Fahd (1921?-2005) ruled as king and prime minister of Saudi Arabia from 1982 until his death in 2005. He came to power following the death of his half-brother King Khalid. When Khalid became king in 1975, Fahd was named next in line to the throne and first deputy prime minister of Saudi Arabia. Fahd ran the day-to-day affairs of the government because Khalid was not in good health and he lacked Fahd’s detailed knowledge of government functions. Fahd tried to maintain Saudi Arabia’s traditional Islamic moral values while continuing the process of rapid modernization made possible by the country’s great oil wealth.
In August 1990, Iraqi forces invaded and occupied oil-rich Kuwait. Many people feared Iraq would next invade Saudi Arabia. Fahd invited foreign troops, including those from the United States, to come to Saudi Arabia to defend that country. The Saudis and foreign nations formed an alliance. In February 1991, under United States military leadership, these allies drove the Iraqis out of Kuwait. See Persian Gulf War of 1991.
In the mid-1990’s, King Fahd’s health began to decline. His half brother Abdullah, next in line to the throne, became increasingly responsible for running the Saudi government. Fahd died on Aug. 1, 2005, and Abdullah then became king and prime minister.
Fahd ibn Abd al-Aziz Al Saud was born in Riyadh. His father was King Abd al-Aziz ibn Saud, commonly known as Ibn Saud, the founder of Saudi Arabia.
See also Saudi Arabia.
