Saudi Arabia: A Brace of Kings

Long famed for its bleak deserts, eye-for-an-eye justice and profitable oil wells, Saudi Arabia last week had the added distinction of possessing two monarchs. Profligate King Saud, 62, who had reigned for eleven years, sulked in his ultra-modern Naziriyah Palace in the capital city of Riyadh. Just down the road in the Red Palace was Saud’s half brother Feisal who two weeks ago was summoned to the throne by a fatwa, or religious edict, issued by a national council composed of 100 princes, assorted sheiks and the ulema (a body of learned men). At the same time the fatwa deposed King Saud, but he refused to abdicate, and no one knew just how to go about making him do it.

Deathbed Oath. The two men have long been antagonists. Their father, the late King Ibn Saud once said, “I wish that Feisal had been born twins and Saud had never been born at all.” Nevertheless, Saud was the oldest son and was therefore named Crown Prince. On his deathbed, Ibn Saud made Feisal swear on the Koran that he would not seek the throne as long as Saud lived.

Keeping the oath was not easy. As King, Saud squandered fortunes on his pleasures, chief of which were a huge harem. Next to women, Saud liked air-conditioned Cadillacs best, and next to Cadillacs, intrigue. In contrast, Feisal was almost a puritan: though thrice married, he lives with only one wife at a time and, for the past 20 years, his consort has been Turkish-educated Princess Iffat. He speaks fluent French and English as well as Arabic, and has tried to use his country’s oil millions for the benefit of the people.

The pattern of Saudi Arabia has alternated between a few years of mismanagement and waste by nearly illiterate King Saud and then a few years of austerity under Feisal as Premier—until the King felt he could afford to get rid of him again. When Feisal was last called back to power in 1962 for another spell of reform, he decided to get tough. He cut down Saud’s privy purse 30%, to a paltry $20 million a year. Cautiously progressive, Feisal also earmarked $500 million for schools, hospitals, roads and water projects. He promised to introduce movies next year, ordered the building of two TV stations and allowed female announcers on the air. As usual, Saud and his wastrel sons conspired with outraged Moslem mullahs who opposed such frivolities and protested that an educated woman is a defiled woman.

Sensible Heat. Last September Feisal attended the Alexandria conference of Arab nations and held a series of private meetings with Egypt’s President Gamal Abdel Nasser to patch up the dispute between their two countries over Yemen’s civil war—which last week finally headed for an armistice. Back home, Feisal was depressed to find that King Saud and his sons had been up to their old tricks. Finally, Feisal decided to break his long-kept oath in favor of the national interest. He ordered the national council convened, and while the fatwa was being drawn up, Feisal traveled slowly across the country in a 400-car motorcade, making repeated halts to attract maximum attention. Met with the announcement that he was to be King in place of Saud, Feisal professed astonishment but, after prayer and deep reflection, accepted.

Since then, deposed King Saud has stubbornly remained inside his palace, comforted by his numberless wives and concubines, and encouraged by his sons. The throne, he said, “was given me by God and my father, and no one can take it away from me.” Some of Feisal’s advisers suggested cutting off the electric power to Naziriyah Palace, which would automatically shut down the air-conditioning plant, said to be the world’s largest after that of the Pentagon in Washington. The sweltering heat, they argued, would bring Saud to his senses. But Feisal refused to take personal action against Saud, declared: “He is still here, and we shall do everything possible to ensure his comfort.”