Fahd ibn Abdul Aziz

Fahd ibn Abdul Aziz (1922– ), king of Saudi Arabia (1982– ). Fahd, a son of Ibn Saud, was interior minister from 1962 to 1975, when his half-brother, King Khalid, named him crown prince. He succeeded upon the death of Khalid, whose cautious policies he generally followed. He was deeply involved in discussions and decisions which led to the presence of allied forces on Saudi Arabian soil during operation Desert Shield, which would later become operation Desert Storm. He supported the peace process between Israel and the Arabic countries. When Israel and the PLO signed a treaty in 1993, Fahd provided the PLO with political and financial support. In 1995 he suffered from a stroke but did not abdicate. Crown prince Abdullah replaced him temporarily to cover the affairs in hand.

See also: Persian Gulf War; Saudi Arabia.