To introduce the King by his full title is almost sacrilegious, given his character and lack of leadership in the Islamic world. Officially, however, this is the reign of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud.
He was born in 1921 (1340H) and grew up as one of the poorly educated princes kept at home to study at the Prince's School, then at the Saudi Institute in Makkah Al Mukarramah. This is part of the problem. While he has the proper pedigree for a ruler, born of the House of Saud, he does not have the credentials of a modern, educated, leader with a global understanding and perspective.
Briefly, he became the first Minister of Education during the reign of King Saud, was appointed the Minister of the Interior in 1962, and became Second deputy Premier in 1967. In 1975, during the reign of King Khaled, he was annointed Crown Prince and First Deputy Premier. He ascended to the throne upon the death of King Khaled and has afflicted his royal leadership upon the country since 1982.
Islamic leadership begins with the example of the individual. Although Fahd has cultivated the image of Islamization of his reign, his private life has strayed far from the model set forth in the Qur'an for the model Muslim.
That example, and the example of the Prophet Himself, presents an individual who is modest, charitable, caring, humble, worshipful, righteous, abstinent, and moderate. The example of King Fahd is almost the exact opposite. He is known for his greed and self-indulgence, from his expenditures on luxury items, like yachts, to his indulgence in forbidden intoxicants and exotic sexual activity. In their list of the net worths of the world's kings, queens, and dictators (with King Fahd qualifying on both the first and third counts), King Fahd is second on the list with $28 billion, behind only the Sultan of Brunei and far ahead of Saddam Hussein with his $6 billion net worth (Weston, 19...