- King Fahd was born in 1923 in Riyadh. During his youth, he attended one of the country's first educational institutions. He was also strongly influenced by his father, King Abdul Aziz, who taught him about religion, history and Arab culture.
- In 1953, he became the nation's first Minister of Education. Under his guidance, the new ministry laid the foundation for a nationwide school system. Years later, he recalled that in those early days.
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- King Fahd was introduced early in life to the world of international diplomacy. In 1945, at age 22, he accompanied his elder brother, Prince Faisal Bin Abdul Aziz, to the signing of the United Nations Charter in San Francisco. Several years later, he traveled to Great Britain to represent Saudi Arabia at the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
- This experience in the world of international relations was invaluable because, as the Kingdom began to emerge as a world leader, Prince Fahd assumed greater diplomatic responsibilities. He led, for example, the Saudi delegation to the summit conferences of the League of Arab States in Morocco in 1959 and Lebanon in 1960. Later, he held discussions with French President Charles de Gaulle in 1967 and with the British in 1970 over the future of the Arabian Gulf.
- In 1974, Prince Fahd paid his first official visit to the United States, holding wide-ranging discussions with President Richard Nixon. He also negotiated an agreement with the U.S. that led to the establishment of the Saudi Arabian-United States Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation.
Council of Ministers
Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard:
HRH Prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud
Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and
Inspector-General: HRH Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud
Minister of Housing and Public Works:
HRH Prince Met'eb Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud
Minister of Interior: HRH Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud
Minister of Foreign Affairs: HRH Prince Saud Al-Faisal Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud
Minister of Agriculture and Water: Dr. Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Bin u'amar
Minister of Commerce: Osama Bin Jafar Bin Ibrahim Faqih
Minister of Communications: Dr Nasir Bin Muhammad Al-Salloum
Minister of Education: Dr. Muhammad Bin Ahmed Al-Rasheed
Minister of Finance and National Economy: Dr. Ibrahim Bin Abdul Aziz Bin Abdullah
Minister of Health: Dr. Osama Bin Abdul Majeed Shobokshi
Minister of Higher Education: Dr. Khalid Al-Angary
Minister of Industry and Electricity: Dr. Hashim Bin Abdullah Bin Hashim Al-Yamani
Minister of Information: Dr. Fouad Bin Abdul Salaam Bin Muhammad Farsi
Minister of Justice: Dr. Abdullah Bin Muhammad Bin Ibrahim Al-Ashaikh
Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance: Dr. Abdullah Bin
Minister of Labor and Social Affairs: Musaid Bin Muhammad Al-Sinani
Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs: Dr. Muhammad Bin Ibrahim Al-Jarallah
Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources: Ali Bin Ibrahim Al-Naimi
Minister of Pilgrimage: Dr. Mahmoud Bin Muhammad Safar
Minister of Planning: Dr. Abdul Wahab Bin Abdul Salam Attar
Minister of Posts, Telegraphs and Telephones: Dr. Ali Bin Talal Al-Juhani
Ministers of State:
Dr. Abdul Aziz Bin Abdullah Al-Khuweiter;
Dr. Muhammad Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Sheikh;
Dr. Muttlab Bin Abdullah Al-Nafissa;
Dr. Abdul Aziz Bin Ibrahim Al-Manie;
Dr. Musaid Bin Muhammad Al-Eiban;
Dr. Madani Bin Abdul Gader Alagi.
MAJLIS AL SHURA (CONSULTATIVE COUNCIL)
The primary function of Majlis Al-Shura is to advise the King on issues of importance to the nation. The council now consists of a chairman and 60 members appointed by the King for a four-year renewable term. Its members represent the spectrum of Saudi society. King Fahd personally inaugurated the first session of the new Council on December 29, 1993.
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