360Abdulaziz recovers Riyadh
On 15 January 1902, the young Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud and a small band of companions recovered Riyadh, the capital of his forefathers. It was the first step in three decades of unification that led to the proclamation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932.
Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud was born in Riyadh around 1876. As a boy, he moved with his family to Kuwait after the end of the Second Saudi State.
In his twenties, determined to restore his family's legacy, he set out with a small group of loyal companions. On 15 January 1902, corresponding to 5 Shawwal 1319 AH, they recovered Riyadh and its Masmak fortress.
The people of Riyadh welcomed his return, and the city became the base for his efforts to unite the Arabian Peninsula. Over the following years he brought together Nejd, Al-Ahsa, the Hejaz and other regions.
On 23 September 1932, he proclaimed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Masmak fortress, a symbol of this historic moment, is now a museum in central Riyadh, telling the story of the Kingdom's unification.
- c. 1876
- Abdulaziz is born in Riyadh
- 15 January 1902
- Recovery of Riyadh
- 1927
- Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd
- 23 September 1932
- Kingdom of Saudi Arabia proclaimed
Sources: Saudipedia · Darah (King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives) · Britannica.