RIYADH, 28 November 2006 — Twenty-six researchers and academics gave presentations yesterday about the life and legacy of King Saud, Saudi Arabia’s second monarch. The symposium, inaugurated by Riyadh Governor Prince Salman on Sunday, is the first in a series of scientific seminars organized by the King Abdul Aziz Research Center on the lives of Saudi kings.
Addressing men and women who gathered at the King Faisal Hall here, Princess Fahda bint Saud presented her paper “Studying the documentation of the history of King Saud.”
Princess Fahda noted many factors concerning gathering of documents, their sources and their importance in documenting the Saudi history. She mentioned how some of these documents have been gathered from Arab archives as well as American and European sources.
The princess said collecting documents on Saudi history had many benefits. “It emphasizes the importance of writing our history from our perspective,” she said.
Dr. Ibrahim Al-Bishr, adviser in the Ministry of Justice, presented a paper entitled “The Justice System During the Reign of King Saud.” He said it was King Saud who introduced the current justice system in the country. “King Saud also introduced the Court of Grievances and the Commission for Ministers Courts, in addition to central committees for combating commercial fraud,” he said.
Dr. Saleh Abu Arad from the Teachers College in Abha, presented a paper entitled “King Saud’s Speeches and Their Effect on Saudi Society.” The researcher gave examples of the late king’s speeches and reflected on their importance in shaping the Muslim and Saudi character.
Dr. Saleh Syed Ahmed from the King Saud University presented a paper entitled “Transcripts of Portuguese Diplomatic Letters: A Source for Saudi History in the Reign of King Saud.”
“Since King Saud took to the throne, his domestic and foreign policies have stressed the importance of security and propagating Islam with leniency and good will,” he said.
The researcher said the Portuguese transcripts that were translated into Arabic revealed that King Saud was keen on uniting the Arabs following his father’s footsteps. The transcripts, he said, refers to the late king’s visit to Ethiopia and the United States.
Dr. Abdul Nasser Kaadan of Halab University in Syria presented a paper entitled “The Development of Medical Services in Saudi Arabia During the Reign of King Saud.” The researcher said progress made in this area was obvious from the fact that the Kingdom was divided into six health care zones with a general manager to oversee each region.
Dr. Anwar Eshki, president of the Middle East Institute for Strategic Studies, presented a paper entitled “King Saud and the Development of the Saudi Armed Forces.”
Dr. Eshki mentioned how the late king developed the Saudi armed forces at a time of global turbulence. “During the period in which King Saud reigned, many global changes took place. Colonization dominated the Arab and Islamic world, communism became rampant in several Arab countries and the war between the Arabs and Israelis deepened. King Saud made sure that in light of such changes, a strong military force was built to face these challenges,” he said.
Speaking to Arab News, Prince Musab ibn Saud, adviser in the Interior Ministry, said the symposium to document the late king’s legacy was “a seed that will grow”. He hoped that future events would include prizes for the best research presented.
Asked what characteristics of the king influenced him most, the prince said despite his young age he could remember that his late father instilled a sense of patriotism in his children. “I was only six when he passed away. But I remember how he taught us to love our country and how much he loved his people.”
