Word: naziriyah
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Long famed for its bleak deserts, eye-for-an-eye justice and profitable oil wells, Saudi Arabia last week had the added distinction of possessing two monarchs. Profligate King Saud, 62, who had reigned for eleven years, sulked in his ultra-modern Naziriyah Palace in the capital city of Riyadh. Just down the road in the Red Palace was Saud's half brother Feisal who two weeks ago was summoned to the throne by a fatwa, or religious edict, issued by a national council composed of 100 princes, assorted sheiks and the ulema (a body of learned...
...inside his palace, comforted by his numberless wives and concubines, and encouraged by his sons. The throne, he said, "was given me by God and my father, and no one can take it away from me." Some of Feisal's advisers suggested cutting off the electric power to Naziriyah Palace, which would automatically shut down the air-conditioning plant, said to be the world's largest after that of the Pentagon in Washington. The sweltering heat, they argued, would bring Saud to his senses. But Feisal refused to take personal action against Saud, declared: "He is still here...
Furious and frightened, King Saud hurried back to his capital city of Riyadh, took refuge inside the seven-mile circumference of Naziriyah Palace compound and ordered his Royal Guard to cover all approaches. At night the 6,000 wall lights on the palace glared brightly to avoid a sneak attack, as the King fired off a nervous demand for assurances that Feisal would not depose...
Feisal replied with scorn. During the four days of Saud's self-imposed state of siege, Prince Feisal repeatedly drove to and from his office past Naziriyah Palace. The Royal Guard, deployed at Saud's orders to fight off Feisal, invariably stood at attention and gave him the royal salute. Finally Feisal sent word that unless Saud dismissed the Royal Guard and ceased all provocative behavior within six hours, he would consider himself freed of any further obligation under his oath to respect Saud's kingship. The King promptly caved in. The Royal Guard, irritated and rebellious...
...Saudi standards is being made in education. The school population has quadrupled in ten years to 100,000, and the education budget has gone up tenfold. Saud has donated at least ten of his 24 palaces for schools. At King Saud's Sons' Institute, inside the Naziriyah compound, children of slaves sit next to young princes. Risking the displeasure of the austere Wahabi sect of Islam, which believes that woman's place is in the harem and behind the veil, Tariki has put several thousand girls in school...
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