Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

Who is Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud?

Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was the third king of Saudi Arabia, reigning from 1964 until his assassination in 1975. A son of the kingdom's founder, Ibn Saud, he served for decades as foreign minister and viceroy of the Hejaz before ascending the throne, becoming one of the most influential Arab leaders of the twentieth century. As king he pursued a program of modernization while maintaining conservative social policies, introducing television, expanding education including schooling for girls, and formally abolishing slavery in 1962. Internationally he was a leading advocate of pan-Islamic solidarity and played a central role in the 1973 oil embargo following the Arab-Israeli war, which reshaped global energy politics. In March 1975 he was assassinated by his nephew during a royal gathering. He remains widely respected for his administrative reforms and diplomatic stature.

Sources: Alexei Vassiliev, 'The History of Saudi Arabia' (1998) · Madawi Al-Rasheed, 'A History of Saudi Arabia' (2002, Cambridge University Press)