He was born in Riyadh, the fourth son of Ibn Saud in 1906. In 1926 he became Governor of Hijaz. After the UN partition of Palestine, Faisal called on his father to break relations with the United States, but he was overruled.
On March 4, 1964, he became Regent and, on November 2 that year, became king after his brother Saud was deposed.
In 1973 he started a program intended to increase the military power of Saudi Arabia. He was also seen as being a major force behind the oil embargo against the United States. In 1974 he was named Time Magazine's Person of the Year.
He was shot and killed by his nephew, Faisali bin Musad, on March 25, 1975. He was succeeded on the throne by his brother Khalid.
The city of Lyallpur in Pakistan was renamed Faisalabad in 1979 in his honor. Likewise, the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan was named after him as well.
| Preceded by: King Saud |
Kings of Saudi Arabia & Heads of the House of Saud |
Succeeded by: King Khalid |