Encyclopedia of Islam

Abd al-Aziz ibn Saud

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took charge, with Saudi participation, of build-

ing much of the country’s infrastructure: roads, 

airports, communications, electrical power, and 

water system. When Abd al-Aziz died, he left a 

country that was about to embark on a rapid and 

far-reaching modernization program. Since that 

time, Saudi Arabia has been ruled by his sons, in 

alliance with the Wahhabi ulama. He is still held 

in high esteem by his country.

See also 

aUthority

; W

ahhabism

.

Further reading: Leslie J. McLoughlin, Ibn Saud: 

Founder of a Kingdom (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 

1993); Medawi Rashid, A History of Saudi Arabia (Cam-

bridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002)

Abd al-Nasir, Jamal

  See n

asir

, J

amal

 a

bd

 

al

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