Abdulaziz Al‑Barqawi recounts the following story, which he heard from a man who met King Saud during the King’s journey from Riyadh to Taif—a time when automobiles were still a rarity. The man had resolved to meet King Saud during this trip, knowing the King’s well‑known generosity.
The man spent three days in the open desert waiting for the royal convoy to pass. He would place his ear to the ground to detect the distant sound of approaching vehicles. Eventually, the opportunity came: the King and his convoy were finally in sight.
The man said: “I ran until I was close to the convoy, signaling with both hands, not knowing which car the King was in.”
As the cars passed, he noticed a distinctive gold‑trimmed headband (‘iqāl muqaṣṣab) in one of the vehicles. The convoy stopped, and a car reversed toward him—inside was King Saud himself.
The King asked him:
“What’s wrong with you, Bedouin?”
The man, his mouth dry from fear and exhaustion, replied:
“Please, O son of Abdulaziz, I seek your protection—I seek your protection.”
The King responded:
“You have it.”
The man continued:
“I seek your protection from poverty.”
King Saud turned to an item beside him and said:
“Lift your bag.”
The man lifted his shilīl (a traditional leather pouch), and the King began filling it with money—so much that the man’s back bent under its weight.
Then the King said:
“Bedouin, if God enriches you, it is God who enriches—not Saud.”