How King Abdulaziz Seized Riyadh, Established Saudi Arabia

Riyadh: In 1902, a young Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud entered Riyadh with only 40 loyal friends. In 1932, he declared the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. His vision gave birth to a nation that is one of the richest and most powerful in the world today. The roots of the Saudi royal family return to the 18th century, when the first Saudi state emerged. In 1891, the rival Rashidi tribe seized Riyadh and forced the Al Saud family into exile. Among them was a 15-year-old Abdulaziz, who grew up under the protection of Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah in Kuwait.

In 1901, at the age of 24, Abdulaziz promised to take Riyadh back, regardless of. He had no army and heavy weapons. When 50-60 rider was installed on the camel, he started a journey along the desert. Along the way, many friends have returned and only 40 continued.

On the night of January 15, 1902, Abdulaziz and his men reached Riyadh. That night he would change Arabia forever. In the city, Masma Fort, controlled by Rashidi Governor Ajlan, was standing. Abdulaziz and his men climbed to inclined palm trees to scale the walls of the castle. They suppressed the castle and Ajlan was killed after prayers. The war took only a few minutes and Abdulaziz threw Ajlan’s broken head before the Riyadh people. The city greeted him and the supporters of the former Saudi family gathered. The third Saudi province was born that night.

Riyadh was just the beginning. On the Arabian Peninsula, tribes controlled Najd, Al-Hasa, Hijaz and other regions, and many opposed the Saudis. Abdulaziz relied on Shafai teachings to unite his forces and raised a special fighting force called Ikhwan. The Bedouin tribes abandoned farming to join Jihad. He watched victories. In 1913, he was under the control of Al-Hava, and in 1922, Najd was completely consolidated.

The most challenging wars came in Hijaz, which hosts the sacred cities of Mecca and Medina. Sharif Hüseyin ruled the Hejaz with the British support, but Abdulaziz’s Ikhwan defeated him and took Mecca under Saudi control. Abdulaziz appeared as Sultan.

He expanded the alliances through marriage, married 22 times and worked as a father to more than 100 children. In 1927, Najd and the Hejaz merged, but in 1929 Ikhwan rebelled. Abdulaziz crushed them in the battle of Sabilla.

After years of conquest and consolidation, a royal decree was published on September 18, 1932 and declared that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was born from the Hamidiyah Palace in Mecca on September 23rd. The capital of Riyadh was the national language and the Qur’an constitution.

The birth of Saudi Arabia transformed the Arabian Peninsula and the wider world. In 1938, the discovery of large oil reserves in Dhahran gave the kingdom a dominant position in the global energy market. Saudi Arabia soon became the second largest oil producer in the world. The oil explosion of the 1970s shook global economies and founded the kingdom as a center of economic power. Infrastructure, education and health services funded by oil wealth, strengthening the country internally.

On the political and strategic front, Abdulaziz met in 1945 with US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and exchanged oil for security and weapons. Saudi Arabia also became the founding member of the United Nations and strengthened its presence on the global stage. With oil and alliances, the kingdom emerged as a key force in the Middle East.

Religious and culturally, the control of Mecca and Medina gave Saudi Arabia a unique authority in the Muslim world. Annual Hajj drew millions of Muslims from around the world and founded the kingdom as a center for cultural and religious shopping. For decades, the combination of oil wealth, strategic alliances and religious leadership has made Saudi Arabia a nation with a largely comprehensive influence both regional and globally.

About a century later, the Saud house still reigns. Today, King Salman, the youngest son of Abdulaziz, is running the kingdom, which continues to be actively vision to build an post -oil economy. Saudi Arabia currently has a population of 35 million and is among the world’s top 20 economies.

Abdulaziz’s courageous capture of only 40 men and Riyadh in 1902 continues to be one of the most extraordinary episodes of modern history and laid the foundation of a nation that continues to shape global energy, politics and religion.