On March 25, 1975, Saudi Arabia’s third king, Faisal (old spelling Faisal) bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (1906–1975), was assassinated by a pistol shot during a celebration of the Prophet Muhammad’s birth. The perpetrator was his nephew.
“King Faisal, a powerhouse in the Arab world, a pro-Western leader, and the ruler of oil-rich Saudi Arabia for 17 years, was fatally shot on the 25th by his nephew, Prince Faisal ibn Musaad ibn Abdelaziz. King Faisal, 69 years old, was meeting guests at his palace on the anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad’s birth when he was shot multiple times at close range by Prince Aziz and collapsed. He was rushed to a hospital for surgery but died shortly afterwards.” (Front page, March 26, 1975)
The perpetrator, nephew Faisal bin Musaad, was declared mentally ill. Though CIA conspiracy theories briefly emerged, the assassination was concluded to be a lone act without a mastermind. The perpetrator was beheaded with the ‘Golden Sword’ in Riyadh’s central square on June 18, three months later, under the watch of thousands. (Page 3, June 19, 1975)
King Faisal ascended to the throne in November 1964 after ousting his half-brother, the second king, Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. He served as de facto prime minister from 1958 to 1960 and 1962 to 1964 before becoming king. King Saud died in exile in Greece in 1969.
King Faisal was the monarch who led the modernisation of Saudi Arabia. He “gradually transformed the nomadic tribal society of Saudi Arabia into a modern state” and “played a leading role in politicising Middle Eastern oil during the October 1973 Middle East War, exerting greater influence domestically and internationally than any other Arab leader” (Page 3, March 26, 1975). He implemented welfare policies backed by massive oil revenues, abolished slavery, and introduced women’s education for the first time. The U.S. weekly news magazine *Time* named King Faisal its ‘Person of the Year’ in December 1974.
Shortly after King Faisal’s assassination, *Chosun Ilbo* serialised his life in four instalments under the title ‘The Story of Oil Giant Faisal,’ adapted from French biographer Benoit Meshang’s writings. This underscored his impact on Korean society.
Ambassador Yoon Kyung-do to Saudi Arabia stated in a December 1975 interview, “Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil producer, is so close to us that it can be called ‘South Korea’s spokesperson in the Arab world.’ Our establishment of diplomatic ties with Oman and Qatar was also facilitated by Saudi mediation” (Page 3, January 29, 1975).
Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932 when the first king, Abdulaziz Al Saud, unified the Arabian Peninsula and proclaimed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The throne has been passed down through fraternal succession among the sons of King Abdulaziz Al Saud. The first king married at least 22 wives from influential tribes, fathering over 45 sons.
Following King Faisal’s assassination, his brother Khalid inherited the throne. The current seventh king, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, is the 25th son of the founding king. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, widely known in South Korean media as ‘Bin Salman,’ is King Salman’s son. If he ascends to the throne, he will become the first third-generation monarch.
Courtesy:http://english.chosun.com/
