From Kuwait to Riyadh
After the end of the Second Saudi State in 1309 AH/1891 CE the Al Saud left Riyadh; Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal moved between the desert and Qatar before settling in Kuwait in 1311 AH/1893 CE. [1]
Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman set out from Kuwait with a small force, relied on secrecy and surprise, and recovered Riyadh through Masmak Palace in 1319 AH/1902 CE; his father then ceded rule to him. [1][2]
Related people
- Kings of Saudi ArabiaKing Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al SaudFounder and first king of Saudi Arabia, Abdulaziz recovered Riyadh in 1902 and led the unification proclaimed in 1932. His reign saw the development of state institutions and the beginnings of the oil industry.
- PersonPrince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al SaudSultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was one of the sons of the founding King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud. He was born in Riyadh on Thursday, 13 Rajab 1348 AH, corresponding to 5 January 1930. He served as Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General from 1962 until his death, as Second Deputy Prime Minister from 1982, and as Crown Prince from 2005.
- PersonImam Saud bin Abdulaziz Al SaudImam Saud bin Abdulaziz bin Muhammad Al Saud was the third imam of the First Saudi State, which took Diriyah as its capital. He led the Saudi forces at the First Battle of Al-Hanakiyah in 1228 AH/1813 CE, was described as close to his people and humble in his dealings, and his era saw the scholarly councils of Diriyah flourish.
- PersonPrince Naif bin Abdulaziz Al SaudPrince Naif bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was a Saudi prince and Minister of Interior, appointed on 27 March 2009 as Second Deputy Prime Minister by royal decree. He chaired the National Committee for Narcotics Control and the Supreme Council of Media, and supported academic chairs, prizes and charitable work.
- PersonImam Abdullah bin SaudImam Abdullah bin Saud bin Abdulaziz bin Muhammad Al Saud was the last imam of the First Saudi State, ruling after the death of his father over the period 1229–1233 AH/1814–1818. During his reign the siege of Diriyah took place; he then surrendered and was transferred to Egypt and then to Constantinople.
- PersonIbrahim KhafajiIbrahim Khafaji is a poet who was tasked with writing the words of the Saudi national anthem during the reign of King Fahd bin Abdulaziz. His words were adopted to the original melody of the Royal Salute in 1984, so the national anthem was completed in its current form, and a royal order was issued adopting it and broadcasting it officially on the first of July of the same year.
Stages of unification
Unification began in southern Najd, then Al-Qassim, secured after the Battle of Rawdat Muhanna in 1324 AH/1906 CE; Al-Ahsa and Qatif in 1331 AH/1913 CE; Asir after the Battle of Hajla in 1338 AH/1920 CE; and Hail. [1]
His forces entered Makkah peacefully, the Hijaz was completed after the siege of Jeddah, and unification reached Jazan and Tihamat Asir after the Makkah Treaty of 1345 AH/1926 CE. [1]
Proclamation and National Day
King Abdulaziz's title rose from Emir of Najd in 1902 to Sultan of Najd and its Dependencies in 1920 and King of the Hijaz and Sultan of Najd and its Dependencies in 1926. [1]
On 17 Jumada al-Ula 1351 AH/18 September 1932 a royal order unified the country as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with effect from 21 Jumada al-Ula 1351 AH/23 September 1932, the date celebrated as National Day, in the course of the Third Saudi State. [1]
Related topics
- Saudi statesThe Third Saudi StateThe Third Saudi State began with Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud's recovery of Riyadh in 1902. Regional unification led to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia proclaimed in 1932 and continuing thereafter.
- HistoricMasmak PalaceA historic earthen fortress in Al-Thumairi, central Riyadh, linked to King Abdulaziz's recovery of Riyadh in 1319 AH/1902 CE, now a museum of the Kingdom's founding.
- RegionRiyadh RegionA central Saudi administrative region encompassing the national capital and varied Najdi governorates, with connections to Diriyah, oasis settlement, government and modern economic activity.
- RegionQassim RegionAn inland Najdi region administered from Buraydah, associated with trading towns, date cultivation and markets, and the geographical corridor of Wadi Al Rummah.
- RegionEastern ProvinceA large eastern Saudi region administered from Dammam, combining Gulf cities, the oases of Al Ahsa and Qatif, desert areas, energy industries and maritime commerce.
- RegionAsir RegionA southwestern Saudi region administered from Abha, combining Sarawat highlands, Tihamah and the coast, with agricultural terraces, historic villages and distinctive local cultural traditions.
- RegionHail RegionA north-central Saudi region administered from Hail, associated with the Aja and Salma mountains, the Nafud desert, historical caravan routes and varied regional activities.
- RegionMakkah RegionA western Saudi region administered from Makkah, encompassing Jeddah, Taif and other governorates, where pilgrimage, maritime trade, coastal landscapes and uplands meet.
- RegionJazan RegionA southwestern Saudi region administered from Jazan city, combining the Red Sea coast, Farasan Islands, plains and mountains with farming, fishing, commerce and industry.
- EventTreaty of Jeddah (1927)The Treaty of Jeddah is an agreement signed in 1927 between King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud and Britain. In it Britain recognized Abdulaziz as King of the Hijaz and Najd, affirmed his right to conclude treaties with other states, and brought the Treaty of Darin to an end.
- EventThe Ikhwan Hijras of NajdThe Ikhwan Hijras of Najd are settled agricultural residential units established in Najd as part of the project to settle the Bedouin of the Arabian Peninsula during the era of King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud (1330–1373 AH/1912–1953 CE). One hundred and seventy-two hijras were established during his era, and through them effective authority over the tribes passed to the central government in Riyadh.
- EventThe Capture of RiyadhThe Capture of Riyadh was King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud's recovery of the city of Riyadh and his entry into it with his men on 5 Shawwal 1319 AH, corresponding to 16 January 1902, together with his pledge of allegiance as Emir there. It was followed by the unification of Najd, the capture of Al-Ahsa, and his official recognition as ruler of Najd, Qassim, and Al-Ahsa.
- HistoricAl-Tayebat MuseumAl-Tayebat Museum is a heritage museum in the city of Jeddah, in the west of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, located in Al-Faisaliyyah district on an area of 10,000 square meters and comprising 12 heritage buildings. It was founded in 1989 and opened to visitors in 1999, and holds more than 365 exhibition halls and a library of more than 200,000 books and references, alongside wings documenting the unification of the Kingdom and Islamic civilization.
- EventBattle of SabillaThe Battle of Sabilla was a confrontation that took place during the Ikhwan movement in Najd, which spanned the years from 1915 to 1929, and Rawdat Sabilla, which carries its name, lies in Zulfi Governorate in the Riyadh Region. King Abdulaziz's success in unifying the parts of the Kingdom and gathering its tribes is attributed to his qualities and leadership abilities, and to the internal and external circumstances that surrounded his course.
- EventBattle of Rawdat MuhannaThe Battle of Rawdat Muhanna was fought at Rawdat Muhanna in the Qassim region between the forces of King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud and the forces of the Emirate of Al Rashid. It was followed by King Abdulaziz's consolidation of his authority over Qassim, the official Ottoman recognition of him as King over Najd, Qassim and Al-Ahsa, and the subsequent unification of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
- EventBattle of TurabahThe Battle of Turabah was a confrontation that took place around the town of Turabah in the southwest of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a town belonging to the Makkah Region and holding a strategic position on the trade and pilgrimage caravan routes between Najd and Hejaz. The battle came at a stage in which relations between Najd and Hejaz were marked by tension between King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud and Sharif Hussein bin Ali.
- MuseumKhuzam Palace MuseumKhuzam Palace Museum is a Saudi museum housed in the historic Khuzam Palace in the Al-Nuzlah Al-Yamaniyah district, southeast of the city of Jeddah in the Makkah Region. King Abdulaziz ordered the construction of the palace in 1928 and it was completed in 1932; it witnessed the signing of the first oil exploration agreement in 1933, and it was later converted into a museum that opened in March 1995.
- HistoricShubra Palace MuseumShubra Palace Museum is a Saudi museum in the historic Shubra Palace in the city of Taif, in the Makkah Region, and is a prominent historic landmark distinguished by the elegance of its design and the grandeur of its traditional architecture. The palace was built in 1905, consists of four floors containing about 150 rooms, and was converted into a museum in 1408 AH/1986.
- EventBattle of KanzanThe Battle of Kanzan was an engagement fought in the vicinity of Al-Ahsa in the Eastern Province during the unification of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, part of King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud's response to the tribes that attacked trade and pilgrim caravans in eastern Arabia. It came after the capture of Riyadh in 1902 and the annexation of Al-Ahsa to the Saudi State in 1913, and was followed by his confrontation of the rumours spread about his death after his meeting with the Ajman warriors.
- EventBattle of SarifThe Battle of Sarif was the first attempt by King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud to recover Riyadh in 1318 AH / 1901 CE, and men of Al Saud and the people of Riyadh took part in it. It followed the departure of the Al Saud family from Riyadh with Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal in 1308 AH / 1890 CE and the taking of Kuwait as a base of departure, and it was followed by the successful attempt in 1319 AH / 1901–1902 CE that led to the recovery of Riyadh.
- HistoricMurabba PalaceMurabba Palace is a historic palace in the city of Riyadh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud took as his residence and as a centre for administering the affairs of governance and conducting the business of the state alongside Qasr al-Hukm. Today it forms part of the King Abdulaziz Historical Centre, together with the King Abdulaziz Memorial Hall and the King Abdulaziz Private Library.
- EventBattle of Al-BukayriyahThe Battle of Al-Bukayriyah was fought in 1904 between the forces of King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud on one side and the Ottoman Empire (the Turks) and Al Rashid on the other, within the course of the unification of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The records of the Saudi state are preserved in the India Office in London, covering the events of the period from 1902 to 1931.
- HistoricThe Grand Mosque (Al-Masjid Al-Haram)The Grand Mosque (Al-Masjid Al-Haram) is the mosque at the centre of which stands the Kaaba in Makkah, and successive states and restorations followed upon its construction across the ages. In the Saudi era it witnessed major expansions and construction works, most notably the Third Saudi Expansion and the raising of the capacity of the Mataf and the courtyards.
- EventBattle of JarrabThe Battle of Jarrab is among the events of the confrontation between Najd and Hail at the outset of World War I, and it was connected with developments in the region, including the military plan of the Ottoman authorities in 1914 and Britain's efforts to make contact with King Abdulaziz; the events of the unification of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia then continued until the proclamation of the Kingdom in 1351 AH / 1932.
- EventBattle of MulaydaThe Battle of Mulayda was fought in 1308 AH/1891 and stands among the last decisive episodes in the history of the Second Saudi State, whose era ended the following year, 1309 AH/1891. It was followed by the departure of Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal with his family from Riyadh to Kuwait, and by the role of his daughter Noura in encouraging her brother Abdulaziz, until the recapture of Riyadh in 1319 AH/1902.
- EventTreaty of DarinThe Treaty of Darin is a treaty signed by King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman bin Faisal Al Saud with Britain, in which Britain recognised Abdulaziz as Emir of Najd and Al-Ahsa. It is also known as the Treaty of Qatif and the Treaty of Al-Uqair, and it was annulled in the Treaty of Jeddah of 1927.
- EventKingdom of HejazThe Kingdom of Hejaz is an official name borne by the Saudi State at a stage of its formation after the annexation of the Hejaz, and it is associated with the successive titles of King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman bin Faisal Al Saud up to the naming of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1351 AH/1932.
- EventEmirate of Jabal ShammarThe Emirate of Jabal Shammar is an emirate that arose in the Hail region, and it came to govern the region after the Emirate of Al Ali that preceded it. In its last years it was linked to its position towards the Ottoman State during the First World War, and then its era ended with the annexation of Hail to the Saudi State in the reign of King Abdulaziz in 1340 AH.
- RegionHofuf CityHofuf City is a city in Al-Ahsa Governorate in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. It holds Ibrahim Palace, the Bay'ah House, the Amiriya School and Al-Qaisariya Market, and together with the Al-Ahsa Oasis it forms one of the most prominent examples of architectural heritage in the country.
- EventArab RevoltThe Arab Revolt was a movement that began in the Hejaz during World War I, and with it the Turkish era in the Hejaz ended in 1916 and the Hashemite era began, lasting until King Abdulaziz entered the Hejaz in 1924. The article covers its context in the Arabian Peninsula and the Red Sea, the destruction by its men of part of the Hejaz Railway line, the efforts of the Saudi state to revive the line, and the ending of foreign privileges and international recognition of the Saudi state.
- EventConquest of Al-AhsaThe Conquest of Al-Ahsa was a campaign led by the founding King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud in 1331 AH/1913 CE, through which he entered Al-Ahsa and received the pledge of allegiance of its people at the Bay'ah House, after which the event rested on Ibrahim Palace and Al-Uqair Port.
- EventDiscovery of Oil in Saudi ArabiaThe discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia is a historic event that began with the signing of the oil exploration concession on 29 May 1933 and was crowned by Dammam Well No. 7 when it produced oil on 4 March 1938, after which the Kingdom exported its first shipment of oil on 1 May 1939.
- HistoricKing Abdulaziz Foundation (Darah)The King Abdulaziz Foundation (Darah) is an official national institution in the city of Riyadh concerned with preserving the sources of national and Arab history, disseminating and refining them, and supporting national identity. It encompasses the historic Murabba Palace, the King Abdulaziz Memorial Hall and an archive of more than one million photographs, and it publishes Al-Darah magazine and runs scholarly programmes and specialised centres.
- EventHistory of MakkahThe history of Makkah is a continuous record from the age of Ibrahim, peace be upon him, and the building of the Holy Kaaba to the Saudi era, embracing antiquities, landmarks, scholars, endowments and services for pilgrims. Its events are spread across the Mamluk era and the Ottoman period, then the educational and regulatory renaissance in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
- EventSaudi-Yemeni War of 1934The Saudi-Yemeni War of 1934 was an armed conflict between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Yemen in which the fighting stopped after the Imam of Yemen accepted the terms of King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, and which was concluded by the Treaty of Taif of 1353 AH and the demarcation of the Saudi-Yemeni border.
- EventFall of HailThe fall of Hail was an event in the unification of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in which King Abdulaziz took Hail in 1340 AH after stages that began with his entry into Riyadh and his pledge of allegiance as Emir on the fifth of Shawwal 1319 AH, then the unification of Najd, the conquest of Al-Ahsa and the Treaty of Al-Uqair in 1334 AH/1915. Qishlah Palace was later built in the city of Hail as a military and administrative headquarters in 1360 AH/1941.