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In honor of Thomas Friedman’s latest love letter to Saudi here is 70 years of the NY Times describing #Saudi royals in the language of #reform.
This piece from 1953 describes King Saud as “more progressive and international-minded than his autocratic father”
This piece from 1957 doesn’t refer to Saudi Arabia specifically but it’s an epic headline nevertheless.
1960: “King Saud has increasingly assumed the role of liberal champion of constitutional reform.” (The Saudi constitution was adopted by royal decree in 1992).
1962: “The Oil Genie and the Sheikh” offers a tour of Gulf palaces that marvels at their “gilded furniture of impressive ugliness.”
During the so-called “Arab Cold War” Saudi royals were supported as a bulwark against Nasserism. This 1963 piece celebrates Crown Prince Faisal’s “burst of social reform and economic development.”
“With his older brother no longer looking over his shoulder...”
1964: “He is a man who has gained nearly absolute power without really wanting it.”
Here Faisal is described as “ascetic, with only one wife, who lives on grilled meat and boiled vegetables and makes a fetish of moderation.”
This 1975 obituary: “Faisal, Rich and Powerful, Led Saudis Into 20th Century“
Faisal’s successor, King Khalid, was a “moderating force”
