Saud of Saudi Arabia

Saud
King Saud in 1960
Official portrait, 1960
King of Saudi Arabia
Reign9 November 1953 – 2 November 1964
Bay'ah9 November 1953
PredecessorAbdulaziz
SuccessorFaisal
Regent
  • Crown Prince Faisal
  • (March–November 1964)
Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia
Tenure9 October 1953 – 16 August 1954
SuccessorFaisal
Tenure21 December 1960 – 31 October 1962
PredecessorFaisal
SuccessorFaisal
Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia
Tenure11 May 1933 – 9 November 1953
Monarch
SuccessorFaisal
Viceroy of Nejd
Tenure8 January 1926 – 22 September 1932
Monarch
Abdulaziz
Born(1902-01-15)15 January 1902
Kuwait City, Kuwait
Died23 February 1969(1969-02-23) (aged 67)
Athens, Greece
Burial
Issue
Among others
Names
Saud bin Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud
HouseAl Saud
FatherAbdulaziz of Saudi Arabia
MotherWadha 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