Ibn Saud and the formation of Saudi Arabia. Ibn Saud and the formation of Saudi Arabia Discovery of oil fields
Roots state structure the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia lie in the religious reform movement of the mid-18th century, called Wahhabism. It was founded by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1703-1792) and supported by Muhammad ibn Saud, the leader of the Anayza tribe who inhabited the Ad-Diriya region in Central Najd. Ibn Saud and Ibn Abd al-Wahhab managed to unite the Nejd tribes into a religious and political confederation, the purpose of which was to spread the Wahhabi teachings and the power of the Saudis to the entire Arabian Peninsula. The son of Mohammed ibn Saud, Abd al-Aziz (r. 1765-1803) H. Dzutsev, A. Pershits. Wahhabis in the North Caucasus - religion, politics, social practice. Herald Russian Academy Sciences. 1998. V.68, No. 12. P.1113.
He took the title of imam, which meant the unification in his hands of both secular and spiritual power. Under his leadership, as well as under his son Saud (r. 1803-1814), the Wahhabis conquered Central and Eastern Arabia, invaded Iraq, Syria and Oman, and devastated the Hijaz. In the second decade of the 19th century they were defeated by the Pasha of Egypt Muhammad Ali, and in 1818 Ibrahim Pasha, the son of Muhammad Ali, destroyed Ed-Diriya. However, over the next few years, the Wahhabis, under the leadership of Imam Turki (r. 1824-1834), managed to recover from defeat, establish a new capital, Riyadh, near Ad-Diriya, and restore Saudi rule over Najd and Al-Hasa. In 1837-1840, the Wahhabis were again defeated by Muhammad Ali, but they managed to restore their position under the leadership of Turki's son, Faisal (r. 1834-1838, 1843-1865). Over the next three decades, they played a leading role in political life Central and Eastern Arabia. A power struggle between the Saudis allowed the Turks to capture Al-Hasa in 1871, and over the next few years, the Saudis were pushed into the shadows by the rival Rashidid dynasty from the independent emirate of Shammar. In 1890, the Rashidids captured Riyadh and forced the Saudis to flee to remote areas and leave the country. The power of the Saudi dynasty was restored by Abd al-Aziz ibn Saud (r. 1902-1953), later known as Ibn Saud, who returned from exile in 1901-1902 and restored his power in Riyadh. He later succeeded in expelling the Rashidids from Najd. In 1913 he drove the Turks out of Al-Hasa. During the First World War, he managed to further strengthen his position by concluding an agreement with the government of British India in December 1915, according to which he was recognized as the ruler of Najd, Al-Hasa and the annexed territories. After the war, Ibn Saud defeated the Rashidids and in 1921 annexed Shammar. A year later, he entered into a series of agreements with Britain that established borders with Kuwait and Iraq.
Ibn Saud consolidated his power over Najd, Al-Hasa and Shammar mainly because he managed to enlist the support of the leaders of the largest tribes, such as the Mutayr and Utaiba, and also because he was able to bring the Bedouins under his control, settling them in paramilitary settlements called hijras. Acting in conjunction with the ulema of Nejd, he re-ignited the former Wahhabi fanaticism in the minds and hearts of the relatives and united them into a military-religious organization of "brothers" (ihvan), the purpose of which was the forcible planting of Wahhabism, the destruction of the enemies of the Saudis and strengthening their power.
By the end of the First World War, the activity of the Ikhwan movement on the borders of Najd led to clashes with Ibn Saud's main rival on the Arabian Peninsula, Hussein ibn Ali, the recently proclaimed king of the Hijaz (Hussein was a representative of the Hashemite family that ruled Mecca from the 11th century). Then a full-scale war was avoided, but in 1924, after the liquidation Ottoman Empire and the proclamation of the Turkish Republic, Hussein assumed the title of caliph of all Muslims. Accusing him of disbelief, the Ikhvans invaded the Hijaz in August of the same year and captured Mecca in October, and Hussein was forced to abdicate in favor of his son Ali. A year later, after the surrender of Medina and Jeddah to Ibn Saud, Ali also abdicated. With the help of the Ikhwans, Asir was placed under the control of Ibn Saud - the territory located between the Hijaz and North Yemen Ibn Ghannam. The history of Nejd, called the garden of thoughts and concepts. Ch.2, S.6.
In 1927, under a new treaty with Great Britain, in which, unlike the previous treaty of 1915, provisions were omitted that limited the independence of the state of Ibn Saud, he was recognized as the king of Hijaz and the Sultan of Nejd. Five years later, in 1932, Ibn Saud changed the name of his state to a new one - the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which was recognized by world powers as an independent state.
After the conquest of the Hejaz, some Ikhwan leaders became aggressive towards Riyadh, refusing to stop their raids on Iraq and Transjordan (borders with which were established by Great Britain in 1925) and trying to dictate policy to Ibn Saud. In 1928 they raised an open rebellion, which was put down by Ibn Saud. Ibn Saud's actions were approved by the Ulema Council, which believed that only the king had the right to declare war (jihad) and govern the state.
During the entire subsequent period of Ibn Saud's reign, internal problems did not present any particular difficulties for him. At the same time, the external relations of the kingdom developed ambiguously. The excesses of the Ikhwan led to the alienation of Saudi Arabia from the majority of Muslim governments, who considered the Saudi regime hostile and resented the complete control established by the Wahhabis over the holy cities and the Hajj. Between Ibn Saud and the Hashemite rulers of Iraq and Transjordan - the sons of Hussein, who was overthrown by him - there was mutual hostility. Ibn Saud's relationship with the king of Egypt, whom he suspected of wanting to revive the caliphate and declare himself caliph, could hardly be called warm. In February 1934, Ibn Saud started a war with the Imam of Yemen over the demarcation of the Yemeni-Saudi border. Hostilities were terminated after the signing of an agreement in May 1934. Two years later, the border was de facto defined. Border problems also occurred in the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula after Ibn Saud in 1933 granted an oil concession to Standard Oil of California. Negotiations with Great Britain over the demarcation of borders with neighboring British protectorates and possessions - Qatar, Trucial Oman, Muscat and Oman and the Eastern Protectorate of Aden ended in failure. Meanwhile, California Arabian Standard Oil, a subsidiary of Standard Oil of California, discovered oil in El Has.
The outbreak of World War II prevented the full-scale development of the Al-Hasa oil fields, however, part of the loss of Ibn Saud's income was offset by British and then American aid. During the war, Saudi Arabia remained neutral. Subsequently, the United States received the right to build an air force base in Dhahran, in Al-Has, where the headquarters of the ARAMCO company, the former KASOK, was located. At the end of the war, oil production increased significantly, and its exploration continued. Relying on significantly increased resources, Ibn Saud again turned his attention to part of the territory of Trucial Oman and Oman. In 1949, a new round of negotiations with Great Britain began, but it also turned out to be fruitless. Ibn Saud died in November 1953. All subsequent rulers of Saudi Arabia were sons of Ibn Saud.
In full scale, the changes caused by huge incomes from oil exports appeared already during the reign of Ibn Saud's successor, his second son Saud (b. 1902). Inefficient financial management of the kingdom and inconsistent domestic and foreign policy led to a crisis in 1958 government controlled, as a result of which Saud was forced to transfer full executive power to his brother Faisal. Faisal was appointed prime minister. Under him, a permanent cabinet was formed, which was the most important innovation in the power structure. In 1960-1962, Saud regained direct control of the government, once again taking over as prime minister. But already in October 1964, he was removed by members of the royal family, whose decision was confirmed by a fatwa, a decree of the Ulema Council. Faisal was proclaimed king. The new king retained the post of prime minister. This practice continued under his successors. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: history, civilization. and development. Arab Book Agency. Riyadh. 1989 P.145..
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, relations between Saudi Arabia and its Arab neighbors improved somewhat, which was a consequence of the creation of the state of Israel and the growing hostility towards it from the side. Arab countries. The determination of Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser to remove from power any government that stood in the way of the unification of the Arab countries made Saudi Arabia after 1960 the main object of attacks on his part. Beginning in 1962, for five years, Saudi Arabia provided assistance to the deposed imam of North Yemen, while Egypt sent troops there and provided assistance to the Republicans. And although the threat from Abdel Nasser diminished after the withdrawal of Egyptian troops from South Yemen in 1967, as a consequence of the defeat of Egypt in the Arab-Israeli war, Saudi Arabia faced another problem, the revolutionary regime in the People's Republic of South Yemen. Saudi Arabia's relations with Egypt improved after Faisal began to provide him with assistance to compensate for the losses caused by the closing of the Suez Canal. Relations with Iraq, which had always been tense, practically broke off after the proclamation of a republic there in 1958. Relations with Syria also deteriorated after the radical Arab Socialist Renaissance Party (Baath) came to power in March 1963. The sympathy that Faisal might have felt for King Hussein of Jordan as his fellow monarch, as well as an opponent of all kinds of revolutions, Marxism and republican sentiment, was overshadowed by the traditional rivalry between the Saudis and the Hashemites. Nevertheless, in August 1965, a 40-year-old dispute between Saudi Arabia and Jordan over the border was resolved: Saudi Arabia recognized Jordan's claims to the port city of Aqaba. In the Arabian Peninsula, Faisal faced the threat of subversive organizations supported by the People's Democratic Republic Yemen (formerly South Yemen). Saudi Arabia's problems escalated after the end of the British protectorate over the principalities of the Persian Gulf in 1971. Before leaving the area, the British government tried to convince the local rulers to unite in a federation and reach an agreement with Saudi Arabia on the issue of a common border.
Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation concluded between Soviet Union and Iraq in 1972, reinforced Faisal's fears and pushed him to try to unite neighboring countries in an anti-revolutionary coalition. Like the government of North Yemen (the Yemeni Arab Republic, YAR), where moderate republicans came to power after 1967, Faisal supported thousands of southern Yemenis who fled after 1967 to the YAR and Saudi Arabia. After the Arab-Israeli war in October 1973, Faisal initiated the Arab oil embargo against Western countries, incl. the United States, in order to force them to pursue a more balanced policy towards the Arab-Israeli conflict. Arab solidarity contributed to a quadrupling of oil prices and an increase in the well-being of the Arab oil-producing states. On March 25, 1975, King Faisal was killed by one of his nephews during a reception. His brother Khaled (1913-1982) came to the throne. Due to Khaled's poor health, much of the power was transferred to Crown Prince Fahd (b. 1922).
The new government continued Faisal's conservative policies, increasing spending on the development of transport, industry and education. After 1974, Saudi Arabia made efforts to reduce the rise in world oil prices. The Saudi government opposed the Egyptian-Israeli peace agreements of 1978-1979, adhering to the common Arab position that they constituted a separate peace that destroyed the hope of a comprehensive resolution of the Arab-Israeli disputes. Saudi Arabia could not stay away from the rising tide of Islamic fundamentalism that followed the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1978-1979 Calvoressi Peter. World politics after 1945. M., International relationships. 2000. Volume 2., p. 215. The tension in Saudi society was openly manifested in November 1979, when armed Muslim oppositionists seized the main mosque of Mecca. The mosque was liberated by Saudi forces after two weeks of fighting that killed more than 200 people. The armed rebellion led by Juhayman al-Oteiba represented the first open uprising against the monarchy in the country since the founding of the third Saudi state in 1932. Riots also took place among the Shiites living in the eastern regions (El-Khasa). In response to these speeches, Crown Prince Fahd announced in early 1980 plans to create an Advisory Council, which, however, was formed only in 1993. King Khaled died in 1982, his brother Fahd took his place. In August 1990, shortly after Iraq's occupation of neighboring Kuwait, Fahd authorized the deployment of significant US military forces to Saudi Arabia to protect the country from the increased military threat from Iraq. A multinational force composed of Saudi Arabia, the United States, and other Western, Arab, and Muslim countries succeeded in driving Iraqi forces out of Kuwait in early 1991, and thereby eliminated the immediate threat to Saudi Arabia. After the Gulf War, the government of Saudi Arabia came under intense pressure from fundamentalists who demanded political reforms, strict adherence to the provisions of Sharia, the withdrawal of troops of Western countries, especially American ones, from the sacred land of Arabia. Petitions were sent to King Fahd calling for increased government powers, greater public participation in political life, and greater economic justice. These actions were followed by the creation in May 1993 of the Committee for the Protection of Legal Rights. However, the government soon banned this organization, and King Fahd demanded that the fundamentalists stop their anti-government agitation.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of the most developed countries in the region with strong financial and economic potential. The oil industry is the backbone of the country's economy. The Kingdom is the largest exporter of oil, which accounts for 90% of its exports. AT last years steps are being taken to diversify the economy. An important role in this is assigned to the private sector, which is not allowed into the oil business. The creation of joint ventures is encouraged. The country, three-quarters of which is desert, has implemented large-scale projects in the field of agriculture. Enormous funds were allocated by the state for the purchase of agricultural machinery and equipment, for irrigation, and road construction. As a result, the country has become a major exporter of wheat and other agricultural products.
Despite certain economic difficulties, partly caused by the consequences of the war with Iraq (the damage amounted to more than 50 billion dollars), rising military spending and falling prices on the world oil market, Saudi Arabia remains one of the most stable and prosperous states in the world with high standard of living and huge financial and investment opportunities. In 1996, GDP per capita was $11,176, with a fall of 2%.
The significantly increased role of the kingdom in the international arena is largely due to the financial assistance provided to developing countries (primarily to members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, which received $28 billion from 1974 to 1991). In the appeal of King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah to pilgrims in 1994, it was said: "By the will of Allah, our country, which has an eternal Islamic mission, has enormous natural wealth. Not only the citizens of the Kingdom use the fruits of these wealth. on a historical responsibility to other Muslim peoples, we are implementing a program of assistance in all parts of the world. ... The total amount of assistance these days has reached about 15% of the Kingdom's income from the sale of oil." Tokaev K. K. Foreign policy of Kazakhstan in the context of globalization. - Almaty, 2000. - p. 351.
On the other hand, the authority of Saudi Arabia in the Muslim world is growing as a country that has made a huge contribution to the preservation and revival of the main shrines of Islam, consistently upholding the rights of the Palestinian people, known for its active position in protecting the interests of Islamic states, close partnerships with the United States and other leading Western powers. After the Persian Gulf War, Saudi Arabia, which has become a generally recognized leader in the Muslim world, has become a real factor of stability not only in the Middle East region, but also in the Islamic world as a whole. The Kingdom acts today as the most important link in relations between the West and the Islamic world and moved to the forefront in the development of a new policy of Arab consolidation. All this taken together determines in many ways important role in the world political, economic and financial system.
Basic Principles foreign policy Saudi Arabia are supporting Islam around the world, providing assistance and support Muslim states in their defense national interests non-interference in the internal affairs of these states.
2. The Black Prince: Nayef ibn Abdulaziz Al Saud February 8th, 2016
In the family tree of the royal family Saudis all factors are important. Depending on what place your father occupies in the hierarchy, your fate also depends. If your father is a direct descendant of a king, you can become a king too. Due to the fact that the Saudis have many wives and concubines, the mother's pedigree plays a different role. great importance, but it still counts.
King was the founding father of modern Saudi Arabia Abdul Aziz ibn Abdurrahman Al Saud, known in the west as Ibn Saud.
King Ibn Saud and US President Franklin Roosevelt, Cairo 1945
Ibn Saud came to power in the late 20th century by taking over Riyadh, and by 1930 he was the undisputed leader of the Arabian Peninsula from the Red Sea to the Persian Gulf, including the two holy cities Mecca and Medina.
At Ibn Saud was at least 22 wives and 44 sons. Since his death in 1953, six of his sons have run the kingdom quite successfully.
Abdullah ibn Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia, on the throne from 2005 to 2015
Nayef bin Abdul Azis, or Black Prince never became king
Nayef was born in 1934. Received education in Riyadh in "School of Princes".
The Princes' School in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia was founded by King Ibn Saud definitely to guarantee high level education for members of the Saudi Parliament and children of other advanced Saudis.
His teachers were spiritual preachers of Wahhabism, the official religion of Saudi Arabia, one of the offshoots of Sunnism. Union at home Sauda and Wahhabism has been going on for three centuries. As early as 1744, an itinerant preacher and clergyman named Muhammad Ibn Abd al-Wahhab teamed up with the then head of the Saudi family, Mohammed Al Saudom, to create the first Saudi kingdom. While the Saudis provided the military and political leadership of the country, the Wahhab and his descendants were the religious ones. Wahhab and his disciples preached the so-called pure version of Islam, which called for intolerance for any deviation from the strict adherence to the original faith. Prophet Muhammad.
At the beginning of the 19th century, when Ottoman Empire was busy invading Napoleon in Egypt and Palestine, Saudis carried out the occupation of the territories of the Ottomans. Their tribes invaded the territory of today's Iraq and sacked the holy city of the Shiites. Karbala, and then went west and conquered Mecca and Medina, clearing them of symbols Ottoman Empire and everything that could compromise the Wahhabis as apostates.
At that time, much of the Islamic world viewed the Saudis and their spiritual allies as fanatics and usurpers, the way Muslims view the Islamic State today. Geographically, the first Saudi state was larger than it is now, but their dominion was not long. As soon as France was defeated, the Ottomans sent an army to Arabia to win back the holy places and then destroy the capital of the Saudis - Ad-Diriya, today it is a western suburb Riyadh. The Saudis were expelled by the Osamanmi in Kuwait, but later Ibn Saud returned from exile with his troops and recaptured Riyadh by setting the third kingdom of saudi which exists to this day.
Today, a tight alliance between clergy and members of the royal family allows you to control Saudi society, monitor the implementation of Muslim laws and customs. The main ally of the Wahhabis is the Ministry of the Interior of Saudi Arabia. In 1970, when Nayef's brother Fahd served as Minister of the Interior, he made Nayef his deputy.
Fahd, fifth king
Saudi Arabia
in 1982-2005
In 1975 Fahd became crowned prince, after the death of his brother the king Faisal ibn Abdulaziz Al Saud ,
a Nayef took over as minister of the interior.
On March 25, 1975, Faisal was shot dead by his nephew, Prince Faisal ibn Musaid, who returned to the country after studying at an American university, who was avenging the death of his brother Khalid bin Musaid, who was shot dead by a police officer during a rally against secularization and television.
As Minister of the Interior Nayef gained a reputation as an arch-reactionary. He became close to the most puritanical representatives of the clergy who oppose any reforms and changes, continued the oppression of the Shiite minority, which makes up 10% of the country's population and is concentrated mainly in the eastern provinces rich in oil. He is with with great difficulty took any manifestations of development. When asked why he opposes reforms that could lead the country to constitutional monarchy, Nayef replied "I don't want to be Queen Elizabeth". Western expatriates nicknamed Nayef Black Prince for their policies.
Faisal
Saudi Arabia is 85-90% Sunni and 10-15% Shiite. The Shia minority lives mainly in the eastern provinces, rich in oil deposits and bordering Yemen.
Riyadh
Al Taif
2) Tarfakh
3) Jauhar al-Saud
4) Buzz
5) Jauhar al-Sudairi
6) Hassa al-Sudairi
7) Shahida
8) Fahda Ash-Shuraim
9) Buzz
10) Munayir
11) Moodni
12) Saida
daughters: Nuf, Sita, Nura, Sarah, etc.
Abdulaziz ibn Saud(also called Ibn Saud or Abdelaziz II; Arab. عبدالعزيز آل سعود ; November 26 - November 9) - the founder and first king of Saudi Arabia (-). He fought for the unification of Arabia. In -1927 - the emir of the state of Nejd, later - until 1932 - the king of the state of Hijaz, Nejd and the annexed regions.
early years
Abdelaziz ibn Saud was born on November 26, 1880 in Riyadh in the Islamic State of the Saudis, whose territory was actually limited to the outskirts of Riyadh. Son of Emir Nejd Abd al-Rahman and Sarah, daughter of Ahmad al-Sudairi. The boy was more interested in games with a saber and a rifle than religious exercises. He was able to read the Koran only at the age of 11. The future king dreamed of restoring family honor, of returning the glory and wealth of the house of Saudis.
Hike to Riyadh
The Rashidi family, who seized power in the city, sent the Saudis to Kuwait, where the young Abdel Aziz spent his childhood. In 1901, he began to collect his own detachment for a campaign against Riyadh. On the night of January 16, Abdel Aziz, with a detachment of 60 people, captured Riyadh, cracking down on the governor from Rashidi. In 1904, the Rashidis asked the Ottoman Empire to help them overthrow Saud. The Turks brought their troops into Arabia, but were defeated and left.
Great war in Arabia
Ikhwans
Ibn Saud went from a landless emir to an absolute monarch.
The beginning of the war for the unification of Arabia
With the outbreak of World War I, he secured the support of the British Empire. In 1920, using the material support of the British, Abdel Aziz finally defeated Rashidi. By the time of the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, five independent states had formed on the peninsula: Hejaz, Nejd, Jebel Shammar, Asir and Yemen. Abdel-Aziz made an attempt to annex Jebel Shammar in April-May 1921, but only in August the capital of the al-Rashidids, Hail, was taken by the Wahabbis. On November 1 of the same year, Jebel Shammar ceased to exist.
Confrontation with the Sheriff of Mecca
After this victory, Hussein bin Ali, the sheriff of Mecca and the king of Hijaz, became the main opponent of Ibn Saud. In 1922, Abdulaziz captured northern Asir without a fight, and in July 1924 he called for a jihad against the heretics of the Hejaz. In early September, detachments of the Ikhwans broke into the resort town of Et-Taif and killed mostly civilians here. The nobility of Hijaz, frightened by the events in Al-Taif, opposed Hussein. He was forced to abdicate in favor of his son Ali. The new king did not have the strength to defend Mecca and took refuge with his supporters in Jeddah. In mid-October, the Ikhwans entered the Holy City, and in January 1925 the siege of Jeddah began. On December 6, Medina fell, and on December 22, Ali evacuated Jeddah, after which the troops of Najd entered the city. That same year, Ibn Saud captured Mecca, thus ending 700 years of Hashemite rule. On January 10, 1926, Abdulaziz al-Saud was proclaimed king of the Hejaz, the kingdom of Najd and Hejaz was formed. A few years later, Abdulaziz captured almost the entire Arabian Peninsula.
Completion of the unification of Arabia
Ikhwan uprising
Ibn Saud treated European civilization with great understanding. He appreciated the importance of the telephone, radio, car and airplane and began to implement them in life. At the same time, he began to gradually limit the influence of the Ikhwans. Feeling a change on the part of the king, the Ikhwans revolted in 1929, and in the battle of Sibil, Ibn Saud defeated his former supporters. But the vanquished went to guerrilla war. Then the king unleashed all his might on them. They were taken to use some European methods of struggle. At the end of the year, the Ikhwans were driven to Kuwait, where they were disarmed by the British. The Ikhwan leaders, Davish and Ibn Hitlein's cousin Nayif, were later handed over by the British to Ibn Saud and imprisoned in Riyadh. The movement, which played an important role in strengthening the power of Abdel-Aziz and his conquests, was completely defeated and soon disappeared. Ibn Saud assumed the title of King of Hijaz, Najd and the annexed territories.
King of Saudi Arabia
Saudi-Yemeni War
In 1932, the former Emir Asir al-Idrisi declared the emirate's independence from Saudi Arabia. After the suppression of the Asir rebellion, al-Idrisi fled to Yemen. In March 1933, envoys from King Yahya of Yemen and King Abdulaziz met and discussed the possibility of restoring al-Idrisi's power. The envoys of Abdulaziz insisted on the transfer of northern Asir and the extradition of members of the al-Idrisi family. Bilateral negotiations were interrupted, and in May 1933, Yemen captured Nejran, which was considered by the Yemenis as part of Yemen, blocking the transport routes from Asir to Nejd. Members of the Saudi delegation were also captured in Sana'a. During the fighting in February 1934, the Saudis occupied southern Asir and part of Tihamah. The Saudi troops had more than modern weapons and vehicles. On the second front, Saudi Arabian forces occupied Nejran and advanced towards major center Saada. The Western powers were forced to send warships to Hodeidah and the Saudi coast. The Arab League in Cairo offered negotiating services. Yemen, caught up in difficult situation accepted the offer to negotiate. In May 1934, the Saudi-Yemeni peace treaty was signed in Al-Taif, according to which part of Nejran and Asir remained part of Arabia, and its forces were withdrawn from Yemen. Successful fighting significantly increased the authority of Saudi Arabia in the international arena.
Oil discovery
In 1933, King Ibn Saud granted American oil companies a concession to explore and extract oil. It turned out that in the depths of Arabia there are huge reserves of "black gold". In 1938, colossal oil fields were discovered in Saudi Arabia. The king transferred the main rights to develop deposits to the Aramco company. Most of the oil produced went to the United States, and almost all of the proceeds from it went directly to the royal family. However, profits were constantly growing, and the money went to the state treasury. Saudi Arabia quickly became the richest state in the Middle East. The sale of oil made it possible for Abdel Aziz to make a huge fortune, which in 1952 was estimated at 200 million US dollars.
During World War II, he remained neutral. He led the struggle of the Arabs against the creation of a Jewish state and was one of the leaders
In the early thirties, a British political agent in Kuwait spoke of the ruler of neighboring Saudi Arabia as "the cunning Ibn Saud, who is always prudent." In fact, Ibn Saud during these years could not afford to look far ahead. He was tormented by the problem: the treasury needed money, and as soon as possible. That's what made him think about oil. Of course, he was very skeptical about its presence in the country. And he didn't like it too much possible consequences its developments - in the unlikely event that it was actually discovered. Foreign capital and technical personnel could undermine or even destroy traditional values and attitudes. The issuance of a concession to search for oil is quite another matter, especially if it is confirmed by appropriate financial measures. Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Rahman bin Faisal al-Saud was then a little over fifty and had an imposing appearance. Six foot three, barrel-chested, he towered over the heads of most of his subjects. This is how a British official described the sheikh during a visit to Basra a decade earlier: “Although he is more heavily built than the typical nomad sheikh, he has the features of a well-mannered Arab, a sharply defined aquiline profile, fleshy nostrils, thick lips and a long, narrow chin, accentuated by a sharp beard. His soldierly skills help him govern the state, which is highly valued by his fellow tribesmen. Ibn Saud used his talents in both military area as well as in government. He achieved a lot in nation building and the creation of modern Saudi Arabia. The enormous wealth he subsequently accumulated was unique for a ruler who, in his youth, would have fit the entire national treasury in a camel's saddle bag.
Founded the Saudi dynasty early XVIII century Muhammad ibn Saud, emir of the town of Darius on Nejd (a plateau in central Arabia). He took matters into his own hands spiritual leader, Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab, who professed a harsh "puritan" version of Islam, which became the religious tool of the new dynasty and state. The Saudi family, in alliance with the Wahhabis, embarked on a program of rapid conquest that, in less than half a century, brought them power over for the most part Arabian Peninsula. However, the expansion of the Saudi state alarmed the Turks, and they inflicted a crushing defeat on the Arabs in 1818. Muhammad's grandson, Abdullah, was taken to Constantinople, where he was beheaded. Later, Abdullah's son Türki restored the Saudi kingdom centered in Riyadh, but this first Saudi restoration failed due to a power struggle between Türki's two grandsons. For a time, a third grandson, Abdul Rahman, nominally ruled Riyadh under the hateful gaze of the rival al-Rashid family. But in 1891, Abdul Rahman was expelled from the country along with his entire family, including his son Abdul Aziz, the future Ibn Saud, who spent part of the way in a camel saddle bag. Abdul Rahman and his family wandered for two years, spending several months with a tribe of nomads far in the desert. In the end, the family of Sabah, who ruled Kuwait, invited them to settle in this small city-state on the shores of the Persian Gulf.
Abdul Rahman had two goals in life: to restore the Saudi dynasty and to make the Wahhabi branch of Sunnism in Islam universal. It was up to his son, Ibn Saul, to make those dreams come true. Mubarak, the Emir of Kuwait, took the young Prince Saud under his wing and gave him excellent knowledge. Mubarak helped him learn, Ibn Saud recalled, how to "take advantage of our superiority and our shortcomings." The boy received a severe religious upbringing, lived a Spartan life, having mastered in his youth the art of fighting and surviving in the desert. Soon he had the opportunity to apply these skills - the Turks knocked out the Rashidov, the traditional enemies of the Saudis, to attack Kuwait, which was then under the protection of Great Britain. As a diversionary measure, the Emir of Kuwait sent twenty-year-old Ibn Saud to try to take Riyadh from the Rashids. Ibn Saud led a small force across the desert sands only to have his first onslaught repulsed. On the second attempt, combining surprise and force, Ibn Saud burst into the city at night and killed the Rashid ruler by morning. In January 1902, his father declared him, a young man of twenty-one years old, the ruler of Najd and the imam of the Wahhabis. Thus began the second restoration of the Saudi dynasty.
Over the next few years, conducting one military campaign after another, Ibn Saud became the recognized ruler of Central Arabia. At the same time, he became the leader of the Ikhwan, or "brotherhood," a new movement of highly religious warriors whose rapid expansion into Arabia provided Ibn Saud with many loyal soldiers. During 1913-1914 he took control of Eastern Arabia, including the large and densely populated oasis of Al-Haz. Since the population was mainly Shia Muslims - while the Saudis were Sunnis, and not just Sunnis, but members of the harsh Wahhabi sect, Ibn Saud paid special attention to the administration and education in Al-Haz, preserving their status and preventing discontent. Wahhabist dogmas notwithstanding, Ibn Saud was a prudent politician and knew that it was in his interest not to encroach on the feelings of the Shiites. “We have thirty thousand Shiites living in peace and security,” he once said. “No one ever annoys them. All we ask of them is not to show their feelings too much in public on their holidays.
The last important territories for the Saudi empire were annexed almost immediately after the First World War. Ibn Saud captured northwestern Arabia. Then, in 1922, a member of the British High Commission, infuriated by the disputes between Ibn Saud and the Emir of Kuwait, took a red pencil and drew the borders between their countries himself. He also identified two "neutral zones" along the borders of Ibn Saud - one with Kuwait, the other with Iraq. They were called "neutral" because the Bedouins could cross them back and forth and graze their flocks there, and because they had to be managed jointly. By December 1925, Ibn Saud's detachments captured Hijaz, the sacred land of Islam in the west of the peninsula, washed by the Red Sea. Here were the port of Jeddah and two holy cities - Mecca and Medina. In January 1926, after a collective prayer in the Great Mosque of Mecca, Ibn Saud was proclaimed king of Hijaza. The Saudi dynasty became the custodian of the shrines of Islam. So, at forty-five years old, Ibn Saud was the master of Arabia. Within a quarter of a century, a skilled warrior and wise politician established Saudi rule over nine-tenths of the Arabian Peninsula. The restoration has actually been completed.
However, here the soldiers began to criticize Ibn Saud for retreating from Wahhabism. They claimed that the civilization that had begun to infiltrate the kingdom - telephone, telegraph, radio, automobile - was the product of the devil, and condemned Saud for having any dealings with unfaithful Englishmen and other foreigners. Increasingly out of obedience, they raised an uprising against him in 1927. However, Saud won again, and in 1930 destroyed the Ikhwan movement. Ibn Saud's control over Arabia was now secured. From that moment on, his tasks shifted from conquest to preservation. He had to protect a nation that had been built in thirty years. To perpetuate the unification, the name of the state was changed in 1932 from “Kingdom of Hejaz, Najd and the annexed areas” to what still exists today - “Saudi Arabia”10.
But at the very moment when Ibn Saud's efforts seemed to be crowned with complete success, a new threat arose. Simply put, Ibn Saud began to run out of money. With the onset of the Great Depression, the flow of pilgrims to Mecca (and all Muslims should try to make at least one pilgrimage in their lives) turned into a trickle. Meanwhile, pilgrims were the king's main source of income. The royal finances were in an extremely difficult position, the bills were not paid, the salaries of civil servants were delayed for six to eight months. Ibn Saud's ability to distribute subsidies to the tribes was one of the most important factors that united the disparate kingdom. The state began to ferment. The situation was aggravated by the fact that the king began to execute an expensive and multifaceted program that seemed to unite everything from the creation of a local radio network to the reconstruction of Jeddah's water supply system. Where to find new sources of money? Ibn Saud attempted to collect taxes for the year ahead. He then sent his son Faisal to Europe to seek help or investment, but without success. His financial problems continued to multiply and the king did not know where to turn for help.
FAHD IBN ABD AL-AZIZ AS-SAUD
(born in 1922)
King of Saudi Arabia.
Today, Saudi Arabia has a quarter of the world's oil reserves. It is not only the largest exporter of fuel in the world, but also the most powerful producer of natural gas and petroleum products, which gives the Saudis the right to look to the future with confidence. It's hard to believe that back in the 30s. 20th century kerosene was brought into the country on camels, and the treasury of the kingdom, chosen by Allah as the cradle of Islam, was empty. All the gold of the founder of the dynasty, Abdulaziz, fit in a small wooden chest, which his treasurer hid under the bed at night. The country then did not have a civil administration, people lived in tribal nomad camps and a few settled settlements torn apart by civil strife. Only belonging to a large family and a strong tribe ensured success in a society that was not yet united and recognized only the authority of strength and seniority, interpreting even the religious canons commanded by the ancestors in any way.
In 1932, Abdel Aziz united the country, created a kingdom and became its first king. He died in 1953, leaving a large offspring. 44 of his sons formed the basis of the ruling house of Saudis to this day. The youngest was not seven at the time. In general, there are more than 5 thousand people in the Al Saud family. After the death of the founder of the kingdom, his ninth son Fahd became the patriarch of a powerful family.
Biographers lead different dates Fahd's birth. According to some sources, he was born in 1920, according to others - in 1922. His youth, however, like other children of Abdel Aziz, passed in a roadless country that did not know either literacy or order. Knowledge of religious dogmas and Islamic rites was considered a sufficient level of education. Apart from the wives of the Prophet Mohammed, there are few famous women in Saudi Arabia. The exception was Fahd's mother. She was ranked among the great representatives of Saudi society. Her name was Hussa bint Ahmed al-Sudairi. She gave birth to 7 sons and 4 daughters.
Fahd, a leader by nature, devoted himself early to politics. From childhood, he was distinguished by calmness and poise, eschewed fun, loved to listen and delve into, communicate with elders, was interested in everything that was happening around. Seeing this, his father brought him closer to him, allowed him to attend councils with his eldest sons and statesmen. The young prince was educated at a school created by the king specifically for his sons, then attended a local educational institution - "Saudi scientific institute where the focus was on religion and Arabic(already in adulthood, at 40, he began to take lessons of English language, preparing himself for a great political future). Fahd read a lot, studied works on international and religious issues, was interested in biographies famous people: Churchill, Roosevelt, Adenauer. Independently studied the life of Stalin, got acquainted with his views.
Good preparation made it possible for Prince Fahd to represent the king at meetings of tribal sheikhs in solving internecine problems. He was a member of the Saudi delegation at the founding conference of the United Nations in San Francisco in 1945, was his father's envoy at the coronation ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. The first official position entrusted to him was that of Minister of Education. This fully coincided with the interests of the young prince and met the needs of the country. Fahd was subsequently very proud of his activities in this post. He laid the foundation modern education in a country where there were not enough schools and there was no one to teach children, where the population did not even understand the need for education. Already becoming king, Fahd said: "I am fully convinced that science is the main basis on which nations flourish." For almost 10 years he was the Minister of Education, and during this time the number of schools increased several dozen times, the first university on the Arabian Peninsula was created with the faculties of literature, natural sciences, pharmacology, trade, and engineering. Today there are seven universities in the country. Students are provided with free housing, clothing, books, medical care, a computer and a $300 stipend. Upon graduation, everyone has the right to take an interest-free loan of $85,000 from the state fund.
Fahd's next post in 1962 was that of minister of the interior. And here new minister started with education. A number of educational institutions for the training of privates and non-commissioned officers, college of internal security forces at the university level. King Faisal, who came to power in 1964, taking into account the merits of Fahd, appointed him as the second deputy prime minister. Fahd chaired most cabinet meetings, his word had great value in determining the external and domestic policy. After the death of a fanatic King Faisal from a bullet, Fahd was declared crown prince in 1975, and after 7 years he became king.
Back in the 70s. in a country where 1/2 of the territory is desert, it was decided to adapt the sands of Arabia for wheat fields. Irrigation canals permeated the desert. All subjects were provided free of charge and for long periods of land for grain crops. The peasants were given interest-free loans. Hundreds of millions of dollars were purchased for agricultural machinery, which was sold to farmers at half price. The state has set a very high purchase price for wheat. As a result, in 1984, food self-sufficiency of the country was achieved. Wheat production increased by 1000%. With a yield of 40 centners of grain per hectare, Saudi Arabia supplies wheat not only to neighboring countries, but also to Europe and Latin America.
Upon accession to the throne in 1982, Fahd solemnly declared: “I swear that I will be a young father and an adult brother, because I am one of you and I experience the same pain as you and experience the same joy that you experience! » And he fully justified the hopes of the people. Saudi Arabia has become an exporter not only of oil: manufactured goods are exported to 60 countries of the world, including petrochemicals, fertilizers, carpets, furniture, and electrical goods. Nuclear technology is widely used. The country leads in the use of solar energy. The two types of property coexist peacefully together, although the leading role in industrialization belongs to the public sector. The creation of joint ventures is encouraged. The state provides the private sector with interest-free loans that can reach 50% of the project cost. The Saudis opened their business in New York and Tokyo, while the Americans and the Japanese in Riyadh. If the share of a Saudi is at least 25% in a joint venture, then he is exempt from taxes for a period of 10 years. Industrialists do not pay customs duties for the import of equipment and the necessary raw materials. State funds are directed to the creation of the most modern infrastructure. Highways were laid, artesian wells were drilled.
Meanwhile, the king considers himself responsible, first of all, before Allah, and only then - before the people. “I am one of you. We are all equal before Allah." He believes that his kingdom was created in order to carry the knowledge of Islam. In the fifth year of his reign, Fahd abandoned the title "Your Majesty", replacing it with another: "Servant of the two noble shrines." It's about about serving the House of Allah - the main Meccan mosque - and the mosque of the Prophet in Medina. Much attention is paid to the third most important Muslim shrine - Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque. Hence Fahd's calls for the unification of all Arabs to fight for the return of the shrine and the creation of an independent Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem.
The political weight of King Fahd is very high. He is distinguished by calmness and balance. He is always careful when discussing other people's internal affairs and treats with equal respect both the leaders of the neighboring Persian Gulf monarchies and other leaders of the Islamic world, representatives of great powers and small countries. Largely due to his efforts, the plans for the redistribution of the Arabian Peninsula and Saddam Hussein's military adventure against Kuwait, which could have grave consequences for the whole world, were thwarted. Then, in 1991, the combined Arab forces that took part in Operation Desert Storm were commanded by Fahd's grandson, Prince Khaled.
After the end of this crisis, the king began to show a desire to move from absolutism to a form of enlightened monarchy. He introduced fixed regulations governing the government of the country, and announced the creation of a new government agency– The Shura Council, which became the germ of the future parliamentary structure. The rights of citizens were significantly expanded with strict observance of Sharia law. But at the same time, any attempt to criticize the royal family is immediately stopped. The critics themselves disappear, and their fate remains a mystery to those close to them. Even the most minor crimes are punished severely. So, for example, talking on a cell phone on board an aircraft is punishable by 20 blows with a whip. Executions are carried out in shopping malls and in the squares. A woman has no right to drive a car, appear on the street without a veil and a man accompanying her. For violating these prohibitions, she can be beaten and imprisoned. True, women can get an education, especially since computer training is mandatory in the country. And in March 2002, the whole world learned about a terrible tragedy: in Saudi Arabia, 15 schoolgirls studying in Mecca died in a fire. They could have been saved, but the religious police did not allow them to jump out of the burning building into the street because they were not wearing a veil. For the same reason, the male rescuers were not allowed there either.
As an Islamic state, the kingdom proclaimed the holy book of the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad as its constitution, defining the principles and canons that society should follow. King Fahd, now in his 80s, continues to rule the country with Crown Prince Abdullah.