Socio-political role of the Ulama in the power struggle Between King saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Faisal, 1958–1964

In the article, the author examines the role of the Saudi clerical class, or ulama, in the power struggle between King Saud bin Abd al-Aziz and his younger cousin and Crown Prince Faisal, as well as its structural organisation and social influence. Russian researchers have devoted minimal attention to this topic, while researchers from other countries have offered divergent perspectives on the role of the ulama in the events of 1958–1964. The objective of this study is to ascertain the extent to which the influence of the Saudi clergy impacted the outcome of the power struggle. In the middle of the last century, the Kingdom faced significant internal challenges, including a nomadic economy crisis, high unemployment, an overpopulated agrarian sector, excessive spending by the ruling establishment, and widespread corruption. As early as 1958, it became apparent that King Saud’s policies were potentially leading to a catastrophic outcome. This prompted opposition on the part of Crown Prince Faisal. Saud experienced a series of diplomatic setbacks between 1958 and 1964, resulting in the loss of his erstwhile allies. In early November 1964, he was compelled to abdicate in favour of Faisal. The clergy constituted the religious elite of the country, wielding considerable authority primarily among the settled population. In the struggle for power, they provided support to Faisal, exerting pressure on Saud in the ideological domain, and openly criticising the introduction of elements of Western culture, including television and photo studios. Moreover, the ulama supported Faisal’s party ultimata of 1962 and 1964 to Saud and endorsed his succession in November 1964. The author’s analysis suggests that while the role of the ulama in this context was significant, it was not necessarily superior to that of the Bedouin. This is due to the fact that society was divided into sedentary and nomadic groups, the latter of which exhibited minimal respect for the authority of the ulama.