In 1974 Vicari was appointed as the official painter to the King and Government of Saudi Arabia. In the years which followed he painted many portraits of the Saudi royal family, and scenes of Riyadh and Bedouin life. It is mainly due to this patronage that Vicari owes his financial success. In 2001 he sold a collection of 125 paintings of the First Gulf War to Prince Khaled for £17 million.