West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Tuesday 10 November 1953, page 1


Warrior King Ibn Saud Dies At 73 BAHREIN. Mon.-Mecca radio today reported the death of King Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia at the age of 73.

Emir Saud is now king and Emitr Fpisal is Crowsprince. During World War H King Ibn Saud was a friend of the West. He kept land, air and sea routes open for the Allies, and this won him the Legion of Merit from President Truman in 1947. The king Was reported 'last month to be seriously ill with heart disease, but court officials said a few weeks ago that he had "passed the crisis." He had been crippled in recent years by arthritis. King Ibn Saud's skill and daring as a desert warrior carved out for him his kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with 6.000,000 subjects. American capital which tapped his country's vast oil resources gave him an income of more than £89,000,000 a year. He had 40 sons, among them Prince Saud, who was named Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia's first Cabinet on October 10 and now ascends the. throne. The king also had more than 100 daughters by at least 135 marriages. He never had more than four wives at a time. "Old Cyclops" Because of the king's one eye, a few old Bedouins who had fought with him in the desert wars called him "Old Cyclops." His full name was Abdul Aziz Ibn Abdul Rahman al Falsal al Saud. -He was the son of the Sultan of Nejd, and through his acts of daring and skill not only recovered his father's kingdom but added materially to it. When he was only 20 years old lbn Saud and some of his brothers, cousins and servants. invaded Riyad by night, surprised the gar

The ltKg "1a6 IN SAUD.

rison, killed the governor and announced that a new Saud had cpme to power. That was the start o his long career as a warrior and statesman. In cooperation with the fam- d Lawrence of Arabia. King lbn Saud and his Wahabi army drove the Turks out of the Arabian Peninsula. Independence The British recognised the independence of King lba Saud in 1915. Nine years later he defeated the Hashemite forces of King Hussein of the Hejaz. In 1926 he was proclaiined King of the Hejaz. He became protector of the sacred Moslem cities of Mecca and Medina. He bore nine wounds from his warrior days. In a final step in restoring the prestige of the Saud family, he proclaimed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1931, uniting the Hejaz and Nejd. His kingdom secure, Ibn Saud began to build up his country, encourpging the roving Bedouins to settle on the land and weldint them into brotherhoods, partly religious, partly military and partly agricultural. . Then discovery of big oil de posits ushered in the most prosperous period of his rule. Oil production began in 1936 and great wealth came to Saudi Arabia-and to lbn Saud-almost overnight.-Reuters, U.P. and A.P.