A Brief History of Saudi Arabia

In prehistory times, stone age hunters arrived from Africa to the Arabian Peninsula, which at the time was lush and had plenty of water. Around 15,000 years ago, the climate became warmer and the desert began to extend.

Some of the inhabitants became nomads keeping camels, goats, and sheep, while others settled in small communities around a small oasis or along the seashore. They lived off agriculture and trading.

The Nabatean settled in Arabia's northwest where they built a fortress at Madain Salih to control trade.

In106 AC, the Romans captured their capital at Petra. This was the beginning of the deterioration of the Nabatean civilization.

The unification of the Arabian peninsula began after the death of Muhammad in 632 AC.

Under the Umayyad dynasty (661-750), the Islam expanded to North Africa and Spain, Siria and Mesopotamia to the north, and Afghanistan and parts of India to the east.

Later on the Abbasid dynasty (750-1258) took power governing from Baghdad and making it its capital.

In 1258 the Mongols ransacked Baghdad.

Muhammad's children, Muhammad bin Saud y Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab continued on their plan to expand. In 1804 they had control of the holy cities Mecca and Medina.

The Ottoman army took back the holy cities.

In 1914, Abdul Aziz (son of Saud), took most of the center of Arabia and the east provinces, pushing the Ottomans to the Golf coast.

The west area was under the control of another rival, Hussein. Hussein defeated the Ottoman in Aqaba and proclaimed himself King of Hijaz.

In 1925 after many years of battle Abdul Aziz conquered the region of Hijaz.

In 1932 Al-Hasa, the Najd and the Hijaz unified an new country known as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Saud (son of Abdul Aziz) became king at the death of his father in 1953.

In 1964 King Saud surrendered the throne on behalf of his brother Faisal, who reigned until his assassination in 1975. His half brother Khalid succeeded d him.

When King Khalid died in 1982 his brother Fahd became Saudi Arabia's fourth king and continues to reign until today.