Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was a Saudi Arabian statesman and diplomat who was the King of Saudi Arabia from 2 November 1964 until his assassination in 1975.
Faisal was the third son of King Abdulaziz. His mother, Tarfa bint Abdullah, was a member of the Al ash-Sheikh family which has produced many prominent Saudi religious leaders. Faisal emerged as an influential royal politician under his father and his half-brother King Saud. He was the Saudi foreign minister from 1930 and prime minister from 1954 until his death, except for a two-year break in both positions. Faisal was crown prince of Saudi Arabia after Saud's accession in 1953, and in that position he outlawed slavery in Saudi Arabia. He persuaded King Saud to abdicate in his favour in 1964 with the help of other members of the royal family and his first cousin, Grand Mufti Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Al ash-Sheikh.
Faisal implemented a policy of modernization and reform. His main foreign policy themes were pan-Islamism, anti-communism, and pro-Palestinianism. He attempted to limit the power of Islamic religious officials.