SAUDI ARABIA: The King’s Favor

In the midst of the intricacies of Arab diplomacy, myopic, 55-year-old King Saud found time for love. Last week Beirut’s Al Hawadis broke the news that Saud planned to acquire a new wife: 17-year-old Ferial Solh, niece of Lebanese Premier Sami Solh.

The romance began three weeks ago. On a diplomatic visit to Beirut, Saud called at Premier Sami Solh’s home and found Ferial baby-sitting with the Premier’s grandchildren. Ferial is a chestnut-haired beauty with brownish-green eyes, a slender waist and notable bosom. Though he already has four wives* and upwards of 80 concubines, Saud, according to a witness, was “visibly staggered.” Soon Ferial’s father was approached to find out if she was available for marriage. When the King flew back to Saudi Arabia a few days later, he took along pictures of Ferial to show to his mother, whom he likes to consult in such matters.

Upper-class Lebanese were unenthusiastic at the news. Said one Beirut matron: “What will she get out of it that she hasn’t got at home? Food? She’s got food. Clothes? She’s got clothes. Queen, indeed! She will be a prisoner.” But Ferial herself was reported to be delighted. “All she thinks of is the jewels,” said one of her girl friends, as Beirut echoed with gossip that Saud was preparing to give his prospective bride $150,000 worth of gems. Ferial’s none-too-prosperous parents were also pleased—they had six other children to educate, and Saud is notoriously generous to his relatives. “He is a King,” said Ferial’s mother. “Nobody would refuse a King.”

* Since Moslem law permits a man to divorce his wife by saying three times “I renounce thee” and the Koran provides that a man shall have only four wives at a time, Saud presumably keeps no more than the permitted number, divorcing one of them whenever he wants a change.