He was the eldest son of Ibn Saud, and was made a crown prince in 1933 and became king upon his fathers death in 1953. During his reign he was responsible for the establishment of numerous governmental ministries, and also for the establishment of King Saud University in Riyadh.
His reign was marked with dissatisfaction within his own family. Like his father, he had over 30 sons. Saud was keen to give his own sons power, and placed them in high governmental positions. This annoyed his half-brothers who thought that Saud's sons were too inexperienced, and began to fear that Saud would select his own son to suceed him. This coupled with his lavish spending and diplomatic blunders such as a supposed plot to assassinate Gamal Abdel Nasser brought about his downfall.
He was deposed in 1964 by a family coup and with the backing of the ulema, and replaced by his half-brother King Faisal. Saud spent out the rest of his life in exile.
| Preceded by: King Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud |
Kings of Saudi Arabia & Heads of the House of Saud |
Succeeded by: King Faisal of Saudi Arabia |