Riyadh - The King and I

King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz, born August 1, 1923 is the current King of Saudi and when referred to in the press or on TV he goes by the title Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. He has four wives, six sons and 21 daughters. The king is one of the richest men in the world sitting atop an oil revenue that brings in billions a day in revenue. And as absolute monarch, the money is his -- all his, or so it would seem.  But he does share some of it with his people and with the 5,000 members of the royal family.  There are so many people in the royal family that they have their own terminal.  In many countries, there is a domestic terminal and an international terminal.  Here in Riyadh, there are also two terminals but one is exclusively for the royal family and their VIP guests and another terminal for everyone else, both domestic and international travelers.

When I took the first picture of the king, three or four stories large, I thought I was lucky to get the picture.  But then I saw small flags on the traffic dividers with his picture and then saw this second picture.  I realized quickly the king's picture is everywhere: maybe not every street and every large building but it sometimes seems that way. In Riyadh, the people seem to genuinely like the king.  The news reports stories on unrest in Saudi and wonder if it will be the next hotspot.  It would not be out of the possible when one man and his family own all the wealth of the country - it is the king's country - and share it as they deem fit with the rest of the population.

The king does share.  When he came back to the country after three months in the US for medical treatment, he double the size of the development fund that Saudis can access to get married, to build a house or for any major need.   He gave amnesty to 10,000 prisoners.  His ministers decreed hospital visiting hour would be extended 9 to 9 in honor of the king and declared a national holiday to celebrate the king's return.  At the airport, hundreds of tribesmen did an elegant sword dance to welcome the king and hundreds of hijab clad women cheered and waved the Saudi flag.  The rich young men drove their Ferraris and Maseratis around the airport to welcome his return. 

Like the reality and the concept of the "hijab", I just could not get used to the reality and concept that one man owning a country and one family getting the majority of the benefits.  I think the king really does love his people and cares greatly for them but it seems incomprehensible in 2011 that one man has absolute rule and ownership of a land.