SAUDI ARABIA THE AILING, FAILING KING IN RECENT MONTHS 62-YEAR-OLD KINGSAUD OF 
SAUDI ARABIA HAS SUFFERED A SUCCESSION OF INTESTINAL, STOMACH, CHEST, CIRCULATORY 
AND HEART AILMENTS . OFTEN THEY SEEM TO BE AGGRAVATED BY 
THE SWIRLING POLITICAL EVENTS IN HIS DESERT CAPITAL OF RIYADH . 
AFTER THE YEMEN REBELLION LAST FALL THREATENED THE STABILITY OF HIS 
THRONE, SAUD'S HEALTH WAS SO UPSET THAT HE TURNED THE GOVERNMENT 
OVER TO HIS ABLE BROTHER, PRINCE FEISAL, AND FLEW TO SWITZERLAND 
FOR TREATMENT . WHILE SAUD SPENT WEEKS CONVALESCING IN PARIS AND 
ON THE RIVIERA, PRINCE FEISAL WAS USING A NEW BROOM AT 
HOME . HE FIRED ALL OF SAUD'S SONS AND AIDES WHO 
HELD GOVERNMENT POSTS, AND CUT ROYAL FAMILY ALLOWANCES A WHOPPING 20 
PER CENT . IN A SERIES OF SPEECHES, FEISAL TOLD WIDE-EYED 
CITIZENS : " WITH GOD'S HELP, YOU AND YOUR GOVERNMENT ARE 
GOING THE RIGHT WAY . EDUCATION, MEDICAL CARE AND SOCIAL SECURITY 
ARE ALL COMPLETELY FREE . " IN ANSWER TO DOLEFUL PLEAS 
FROM HIS SONS AND RELATIONS, KING SAUD CAUTIOUSLY RETURNED HOME LAST 
MONTH . A FEW TRIBAL DELEGATIONS CAME TO RIYADH TO PAY 
THEIR RESPECTS . ONE, LED BY DEPUTY PREMIER PRINCE KHALID, ANOTHER 
OF SAUD'S 39 BROTHERS, HANDED THE KING AN ULTIMATUM . TACTFULLY 
BUT PLAINLY, THE CHIEFTAINS WARNED HIM NOT TO INTERFERE WITH FEISAL 
OR MAKE ANY ATTEMPT AGAIN TO WIELD POWER, AT THE RISK 
OF DETHRONEMENT . THEY ALSO DEMANDED INSTANT BANISHMENT OF SAUD'S PERSONAL 
AIDE, EID BEN SALEM, WHO ROSE FROM PALACE CHAUFFEUR TO ROYAL 
ENTREPRENEUR AND BECAME VASTLY RICH IN THE PROCESS . SAUD CAVED 
IN . ORDERED OUT OF THE COUNTRY, BEN SALEM, WHO HAS 
HIS FORTUNE STASHED IN EUROPEAN BANKS, FLEW OFF NONCHALANTLY TO BEIRUT 
. FORTY-EIGHT HOURS LATER, SAUD GOT AN EVEN WORSE SHOCK : 
ONE OF HIS FAVORITE WIVES, HANDSOME PRINCESS IM MANSOUR, VANISHED FROM 
THE PALACE TO JOIN HER LOVER, BEN SALEM, IN EXILE . 
THE PERSONAL AND POLITICAL BLOWS COMBINED TO IMPAIR THE REGAL HEALTH 
ONCE AGAIN . MOSLEM PILGRIMS TO MECCA WHO WERE BOOKED ON 
HALF A DOZEN JET FLIGHTS HOME SUDDENLY FOUND THEIR PASSAGES HAD 
BEEN CANCELED . INSTEAD, THE AIRLINERS FLEW TO RIYADH, PICKED UP 
THE AILING KING AND HIS HUGE RETINUE, AND CARRIED THEM OFF 
TO VIENNA . AT WEEK'S END KING SAUD WAS REPORTEDLY IN 
AN OXYGEN TENT, RESPONDING TO TREATMENT FOR A DUODENAL ULCER . 
DOCTORS PREDICTED RECOVERY WITHIN A FEW WEEKS, BUT RUMORS STILL FILTERED 
THROUGH VIENNA THAT SAUD WAS IN FACT QUITE ILL . SHOULD 
SAUD DIE, PRINCE FEISAL WILL BECOME KING IN NAME AS WELL 
AS IN FACT . 