Dissertation_Dr Faisal Almubarak

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primary and secondary schools, including girls' education, teachers' colleges, hospitals
and clinics.
Faced internally with a bloated administration, sluggish economy, and rising popular
resentment, and externally with widespread hostile political changes, Crown Prince Faisal
introduced a ten-point program which promised swift reform and opened the door for
employment in the government. The reform bill promised an efficient allocation of national
income and comprehensive modernization program, hence appealing to the business and
merchant groups. It also won the support of the Ulama (religious scholars) due to its
renewed commitment to religion and to the religious laymen because of its support for
religion. Such a strategy has been characteristic of the national government's tradition of
maintaining a delicate balance between traditionalists and secularists, seeking modernization
within a framework of traditional acceptability.
The reappointment of Faisal as prime minister on October 17,1962, closely followed
the outbreak of the revolution and civil war in Yemen. Nasir of Egypt, whose Arab
nationalism prior to the events in Yemin were mere rhetorical propaganda, took the
opportunity and sided with the new military junta in Yemen, thereby posing imminent
threats on Saudi borders. Faisal who was in the United States for medical treatment, met
with U.S. President John F. Kennedy who ascertained the United States' commitment
toward the integrity and security of the country. In a letter dated January 8,1963,
President Kennedy encouraged Faisal to launch a program of "energetic reform and
development; and in consideration of the above, pledged American support to 'the
maintenance of Saudi Arabia's integrity.'" 34 The letter emphatically reflected the
importance that Washington placed on Saudi Arabia due to the vitality of oil to the
American economy.
The United States' renewal of its commitments to safeguard the Kingdom and its
political leadership was reflected upon Faisal's joyous return to the country. His
commitment to change and progressiveness lifted hopes in the population after a decade of
widespread "financial mismanagement, extravagance of the palace-pampered princes, and
an inconsistent foreign policy..." which was deemed incompetent in light of the dramatic
developments in the region. Upon his arrival and encouraged by the Kennedy
Administration, Faisal introduced a ten-point, reform package aimed at lifting the country
from its financial morass and fine tuning the sluggish performance of the national policy