Watan – On June 14, 1974, President Richard Nixon decided to visit Saudi Arabia. This visit was among several ceremonial visits to Arab countries and Israel. Nixon hoped for a hero’s welcome, especially after the ceasefire agreements between Egypt and Syria on one side and Israel on the other. This meant a lot to him, especially after the Watergate scandal and his involvement in the Vietnam War, from which he withdrew in defeat. He also faced challenges in Laos and Cambodia. Nixon became one of the most disliked American presidents. Despite his visits, he resigned in disgrace two months later.
His Foreign Minister, Henry Kissinger, told him, “You will receive a wonderful reception in Egypt, a great one in Jordan, and also a wonderful one in Saudi Arabia. As for Syria, only the devil knows how you will be received.” Nixon received significant receptions in Syria and Egypt. In Jordan, they played the “Washington Post” music as part of the welcoming tunes, which angered him greatly since the Washington Post was the source of his scandal.
In Saudi Arabia, King Faisal received him calmly and thanked him for his cooperation in the ceasefire agreements. Nixon noticed the frailty of King Faisal and inquired about it. He mentioned that according to their intelligence, Faisal was 72 years old, not 68 as officially stated. Nixon was aware of the challenges surrounding him. While Nixon dealt with his scandals by drinking and sleeping, Faisal dealt with his challenges through isolation and silence.
Nixon noticed that Faisal ate very little. During an official dinner, Nixon saw King Faisal taking an apple and eating it slowly, perhaps to stay longer at the table. The oil embargo had ended, and oil began to flow to the American and Western markets in vast quantities. In return, oil money began pouring into a country that lacked the means to protect these riches.
There was a significant shared scandal between Saudi Arabia and the USA about to erupt. American arms companies had paid massive bribes to influential Saudi princes, officials, and military officers, which contradicted American law. The scandal continued in the USA, but in Saudi Arabia, it remained hidden until the name of King Faisal’s son, Abdullah Al-Faisal, was revealed among those who received bribes.
In early 1975, it could be said that King Faisal had reached his end. He had seen his second dream, where his ancestors and family members tried to pull him into an old car, indicating his imminent death. Although he had already ended before his actual assassination, his people in the Arabian Peninsula, who saw him as the best ruler in the Al Saud family, did not know what was happening to him during this period.