In undertaking this intimidating task, Prince Fahd had at least some advantages. He himself was totally committed to meeting the challenge. He combined vision of what could be achieved and the benefits that would accrue with a determination to succeed. Like his father, he could see that, if the young Kingdom were to cohere, develop and play its full role amongst the community of nations, the key lay in education. Prince Fahd also recognized that, at the end of the day, the true wealth of any nation is its people and the drive and initiative they are able to deploy (a recurring theme in King Fahd’s thoughts and speeches throughout his life). He knew that the only way to unlock the potential of the people was through education. In this respect, the interests of the citizen and the State were entirely coincident.

Another advantage was that, as the Kingdom’s revenues grew, the priority which the Saudi Government attached to education meant that there was no shortage of financial resources.

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