A Brief History
On March 25, 1975, the King of Saudi Arabia, the country with the largest proven oil reserves in the world (and mostly highly accessible reserves at that) was assassinated by his own nephew. A key (sort of) ally of the United States in the Arab/Islamic world, Saudi Arabia was then and is now of enormous importance on the world stage.
Digging Deeper
King Faisal had taken the throne by forcing his own brother, King Saud, into a toothless role as King while Faisal acted as regent, and finally forcing Saud to abdicate in favor of Faisal in 1964. Saud had assumed the throne in 1953 when his father, King Abdulaziz, died. Abdulaziz had gone about conquering Saudi Arabia from 1902 until he established the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932. The discovery and exploitation of oil reserves took place under his reign.
Faisal and Saud were both sons of Abdulaziz, half-brothers from different mothers. When Faisal’s nephew, the son of another of his half-brothers went to embrace and kiss him, the nephew pulled a pistol and shot the King in the chin and put another bullet through the monarch’s ear. Faisal was rushed to the hospital, but died. The assassin, aptly enough named Prince Faisal, was convicted of the murder and beheaded.
The new King after Faisal was predictably enough another half-brother of King Faisal, once again another son of King Abdulaziz by another mother. In 1982, a new King was named, King Fahd, this time not one of the many sons of King Abdulaziz, but a son of the former King Saud. Believe it or not, the current King of Saudi Arabia is yet another son of the prolific King Abdulaziz, King Abdullah!
Incredible as it may seem, all but one of the Kings of Saudi Arabia have either been King Abdulaziz or one of his sons, the lone exception being Abdulaziz’s grandson. The King of Saudi Arabia is seen as keeper of the holiest places in the Islamic religion, the cities of Mecca (where no non-Muslims may enter) and Medina and is also seen as the leader of the Arab world. Any King of this oil rich kingdom has to walk a tightrope of religious and political peril, with enemies and opportunists around every corner, from family and associates to those outside of the country.
Saudi Arabia has been staunchly anti-Israel, a difference between the Kingdom and the United States. On the other hand, the Saudis have been staunchly anti-communist, a stance that served the purposes of the US during the Cold War. Islamic fundamentalists and extremists complain the Kingdom and Royal family fail to live up to the sacred role as keepers of the faith, and the Royal family and King are constantly trying to prove their devotion to Islam. The enormous size of the Royal family makes members creating embarrassment nearly impossible.
Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: Do you think there should be any country ruled by a monarchy in today’s world? What do you think about the Saudi Royal family and their tenure as rulers of Saudi Arabia? Should the US maintain close relations with a country accused of discrimination against women? What are your thoughts on this fascinating and important country?
Note: Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where women are not allowed to drive a car!
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Vassiliev, Alexei. King Faisal: Personality, Faith and Times. Saqi Books, 2013.
