Coups and Coup Plots in Saudi Arabia
Cite as: Powell, Jonathan. 2020. "Coups and Coup Plots in Saudi Arabia." In Powell, Jonathan, and Salah Benhammou. 2020. Coups in the Middle East, 1920-2020. University of Central Florida.
1955 Coup Plot
Twelve Egyptian-trained officers were implicated in a coup plotted against the monarchy. The plotters intended to assassinate high ranking members of the ruling family, including Prime Minister Faisal, in an effort to secure the establishment of a republic. The plotters were explicitly motivated by the precedent set by the Free Officers in Egypt. Despite some concerns that the coup by Naguib and Nasser could embolden plots against monarchies elsewhere in the region, the Saudi government had pursued military cooperation with Egypt in an effort to reduce military dependence on the US. The primary instigator, Lt. Abd al-Rahman al-Shamrawi, had studied in Egypt previously and in January 1955 around 200 Egyptian military advisors were training soldiers in Saudi Arabia. There is no direct evidence of Egyptian involvement, and the the proximity of the arrival of Egyptian trainers and the unraveling of the plot is likely too close to indicate a direct role. Further, by this time there were already nationalist, and even distinctly Nasserist, sympathies within the Saudi armed forces. The arrival of Egyptian military officers potentially furthered these attitudes.
April 1957 Coup Plot
Many arrests followed the discovery of a coup plot in Saudi Arabia in April 1957. This included the discovery of arms stockpiles in Dhahran and Riyadh. Some arms were traced to Egypt, prompting Sadat and others to visit and profess no involvement from Nasser. It is unclear whether this was explicitly tied to regime actors or limited to non-regime civilians.
November 1962 Coup Plot
Palace Guards uncovered a plot by the Saudi air force to overthrow the King Sa’ud, abolish the monarchy, and create a Nasserist republic. The pilots defected to Egypt prior to arrest, leading to the grounding of the service. US planes were brought in to provide air defense. Following the plot, pilots were only recruited from the royal family and carefully selected allied families.
March 26, 1964 (or November 3, 1963) Successful Coup
After an ongoing rivalry with Crown Prince Faisal, King Sa’ud was deposed in a palace coup. Sa’ud had for years been under pressure to relinquish authority to the Faisal. By 1958 many important functions had been formally turned over to Faisal. On November 3, 1963, Faisal was granted complete powers by a council of princes, with Sa’ud effectively remaining king in name only. Following Sa’ud’s efforts to re-assert his authority, on March 26, 1964 another council of princes meeting led to his removal. Sa’ud called for protection from the Royal Guard, who he assumed to be loyal to his cause. Instead, the RG, national guard, and other forces sided with Faisal and placed King Sa’ud under house arrest. The royal family released a letter on March 28 that that proclaimed Faisal as monarch. A fatwa issued on November 2 confirmed Sa’ud’s removal.
November 1964 coup plot
Following Faisal’s coronation, form King Sa’ud rejected suggestions to move overseas, refused to declare allegiance to Faisal, and began plotting against the new king. Saudi intelligence soon learned Sa’ud was arming his sons and guards for a coup, prompting the National Guard to storm al-Nasariah Palace. By November 28 all of Saud’s 11 sons had declared allegiance to Faisal.
September 1965 Coup Plot
On September 26, 1965 Prince Khalid bin Mussaed was killed while resisting arrest for plotting a coup against Faisal. The plot was unraveled after it was discovered by Crown Prince Khalid bin Abdul Aziz and Interior Minister Fahd bin Abdul Aziz. They ordered soldiers to surround the prince’s home in an effort to prevent the plot. A skirmish ensued after the Prince’s order for the soldiers to leave was ignored, resulting in the death of three soldiers and the prince. Khalid was aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood and was reportedly influenced by a Brotherhood plot in Egypt. Faisal was attending the Arab Summit in Casablanca at the time.
1966 Coup Plot
Former King Sa’ud allegedly renewed a plot to remove Faisal in November 1966. This plot involved recruiting tribes from the Yemeni border area to support him. It is unclear if Saudi forces were involved in the plot, but Saudi intelligence communicated to the American ambassador that an American at the Jeddah consulate might have been associated with an organization involved in the plot.
June 5, 1969 Coup Plot
A coup plot was unraveled on June 5, 1969, in which a coalition of Saudi army officers, pilots, and police were accused of plotting with influential civilians to overthrow Faisal. The plot included a plan to assassinate King Faisal while he was sequestered during what would have been his first plane trip. Over 60 air force officers were arrested, including the director of the air force academy, and various other military leadership, such as Colonel Daud al-Rumi, the commander of the base at Dhahran, Said Umara, the commander of the Dhahran military district, the director of military operations, the director of the office of the chief of staff, and others. The CIA is believed to have learned of the plot and notified the Saudis. Around two thousand people were eventually arrested, and others who were implicated fled abroad. Many would remain overseas until King Khalid, who succeed Faisal after the latter’s March 1975 assassination, later issued an amnesty. The purges undermined the ability to respond to a November 1969 Yemeni incursion, as the government was concerned about the army’s reaction and was not comfortable deploying the National Guard.
September-November 1969 Coup Plots
Soon after the ouster of King Idris in Libya, Saudi authorities engaged in sweeping arrests against alleged coup plotters, who were set to act against the regime on September 7. Over 130 members of the Saudi armed forces were detained, while additional arrests in the aftermath of the June 1969 plot pushed this number to over 200 arrests. Additional soldiers were said to have been recalled from training abroad under the pretense of sick family members, only to be executed upon returning home. In addition to the military plot, a civilian effort was allegedly being pursued by important Hijazi families. Only the intervention of King Faisal and Prince Fahd slowed the arrests, which some argued to be a dramatic overreaction to Idris’s removal in Libya.
has a very detailed list of people arrested.
March 25, 1975 Assassination
King Faisal was assassinated by his nephew, Prince Faisal bin Musaid bin Abdul Aziz. There was no evidence of a wider conspiracy. Faisal was succeeded by Crown Prince Khalid bin Abdul Aziz, his brother.
May-June 1977 Coup Plots
Hijazi pilots based at Tabuk plotted to bomb government buildings, royal palaces, and declare a republic. The plot was funded by Libya and organized by Ba’thists connected to Iraq (source). The plot was discovered after Captain Muhammed Idris al-Shariff, head of the Libyan Security and Military Intelligence service and funder of the plot, betrayed the plot to the Saudis. The plot led to planes being disarmed, fuel being limited to 30 minute flight times, and attack exercises being suspended. The government also sped up improvement of military housing and increased soldier salaries.
March 1979 Coup Plot
The Deputy Commander of the Air Force, Ali al-Bashir, and around 100 officers were implicated in a coup plot.
1980 Coup Plot
Libya publicized a 1980 plot that saw many Saudi officers executed.
January-June 1983 Coup Plot
A rumored coup from the National Guard might have been connected to a rift between King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah. The plot accompanied the replacement of a number of high officials. In May rumors returned that Abdullah had specifically threatened a National Guard coup. In June, the royal family began publicly denying the coup rumors.
March 2020 Coup Plot
Three princes, including Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, King Salman’s younger brother, and Mohammed bin Nayef, his nephew, were detained by the Royal Guards. They had allegedly conspired to oust Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of the state. King Salman was said to have signed off on the arrests, which were followed by the arrest of other military and interior ministry officials.
Twelve Egyptian-trained officers were implicated in a coup plotted against the monarchy. The plotters intended to assassinate high ranking members of the ruling family, including Prime Minister Faisal, in an effort to secure the establishment of a republic. The plotters were explicitly motivated by the precedent set by the Free Officers in Egypt. Despite some concerns that the coup by Naguib and Nasser could embolden plots against monarchies elsewhere in the region, the Saudi government had pursued military cooperation with Egypt in an effort to reduce military dependence on the US. The primary instigator, Lt. Abd al-Rahman al-Shamrawi, had studied in Egypt previously and in January 1955 around 200 Egyptian military advisors were training soldiers in Saudi Arabia. There is no direct evidence of Egyptian involvement, and the the proximity of the arrival of Egyptian trainers and the unraveling of the plot is likely too close to indicate a direct role. Further, by this time there were already nationalist, and even distinctly Nasserist, sympathies within the Saudi armed forces. The arrival of Egyptian military officers potentially furthered these attitudes.
April 1957 Coup Plot
Many arrests followed the discovery of a coup plot in Saudi Arabia in April 1957. This included the discovery of arms stockpiles in Dhahran and Riyadh. Some arms were traced to Egypt, prompting Sadat and others to visit and profess no involvement from Nasser. It is unclear whether this was explicitly tied to regime actors or limited to non-regime civilians.
November 1962 Coup Plot
Palace Guards uncovered a plot by the Saudi air force to overthrow the King Sa’ud, abolish the monarchy, and create a Nasserist republic. The pilots defected to Egypt prior to arrest, leading to the grounding of the service. US planes were brought in to provide air defense. Following the plot, pilots were only recruited from the royal family and carefully selected allied families.
March 26, 1964 (or November 3, 1963) Successful Coup
After an ongoing rivalry with Crown Prince Faisal, King Sa’ud was deposed in a palace coup. Sa’ud had for years been under pressure to relinquish authority to the Faisal. By 1958 many important functions had been formally turned over to Faisal. On November 3, 1963, Faisal was granted complete powers by a council of princes, with Sa’ud effectively remaining king in name only. Following Sa’ud’s efforts to re-assert his authority, on March 26, 1964 another council of princes meeting led to his removal. Sa’ud called for protection from the Royal Guard, who he assumed to be loyal to his cause. Instead, the RG, national guard, and other forces sided with Faisal and placed King Sa’ud under house arrest. The royal family released a letter on March 28 that that proclaimed Faisal as monarch. A fatwa issued on November 2 confirmed Sa’ud’s removal.
November 1964 coup plot
Following Faisal’s coronation, form King Sa’ud rejected suggestions to move overseas, refused to declare allegiance to Faisal, and began plotting against the new king. Saudi intelligence soon learned Sa’ud was arming his sons and guards for a coup, prompting the National Guard to storm al-Nasariah Palace. By November 28 all of Saud’s 11 sons had declared allegiance to Faisal.
September 1965 Coup Plot
On September 26, 1965 Prince Khalid bin Mussaed was killed while resisting arrest for plotting a coup against Faisal. The plot was unraveled after it was discovered by Crown Prince Khalid bin Abdul Aziz and Interior Minister Fahd bin Abdul Aziz. They ordered soldiers to surround the prince’s home in an effort to prevent the plot. A skirmish ensued after the Prince’s order for the soldiers to leave was ignored, resulting in the death of three soldiers and the prince. Khalid was aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood and was reportedly influenced by a Brotherhood plot in Egypt. Faisal was attending the Arab Summit in Casablanca at the time.
1966 Coup Plot
Former King Sa’ud allegedly renewed a plot to remove Faisal in November 1966. This plot involved recruiting tribes from the Yemeni border area to support him. It is unclear if Saudi forces were involved in the plot, but Saudi intelligence communicated to the American ambassador that an American at the Jeddah consulate might have been associated with an organization involved in the plot.
June 5, 1969 Coup Plot
A coup plot was unraveled on June 5, 1969, in which a coalition of Saudi army officers, pilots, and police were accused of plotting with influential civilians to overthrow Faisal. The plot included a plan to assassinate King Faisal while he was sequestered during what would have been his first plane trip. Over 60 air force officers were arrested, including the director of the air force academy, and various other military leadership, such as Colonel Daud al-Rumi, the commander of the base at Dhahran, Said Umara, the commander of the Dhahran military district, the director of military operations, the director of the office of the chief of staff, and others. The CIA is believed to have learned of the plot and notified the Saudis. Around two thousand people were eventually arrested, and others who were implicated fled abroad. Many would remain overseas until King Khalid, who succeed Faisal after the latter’s March 1975 assassination, later issued an amnesty. The purges undermined the ability to respond to a November 1969 Yemeni incursion, as the government was concerned about the army’s reaction and was not comfortable deploying the National Guard.
September-November 1969 Coup Plots
Soon after the ouster of King Idris in Libya, Saudi authorities engaged in sweeping arrests against alleged coup plotters, who were set to act against the regime on September 7. Over 130 members of the Saudi armed forces were detained, while additional arrests in the aftermath of the June 1969 plot pushed this number to over 200 arrests. Additional soldiers were said to have been recalled from training abroad under the pretense of sick family members, only to be executed upon returning home. In addition to the military plot, a civilian effort was allegedly being pursued by important Hijazi families. Only the intervention of King Faisal and Prince Fahd slowed the arrests, which some argued to be a dramatic overreaction to Idris’s removal in Libya.
has a very detailed list of people arrested.
March 25, 1975 Assassination
King Faisal was assassinated by his nephew, Prince Faisal bin Musaid bin Abdul Aziz. There was no evidence of a wider conspiracy. Faisal was succeeded by Crown Prince Khalid bin Abdul Aziz, his brother.
May-June 1977 Coup Plots
Hijazi pilots based at Tabuk plotted to bomb government buildings, royal palaces, and declare a republic. The plot was funded by Libya and organized by Ba’thists connected to Iraq (source). The plot was discovered after Captain Muhammed Idris al-Shariff, head of the Libyan Security and Military Intelligence service and funder of the plot, betrayed the plot to the Saudis. The plot led to planes being disarmed, fuel being limited to 30 minute flight times, and attack exercises being suspended. The government also sped up improvement of military housing and increased soldier salaries.
March 1979 Coup Plot
The Deputy Commander of the Air Force, Ali al-Bashir, and around 100 officers were implicated in a coup plot.
1980 Coup Plot
Libya publicized a 1980 plot that saw many Saudi officers executed.
January-June 1983 Coup Plot
A rumored coup from the National Guard might have been connected to a rift between King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah. The plot accompanied the replacement of a number of high officials. In May rumors returned that Abdullah had specifically threatened a National Guard coup. In June, the royal family began publicly denying the coup rumors.
March 2020 Coup Plot
Three princes, including Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, King Salman’s younger brother, and Mohammed bin Nayef, his nephew, were detained by the Royal Guards. They had allegedly conspired to oust Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of the state. King Salman was said to have signed off on the arrests, which were followed by the arrest of other military and interior ministry officials.