Khalid of Saudi Arabia
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| خالد بن عبد العزيز Khalid bin Abdul Aziz |
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| House of Saud |
| Khalid ibn Abd al-Aziz ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Faisal ibn Turki Al Saud |
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Khalid bin Abdul Aziz (Arabic: خالد بن عبد العزيز ; b. 1912–June 13, 1982) was King of Saudi Arabia from the assassination of King Faisal in 1975 until his own death in 1982.
Khalid was named Crown Prince in 1965, after his older brother (and only full brother) Muhammad bin Abdul Aziz declined a place in the succession. He was not very interested in politics and gave effective control of the country to his brother Crown Prince Fahd. Khalid's preparation for ruling a modern state included his accompanying Faisal on foreign missions and representing Saudi Arabia at the United Nations. He was more liberal in terms of informing the press of the rationale behind foreign policy decisions.
The king's first diplomatic coup was the conclusion in April 1975 of a demarcation agreement concerning the Al Buraymi Oasis, where the frontiers of Abu Dhabi, Oman, and Saudi Arabia meet. Claims and counterclaims over this frontier had exacerbated relations among them for years. The conclusion of negotiations under Khalid added to his stature as a statesman.
In a reorganisation of the Council of Ministers in 1975, Khalid named Crown Prince Fahd deputy prime minister. In 1976 the strains of office began to tell on Khalid, forcing him to return to the United States for successful open-heart surgery in Cleveland, Ohio. Khalid asked President Carter to sell advanced fighter planes to Saudi Arabia to assist in countering communist aggression in the area. The first delivery of the sixty F-15s under the agreement approved by Carter arrived in the kingdom in 1982. Some foreign observers thought traditionalism was no longer a strong force in Saudi Arabia. This idea was disproved when at least 500 dissidents invaded and seized the Grand Mosque in Mecca on November 20, 1979.
He decided to bring in foreign labour to help with the country's development. A relatively easygoing but pious man, like many members of the House of Saud he died of a heart attack. He had purchased a Boeing 747 with an operating room should he be stricken while on his travels. He was succeeded by Fahd.
Notable achievements included the institution of the second "Five-Year Plan" in Saudi history, which aimed to build up Saudi infrastructure and health care. He also called numerous summits and inaugurated the Gulf Co-operation Council in 1981.
King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and King Khalid Military City were both named after him.
| Preceded by Faisal |
King of Saudi Arabia and head of the House of Saud 1975–1982 |
Succeeded by Fahd |
