Presidents and Monarchs: Dwight Eisenhower and King Saud
His full name was Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. He was born on January 15, 1902 and he was the King of Saudi Arabia from November 9, 1953 until November 2, 1964. Prior to his ascension, he served as the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia from May 11, 1933 to November 9, 1953. He was the second son of King Abdulaziz, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia, and the first of Abdulaziz's six sons who were kings of that country. Saud's elder brother, Prince Turki, died in 1919 and in 1933 King Abdulaziz appointed him as crown prince in 1933.
Saud had a military career, serving as his father's commander in battles that led to the founding of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932. He was the viceroy of Nejd from 1926 to 1932, and he also represented his father in neighboring countries. He was also an economic advisor to his father and he prepared the first state budget in 1948 and established the Saudi Central Bank in 1952. Saud was also put in charge of his country's infrastructural development.
Upon his father's death in 1953, Saud ascended to the throne and reorganized the government. Saud was very skilled on the diplomatic front. He sought to maintain friendly relations with President Dwight Eisenhower and with the United States government, while at the same time supporting other Arab countries in their conflicts against Israel.
When he became King, Saud went on tour, first to the various regions of his country and them visiting Arab and friendly countries. He had strategic and political goals. He began his tour in 1954 in Egypt, followed by Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Yemen, and Pakistan. He announced that his sole purpose was to "unify Muslims all over the world" so they would become one strong body. King Saud also announced that he believed in a non-alignment policy between the United States and the Soviet Union. He also wanted to keep the middle east free from coalitions and blocs that only served foreign interests. He refused to join the organization that became known as the Middle East Treaty Organization (originally called the Baghdad Pact), but he did support President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt and the Syrian President Shukri al-Quwatli in Cairo in March 1956 when the two announced their joint pact concerning security and defense matters in the region. In November 1955, King Saud granted a $16 million loan to Syria for five years, and reached agreements in the region for lower tariffs and for free trade on some products.
The most contentious issue in the region was war with Israel. Israeli assaults were occurring in Jordan in 1955. In response, King Saud invited military leaders of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan to Riyadh in order to discuss combatting this aggression. He agreed to cover all expenses of reinforcing Jordan's National Guard and armed forces. He also supported the Algerian revolution against France. He called on his citizens to donate money for the revolution and donations of $1,200,000 came in. Saud kept granting donations to Algeria and supported its defense it until it established its independence in 1962. Saud gained an ally when Yemen joined the in the joint defense agreement with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Syria.
On July 26, 1956, Egypt nationalized the the Suez Canal Company. In response, Great Britain and France joined Israel in an invasion of Egypt. In response, President Eisenhower Eisenhower forced an end to the combined British, French and Israeli invasion of Egypt in November of that year, fearing that the British and French action might chase Egypt and other Arab nations into the arms of the Soviet Union. Eisenhower publicly disavowed these two former second world war allies at the United Nations, and he used financial and diplomatic pressure to make them withdraw from Egypt. After the Suez Crisis, the United States became the protector of friendly governments in the Middle East. This policy became known as the "Eisenhower Doctrine". It was designed by Secretary of State Allen Dulles, and it held the U.S. would be willing to use armed force to counter aggression from any country controlled by international communism. It also provided that the United States would provide economic and military aid and, if necessary, use military force to stop the spread of communism in the Middle East.
Britain and France encountered further resistance from King Saud. As a means of exerting pressure on the British and French governments, he blocked oil exports, banning all British and French tankers and other tankers carrying Saudi oil to these two countries. He also broke off relations with Britain and France.
Although he had been a valuable US ally, the King refused to join the American sponsored the Baghdad Pact of 1955, an agreement aimed at opposing the expansion of Communist influence in the region, even though his fellow Arab State of Iraq joined the pact, along with Iran, Turkey, Pakistan and Britain.
President Eisenhower invited King Saud to undertake an official visit to the U.S. in 1957 since he believed that King Saud played a crucial role in implementing his Eisenhower doctrine. On receiving the invitation, the King first met with Presidents Gamal Abdel Nasser and Shukri al-Quwatli in Cairo in January 1957. The three leaders agreed to try to convince Eisenhower to pressure the Israeli government to evacuate occupied Sharm El Sheikh that overlooks the Gulf of Aqaba and to withdraw to the borders of the previous truce on all frontiers. The King maintained his support for the countries at war with Israel, and he signed a ten-year agreement with the Egyptian and Syrian presidents and with King Hussein of Jordan to ease Jordan's financial burdens as a result of this conflict.
When Saud and Eisenhower met, they discussed his dispute with Britain over the Al Buraymi Oasis, an oil zone between the frontiers of Saudi Arabia, Oman and Abu Dhabi which was under British protection. This issue had been raised since the reign of his father King Abdulaziz, but was left unresolved. The case went to international arbitration.
When King Saud eventually accepted Eisenhower's invitation to come to the United States he received a good welcome. However the Mayor of New York, Robert F. Wagner, Jr., refused to welcome the King, because of the strong support he received from Jewish groups in his city. King Saud delivered an important speech during the banquet held by Dag Hammarskjöld, the Swedish UN Secretary-General. In his address, the King addressed the different aspects of the Arab complaints, doing so according to the UN charter and its powers. He invited all countries to value the charter and implement it in its entirety. He also addressed the subject of the Cold War.
Eisenhower and the King met in Washington on February 2, 1957, and Eisenhower set out the objectives of the Eisenhower Doctrine, and the role that he hoped Saudi Arabia would play in fighting the spread of communism in the Middle East and the Islamic countries. Eisenhower offered a 25 million dollar loan to the Saudi Government. King Saud explained that he had refused Soviet Union military aid to fight Britain and that Britain's policy was what urged the Arabs to oppose. He said that non-aligned" countries in the region were benefiting from Soviet aid more than the American allied countries were benefiting from American aid. He believed that US aid to the region should double if Eisenhower expected to succeed in his endeavors. King Saud asked Eisenhower to exert pressure on Israel to withdraw from the occupied territories of Palestine and settle the Palestinian cause, and to convince France to reach a settlement regarding the independence of Algeria. His only commitment was to inform the Arabs of the Eisenhower Doctrine and its purposes.
King Saud explained that a large portion of his country's budget was allocated to development projects and to the five-year plan and that he needed military aid before being able to play any role expected from him in fighting Communism. The American government agreed to give him a $250 million dollar loan and military weapons, and to train the Saudi army on how to use them. In return, the American government was to be granted facilities to use Dhahran airport for five years, after which it would be returned with all its equipment to the Saudi Government in 1962.
Before meeting with Arab leaders, King Saud visited Spain, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya and informed them of his meeting with Eisenhower. In February 1957 he met the leaders of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan in Cairo and informed them of Eisenhower's objectives. King Saud wanted to support a unanimous Arab stand, and as a result it was decided not to offer support for the Eisenhower Doctrine.
Under his reign, Saudi Arabia joined the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961. However, Saud's inability to counter the Saudi national debt brought him into a power struggle with his half-brother, Crown Prince Faisal, culminating in the forced abdication of Saud and the proclamation of Faisal as king. Saud went into exile and made an attempt, supported by some of his sons, to take back the throne, but this was unsuccessful. He died in Athens, Greece, in 1969.
Saud had a military career, serving as his father's commander in battles that led to the founding of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932. He was the viceroy of Nejd from 1926 to 1932, and he also represented his father in neighboring countries. He was also an economic advisor to his father and he prepared the first state budget in 1948 and established the Saudi Central Bank in 1952. Saud was also put in charge of his country's infrastructural development.
Upon his father's death in 1953, Saud ascended to the throne and reorganized the government. Saud was very skilled on the diplomatic front. He sought to maintain friendly relations with President Dwight Eisenhower and with the United States government, while at the same time supporting other Arab countries in their conflicts against Israel.
When he became King, Saud went on tour, first to the various regions of his country and them visiting Arab and friendly countries. He had strategic and political goals. He began his tour in 1954 in Egypt, followed by Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Yemen, and Pakistan. He announced that his sole purpose was to "unify Muslims all over the world" so they would become one strong body. King Saud also announced that he believed in a non-alignment policy between the United States and the Soviet Union. He also wanted to keep the middle east free from coalitions and blocs that only served foreign interests. He refused to join the organization that became known as the Middle East Treaty Organization (originally called the Baghdad Pact), but he did support President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt and the Syrian President Shukri al-Quwatli in Cairo in March 1956 when the two announced their joint pact concerning security and defense matters in the region. In November 1955, King Saud granted a $16 million loan to Syria for five years, and reached agreements in the region for lower tariffs and for free trade on some products.
The most contentious issue in the region was war with Israel. Israeli assaults were occurring in Jordan in 1955. In response, King Saud invited military leaders of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan to Riyadh in order to discuss combatting this aggression. He agreed to cover all expenses of reinforcing Jordan's National Guard and armed forces. He also supported the Algerian revolution against France. He called on his citizens to donate money for the revolution and donations of $1,200,000 came in. Saud kept granting donations to Algeria and supported its defense it until it established its independence in 1962. Saud gained an ally when Yemen joined the in the joint defense agreement with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Syria.
On July 26, 1956, Egypt nationalized the the Suez Canal Company. In response, Great Britain and France joined Israel in an invasion of Egypt. In response, President Eisenhower Eisenhower forced an end to the combined British, French and Israeli invasion of Egypt in November of that year, fearing that the British and French action might chase Egypt and other Arab nations into the arms of the Soviet Union. Eisenhower publicly disavowed these two former second world war allies at the United Nations, and he used financial and diplomatic pressure to make them withdraw from Egypt. After the Suez Crisis, the United States became the protector of friendly governments in the Middle East. This policy became known as the "Eisenhower Doctrine". It was designed by Secretary of State Allen Dulles, and it held the U.S. would be willing to use armed force to counter aggression from any country controlled by international communism. It also provided that the United States would provide economic and military aid and, if necessary, use military force to stop the spread of communism in the Middle East.
Britain and France encountered further resistance from King Saud. As a means of exerting pressure on the British and French governments, he blocked oil exports, banning all British and French tankers and other tankers carrying Saudi oil to these two countries. He also broke off relations with Britain and France.
Although he had been a valuable US ally, the King refused to join the American sponsored the Baghdad Pact of 1955, an agreement aimed at opposing the expansion of Communist influence in the region, even though his fellow Arab State of Iraq joined the pact, along with Iran, Turkey, Pakistan and Britain.
President Eisenhower invited King Saud to undertake an official visit to the U.S. in 1957 since he believed that King Saud played a crucial role in implementing his Eisenhower doctrine. On receiving the invitation, the King first met with Presidents Gamal Abdel Nasser and Shukri al-Quwatli in Cairo in January 1957. The three leaders agreed to try to convince Eisenhower to pressure the Israeli government to evacuate occupied Sharm El Sheikh that overlooks the Gulf of Aqaba and to withdraw to the borders of the previous truce on all frontiers. The King maintained his support for the countries at war with Israel, and he signed a ten-year agreement with the Egyptian and Syrian presidents and with King Hussein of Jordan to ease Jordan's financial burdens as a result of this conflict.
When Saud and Eisenhower met, they discussed his dispute with Britain over the Al Buraymi Oasis, an oil zone between the frontiers of Saudi Arabia, Oman and Abu Dhabi which was under British protection. This issue had been raised since the reign of his father King Abdulaziz, but was left unresolved. The case went to international arbitration.
When King Saud eventually accepted Eisenhower's invitation to come to the United States he received a good welcome. However the Mayor of New York, Robert F. Wagner, Jr., refused to welcome the King, because of the strong support he received from Jewish groups in his city. King Saud delivered an important speech during the banquet held by Dag Hammarskjöld, the Swedish UN Secretary-General. In his address, the King addressed the different aspects of the Arab complaints, doing so according to the UN charter and its powers. He invited all countries to value the charter and implement it in its entirety. He also addressed the subject of the Cold War.
Eisenhower and the King met in Washington on February 2, 1957, and Eisenhower set out the objectives of the Eisenhower Doctrine, and the role that he hoped Saudi Arabia would play in fighting the spread of communism in the Middle East and the Islamic countries. Eisenhower offered a 25 million dollar loan to the Saudi Government. King Saud explained that he had refused Soviet Union military aid to fight Britain and that Britain's policy was what urged the Arabs to oppose. He said that non-aligned" countries in the region were benefiting from Soviet aid more than the American allied countries were benefiting from American aid. He believed that US aid to the region should double if Eisenhower expected to succeed in his endeavors. King Saud asked Eisenhower to exert pressure on Israel to withdraw from the occupied territories of Palestine and settle the Palestinian cause, and to convince France to reach a settlement regarding the independence of Algeria. His only commitment was to inform the Arabs of the Eisenhower Doctrine and its purposes.
King Saud explained that a large portion of his country's budget was allocated to development projects and to the five-year plan and that he needed military aid before being able to play any role expected from him in fighting Communism. The American government agreed to give him a $250 million dollar loan and military weapons, and to train the Saudi army on how to use them. In return, the American government was to be granted facilities to use Dhahran airport for five years, after which it would be returned with all its equipment to the Saudi Government in 1962.
Before meeting with Arab leaders, King Saud visited Spain, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya and informed them of his meeting with Eisenhower. In February 1957 he met the leaders of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan in Cairo and informed them of Eisenhower's objectives. King Saud wanted to support a unanimous Arab stand, and as a result it was decided not to offer support for the Eisenhower Doctrine.
Under his reign, Saudi Arabia joined the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961. However, Saud's inability to counter the Saudi national debt brought him into a power struggle with his half-brother, Crown Prince Faisal, culminating in the forced abdication of Saud and the proclamation of Faisal as king. Saud went into exile and made an attempt, supported by some of his sons, to take back the throne, but this was unsuccessful. He died in Athens, Greece, in 1969.