Rashad Pharaon (1912–1990) was a Syrian-born Saudi Arabian medical doctor who served as the personal physician of

Ibn Saud Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud ( ar, عبد العزيز بن عبد الرحمن آل سعود, ʿAbd al ʿAzīz bin ʿAbd ar Raḥman Āl Suʿūd; 15 January 1875Ibn Saud's birth year has been a source of debate. It is generally accepted ...

, founder of Saudi Arabia. He also held various official posts during the reigns of three consecutive Saudi kings,

King Saud Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ( ar, سعود بن عبد العزيز آل سعود ''Suʿūd ibn ʿAbd al ʿAzīz Āl Suʿūd'', Najdi Arabic pronunciation: ; 15 January 1902 – 23 February 1969) was King of Saudi Arabia from 9 November 1953 ...

, King Faisal and

King Khalid Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ( ar, خالد بن عبد العزيز آل سعود ''Khalid ibn ʿAbd al ʿAzīz Āl Suʿūd'' ; 13 February 1913 13 June 1982) was a Saudi Arabian statesman and politician who served as King and Prime Minister of ...

Early life and education

Rashad Pharaon was born in Syria in 1912. His father was a Syrian merchant who had connections with the

Al Saud The House of Saud ( ar, آل سُعُود, ʾĀl Suʿūd ) is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia. It is composed of the descendants of Muhammad bin Saud, founder of the Emirate of Diriyah, known as the First Saudi state (1727–1818), and ...

family during the Ottoman rule in Arabia as well as at the formation period of Saudi Arabia. He studied medicine in Damascus and became a

surgeon In modern medicine, a surgeon is a medical professional who performs surgery. Although there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon usually is also a licensed physician or received the same medical training as ...

Career and views

Pharaon began to serve as private physician of Ibn Saud from 1936 which he held until Ibn Saud's death in 1953. Shukri Quwatli, future

president of Syria The president of Syria, officially the president of the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic: رئيس سوريا) is the head of state of the Syrian Arab Republic. They are vested with sweeping powers that may be delegated, at their sole discretion, to ...

, was instrumental in Rashad's migration to Saudi Arabia. Pharaon was briefly the Saudi ambassador to Spain from 1953 to 1954 and was made the

minister of health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services. Some governments have separate ministers for mental health. Coun ...

in 1954 which he held until 1960. Next he served as the Saudi ambassador to France between 1960 and 1966. From 1966 to 1982 he was the senior policy adviser to King Faisal and then, to King Khalid. Based on the statements of Ahmed bin Abdul Wahap

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

Arabist An Arabist is someone, often but not always from outside the Arab world, who specialises in the study of the Arabic language and culture (usually including Arabic literature). Origins Arabists began in medieval Muslim Spain, which lay on the ...

Alexei Vassiliev reports that Pharaon was the closest person to King Faisal during his reign. He acted as the personal advisor of Faisal who was instrumental in the appointment of Rashad as minister of health when he was

crown prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...

and

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

. Although he was a native of Syria, Pharaon was among the allies of the king who were opponents of the Syrian Bath regime. He continued to enjoy a high status under King Khalid and was the only non-royal official who participated in the meetings of the king with foreign leaders.

Personal life and death

His family became one of the richest families in Saudi Arabia who have various assets and investments. He had five children, three sons and two daughters. His son,

Ghaith Pharaon Ghaith Rashad Pharaon (September 7, 1940 – January 6, 2017), was a Saudi fugitive financier and businessman who was founder of Attock Group, Attock Cement, and at one time an investor in the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI), ...

, was a businessman who received a bachelor's degree from

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

and an MBA from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

. His another son, Mazen, was also a businessman, and Rashad Pharaon's both sons had business partnership with Prince Abdullah, eldest son of King Faisal. Rashad Pharaon died in 1990.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pharaon, Rashad 20th-century Saudi Arabian physicians

Rashad Rashad is a given name which may refer to: Surname: *Ahmad Rashad (born 1949), American football player and sportcaster *Ali Akbar Rashad (born 1955), Iranian philosopher and Islamic scholar *Isaiah Rashad (born 1991), American rapper *Phylicia Ras ...

1912 births 1990 deaths Ambassadors of Saudi Arabia to France Ambassadors of Saudi Arabia to Spain Health ministers of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabian surgeons Syrian emigrants to Saudi Arabia Syrian surgeons