaziz’s sister, Noura, and beside them their father, Imam Abdulrahman Al‑Faisal—may God have mercy on them all.
Q: Were any governmental arrangements made upon your return to Riyadh?
Yes. After our arrival in Riyadh, my father formed the first government. Prince Abdullah bin Abdulrahman was a member and advisor to the King. The first Council of Ministers meeting in the Kingdom was held then. Before King Abdulaziz’s death, there were only three ministers: Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Viceroy in the Hijaz; Abdullah Al‑Sulayman, a general minister with multiple portfolios; and Prince Mansour bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Defense.
In the absence of ministers, King Abdulaziz relied on several advisors, including Yusuf Shahin, Rushdi Mahlas, Ibn Dughaythir, and Hamzah Ghawth, an expert in international politics—all of whom have passed away. The head of the Royal Court was Abdulrahman Al‑Tubaish, assisted by Saleh bin Shalhoub. This is what I remember from my childhood.
Q: Your Highness, you held several important positions and contributed to organizing various government institutions, especially military ones, during your tenure as Minister of Defense and Aviation. Could you share your contributions and memories from military life?
I was the third person to serve as Minister of Defense. I had previously worked at the Royal Court, and my father—may God have mercy on him—transferred me to the Ministry of Defense after my brother Fahd bin Saud, who worked there, resigned. Before him, Prince Mishaal bin Abdulaziz had held the post.
My deputies were Major General Ibrahim Al‑Tassan—may God have mercy on him—who was my military assistant, and Sheikh Ibn Saleh, who handled civil affairs. There were competent officers and a military academy headed by Ali Al‑Sha’er, the former Minister of Information.
During my tenure, the first Boeing jet aircraft arrived for Saudi Arabian Airlines. We secured two aircraft originally intended for Ethiopia, but their airports were not yet equipped to receive them. The Minister of Finance at the time, Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz—may God preserve him—recommended purchasing these aircraft. Three types were offered: American Boeing, British Comet, and a French aircraft. Prince Talal, in consultation with my father, chose the two Boeings. They arrived at Dhahran Airport, which had an American mission and was equipped to receive such aircraft.
The airport was leased to the American mission for ten million dollars per year.
We were among the first countries to use these aircraft in our fleet after Lebanon. Later, Egypt acquired Comet aircraft, and Boeing jets soon became widespread.
Nahar Nassar was, as I recall, the youngest pilot in the world to fly a Saudi jet. It happened that King Saud was in the United States for medical examinations, and Nassar piloted one of these jets on the King’s return flight to Riyadh. He then flew back again to bring a second jet, despite the presence of an American pilot—such was his passion and skill.
Source: Okaz Newspaper, 2 Muharram 1421 AH