The late King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz was born in Riyadh in 1905/6, several years after his father Abdulaziz Ibn Saud had recaptured it from Ibn Rashid. In 1964 he became king of Saudi Arabia, famous for harbouring twenty five percent of the world's oil reserves and hailed as the most powerful Arab ruler in centuries. In 1975, his nephew shot him in

Study on the origins, growth and modernization of Saudi Arabia under the leadership of Faisal ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud, 1906-1975, King of Saudi Arabia

A history of the most profitable company in the world, Saudi Aramco, and the story behind the family that ruthlessly maneuvered to control this multi-trillion dollar enterprise. The Saudi royal family and Aramco leadership are, and almost always have been, motivated by ambitions of long-term strength and profit. They use Islamic law, traditional ideology, and harsh justice to maintain stability and their own power, but underneath the thobes and abayas and behind the religious fanaticism and illiberalism lies a most sophisticated and ruthless business enterprise. Today, that corporation is poised to pull off the biggest IPO in history. Over more than a century, fed by ambition and oil wealth, al Saud, as the royal family is known, has come from next to nothing to rule as absolute monarchs, a contrast with the world around them and modernity itself. The story starts with Saudi Arabia's founder, Abdul Aziz, a lowly refugee embarking on a daring gambit to reconquer his family's ancestral home?the mud-walled city of Riyadh. It takes readers almost to present day, when the multinational family business has made al Saud the wealthiest family in the world and on the cusp of a new transformation. Now al Saud and its family business, Aramco, are embarking on their most ambitious move: taking the company public and preparing the country for the next generation.

This book examines the foreign relations, politics, and government of Saudi Arabia during the 1980s.

"A detailed and fascinating biography."--The Economist "A masterpiece of scholarship. . . . [Vassiliev] has managed to bring to life the legacy of one of Saudi Arabia's most interesting and influential figures."--Anoush Ehteshami, Durham University In 1964 Faisal bin Abdul Aziz became king of a country holding a quarter of the world's oil reserves, also home to Mecca and Medina. He was called "the most powerful Arab ruler in centuries." Eleven years later, in front of television cameras, his nephew shot him at point-blank range. In this authoritative biography, Alexei Vassiliev tells the story of a pious, cautious and resolute leader who steered Saudi Arabia through a minefield of domestic problems, inter-Arab relations and the decline of Soviet influence in the Middle East. King Faisal maintained ties with both Egypt and the United States through two Arab-Israeli wars and the 1973 Arab oil embargo, which revolutionized the world energy market. Throughout, he staked high hopes on cooperation with the United States, arelationship that is still vital to both countries' interests. Exhaustively researched and including original documents and interviews in Arabic, Russian, and English,King Faisal of Saudi Arabiaoffers a unique perspective of this seminal figure and is key to understanding the Arab world today. Alexei Vassilievis Honorary President of the Institute for African Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences. He is the author of over forty books, including the acclaimedThe History of Saudi Arabia, winner of the Choice Outstanding Academic Book Award, andCentral Asia: Political and Economic Challenges in the Post-Soviet Era.

"King Faysal (1906-1975) ruled Saudi Arabia from 1964 until his assassination eleven years later. Within his brief reign, Faysal secured a legacy as one of the most instrumental actors in the development of the modern Middle East. By the time he ascended to the throne, Faysal understood how dependent many nations were on his country's oil, an understanding that led to the oil embargo of 1973. Wisely, Faysal sought to channel the power of religion for the benefit of the public good, in opposition to Islamic fundamentalists, while his policy initiatives - a balanced budget, the expansion and modernization of higher education, strengthening labor laws and social policies ultimately helped stabilize the entire Gulf region and solidified Saudi Arabian leadership, wealth, and power." "King Faysal aspired to a reign guided by an unwavering belief in God, the courage to conquer evil, the patience to persevere regardless of costs or consequences, submission to the will of God against hardships, and due exuberance in response to the burdens of rule. Four decades after his assassination by one of his nephews, Faysal bin Musa'id, his memory lives on in impact of his steady hand on Saudi Arabia's modernization."--BOOK JACKET.