| Saud | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Official portrait, 1960 | |||||
| King of Saudi Arabia | |||||
| Reign | 9 November 1953 – 2 November 1964 | ||||
| Bay'ah | 9 November 1953 | ||||
| Predecessor | Abdulaziz | ||||
| Successor | Faisal | ||||
| Regent |
| ||||
| Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia | |||||
| Tenure | 9 October 1953 – 16 August 1954 | ||||
| Successor | Faisal | ||||
| Tenure | 21 December 1960 – 31 October 1962 | ||||
| Predecessor | Faisal | ||||
| Successor | Faisal | ||||
| Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia | |||||
| Tenure | 11 May 1933 – 9 November 1953 | ||||
Monarch | |||||
| Successor | Faisal | ||||
| Viceroy of Nejd | |||||
| Tenure | 8 January 1926 – 22 September 1932 | ||||
Monarch | Abdulaziz | ||||
| Born | 15 January 1902 Kuwait City, Kuwait | ||||
| Died | 23 February 1969 (aged 67) Athens, Greece | ||||
| Burial | Al-Oud cemetery, Riyadh | ||||
| Issue Among others | |||||
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| House | Al Saud | ||||
| Father | Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia | ||||
| Mother | Wadha bint Muhammad Al Orair | ||||
Saud bin Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman bin Faisal bin Turki bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Saud (Arabic: سعود بن عبد العزيز بن عبد الرحمن بن فيصل بن ترکي بن عبدالله بن محمد بن سعود; 15 January 1902 – 23 February 1969) was King of Saudi Arabia from 9 November 1953 until his abdication on 2 November 1964. During his reign, he served as Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia from 1953 to 1954 and from 1960 to 1962. Prior to his accession, Saud was the country's crown prince from 11 May 1933 to 9 November 1953. He was the second son of King Abdulaziz, the founder of Saudi Arabia.
Saud was the second son of King Abdulaziz and Wadha bint Muhammad Al Orair. The death of Saud's elder brother, Prince Turki, in 1919 poised Saud to become his father's successor; King Abdulaziz appointed him as the crown prince of Saudi Arabia in 1933. Saud served as a commander in Abdulaziz's conquests that led to the establishment of Saudi Arabia in 1932. He was the viceroy of Nejd from 1926 to 1932, and he also represented his father in neighboring countries. He played a role in the financial reforms of Saudi Arabia, preparing the first state budget in 1948 and establishing the Saudi Central Bank in 1952. Saud also oversaw the country's infrastructural development.
Upon his father's death in 1953, Saud ascended the throne and reorganized the government. He founded the convention that the king of Saudi Arabia presides over the Council of Ministers. Saud sought to maintain friendly relations with the United States, whilst also supporting other Arab countries in their conflicts against Israel. Under his reign, Saudi Arabia joined the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961. However, Saud's inability to counter the Saudi national debt brought him into a power struggle with his half-brother and crown prince, Faisal, culminating in the forced abdication of Saud and the proclamation of Faisal as king. Saud went into exile and made an unsuccessful attempt, supported by some of his sons, to take back the throne. He died in Athens, Greece, in 1969.
| Major events | |
|---|---|
| 1954 | The first five years plan announced by King Saud in his speech no. 6499/1/20/5 |
| 1954 | The formation of the "Saudi Arabian Naval Transport Company'' in association with Aristotle Onassis. |
| 1954 | The inauguration of the first naval ship "King Saud I" in Hamburg |
| 1954 | The inauguration of the first Islamic Conference in Mecca |
| 1955 | The first Saudi expansion of the Prophet's Mosque in Madina |
| 1955 | The first Saudi expansion of the Great Mosque of Mecca |
| 1956 | Saudi Arabia stopped exporting oil to Britain and France because of the Suez Crisis |
| 1956 | The rejection of King Saud to join "The Baghdad Pact" initiated by London |
| 1957 | King Saud support to Jordan during their political crisis which threatened to topple King Hussein's throne |
| 1957 | King Saud strong diplomatic efforts at the UN denouncing the Israeli's attempts to obliterate the legal right of navigation in the Gulf of Aqaba |
| 1957 | King Saud diplomatic efforts to mediate between Syria and Turkey |
| 1957 | The USA causes the fall of oil price |
| 1957 | Saudi Arabia became a member of the International Monetary Fund |
| 1957 | The establishment of the first university in Saudi Arabia (King Saud University) |
| 1959 | A Royal Pronouncement to establish the General Presidency for Girls Education" |
| 1961 | Establishing OPEC |
| 1962 | Establishing the Muslim League |
| 1962 | Abolishing slavery by King Saud: A royal decree no (3/1/5) was announced with the ten points of reforms to abolish slavery |
| 1962 | King Saud established Saudi Television |
| 1969 | He died in Athens, Greece, on 24 January |