Information and Photos / Pictures of King Abdul Aziz Al-Saud (Ibn Saud)

Ibn Saud, also known as King Abdul Aziz, was the tribal and Muslim religious leader who formed the modern state of Saudi Arabia and initiated the exploitation of oil

Ibn Saud 1910

In this black and white photograph there are three men sitting down in the front row with a child standing between each man. In the background are 7 men standing and one child. The men and children are all wearing slightly different variations of thobes (white long robes), ghutras (head scarves) which are checked, solid white or solid dark color held in place by agals (double bands of dark rope) and bisht or mishlah (finely-woven cloak) which is worn over the thobe.

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The photograph above was taken by Shakespear in March 1910 in Kuwait town.

Ibn Saud & FDR

Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy is standing on the far right wearing a black uniform with gold braid over his right shoulder and several gold braids are seen on his right lower sleeve. To the right and behind him are two men standing; one wearing a dark uniform and the other a white jacket and black tie. The fourth man from the left is Colonel William A Eddy, USMC, wearing a brownish color Marine uniform and he is kneeling in front of King Abdul Aziz. The fifth man from the left is King Abdul Aziz (Ibn Saud) sitting in a chair wearing traditional Saudi clothing and looking at Colonel Eddy. On his head is the read and white checked head cloth (ghutra) held in place by 2 black cords, a black flowing robe and has a cane in front of him. Sitting next to the King and looking towards him is President Franklin D. Roosevelt wearing a light brown suit with white shirt and a long black coat over his left shoulder.

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This picture was taken when Ibn Saud & FDR met on board the USS Quincy (CA-71) in Great Bitter Lake, Egypt on 14 February 1945.

Ibn Saud 1950

This black and white photograph shows the upper part of a man sitting in a chair looking slightly to the left with a cane resting in front of him. The man is wearing a ghutra (checked head cover) held in place by an agal (thick double cord), has a mustache and a beard on the lower part of his face. The man is wearing a loose robe made of dark gauze like material over a white thobe.

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King Abdul Aziz was nearly blind and used a cane during the last few years of his life before he died in Taif, Saudi Arabia.

1911

The black and white photograph is rectangular in shape and longer than it is wide with Saa'd Ibn Abdul Rhman Al-Saud standing in the middle and looking directly at the photographer. He is wearing a white head covering that flows over his shoulders and is held in place by two wide bands around the top of his head. His dark hair is in long ringlets and can be seen along the edges of the head covering. His eyes are almost hypnotic looking and he has a slight mustache. Saa'd Al-Saud is wearing a dark long sleeved loosely fitting garment with another long garment underneath that has a black and white almost checked pattern. His hands are resting in front of him holding a string prayer beads between them.

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The photograph above is Sa'ad Ibn Abdul(r) Rahman Al-Saud, brother of Ibn Saud, with his hair in ringlets which were called 'Dalik'.

The Saud family ruled much of Arabia from 1780 to 1880; but when Ibn Saud had just turned 14 (February 1891) his family fled Riyadh to escape the vengeance of the then dominant Rashids and became exiles in Kuwait.

In January 1901, at the age of 24, Ibn Saud regained control of Riyadh after a bloody battle in which surprise was a great factor in its success. For the next thirty years, Ibn Saud's superior intelligence, strong body, great courage, deep comprehension of the strengths and weaknesses of his people, and indisputable charisma were all used in full measure to regain most of his ancestors' holdings and to unite them to form the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932.

Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Rahman Al-Saud - Nov 1876 to 9 Nov 1953

For more pictures and information about King Abdul Aziz visit:
Unification and Abdul Aziz

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Ibn Saud: King by Conquest by Nestor Sander

Why another biography? Simply because several authors differ so widely in the information they report as fact, and even more in the motivations they ascribe to Ibn Saud's actions. This work attempts to resolve some of these conflicts. The final section of the book discusses Ibn Saud himself: his aspect, his qualities of mind, mannerisms, and interests. He was a man of his time with a greater-than-average sex drive. He had 48 legitimate sons, 22 declared wives, and later in life, several concubines. Some marriages were made only to firm up alliances, but all were consummated.

Saudi Arabian Trivia - Succession of Kings

Ibn Saud is the father of all the Kings of Saudi Arabia that have succeeded him but it was not until the Saudi Basic Law of 1992 declared the King of Saudi Arabia must be a son or grandson of Ibn Saud.

Photo Index: List of Photos in the Tour Saudi Arabia Photo Gallery and their Descriptions

Site Map: List of Page Titles and Page Descriptions

Link to 'A Virtual Tour of Saudi Arabia'

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To the best of my knowledge the copyright of the items in this Photo Gallery is held by the person submitting the item, are in public domain or do not have a copyright. If you hold the copyright to an item here and it was not submitted by you please contact me either at the Email address or the PO Box address found above. Jane L. Smith

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Photographs of Ibn Saud