Roads of Arabia

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36bis Arabie Saoudie US p568-573_BAT.qxd 23/06/10 21:24 Page 572 ROADS OF ARABIA development, administration and economy, as well as its educational systems and cultural institutions. He improved its transportation and communication facilities and opened the market to the global economy. Social development was an essential element of his policy. The sedentarization of the Bedouins, considered the most far-reaching social transformation project undertaken in the region, was accomplished despite many obstacles. This made it possible to transform the tribal structures of Arab society, which until then had been founded on nomadism and the practice of razzia (plundering raids). The project enabled the tribes to settle in areas chosen according to their traditional territories, thus stabilizing and securing the region and helping the Bedouins adapt to the modernization of the country. In this way King Abdulaziz was able to build a modern state under very difficult circumstances, without violating local customs and mores. The king instituted an effective method for managing the country. He appointed administrators throughout the kingdom, to whom he sent his instructions and advice. Always motivated by a concern for the public interest and the rights of his subjects, he made sure that his envoys were fulfilling their duties and serving justice in every situation, and he asked them to keep him informed on the needs of the local populations. He set up committees of trusted representatives to monitor the citizens’ living conditions as well as the behaviour of the princes and officials, to ensure that they were properly handling their responsibilities. Despite the weight of his own responsibilities, the king never neglected his family and his children’s education. He made a special effort to remain close to his family and maintained good relations with all of its members, especially the women and children. As a pious Muslim and the custodian of the Two Sanctuaries, Abdulaziz gave priority consideration to the pilgrimage and the accommodation of pilgrims. He took action to ensure that the rites could be carried out smoothly. Each year he personally supervised the activities surrounding the Hajj and monitored the services provided for the pilgrims to make sure that they had adequate lodging and sufficient food and water. He also undertook the expansion and improvement of the holy sites. A skilled politician and astute negotiator, he succeeded in defending his positions even in the face of the formidable foreign powers that surrounded the country, with all of their experience in the field of diplomacy. From the earliest days of the kingdom, Abdulaziz founded his foreign policy on clear principles, with the goal of protecting the Saudi State and promoting Arab, Islamic and human causes without interfering in other countries’ affairs. This approach enabled Abdulaziz to withstand global crises and avoid exposing his country and his people to major catastrophic events like the two world wars. In order to protect the interests of the young Saudi State, he established official relations with diplomats representing the local and foreign powers that dominated several of the neighbouring regions. One of his most important international encounters took place in 1916 when he went to Basra to talk with the British high commissioner in Iraq, Sir Percy Cox, in the company of a small team of British diplomats. During these discussions Abdulaziz was informed on the issues affecting the region, and he expressed his position on the war then raging in Europe. The king refused to engage his country on either side, whether in the form of aid or of the opening of Saudi territory for any purpose related to the war. In 1930 Abdulaziz met King Faisal, who then ruled Iraq with British high commissioner Francis Humphrys, on board the British ship Lewin in the Arabian Gulf. The purpose of the visit was to settle a border dispute between the Najd and Iraq. Abdulaziz signed important agreements with a number of world powers, including the 1927 Jedda accords with the British, the 1929 friendship treaty with Germany, the 1931 peninsula accords with France, the 1932 friendship treaty with Italy, the 1946 friendship treaty with China and the 1933 accords with the United States. As they were returning from the Yalta conference in the final days of World War II, US president Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill decided to meet with King Abdulaziz, in recognition of the prestige, respect and trust he enjoyed and the important role he played in the Arab world. Abdulaziz met first with Roosevelt, aboard the warship Quincy 2 in the Red Sea. The second meeting, this time between Abdulaziz and Churchill, took place at the Fayoum Oasis in Egypt. The reports of these two discussions bore witness to the king’s political influence and farsighted positions, reflecting his primary concern for the interests of the Arab-Muslim world. In that same year, 1945, Saudi Arabia became one of the first countries to sign the Charter of the United Nations in San Francisco, demonstrating the country’s determination to play an active role on the international political scene. Abdulaziz’s foreign policy was also instrumental in the founding of the Arab League of Nations. When King Abdulaziz was invited by King Farouk to pay a twelve-day official visit to Egypt in 1946, a great celebration was held in his honour. The entire Egyptian population participated in this homage to an illustrious Arab leader and tireless campaigner for Arab independence. In addition to his position of imam, Abdulaziz acquired various other titles in the course of the formation of the Saudi State: – Emir of Najd and chief of its tribes (1902), – Sultan of Najd (1921), – Sultan of Najd and its Dependencies (1922), – King of Hijaz and Sultan of Najd and its Dependencies (1926), – King of Hijaz and of Najd and its Dependencies (1927), – King of Saudi Arabia (1932). After a long life of efforts and accomplishments, King Abdulaziz Al-Saud went to his final resting place on November 9, 1953. To this day, the figure of the king remains prominently linked to his impressive achievements. Due to the deep imprint he made on the history of the Arabian Peninsula, his extraordinary personality is a source of pride and admiration, and of fascination to everyone who is interested in Saudi Arabia. Sword of King Abdulaziz 572
37 Arabie Saoudite US_p574-577_BAT.qxd 23/06/10 21:22 Page 574 The National Museum in Riyadh THE NATIONAL MUSEUM IN RIYADH Ali I. Al-Ghabban The National Museum was officially opened on January 23, 1999 (October 5, 1419 H.). It is part of the King Abdulaziz Historical Center, founded to celebrate the kingdom’s centennial. His Royal Highness Prince Salman ibn Abdulaziz, governor of the province and chairman of the High Authority for the development of the city of Riyadh, asked the authority to supervise the project, which was implemented by a task force including several world-renowned consulting firms and a panel of experts from various universities throughout the kingdom. These teams were in charge of the scientific studies and the planning of exhibits and events. Another team from the Antiquities and Museums Department was assigned the job of study and display of exhibits. The museum is located in the al-Murabba‘a district in the heart of Riyadh, also home to historical al-Murabba‘a Palace, the former main residence of the late King Abdulaziz. The King Abdulaziz Historical Center encompasses: – the palace of King Abdulaziz, – the al-Murabba‘a Palace, – King Abdulaziz Mosque, – the public section of King Abdulaziz Library, – King Abdulaziz Auditorium, – the offices of the Antiquities and Museums Agency, – a number of old historic buildings, – a green space including seven main gardens, public squares and parks, – the water tower and the adjoining al-Watan garden, – al-Hamra Palace. The King Abdulaziz Historical Center is a prominent cultural complex in the heart of the capital, as well as one of the city’s main tourist attractions due to the diversity of its structures, designed in the spirit of urban development that has characterized the city centre over the past several years. The National Museum is the largest building of this complex, spanning 28,000 square metres and housing exhibition rooms, libraries, administrative offices, services and storage areas. The permanent exhibition rooms occupy the ground and first floors, presenting ancient and modern works, documents, manuscripts and paintings. These rooms are also equipped with a range of audiovisual facilities for the showing of historical and scientific documentary films. The National Museum in Riyadh Drawing of the National Museum 575
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E A S M E D I T E R R A N E A N Jer
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ROADS OF ARABIA The Pilgrimage Road
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ROADS OF ARABIA al-Aqra‘ and al-H
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Roads of Arabia

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