Following the invasion of Kuwait, King Fahd emerged as a decisive leader by putting his country and people in the forefront of the liberation of an Arab country under invasion and aggression. He did not rush to invite Arab and foreign troops to liberate Kuwait. He allowed them in only after he had exhausted every possible way to resolve the Kuwaiti-Iraqi conflict without a devastating war.
King Fahd was always recognized for his vision, mercy and humanity, wisdom, bravery, and decisiveness. He had a combination of all the positive characteristics of leaders that are generally not easily found in one leader. Indeed, he was a unique leader with wisdom and humanity that were tested during tough times. King Fahd took the responsibility and accountability when he invited the troops onto Saudi soil to launch a massive attack against Iraqi forces to liberate Kuwait knowing fully well all the consequences of this courageous decision.
Tough times, regionally and globally, showed that King Fahd was a man of commitment and responsibility, a man who never failed his people or friends during good times and tough times. He committed himself to the development of his nation despite tough economic times because he believed that the well-being of his people was his foremost goal. King Fahd was the father of education and development in the Kingdom and many Saudis had the opportunity to achieve major degrees in all fields of knowledge. He loved education and educators so he always associated himself with them. During his rule, he sent many students and scholars to the West to get education, training, and expertise.
He helped the world when it needed Saudi oil during tough times because he always put the stability of global economic growth as a priority. It is his balanced leadership that put Saudi Arabia on the world map.
King Fahd had always praised those who performed well. He always made things simple and tried to overcome big problems with simple solutions. Interestingly, he had the ability to efficiently manage himself during crisis. Needless to say that King Fahd had the ability to live in paradox, one of the most difficult and unique characteristics of great leaders. Simply put, King Fahd had the ability to be very realistic about what he faced and how bad it was while being simultaneously optimistic that the toughest days had been put behind him.
One of the greatest things about King Fahd was that he quietly worked with optimism during the tough times that Saudi Arabia faced during or after regional or global crises. There were times when King Fahd showed his emotions to his people to let them know that we were all in this together.
King Fahd was consistent and steady when he faced domestic and regional crisis. His emotions did not control his rational calculations making him a very humane leader. The world lost a great leader on Aug. 1, 2005.
May the Almighty Allah bless King Fahd and put him in paradise.
