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Neither in private nor in public is there any serious talk about doing away with the monarchy. In the Saudi system, King Khalid reigns, but Crown Prince Fahd rules. Austere, gentle and frail, the King had open-heart surgery in 1972 at Cleveland Clinic and last year underwent hip surgery at Wellington Hospital in London. He limits his duties to seeing of heads of state, although he is consulted on all important decisions. But the day-to-day running the country is in the hands of Fahd, a heavy set man who exudes warmth and good humor. The Crown Prince possesses a diplomatic subtlety that is almost Florentine in its gentility, a talent developed from his many years of dealing with Bedouin tribal chiefs. Though he is urbane and widely traveled, he received a traditional Islamic education. His father, Abdul Aziz, taught him to ride, shoot straight and speak the truth. Like most Saudis he enjoys camel racing and soccer; perhaps his favorite recreation is to go camping in the desert with Prince Salman, the governor of Riyadh, and some of his other brothers.
During King Faisal's reign, Fahd appeared to favor life abroad — particularly in France — to the austerities of Riyadh. He damaged his prestige somewhat in 1974 by spending five months in Europe, even staying there during the holy fasting month of Ramadan. Faisal never scolded him but in public was often heard to ask, "Where is our brother Fahd?" Since Faisal's death in 1975, Fahd has had little time to go anywhere for personal pleasure.
The Crown Prince's style is to nudge the country forward gently on social matters, permitting a measure of progress without unduly offending the Islamic conservatives. He opposes the introduction of Western-style democracy, arguing that free elections would not bring the country's most qualified people — the young Saudis who have been educated abroad — to positions of leadership. "We have invested heavily in educating these young men," Fahd says, "and now we want to collect a dividend on our investment. But if we were to have elections, these young men would not be elected. The winners would be rich businessmen who could buy the votes. Our real talent would not be used."
As Minister of Education in the 1950s, Fahd introduced the country's first extended public school system, and since then he has quietly allowed the expansion of women's education. But he has often told friends that he is against the "Atatürk approach," a reference to the way in which Turkey's Kemal Atatürk outlawed the veil and traditional dress and tried to impose social reform from the top. Fahd favors the sort of grass-roots evolution that seems to be taking place in his country today.