The Creation and Fall of the First and Second Saudi States

Absztrakt

Saudi Arabia is one of today’s wealthiest and most successful countries in the Middle East. The world’s second largest oil producer in 2019 and the world’s largest exporter. However, until the discovery of its first oil deposit in 1930 it was a very underdeveloped and poor region. Although Arabia has a very rich and ancient history, the most significant events began in 1744 with the rise of the Saudi Dynasty. It was at this time that Muhammad ibn Saud allied himself with the religious leader Abd-al Wahhab. The resulting alliance started the process of expansion and conquest which led to the establishment of the first Saudi Kingdom. The following 150 years saw the Saudi dynasty enjoy fluctuating successes as its rulers competed with Egypt, the Ottoman Empire, Great Britain and other local powers for control over the peninsula. This article will examine the circumstances of the rise and fall of the first two Saudi states.