Fahd's half-brother, Crown Prince Emir Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, who had effectively ruled the country for the last ten years, was declared the new king of Saudi Arabia. He took the oath at the royal council. According to the rules of inheritance in Saudi Arabia, power passes from brother to brother according to seniority. Defense Minister Prince Sultan, next in seniority to Abdullah, became crown prince.
King Fahd's serious health problems began ten years ago. And all these years, the king’s health inevitably deteriorated. In 1995, he suffered a stroke and Fahd was virtually bedridden. At the same time, he officially delegated powers to govern the state to Crown Prince Abdullah. Thus, significantly facilitating the process of succession of power in the kingdom and making it clear that Saudi Arabia will continue to develop along the path defined by its father, the founder of the state, Abdul Aziz Al Saud.
Few people know that the kingdom owes its name to the Saudi dynasty, of which the deceased king was a descendant. But even less is known that Fahd was not just the king of Saudi Arabia. Since 1986, he changed the title "Your Majesty" to the official title of "Custodian of the Two Holy Cities - Mecca and Medina."
One of the three richest people in the world, Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was born in Riyadh in 1923. His first acquaintance with the basics of Islam took place in Mecca. Fahd attended a private school for members of the royal family. And he began his career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He served as Minister of Education and Minister of Internal Affairs. He headed the Supreme National Security Council, the Supreme Council for Petroleum Affairs, and the Supreme Council for Education of Saudi Arabia. In March 1975, following the death of King Faisal and the rise to power of his half-brother, King Khaled, Fahd was declared crown prince. After the death of King Khaled in 1982, he, precisely due to the specifics of heredity, moved to the royal throne from the chair of the second deputy prime minister of Saudi Arabia. Fahd simultaneously headed the country's government, became Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Supreme Judge. The king had three wives and thirteen children: 6 sons and 7 daughters.
You can fully imagine the scale of this loss knowing the authority Fahd enjoyed in Saudi Arabia and the Arab world. It was under Fahd that Saudi Arabia became the world's largest producer of "black gold". By the way, the news of the king’s death caused a sharp increase in oil prices in the world. While Fahd has been a supporter of the policy of containing oil prices in recent years.
It was under Fahd that the largest state in the Persian Gulf by area turned into a real regional political “colossus”, without taking into account whose opinion not a single key decision was made in the Arab world. Largely thanks to his personal participation in the Saudi city of Taif, an agreement was signed that ended the civil war in Lebanon. In 1991 he was named the most outstanding Arab political figure, and in 1995 he was recognized as a “man of Islam.” The king was awarded the highest Palestinian order, the Star of Honor, for his contribution to solving the Palestinian problem.
In recent years, due to serious illness, Fahd did not travel abroad and was practically not involved in the country’s foreign policy, placing it entirely in the care of Prince Abdullah. At the same time, he did not lose sight of the internal problems of the state.
Saudi Arabia has its own “underwater” political currents, which were once skillfully “resolved” by King Fahd. A year ago, the Western press, citing sources close to the Saudi opposition in London, reported that in the event of the death of King Fahd, a serious struggle for power could not be ruled out - against the ruling Saudi dynasty.
However, a few days before the death of the king, one of the most powerful politicians in Saudi Arabia was sent on a long-term business trip overseas. Prince Turki al-Faisal, the creator and long-time head of the Saudi intelligence services, brother of Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, was appointed ambassador of the kingdom to the United States. Some analysts believe that behind this decision there may well be Abdullah’s desire, agreed with the king, to simply “move away from the royal chambers” for some time a man who enjoys enormous influence in the country’s security forces. Moreover, during a period of political turmoil, inevitably caused by the death of the monarch, who alone held the reins of government of the kingdom in his hands.
By the way
Abdullah has a reputation as a moderate and adequate politician. Under him, the first municipal elections were held in the country, and the composition and powers of the Majlis al-Shura, the Saudi equivalent of parliament, were expanded. Last year he tried to allow women to drive.
Saudi Arabia plunged into mourning. On Monday morning it became known that after a serious and long illness, King Fahd bin Abdulaziz al-Saud died at the age of 80-odd years. In 1995, the monarch suffered a severe stroke, after which he actually retired from governing the country. Since then, all power has been concentrated in the hands of Crown Prince Abdullah, who has already been declared the successor of the deceased.
“It is with sadness and sadness that the Royal Household, on behalf of the Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, on behalf of all members of the family, as well as on behalf of the nation, announce the death of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Fahd bin Abdulaziz,” - says a published statement from the Royal Court.
Peaceful change of power
The death of the monarch became known early in the morning. One of the first foreign rulers to be informed of what had happened was US President George W. Bush. Saudi Arabia has huge oil reserves and is the world's largest exporter. In addition, for the United States, the kingdom is one of the key partners in the Arab world. The country is home to American military bases, which played a significant role in preparing for the invasion of Iraq.
Since the end of May, Fahd has been in the King Faisal Hospital. According to some reports, the monarch had an acute form of pneumonia with further complications. From time to time, official sources stated that Fahd's health was improving and he was about to be discharged. But everyone understood that things were coming to an inevitable conclusion.
The expected division of the extensive family inheritance did not happen. The de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah, officially became king. Defense Minister Prince Sultan has now been appointed Crown Prince.
Royal destiny
Fahd was one of the seven sons of the first king of Saudi Arabia, Abdulaziz, and his beloved wife Hassa, one of the 22 wives of the founder of the al-Saud dynasty. Fahd's three brothers were also kings, one of whom was overthrown in a coup d'état and the other killed in a conspiracy. Fahd himself had only five wives, who bore him six sons and four daughters.
Fahd ascended the throne in 1982. He became the fifth king of Saudi Arabia at a difficult time for the monarchy. The country began to lose its influence in the Muslim world after the emergence of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979. Conservative circles accused the ruling family of being too liberal and subject to Western values to lead a state on whose territory the most important Muslim shrines are located.
The turn of the 1970s and 80s marked the birth of modern Islamic extremism. This phenomenon was further fueled by the confrontation between the USSR and the USA in the region. And one of the main destabilizing factors was the war in Afghanistan. It was there that Osama bin Laden, a native of a wealthy Saudi family, made a name for himself as an extremist ideologist.
Fahd, as stated in his official biography, actively supported the Mujahideen who fought the Soviet troops. Saudi Arabia transferred large sums of money to support jihad warriors, and the country announced a call for volunteers willing to stand up for the honor of the true faith.
Throughout his career, Fahd had to navigate between local religious conservatives, on the one hand, and Western allies, on the other. To strengthen his authority, the Saudi monarch added to himself the title of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques - the most revered tombs in the Islamic world, located in Mecca and Medina. Every year, millions of Muslims make the Hajj pilgrimage to visit the resting place of the Prophet Mohammed, the founder of Islam.
In addition, Fahd established a moral police in the country, which monitors compliance with Sharia law (these laws, in particular, require women to wear a burqa and not communicate with men outside the family. Also, the royal court began to transfer multimillion-dollar donations to various religious foundations and sponsor major Islamic universities.
At the same time, Fahd agreed to establish American military bases in the kingdom after the Iraqi attack on Kuwait in 1990. This step caused sharp protests from radicals, which have not subsided to this day. All this became a breeding ground for the formation of terrorist cells in the kingdom.
A reformer king?
Meanwhile, Abdullah, who in fact, as already mentioned, came to power in 1995, takes a tougher position towards extremists. He also continued to develop the partnership with Washington that Fahd had built. Abdullah had to prove his commitment to the fight against terrorism after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in America. Then fifteen of the nineteen terrorists who hijacked passenger planes and flew them to the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington turned out to be citizens of Saudi Arabia.
According to the White House, much of the blame for the rise in Islamic extremism lies with Wahhabis, who are adherents of the most conservative brand of Sunni Islam. This movement is the official religion in Saudi Arabia.
Abdullah eventually had to lead the fight against radicals in his own country. In May 2003, terrorists detonated bombs in residential areas of the country's capital, Riyadh, where Western specialists lived. Following this, a whole wave of attacks carried out by bin Laden's followers swept across the country.
In response, Saudi intelligence services carried out a series of punitive operations against extremists. In addition, Abdullah launched a campaign against those preachers who justify terrorist attacks.
Abdullah is considered one of the main initiators of reforms in the kingdom, where a large number of social and political contradictions accumulated during Fahd's reign. However, both Muslim clerics and many members of the royal family oppose major changes. It was they who insisted that Fahd remain on the throne until his death, so as not to legally hand over the reins of power to Abdullah ahead of time.
The new king will have to continue the fight against Islamic extremism, whose representatives adhere not only to anti-Western, but also anti-monarchist views. Abdullah will also have to find ways to confront the increasing corruption among members of the constantly visiting royal family. After all, the Saudis, as you know, are accustomed to managing the country’s national wealth as if it were their own.
Saudi Arabia plays a very prominent role in the political life of the Near and Middle East. And the subjects are proud of the rapid rise of the kingdom and associate it with the name of the king - Fahd Abdel Aziz Al-Saud.
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The very name of the country - Saudi Arabia - means that it is controlled by the Aal Saud clan. It originates from one of the largest tribes, the Enizah, who lived on the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq and Syria. The Saudi clan with its branches, already quite numerous during the period of gathering the Arabian lands around Riyadh, grew using polygamy to such an extent that it became a “dominant tribe”, in which there are over five thousand men alone.
The father of the current king (who is also the first monarch of Saudi Arabia), Abdul Aziz ibn Saud, was born on December 5, 1880. It was he who, after a long and difficult struggle, proclaimed the creation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on September 23, 1932 (21st of Jumada Al-Ula, 1351 Hijri).
It must be said that in the politics of Abdel Aziz and his successors, tribes have always been the main support of the ruling dynasty, an important source of power, bearers of a special Saudi lifestyle and guardians of tradition. The monarch himself paid considerable attention to family ties, which strengthened his power in the kingdom. His cousins, of the same age and experience, became devoted assistants, and other relatives became advisers.
However, Abdel Aziz's main way of ensuring loyalty was through marriages. He never exceeded the limit of four wives, although he later allowed himself “certain liberties in such matters.” Moreover, not strictly according to the rules: In addition to his legal wives, he had many concubines. He also “cemented” his relations with the conquered nomads by entering into countless marriages with the daughters of the sheikhs of the conquered tribes.
Abdel Aziz's family connections formed a complex network that entangled the Arabian nomads. Wanting to emphasize the connection of his power with traditional leaders, he adopted the title "Sheikh al-Mashaikh" - "Sheikh of Sheikhs".
Abdulaziz ibn Saud died on November 9, 1953, having given 31 years of his life to the struggle for the unification of Saudi Arabia and providing the country with security, peace and stability. He devoted more than twenty years to the progress and comprehensive development of the kingdom. He died, laying the foundations for the prosperity of the state.
The late monarch left behind 45 legitimate sons. Most of them, who are still alive today, form the backbone of the ruling family and occupy key positions in the kingdom.
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The current ruler of Saudi Arabia, Fahd (the eldest of Abdul Aziz's sons), took the throne in June 1982 after the death of his brother King Khaled. He led the kingdom with nearly two decades of first-class experience. During the reign of King Faisal (1964 - 1975), he performed well as Foreign Minister. Having become crown prince in March 1975 while Khaled, who was in poor health, was in power, he actually ruled the state.
Fahd was born in 1922 and, as a “prince of the blood,” received a thorough secular and religious education. His mother, Khosa Ahmed, who came from the powerful feudal Sudairi clan, prepared her sons to rule the state with particular persistence.
King Fahd heads the so-called "Sudairi Seven". Along with him, it includes his six siblings. Closely connected to each other and occupying key positions in the kingdom, they form an influential group, a kind of “secret council of the Saudi crown”, which makes decisions on particularly important issues. It is this group that elects the king - usually not the son, but the brother of the deceased or deposed monarch. She chooses the crown prince.
Fahd is an experienced politician with excellent knowledge of the problems of the Middle East. In the past, he had to lead the Saudi delegation to the Arab League more than once. Under King Faisal, he handled all affairs with the United States of America. In 1974 he signed a Saudi-American cooperation agreement. Apparently, it was for this reason that the American press began to call him “America’s faithful friend.”
Fahd really stood at the origins of Riyadh’s special relationship with Washington. It was he who said: “The USA is not only our most important consumer of oil and supplier of the latest technology. America is our reliable partner!”
But Saudi-American relations have not always been rosy.
1978: Washington announced upcoming negotiations between Egypt and Israel at Camp David. Fahd did not hide his positive attitude towards the upcoming dialogue under the patronage of the United States. He hoped that Washington would put pressure on the Jewish state and get it to make concessions to the legitimate demands of the Arabs.
The Arabs sacrificed everything they could, said Fahd. - Now the other side, that is, Israel, must make sacrifices.
Alas, the agreements and agreements promulgated after Camp David destroyed Fahd's hopes. The meaning of these agreements was that the Arabs faced new victims. He realized that the nature of the agreements reached there largely infringed on the interests of the Arab world, that US President Jimmy Carter, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat had prepared Saudi Arabia for a secondary role in the affairs of the Middle East.
The kingdom's reaction to this anti-Arab tilt in the Middle East settlement was - at least in form - traditionally restrained, but the country did not accept Camp David. Carter did not expect this from Fahd. For the first time in many years, Saudi-American differences have become clearly visible. Some even spoke of a clash of interests between Saudi Arabia and the United States.
For many years, Riyadh did not come up with its own initiatives to resolve the Middle East conflict. Finally, in August 1981, Fahd put forward an eight-point plan for peace in the Middle East. But his initiative did not receive support from radical regimes, since it did not mention the role of the Palestine Liberation Organization and contained an indirect willingness to recognize Israel.
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Having taken the Saudi throne, King Fahd began to actively involve young members of the family in governing the country. This was especially evident in local government. The sons and full brothers of the new monarch took the places of governors of the main provinces. Under Fahd, the practice of delegating powers to ministries and other bodies of both central and local government continued.
In the early years of his reign, King Fahd, still seeking to transform his country's influential and conservative religious community, called on Islamic theologians to "reexamine in a modern light some of the fundamental laws and tenets of Islam." Saudi Arabia, as you know, adheres to the puritanical version of Islam - “Wahhabism” (named after the founder Muhammad ibn Abdel Wahhab, who spoke out at the beginning of the 18th century against any innovations in theology and demanded to cleanse Islam and return it to the pristine world).
Wahd suggested that the practice of ijtihad, or the renewal of theologians' interpretation of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, "could help adapt the laws of Islam to modern conditions of life." This practice, by the way, was stopped by Sunni theologians at the end of the 9th century. In his opinion, “the Islamic world is faced with many new circumstances, many unanswered questions and accumulated problems that need to be solved.”
The proposal of the Saudi monarch is all the more interesting because, as soon as he took the throne, he gave religious leaders the opportunity to limitlessly tighten the norms of Wahhabism. His first decrees were aimed at strengthening the segregation of women and men at work, and also required employers to set aside time for their employees to pray during the day.
Foreigners living in the kingdom made many assumptions about why the king grants such freedom to religious figures. Some have suggested that this was a reaction to criticism of his own lack of piety in his younger years. According to other assumptions, the king tried to gain time and ultimately limit the influence of the religious elite.
The monarch is still the central figure in the system of political power in Saudi Arabia. He is at the same time an imam, commander-in-chief and supreme judge, although he is not formally considered a legislator, since in Sharia all laws are set out once and for all. However, the king has the right to issue decrees that regulate situations not covered by Sharia. The supreme executive and judicial powers are concentrated in the hands of the monarch, although in practice he delegates these functions to government agencies, institutions or particularly influential people.
The monarch makes the most important decisions only after sounding out opinions and, therefore, identifying the interests of the ruling groups. As a rule, he consults with members of the Saudi clan, with sheikhs of tribal confederations or tribes, emirs of the main provinces, and ulema (religious leaders). And in recent years - with representatives of new social groups associated with modern sectors of the economy, with the command of the armed forces and the top of the bureaucratic apparatus.
Fahd has been on the throne for almost twenty years. He is 78 years old and has been seriously ill for a long time. Therefore, in early 1996, anticipating the problems that his death might cause, the Saudi monarch issued a decree changing the right of succession to the throne. According to the new order, the king must appoint his successor and have the right to remove him. The throne must go to the most suitable of the possible candidates, regardless of seniority. Thus, Fahd officially transferred the authority to govern the kingdom to Crown Prince Abdullah ibn Abdul Aziz.
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And yet the matter is not simple:
There is no shortage of potential successors, since the royal family is very extensive, and there is a real struggle within it to join the ruling elite. It is there, among the countless descendants of the founder of the kingdom, that the most worthy rulers are chosen.
The position of the crown prince, who is now the de facto king, is very difficult. Unlike Fahd, he does not have such a mechanism for strengthening power as the “Sudeiri Seven”. Abdullah does not have a single full brother and therefore is forced today to seek the creation of a coalition to carry out his political course. Moreover, the Sudeirs do not give up their positions and will be able to block decisions they do not like. This threatens to create a political deadlock in the kingdom.
Abdullah is actively seeking an alliance with other clans. One of his supporters is Badr (the half-brother of the king and crown prince) - deputy chief of the National Guard. Another source of Abdullah's expanding influence is the ambitious, educated and capable sons of the late King Faisal.
Saud al-Faisal, from the Jiluwi clan, has long been associated with Abdullah, who was married to a woman from the same clan. He would like to eliminate the system of collective management of foreign policy and realize his full potential. The Turks, who heads foreign intelligence, would like to free himself from his deputy, the son of King Fahd, Saud. He may also be included in Abdullah's group.
If the crown prince takes the Saudi throne, his sons will significantly strengthen their position. They are now concentrated in the National Guard. Khaled is the director of administration, Mitab is the head of the academy.
It is believed that the Saudi clan owes its stable power to its unity. According to the Saudi press, there are no contradictions in the royal family. It is quite difficult to believe this, considering that with one father - the late Abdulaziz - King Fahd, Crown Prince Abdullah and other “princes of the blood” have different mothers. By the way, the same press has repeatedly reported on the ongoing tensions and disagreements between Fahd and Abdullah.
The Crown Prince is only a year younger than the current monarch. His mother is from the powerful Shammar tribe. Like Fahd, Abdallah received a thorough secular and religious education. This is where their similarities end. In reality they are very different...
The plump, always imperturbable Fahd was once fond of gambling. Tall, strong, Abdallah is a passionate lover of the desert with its camel racing and falconry. Although Fahd is considered by many to be more competent, Abdallah comes across as a confident man. He is not afraid to openly express his views, even if they are quite controversial. However, the Crown Prince suffers from a severe stutter. Because of this, he is sometimes forced to remain embarrassedly silent.
Abdullah is less loyal to the alliance with the United States than Fahd. He is more oriented toward the Arab world than his older brother.
Of course, he will not spoil relations with Washington, but he will not indulge the Americans either.
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What kingdom will Abdullah inherit?
Despite certain successes in liberalizing public life, Saudi Arabia still remains one of the conservative Muslim countries. Here, women are still prohibited from working alongside men and even driving a car. The holy book of Muslims - the Koran - replaces the constitution.
The Muslim clergy traditionally has weight in all spheres of life and reacts very painfully to restrictions on its role. Abdullah is well aware that the position of the clergy objectively strengthens the position of Saudi Arabia as the birthplace of Islam, where two main shrines are located. Supporting Muslim institutions and morality not only helps strengthen the king’s authority as an imam, but also serves the purpose of strengthening the kingdom’s international position.
Meanwhile, it must be admitted that over the past twenty years, the fabulously rich country (a real Eldorado!) has faded, becoming “normal” in many respects. The average per capita income, which was 14 thousand dollars in 1981, today does not exceed 6 thousand. The golden age of wealth and great claims, when every citizen was provided for “from birth to death,” is now a thing of the past. The Crown Prince, throwing aside pride and caution, declared that the era of wealth would not return. “We must get used to a different lifestyle,” Abdallah emphasized.
Apparently, he will have to reduce subsidies for social needs, which will undoubtedly cause discontent among the population. This means that local Islamists will strengthen their positions. It is possible that after Fahd’s death, contradictions between members of the royal family will worsen. This could become an additional destabilizing fact.
Abdullah had long aspired to supreme power. Today, in fact, she is in his hands. And although the crown prince's health is not bad, it is unlikely that his reign will be long. Therefore, Fahd’s decree on the heir to the throne and the logic of events put at the forefront the issue of the transfer of power to the younger sons of the founder of the kingdom. At the very least, this can ensure ten years of stable government.
In his first speech on June 13, 1982, the day he ascended the throne, King Fahd said to his subjects:
I am aware of the full degree of responsibility entrusted to me by Allah. I swear that I will spare no effort or time to serve your good, the cause of prosperity, security and stability of our great country. I swear that I will be a father - young and a brother - adult. I am one of you and experience the same pain as you and experience the same joy that you experience.
King Fahd kept his promises and led the kingdom to an even higher level of development and prosperity. Much credit goes to Crown Prince Abdullah for this...
The agreement for the construction of the facility was signed on July 8, 1981; Construction itself began a year later. The first stone of the bridge was laid on November 11, 1982 by the heads of state King Fahd and Emir Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa. The bridge was completed by 1986; On November 25, the grand opening of the building took place. The project was funded entirely by Saudi Arabia and cost US$1.2 billion.
In February 2003, Bahraini police arrested five people suspected of links to the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda on the King Fahd Bridge. In March 2011, the King Fahd Bridge allowed the rapid deployment of 1,000 Saudi troops and 500 UAE police to combat unrest in Bahrain.
Bridge complex
The bridge complex is divided into three parts: a combination of three bridges leading from Al Khobar to an artificial island on the border of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain (including the longest bridge, 5194 m long); a bridge leading from the artificial island to the island of Umm al-Nasan; and another bridge connecting Umm al-Nasan with the island of Bahrain.
The four-lane road laid over the bridge extends over a length of more than 25 kilometers.
Future plans
Currently, construction of a second bridge is underway, which may become another world record and will connect Bahrain with Qatar. The new bridge will be 40 kilometers long, of which 4 kilometers have already been built on the Bahrain side and 2 kilometers on the Qatar side.
This new project will eliminate the need for Qataris and Bahrainis to transit passengers and cargo through Saudi Arabia. The bridge itself will become a real masterpiece of engineering. Not only cars, but also trains will cross this bridge!
The project promises to be more than grandiose. But the rich Arabs of the Gulf should hurry up - the Chinese are in full swing building the giant Weinan Weihe bridge, whose length will be twice as long as that of the Bahrainis and Qataris.
How to get there
Easy and difficult at the same time. The fact is that there is no public transport to the border, excluding international buses Manama - Dammam, but you will have to pay for the entire journey, although you will get off in the middle of the road. However, for a single person, even this is not a bad option ($10-15 and back for a smaller amount with any other bus going in the opposite direction, there are a lot of them), because the only alternative is a taxi ($40-50 from Manama and back).
If you drive, you can rent a car, which will cost only $30-35 per day, and this will give you the opportunity to visit the most remote parts of the island. A visit to the observation tower costs 0.5 dinars ($1.3), and this price includes a glass of coffee in the restaurant.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia began to develop most dynamically during the reign of King Fahd ibn Abdul Aziz Al-Saud from 1982 to the present.
2002 marked the 20th anniversary of the accession to the throne of King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, this date became the main event of the year and was widely celebrated in the Kingdom and the Gulf region. The anniversary was celebrated in early November 2001 according to the Muslim calendar, although according to the Gregorian calendar, the day of King Fahd’s accession to the throne was June 13, 1982.
King Fahd was born in 1920, he became the ninth son of the founder of the Kingdom, King Abdulaziz, and the fifth monarch of the united Kingdom (father Abdulaziz, brothers Saud, Faisal, Khaled). The Arabs say that “power and glory are not inherited, they are created by the individual himself,” there is another expression “good steel after the forge acquires even greater hardness,” they apply to the personality and deeds of King Fahd on Saudi soil and in relations with other countries.
At the age of 10, Fahd showed an extraordinary thirst for learning and knowledge of the world around him. As the son of a monarch, he was always surrounded by great scientists in various fields of science, who willingly gave answers to all his questions. From his father Abdel Aziz, he successfully adopted his rich experience in governing the country and formed in himself the necessary qualities of a statesman.
From a young age, as is customary in Saudi society, Fahd was present at the most important state events, meetings and negotiations with foreign leaders, which was of great importance for acquiring the necessary qualities of a monarch.
In his first speech from the throne, he said: “I feel the greatest responsibility to the people and will devote my entire life to ensuring security and peace for my people and country. I want to be a younger father and an older brother. I want to empathize with you about the sadness and joy of our life.”
Fahd ibn Abdul Aziz received his religious education, studying individually with famous Saudi theologians of the time. In 1953 he was appointed Minister of Education, 1962 - Minister of Internal Affairs, 1967 - Deputy Prime Minister. In 1975 he became Crown Prince and in 1982 - King.
At the dawn of his reign, King Fahd stated that the main goal of the state is to strengthen Muslim foundations, improve the well-being of the people through the effective use of natural resources by Allah, mutual understanding and cooperation with other countries and peoples.
The king demanded that all state structures be placed at the service of the interests of the people, being an instrument for the implementation of state plans for economic development. Among the priority tasks of state policy were the following areas:
a) maintaining the internal unity and stability of the country;
b) modernization of the economy, industrial and agricultural production:
c) providing all citizens with the opportunity to participate in the development of the country;
d) the rise of public education at all stages and levels, the creation of a highly educated society to move the country towards progress, providing the country with highly qualified specialists in all sectors;
e) uniform development of various regions of the country, reform of state economic structures;
f) development of political, economic, cultural, religious ties between the Kingdom and other countries.
King Fahd has 9 sons and daughters, of which Feis's son was the Chairman of the State Committee for Sports and Youth Affairs, Muhammad - Governor of the Eastern Province, Saud - Deputy Head of the State Security Service, Sultan - Chairman of the State Committee for Sports and Youth Affairs, Abdel Aziz - Head of the Chancellery King, member of the KSA Government.
The reign of King Fahd was the longest since the reign of the founder of the Kingdom, King Abdulaziz. Under the leadership of King Fahd, Saudi Arabia became the recognized leader of the Muslim world, began to produce the largest amount of oil in the world, became one of the most advanced countries in the world in terms of per capita income, and carried out major national development projects, including the grandiose reconstruction of the Two Holy Mosques of Islam in the cities of Mecca and Medina, has created modern infrastructure in the fields of industry, agriculture, communications, education, healthcare, etc.
King Fahd introduced the practice of receiving ordinary Saudi citizens once a week, personally listening to their requests and making decisions on them, and once a week the King received civil servants and intellectuals.
The king demanded the same from senior government officials and leading members of the ruling family. Whenever possible, the King did not miss the opportunity to participate personally in major public festivals, sports competitions and other public events of the Kingdom.
Here are some statements from his contemporaries, famous heads of state and public figures with whom he maintained personal contacts:
US President George H. W. Bush: “King Fahd is as straight as an arrow in his views and aspirations.”
Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri: “King Fahd postponed his intended operation in America to ensure the success of the Taif Conference to end the war in Lebanon.”
US President Jimmy Carter: “King Fahd played a pivotal role in the Kingdom’s entry into the international political arena.”
British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher: “King Fahd was the first leader I called when I heard about the Iraqi attack on Kuwait. His decisive response gave me confidence in our victory."
Prime Minister John Major: "King Fahd is a calm and wise diplomat who does not rush into results or make quick decisions."
US Secretary of State James Baker: “Without King Fahd, the convening of the Madrid Peace Conference would have been impossible.”
Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov: “King Fahd never wanted war, but Saddam’s stubbornness forced Saudi Arabia to fight.”
Political adviser to the Egyptian President Osama al-Baz: “King Fahd is the first “architect” of the return of Egypt after the Camp David agreement to the family of Arab nations.”
King Fahd was the first Arab leader to put forward the idea of ways to normalize the situation in the Middle East and establish complete peace between the conflicting parties, but at that time his idea did not receive support due to the objections of a number of radical leaders of the Arab world and the PLO.
The Kingdom, thanks to the balanced domestic and foreign policy pursued by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, has acquired great international authority not only in the region and the Muslim community, but also in the world as a whole.
During the reign of King Fahd, the most important decrees were adopted on the state structure of the Kingdom (On the system of government, the Advisory Council, the regions of the KSA), which, along with the Koran and Sharia, became the main documents regulating relations in Saudi society.
King Fahd, at various periods of his activity, took part in the most important international historical events, such as, for example, participating in the ceremony of establishing the UN in San Francisco in 1945, and repeatedly led Saudi delegations at the summits of the Arab League, OPEC, GCC, UN and other international forums.
With the disappearance of the two-bloc confrontation and in the multipolar world that has replaced it, Saudi Arabia occupies a special place as a recognized leader of the Muslim community. While pursuing an active Islamic policy in the world and providing significant support and assistance to Muslim countries, financing various kinds of programs in the Islamic world, Saudi Arabia at the same time has the closest military-political and trade-economic ties with the West among Muslim countries.
In ideological terms, Saudi Arabia, where the main shrines of Islam are located and where tens of millions of pilgrims arrive annually, continues to occupy a central place in the spiritual life of Muslims, who today make up about a third of the world's population. The Kingdom's foreign policy priorities are determined by the following main factors:
2. Support the struggle of the Palestinian people for national liberation, the creation of an independent Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem, as well as solidarity with Syria and Lebanon for the liberation of all occupied Arab lands, the continuation of the peace process in the Middle East and the achievement of comprehensive and complete peace between the Arabs and Israel.
3.Striving to achieve unity among Arab and Muslim countries on major regional and international issues, a moderate line of behavior in relations with the non-Muslim world and establishing relations of constructive and mutually beneficial cooperation with it.
4. Development of partnerships with Western countries, primarily with the United States, in order to strengthen the existing political regime in the country, ensure security in the region and maintain favorable conditions for producers and consumers of Saudi oil.
5. Counteracting manifestations of political and religious extremism in the region, supporting international efforts to combat terrorism, illicit trafficking in drugs, weapons and finances used to support terrorist activities.
6. The desire to strengthen its economic position in the world by expanding markets for oil and petroleum products, stability and coherence in OPEC, diversifying the economy, and making the country more open to the outside world.
Saudi Arabia is a supporter of a decisive fight against international terrorism, and in order to consolidate the efforts of Arab and Muslim countries in this direction, it is carrying out a lot of work within the framework of the OIC and the Arab League. The Kingdom supported the resolutions of the latest summits and conferences of these organizations on the problem of international terrorism, which include the following provisions: Collective condemnation of the acts of terror that occurred in New York and Washington on September 11th. G.; An appeal to the world community to give a precise definition of the term “international terrorism” and outline the framework for combating it; the need for a clear distinction between terror and the right of peoples to fight against occupation for their national liberation;
Remove the threat of military strikes from some Arab countries that are accused by the US State Department of supporting terrorism;
Reaffirm that Israeli actions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are violent and demand their cessation, fight against these actions, consider them terrorism at the state level and add Israel to the list of states that sponsor terrorism;
Reaffirm that the fight against terror must not result in civilian casualties or target the innocent, and must ensure that those accused of terrorism are fully proven guilty:
Reaffirm that the fight against terror must be carried out under the auspices of the UN after defining the term “terrorism”:
To ensure that the war against terrorism does not turn into a war between civilizations and religions, to reaffirm the importance of the dialogue of civilizations between the leaders of Islam and Christianity.
King Fahd made a great personal contribution to protecting the interests of the Palestinian people and Arab countries fighting for the liberation of their territories occupied by Israel.
Despite the fact that the Kingdom at one time was strongly opposed to separate Arab-Israeli agreements, such as the Camp David Agreement, nevertheless, the plan for a Middle East settlement, proposed by King Fahd back in the seventies, subsequently became the basis of the Madrid Agreements and the general concept of the BVU, approved at the Arab League summit in 2002, as well as by the entire world community.
Saudi Arabia's position is that the political efforts of Islamic and Arab states provide broad international support for the struggle of the Palestinian people and thus force Israel to comply with the well-known UN Security Council resolutions and its obligations under previously reached agreements with the Arabs within the framework of the BVU.
The Kingdom, in contrast to the position of some other members of the Arab League, is against establishing any contacts with Israel until full and comprehensive peace is achieved in the region, but at the same time it is restrained towards those who express a different point of view. This position allows us not to upset the established balance of interests of the KSA in relations with the Islamic world and leading Western countries.
KSA believes that it is impossible to achieve a complete and just peace without Israel implementing the main principle of the BVU “peace in exchange for land” and the previously reached Palestinian-Israeli agreements, the fundamental UN Security Council resolutions on the Middle East (No. 242.338), the withdrawal of Israeli troops from all occupied Arab territories, including the Syrian Golan, realizing the right of the Palestinian people to establish an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital, and respecting and preserving the spiritual essence of existing Muslim and Christian shrines.
The Kingdom also plays an important and constructive role in the successful resolution of inter-Arab and other international and regional conflicts. This is especially true for the resolution of border conflicts on the Arabian Peninsula, in the Arab community as a whole and in the Muslim political arena.
The merits of Saudi Arabia in defending the interests of Muslim countries and peoples in the international arena are undeniable; a clear proof of this is Riyadh’s firm position on the problems of Bosnia, Kashmir, Afghanistan, Chechnya, etc. Saudi Arabia, as the generally recognized leader of the world Muslim community, provides significant economic and humanitarian assistance to Muslim countries; 210 Muslim centers and 1,500 mosques were built abroad with the Kingdom's funds during Fahd's reign. Large amounts of financial assistance have been provided to developing Muslim and non-Muslim countries for the construction, development and strengthening of the infrastructure of their economies.
The main merit of King Fahd, recognized throughout the Muslim community, is the creation of favorable conditions for pilgrims around the world performing the Hajj to Muslim shrines in Saudi Arabia. In the cities of Mecca and Medina, over the 20 years of his activity, King Fahd carried out enormous construction and reconstruction work worth over $100 billion, which allows him to receive more than 2.5 million pilgrims during the Hajj period. King Fahd, for the first time in Saudi Arabia, established for himself the title “Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.”
As Minister of Education, Fahd created a network of secondary schools throughout the Kingdom and achieved 100% enrollment of school-age children in these schools, and also established secular universities in all major cities of the country, increased opportunities for receiving special education abroad, especially in modern technical specialties . Education currently accounts for 30% of the Kingdom's budget, or approximately US$13 billion. As a result, Saudi Arabia has the required number of national personnel with higher education, in almost all specialties, who work in various spheres of the country’s economy and management. An important indicator is the complete computerization and Internet connection of all Saudi educational institutions, regardless of level and profile. At the same time, most secondary schools are equipped with new generation computers and programs in Arabic. State television regularly broadcasts educational programs for children and adults. Along with the preparation and publication of textbooks in various disciplines, the Ministry of Education practices the production of computer general education programs.
The Kingdom has achieved self-sufficiency of the population with locally produced basic food products, extensive housing construction is underway, medical care is being improved, and the social rights of citizens are guaranteed. Great national importance is attached to the employment of young people and the development of various sports; for these purposes, large sports complexes and stadiums are being built in all cities and towns at the expense of the budget.
