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{{Short description|King of Saudi Arabia from 1932 to 1953}}
{{about|Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman, the first king of Saudi Arabia|his ancestor who is also called Ibn Saud|Muhammad bin Saud Al Muqrin}}
{{Family name hatnote|lang=Arabic|[[Al Saud]]}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Ibn Saud infobox}}
'''Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud''' ({{langx|ar|عبد العزيز بن عبد الرحمن آل سعود}}; 15 January 1876<ref group="note">Ibn Saud's birth year has been a source of debate. It is generally accepted as 1876, although a few sources give it as 1880. According to British author [[Robert Lacey]]'s book ''The Kingdom'', a leading Saudi historian found records that show Ibn Saud in 1891 greeting an important tribal delegation. The historian reasoned that a 10 or 11-year-old child (as given by the 1880 birth date) would have been too young to be allowed to greet such a delegation, while an adolescent of 15 or 16 (as given by the 1876 date) would likely have been allowed. When Lacey interviewed one of Ibn Saud's sons prior to writing the book, the son recalled that his father often laughed at records showing his birth date to be 1880. Ibn Saud's response to such records was reportedly that "I swallowed four years of my life." p. 561"</ref> – 9 November 1953), known in the [[Western world]] as '''Ibn Saud''' ({{langx|ar|ابن سعود}}; ''Ibn Suʿūd''),<ref group="note">''Ibn Saud'', meaning "son of Saud" (see [[Arabic name#Nasab|Arabic name]]), was a sort of title borne by previous heads of the [[House of Saud]], similar to a [[Scottish clan]] chief's title of "the MacGregor" or "the MacDougal". When used without comment it refers solely to Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman, although prior to the capture of [[Riyadh]] in 1902 it referred to his father, [[Abdul Rahman bin Faisal]] {{harv|Lacey|1982|pp=15,65}}.</ref> was a [[Najd|Najdi]] statesman and tribal leader who became the founder and first [[king of Saudi Arabia]], reigning from 23 September 1932 until his death in 1953. He had ruled parts of the kingdom since 1902, having previously been [[Emirate of Riyadh|Emir]], [[Sultanate of Nejd|Sultan]], [[King of Nejd]], and [[King of Hejaz]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=Ibn Saud|author=John B. Glubb|author-link=John Bagot Glubb|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ibn-Saud|date=5 November 2021|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]}}</ref>

Ibn Saud was the son of [[Abdul Rahman bin Faisal, Emir of Nejd]], and [[Sara bint Ahmed Al Sudairi]]. The family were exiled from their residence in the city of [[Riyadh]] in 1890. Ibn Saud [[Battle of Riyadh|reconquered Riyadh]] in 1902, starting [[Unification of Saudi Arabia|three decades of conquests]] that made him the ruler of nearly all of central and north [[Arabian Peninsula|Arabia]]. He [[Conquest of Ha'il|consolidated his control]] over [[Najd]] in 1921, then [[Saudi conquest of Hejaz|conquered]] the [[Hejaz]] in 1925. He extended his dominions into what later became the [[Saudi Arabia|Kingdom of Saudi Arabia]] in 1932. Ibn Saud's victory and his support for [[Islamic revival]]ists would greatly bolster [[pan-Islamism]] across the [[Islamic world]].<ref>{{Cite book|author=Muhamad Ali|title=Islam and Colonialism: Becoming Modern in Indonesia and Malaya|publisher=Edinburgh University Press|year=2016|isbn=978-1-4744-0920-9|location=Tun
|page=150|chapter=Controlling Politics and Bureaucratising Religion}}</ref> Concording with [[Wahhabism|Wahhabi]] beliefs, he ordered the demolition of several shrines, the [[Demolition of al-Baqi|Al-Baqi Cemetery]] and the [[Jannat al-Mu'alla]].{{sfn|Shahi|2013|p=51}} As King, he presided over the [[History of the oil industry in Saudi Arabia|discovery of petroleum in Saudi Arabia]] in 1938 and the beginning of large-scale oil production after [[World War II]]. He fathered [[Descendants of Ibn Saud|many children]], including 45 sons, and all of the subsequent kings of Saudi Arabia as of {{CURRENTYEAR}}.

==Early life and family origins==
[[File:Abdul Rahman bin Faisal bin Turki Al Saud.jpg|thumb|Ibn Saud's father, [[Abdul Rahman bin Faisal Al Saud (1850–1928)|Abdul Rahman bin Faisal Al Saud]], last [[Emir of Nejd]]]]
The [[House of Saud|Al Saud]] family had been a power in central Arabia for the previous 130 years. Under the influence and inspiration of [[Wahhabism]], the Saudis had previously attempted to control much of the [[Arabian Peninsula]] in the form of the [[Emirate of Diriyah]], the first Saudi state, until its destruction by an [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] army in the [[Ottoman–Wahhabi war]] in the early nineteenth century.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=History of Arabia|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]|url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/31568/history-of-Arabia}}</ref>

Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman, also known as Ibn Saud, was born on 15 January 1876 in [[Riyadh]].<ref name=kingsofk>{{cite web|title=The kings of the Kingdom|work=Ministry of Commerce and Industry|url=http://beta.mci.gov.sa/English/AboutKingdom/Pages/KingdomKings.aspx|access-date=28 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022080810/http://beta.mci.gov.sa/English/AboutKingdom/Pages/KingdomKings.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=22 October 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Government Leaders, Military Rulers, and Political Activists|year=2001
|publisher=Oryx Press|location=Westport, CT|page=165|editor=David W. Del Testa|chapter=Saūd, Abdulaziz ibn|isbn=978-1573561532}}</ref> He was the fourth child and third son of Abdul Rahman bin Faisal,<ref name=jacg>{{cite book|author=Jacob Goldberg|title=The Foreign Policy of Saudi Arabia. The Formative Years|year=1986|location=Cambridge, MA|pages=30–33|publisher=[[Harvard University Press]]|isbn=978-0-6742-8184-4
|doi=10.4159/harvard.9780674281844.c1|url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.4159/harvard.9780674281844.c1/html}}</ref> one of the last rulers of the [[Emirate of Nejd]], the second Saudi state, a tribal [[sheikhdom]] centered on Riyadh.<ref>{{cite thesis|author=George T. Fitzgerald|page=55|year=1983|title=Government administration in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia|url=https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/292|location=[[California State University, San Bernardino]]|degree=Master of Public Administration}}</ref> Ibn Saud's mother was Sara bint Ahmed Al Sudairi<ref>{{cite journal|author=Fahd Al Semmari|title=The King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives|journal=Middle East Studies Association Bulletin|date=Summer 2001|volume=35|issue=1|pages=45–46|doi=10.1017/S0026318400041432|jstor=23063369|s2cid=185974453
}}</ref> of the Sudairi family.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Mordechai Abir|title=The Consolidation of the Ruling Class and the New Elites in Saudi Arabia|journal=[[Middle Eastern Studies (journal)|Middle Eastern Studies]]|date=April 1987|doi=10.1080/00263208708700697|volume=23
|issue=2|pages=150–171|jstor=4283169}}</ref> She died in 1910.<ref name=noble/> His full-siblings were Faisal, [[Noura bint Abdul Rahman Al Saud|Noura]], Bazza, Haya and [[Sa'ad bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud|Saad]].<ref>{{cite news|title=نورة بنت عبد الرحمن.. السيدة السعودية الأولى
|url=https://www.albayan.ae/five-senses/culture/2020-05-24-1.3866450|access-date=7 September 2020|work=Al Bayan|date=24 May 2020|language=ar}}</ref> He also had a number of half-siblings from his father's other marriages,<ref>{{cite book|year=2013|author=Alexei Vassiliev|author-link=Alexei Vassiliev|title=King Faisal: Personality, Faith and Times|publisher=Saqi|location=London|page=12|isbn=978-0-86356-761-2
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j0AhBQAAQBAJ&pg=PT12}}</ref> including [[Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud|Muhammad]], [[Abdullah bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud|Abdullah]], Ahmed, and [[Musaid bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud|Musaid]], who all had roles in the [[Saudi government]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Christopher Keesee Mellon|title=Resiliency of the Saudi Monarchy: 1745–1975|hdl=10938/10663|location=Beirut|date=May 2015
|url=https://scholarworks.aub.edu.lb/bitstream/handle/10938/10663/pj-1848.pdf?sequence=1|publisher=[[American University of Beirut]]
|access-date=23 January 2021|format=Master's Project}}</ref> Ibn Saud was taught [[Quran]] by Abdullah Al Kharji in Riyadh.<ref>{{cite thesis
|author=Bilal Ahmad Kutty|title=Saudi Arabia under King Faisal|degree=PhD|page=52|year=1997|location=[[Aligarh Muslim University]]
|url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/144512812.pdf}}</ref>

==Exile and recapture of Riyadh==
In 1891, the House of Saud's long-term regional rivals led by [[Muhammad bin Abdullah Al Rashid]] conquered [[Riyadh]]. Ibn Saud was 15 at the time.<ref>{{cite web|author=Wallace Stegner|title=Discovery! The Search for Arabian Oil|url=http://selwapress.com/images/rg_disco.pdf
|publisher=Selwa Press|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020061757/http://selwapress.com/images/rg_disco.pdf|access-date=29 April 2012|archive-date=20 October 2013|url-status=dead|year=2007}}</ref> He and his family initially took refuge with the [[Al Murrah]], a [[Bedouin]] tribe in the southern desert of Arabia. Later, the Al Sauds moved to Qatar and stayed there for two months.<ref name=kahtani>{{cite thesis|author=Mohammad Zaid Al Kahtani|title=The Foreign Policy of King Abdulaziz|degree=PhD|location=[[University of Leeds]]
|date=December 2004|url=https://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/529/}}</ref> Their next stop was Bahrain where they stayed briefly. The Ottoman State allowed them to settle in Kuwait<ref>{{cite journal|author=Joel Carmichael|author-link=Joel Carmichael|title=Prince of Arabs|journal=[[Foreign Affairs]]|date=July 1942|volume=20|issue=July 1942|url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/saudi-arabia/1942-07-01/prince-arabs}}</ref> where they settled and lived for nearly a decade.<ref name=kahtani/> Ibn Saud developed a rapport with the Kuwaiti ruler [[Mubarak Al Sabah]] and frequently visited his [[majlis]]. His father, Abdul Rahman, did not endorse these visits, perceiving Mubarak's lifestyle as immoral and unorthodox.<ref name=jacg/>

On 14 November 1901 Ibn Saud and some relatives, including his half-brother Muhammad and several cousins (amongst them [[Abdullah bin Jiluwi Al Saud|Abdullah bin Jiluwi]]), set out on a raiding expedition into the Nejd, targeting mainly tribes associated with the Rashidis.<ref name=lpg>{{cite thesis|author=Lawrence Paul Goldrup|title=Saudi Arabia 1902–1932: The Development of a Wahhabi Society|location=[[University of California, Los Angeles]]|year=1971|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/302463650|degree=PhD|page=25|id={{ProQuest|302463650}}}}</ref> On 12 December they reached Al Ahsa and then proceeded south towards the [[Empty Quarter]] with the support from various tribes.<ref name=lpg/> Upon this Abdulaziz Al Rashid sent messages to Qatari ruler [[Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani]] and to the Ottoman governor of Baghdad asking their help to stop Ibn Saud's raids on the tribes loyal to Al Rashid.<ref name=lpg/> These events led to a decrease in the number of Ibn Saud's raiders, and his father also asked him to cancel his plans to capture Riyadh.<ref name=lpg/> However, Ibn Saud did not cancel the raid and managed to reach Riyadh. On the night of 15 January 1902, he led 40 men over the [[Riyadh city wall|city walls]] on tilted palm trees and took the city.<ref name=lpg/><ref>{{cite book|author=William Ochsenwald|author-link=William L. Ochsenwald|title=The Middle East: A History
|year=2004|publisher=[[McGraw Hill Education|McGraw Hill]]|page=697|isbn=978-0-07-244233-5|location=Boston, MA}}</ref> The Rashidi governor of the city, Ajlan, was killed by Abdullah bin Jiluwi<ref name=lpg/> in front of his own fortress. The Saudi recapture of the city marked the beginning of the third Saudi State.<ref>''[[Current Biography|Current Biography 1943]]'', pp. 330–334</ref>

Following Ibn Saud's victory the Kuwaiti ruler Mubarak Al Sabah sent him an additional seventy warriors commanded by Ibn Saud's younger brother Saad.<ref name=lpg/> Upon settling in Riyadh, Ibn Saud took up residence in the palace of his grandfather, [[Faisal bin Turki Al Saud (1785–1865)|Faisal bin Turki]].<ref>{{cite journal|author=Douglas Carruthers|title=Captain Shakespear's Last Journey (Continued)|journal=[[The Geographical Journal]]|date=June 1922|doi=10.2307/1780633|jstor=1780633|volume=59|issue=6|page=402|bibcode=1922GeogJ..59..401C
|url=https://zenodo.org/record/2238268}}</ref>

==Rise to power==
{{See also|Unification of Saudi Arabia}}
[[File:Third Saudi State Map.svg|thumb|Territorial evolution of the [[Third Saudi State]] (1902–1932)]]
[[File:وثيقه من الملك عبدالعزيز الى عقاب بن محيا.jpg|thumb|Ibn Saud's signature in a document to [[Eqab bin Mohaya|Eqab bin Muhaya]] of [[Otaibah]]]]
[[File:Ibn Saud and Cox.jpg|thumb|Ibn Saud with [[Percy Cox]] and [[Gertrude Bell]] during the [[Arab Revolt]], Basrah, 1916]]
[[File:Ibn Saud with the weapons that he had plundered from the Ottoman Empire after Surrender of the Emirate of Ha'il.jpg|thumb|Ibn Saud alongside captured weapons from the [[Rashidi Emirate]] after its surrender during the [[Conquest of Ha'il|Ha'il campaign of 1921]]]]
Following the capture of Riyadh, many former supporters of the House of Saud rallied to Ibn Saud's call to arms. He was a charismatic leader and kept his men supplied with arms. Over the next two years, he and his forces recaptured almost half of the Nejd from the Rashidis.<ref name=mai/>

In 1904, [[Abdulaziz bin Mutaib Al Rashid]] appealed to the Ottoman Empire for military protection and assistance. The Ottomans responded by sending troops into Arabia. On 15 June 1904, Ibn Saud's forces suffered a major defeat at the hands of the combined Ottoman and Rashidi forces. His forces regrouped and began to wage [[guerrilla warfare]] against the Ottomans. Over the next two years, he was able to disrupt their supply routes, forcing them to retreat. However, in February 1905 Ibn Saud was named [[qaimmaqam]] of southern Nejd by the Ottomans<ref>{{cite journal|author=Peter Sluglett|title=The Resilience of a Frontier: Ottoman and Iraqi Claims to Kuwait, 1871–1990|journal=[[The International History Review]]|date=December 2002|volume=24|issue=4|page=792|doi=10.1080/07075332.2002.9640981|jstor=40111134|s2cid=153471013}}</ref> which he held until 1913 when an Anglo-Ottoman agreement was signed.<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Camille Lyans Cole|display-authors=et. al.|title=Mapping Tribes: Ottoman Spatial Thinking in Iraq and Arabia, c. 1910|journal=Journal of the Ottoman and Turkish Studies Association|date=Fall 2022|volume=9|page=226|issue=2|url=https://www.muse.jhu.edu/article/902202}}</ref> Ibn Saud's victory in [[Battle of Rawdat Muhanna (1906)|Rawdat Muhanna]], in which Abdulaziz Al Rashid died, ended the Ottoman presence in Nejd and [[Al-Qassim Region|Qassim]] by the end of October 1906. This victory also weakened the alliance between Mubarak Al Sabah, ruler of Kuwait, and Ibn Saud due to the former's concerns about the increase of Saudi power in the region.<ref>{{cite thesis|author=Abdulkarim Mohamed Hamadi|title=Saudi Arabia' Territorial Limits: A Study in Law and Politics
|location=[[Indiana University]]|page=60|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/303155302|degree=PhD|year=1981|id={{ProQuest|303155302}}}}</ref>

Ibn Saud completed his conquest of the Nejd and the eastern coast of Arabia in 1912.<ref name=kahtani/> He then founded the [[Ikhwan]], a military-religious brotherhood, which was to assist in his later conquests, with the approval of local [[Salafi]] [[ulema]].<ref name=kahtani/> In the same year, he instituted an [[agrarian policy]] to settle the [[nomadic pastoralist]] bedouins into colonies and to replace their tribal organizations with allegiance to the Ikhwan.<ref name=kahtani/>

In May 1914, Ibn Saud made a secret agreement with the Ottomans as a result of his unproductive attempts to get protection from the British.<ref name=gerd>{{cite journal|author=Gerd Nonneman|author-link=Gerd Nonneman|title=Saudi–European relations 1902–2001: a pragmatic quest for relative autonomy|journal=[[International Affairs (journal)|International Affairs]]|year=2002|volume=77|issue=3|page=638|doi=10.1111/1468-2346.00211}}</ref> However, due to the outbreak of [[World War I]], this agreement which would have made Ibn Saud the wali or governor of Najd did not materialize, and because of the Ottomans' attempt to develop a connection with Ibn Saud the British government soon established diplomatic relations with him.<ref name=gerd/> The British agent, Captain [[William Shakespear (explorer)|William Shakespear]], was well received by the Bedouin.<ref>Robert Wilson and [[Zahra Freeth]]. (1983). ''The Arab of the Desert''. London: Allen & Unwin. pp. 312–13. Print.</ref> Similar diplomatic missions were established with any Arabian power who might have been able to unify and stabilize the region. The British entered into the [[Treaty of Darin]] in December 1915, which made the lands of the House of Saud a British [[protectorate]] and attempted to define the boundaries of the developing Saudi state.<ref>[[John C. Wilkinson]]. (1993). ''Arabia's Frontiers: the Story of Britain's Boundary Drawing in the Desert''. London u.a.: Tauris, pp. 133–39. Print</ref> In exchange, Ibn Saud pledged to again make war against Ibn Rashid, who was an ally of the Ottomans.

[[File:Shaikh_Khaz'al_Abdulaziz.jpg|thumb|300px|Ibn Saud as a guest of Shaikh Khaz'al in [[Khorramshahr|Mohammerah]]. The image includes [[Khazʽal Ibn Jabir|Sheikh Khaz'al]], Emir of [[Emirate of Muhammara|Arabistan]], Ibn Saud, [[Percy Cox|Sir Percy Cox]], along with Saudi Arabia dignitaries and other British officials]]

During this period, Ibn Saud also sought to strengthen his position through regional alliances. [[Khazʽal Ibn Jabir|Sheikh Khaz'al]] Emir of [[Emirate of Muhammara|Arabistan]] advised the Ottoman authorities that Ibn Saud was more valuable to them than Al-Ahsa and Qatif, urging them to support him as a strategic asset.<ref>{{cite book |last=al-Zirkali |first=Khair al-Din |title=Shibh al-Jazirah fi 'Ahd al-Malik Abd al-Aziz |date=27 September 2022 |page=231 |url=https://archive.org/details/1390-1970_20220927/page/n230/mode/1up}}</ref> As part of his diplomatic engagements, Ibn Saud traveled to [[Khorramshahr|Mohammerah]] as a guest of [[Khazʽal Ibn Jabir|Sheikh Khaz'al]]. The two leaders arrived in Basra on the evening of November 26. The next morning, the British senior political officer, accompanied by two high-ranking British military representatives of the stationed army commander in Basra, boarded Sheikh Khaz’al's ship and presented Ibn Saud with the Sword of Honor along with a welcome letter from the army commander. He spent the day inspecting the British military base camps, their organization, and the latest military equipment, including warplanes, which he showed great interest in.<ref>Hakim Al-Mutairi, ''Al-Madina Al-Munawwara wa Al-Hisar Al-Akhir'' (The Last Siege of Medina), p. 567.</ref>
[[File:Shaikh_Khaz'al_Abdulaziz_1917.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Khazʽal Ibn Jabir|Sheikh Khaz'al]], Ibn Saud, and [[Percy Cox|Sir Percy Cox]] visiting the British army in Basra, during the [[Arab revolt]], 1916]]

The British Foreign Office had previously begun to support [[Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca]] and Emir of the Hejaz, by sending [[T. E. Lawrence]] to him in 1915. The Saudi Ikhwan began to conflict with Hussein in 1917, just as his sons [[Abdullah I of Jordan|Abdullah]] and [[Faisal I of Iraq|Faisal]] entered Damascus. The Treaty of Darin remained in effect until superseded by the [[Jeddah]] conference of 1927 and the Dammam conference of 1952, during both of which Ibn Saud extended his boundaries past the Anglo-Ottoman Blue Line. After Darin, he stockpiled the weapons and supplies which the British provided him, including a 'tribute' of £5,000 per month.<ref>{{cite web|author=Abdullah Mohammad Sind|title=The Direct Instruments of Western Control over the Arabs: The Shining Example of the House of Saud|access-date=10 January 2013
|url=https://seenthis.net/messages/307026|work=Social Sciences}}</ref> After World War I Ibn Saud received further support from the British, including a glut of surplus munitions. He launched his campaign against the Al Rashidi in 1920; by 1922 they had been all but destroyed.

The defeat of the Al Rashidi doubled the size of Saudi territory because, after the war of Ha'il, Ibn Saud sent his army to occupy Al Jouf and the army led by [[Eqab bin Mohaya]], the head of the Talhah branch of the [[Otaibah]] tribe. This allowed Ibn Saud the leverage to negotiate a new and more favorable treaty with the British in 1922, signed at Uqair. He met [[Percy Cox]], British High Commissioner in Iraq, to draw boundaries<ref name=ibnsaud>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160108124401/http://www.ibnsaud.info/main/3101.htm|archive-date=8 January 2016
|url=http://www.ibnsaud.info/main/3101.htm|title=Ibn Saud meets Sir Percy Cox in Uqair to draw boundaries|website=ibnsaud.info}}</ref> and the treaty saw Britain recognize many of Ibn Saud's territorial gains. In exchange, Ibn Saud agreed to recognize British territories in the area, particularly along the Persian Gulf coast and in Iraq. The former of these were vital to the British, as merchant traffic between [[British India]] and the United Kingdom depended upon coaling stations on the approach to the [[Suez Canal]].<ref name=ibnsaud/>
[[File:IbnSaudInJeddah.jpg|thumb|Ibn Saud sitting with Abdullah Ali Reda on the day he entered [[Jeddah]] in 1925]]
In 1925, Ibn Saud's forces captured the holy city of Mecca from Sharif Hussein, ending 700 years of [[Hashemite]] rule. Following this he issued the first decree which was about the collection of [[zakat]].<ref>{{cite journal|author=Anthony B. Toth|title=Control and Allegiance at the Dawn of the Oil Age: Bedouin, Zakat and Struggles for Sovereignty in Arabia, 1916–1955|journal=[[Middle East Critique]]|year=2012|page=66
|volume=21|issue=1|s2cid=144536155|doi=10.1080/19436149.2012.658667}}</ref> On 8 January 1926, the leading figures in Mecca, Medina and Jeddah proclaimed Ibn Saud the King of Hejaz<ref>{{cite book|author=Clive Leatherdale|isbn=978-0-7146-3220-9|title=Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: The Imperial Oasis|year=1983|publisher=Psychology Press|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Lt0-U4cUj9sC&pg=PR9|location=London; Totowa, NJ|page=9}}</ref> and the [[bayaa]] (oath of allegiance) ceremony was held in the [[Great Mosque of Mecca]].<ref>{{cite thesis|degree=PhD
|author=Alexander Blay Bligh|title=Succession to the throne in Saudi Arabia. Court Politics in the Twentieth Century|page=56|year=1981
|location=[[Columbia University]]|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/303101806|id={{ProQuest|303101806}}}}</ref>

Ibn Saud raised Nejd to a kingdom as well on 29 January 1927.<ref>Joseph Kostiner. (1993). ''The Making of Saudi Arabia, 1916–1936: From Chieftaincy to Monarchical State'' Oxford University Press US, {{ISBN|0-19-507440-8}}, p. 104</ref> On 20 May 1927, the British government signed the [[Treaty of Jeddah (1927)|Treaty of Jeddah]], which abolished the Darin protection agreement and recognized the independence of the Hejaz and Nejd, with Ibn Saud as their ruler. For the next five years, Ibn Saud administered the two parts of his dual kingdom as separate units. He also succeeded his father, Abdul Rahman, as Imam.<ref>{{cite thesis|author=Isadore Jay Gold|title=The United States and Saudi Arabia, 1933–1953: Post-Imperial Diplomacy and the Legacy of British Power|page=18|degree=PhD|location=[[Columbia University]]|id={{ProQuest|303285941}}|year=1984
|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/303285941}}</ref>

[[File:King Abdulaziz's letter to Shaikh Khaz'al 1924.jpg|thumb|Letter of Ibn Saud to [[Khazʽal Ibn Jabir|Shaikh Khaz'al]] the Emir of [[Emirate of Muhammara|Arabistan]] in 1923]]
With international recognition and support, Ibn Saud continued to consolidate his power. By 1927, his forces had overrun most of the central [[Arabian Peninsula]], but the alliance between the Ikhwan and the Al Saud collapsed when Ibn Saud forbade further raiding. The few portions of central Arabia that had not been overrun by the Saudi-Ikhwan forces had treaties with London, and Ibn Saud was sober enough to see the folly of provoking the British by pushing into these areas. This did not sit well with the Ikhwan, who had been taught that all non-Wahhabis were infidels. In order to settle down the problems with the [[Ikhwan]] leaders, including [[Faisal al-Duwaish|Faisal Al Duwaish]], [[Sultan bin Bajad Al Otaibi|Sultan bin Bajad]] and [[Dhaydan bin Hithlain]], Ibn Saud organized a meeting in Riyadh in 1928, but none of them attended the meeting.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Abdulaziz Al Fahad|title=The 'Imama vs. the 'Iqal: Hadari-Bedouin Conflict and the Formation of the Saudi State
|journal=EUI Working Papers|year=2002|volume=11|page=23|hdl=1814/1769|issn=1028-3625|url=http://hdl.handle.net/1814/1769}}</ref> Tensions finally boiled over when the [[Ikhwan Revolt|Ikhwan rebelled]]. After two years of fighting, they were suppressed by Ibn Saud in the [[Battle of Sabilla]] in March 1929.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Abdullah F. Alrebh|title=Covering the Building of a Kingdom: The Saudi Arabian Authority in The London Times and The New York Times, 1901–1932|journal=[[Digest of Middle East Studies|DOMES: Digest of Middle East Studies]]|issue=2
|date=September 2015|volume=24|pages=187–212|doi=10.1111/dome.12073}}</ref> [[File:Ikhwan.jpg|thumb|The Ikhwan army during [[Ikhwan Revolt|their revolt]] against the alliance of the [[British Empire]], [[Kuwait]] and Ibn Saud]]

On 23 September 1932, Ibn Saud formally united his realm into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with himself as its king.<ref>{{cite thesis
|degree=PhD|author=Odah Sultan|url=http://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/14829|title=Saudi–American Relations 1968–78: A study in ambiguity
|year=1988|location=[[University of Salford]]}}</ref> He transferred his court to [[Murabba Palace]] from the [[Masmak Fort]] in 1938<ref>{{cite web|title=Murabba Palace Historical Centre|url=http://www.simbacom.com/riyadh-ksa/historic/murabba.html|work=Simbacom|access-date=22 July 2013
|archive-date=19 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130619024845/http://www.simbacom.com/riyadh-ksa/historic/murabba.html
|url-status=dead}}</ref> and the palace remained his residence and the seat of government until his death in 1953.<ref>{{cite journal
|title=Rebirth of a historic center|url=http://www.saudiembassy.net/files/PDF/Publications/Magazine/1999-Spring/rebirth.htm|date=Spring 1999
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130807161001/http://www.saudiembassy.net/files/PDF/Publications/Magazine/1999-Spring/rebirth.htm
|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 August 2013|journal=Saudi Embassy Magazine}}</ref>

Ibn Saud had to first eliminate the right of his own father in order to rule, and then distance and contain the ambitions of his five brothers, particularly his brother Muhammad, who had fought with him during the battles and conquests that gave birth to the state.<ref name=mai>{{cite journal|author=Mai Yamani|author-link=Mai Yamani|title=From fragility to stability: a survival strategy for the Saudi monarchy|volume=2
|issue=1|journal=Contemporary Arab Affairs|date=January–March 2009|pages=90–105|doi=10.1080/17550910802576114}}</ref>

==Oil discovery and his rule==
[[File:King Abdulaziz with a Foreigner in the 1930s.jpg|thumb|Ibn Saud with a foreigner in the 1930s]]
[[Petroleum]] was discovered in Saudi Arabia in 1938 by [[Chevron Corporation]], after Ibn Saud granted a concession in 1933.<ref>{{cite book|author=Daniel Yergin|author-link=Daniel Yergin|title=The Prize, The Epic Quest for Oil, Money & Power|year=1991|publisher=Touchstone
|location=New York|isbn=9780671799328|pages=289–292, 300}}</ref> Through his advisers [[St John Philby]] and [[Ameen Rihani]], Ibn Saud granted substantial authority over Saudi oil fields to American oil companies in 1944. Beginning in 1915, he signed a "friendship and cooperation" pact with Britain to keep his militia in line and cease any further attacks against their protectorates for whom they were responsible.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}

Ibn Saud's newly found oil wealth brought a great deal of power and influence that he would use to advantage in the Hejaz. He forced many nomadic tribes to settle down and abandon "petty wars" and vendettas. He began widespread enforcement of the new kingdom's ideology, based on the teachings of [[Muhammad Ibn Abd al-Wahhab]]. This included an end to traditionally sanctioned rites of pilgrimage, recognized by the orthodox schools of jurisprudence, but at odds with those sanctioned by al-Wahhab. In 1926, after a caravan of Egyptian pilgrims on the way to [[Mecca]] were beaten by his forces for playing bugles, he was impelled to issue a conciliatory statement to the [[Egyptian government]]. In fact, several such statements were issued to Muslim governments around the world as a result of beatings suffered by the [[pilgrim]]s visiting the holy cities of Mecca and [[Medina]].{{citation needed|date=January 2012}} With the uprising and subsequent suppression thereafter of the [[Ikhwan]] in 1929, the 1930s marked a turning point. With his rivals eliminated, Ibn Saud's ideology was in full force, ending nearly 1,400 years of accepted religious practices surrounding the [[Hajj]], the majority of which were sanctioned by a millennium of scholarship.<ref>{{cite journal|year=2017
|author=Cameron Zargar|title=Origins of Wahhabism from Hanbali Fiqh|doi=10.5070/N4161038736|journal=Journal of Islamic and Near Eastern Law
|volume=16|doi-access=free}}</ref>

Ibn Saud established a [[Shura Council]] of the [[Hejaz]] as early as 1927. This council was later expanded to 20 members and was chaired by Ibn Saud's son, [[Faisal of Saudi Arabia|Prince Faisal]].<ref>{{cite journal|author=Anthony H. Cordesman|author-link=Anthony Cordesman|date=30 October 2002
|title=Saudi Arabia enters the 21st century: III. Politics and internal stability|journal=[[Center for Strategic and International Studies]]
|url=https://www.csis.org/analysis/saudi-arabia-enters-21st-century-iii-politics-and-internal-stability|access-date=5 February 2021}}</ref>

==Foreign wars==
Ibn Saud was able to gain loyalty from tribes near Saudi Arabia, such as those in Jordan. For example, he built very strong ties with [[Rashed Al-Khuzai]] from the Al Fraihat tribe, one of the most influential and royally established families during the Ottoman Empire. Prince Rashed and his tribe had dominated eastern Jordan before the arrival of Sharif Hussein. Ibn Saud supported Rashed and his followers in rebellion against Hussein.<ref name="noonptm.com">{{cite web|author=المجلة المصرية نون|url=http://www.noonptm.com//modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=951
|title=المجلة المصرية نون – سيرة حياة الأمير المناضل راشد الخزاعي|work=Noonptm|access-date=25 October 2011|archive-date=11 September 2011
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110911013106/http://www.noonptm.com//modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=951|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1934 Saudi Arabia defeated Yemen in the [[Saudi–Yemeni War (1934)|Saudi-Yemeni War]].<ref name=kst34/> This was the first modern war – the Saudis had British [[Rolls-Royce Armoured Car|Rolls-Royce armoured cars]] and French [[Renault FT|Renault FT-17]] tanks – between Arab states.<ref name=kst34>{{Cite journal|author=K S Twitchell|author-link=Karl Twitchell|year=1934|title=The Operations in the Yemen|journal=Journal of the Royal Central Asian Society|volume=21|issue=3|pages=445–49|doi=10.1080/03068373408725322}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|author=May Darwich
|date=Spring 2018|title=The Saudi Intervention in Yemen: Struggling for Status|journal=[[Insight Turkey]]|volume=20|issue=2|pages=125–142
|jstor=26390311}}</ref>

In 1935 Prince Rashed supported [[Izz ad-Din al-Qassam]]'s defiance, which led him and his followers into rebellion against Abdullah I of Jordan. In 1937, when they were forced to leave Jordan, Prince Rashed Al Khuzai, his family, and a group of his followers chose to move to Saudi Arabia where Prince Rashed lived for several years under Ibn Saud's hospitality.<ref name="noonptm.com"/><ref>{{cite web|work=ANN TV|date=19 November 1935|url=http://anntv.tv/new/showsubject.aspx?id=17145|title=الشيخ عز الدين القسام أمير المجاهدين الفلسطينيين|access-date=25 October 2011
|archive-date=11 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811132850/http://anntv.tv/new/showsubject.aspx?id=17145|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://alrai.com/pages.php?news_id=284850|title=جريدة الرأي ; راشد الخزاعي.. من رجالات الوطن ومناضلي الأمة
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008072744/http://alrai.com/pages.php?news_id=284850|archive-date=8 October 2011|work=Al Rai
|access-date=25 October 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.asharqalarabi.org.uk/ruiah/b-sharq-115.htm|title=مركز الشرق العربي ـ برق الشرق|work=Asharq Al Arabi|access-date=25 October 2011}}</ref>

==Charity works==
Ibn Saud's charity earned him respect among his people. The King would direct money to be handed to the impoverished whenever he saw them. This is why the poor would eagerly anticipate his appearance in villages, towns, and even the desert.<ref>Abdullah Al Ali Al Mansour Al Zaamil. ''The True Account of the History of Abdul Aziz Al Saud'', p. 429</ref><ref>Abdul-Hameed Al-Khateeb. ''The Just Imam'', Part 2, pp.102–103</ref>

"O Abdul-Aziz, may Allah give you in the Hereafter as He has given you in the world!" an elderly woman once said to Ibn Saud's procession. The King ordered that she be given ten bags of money from his car. Ibn Saud noticed the old woman having trouble bringing the money back to her home, so he had his aid service deliver the money and accompany her back to her home.<ref>Khairuddeen Al Zarkali. ''Al-Wajeez'', p.365</ref> Ibn Saud was on a picnic outside of Riyadh when he came across an elderly man dressed in rags. The old man proceeded to stand up in front of the King's horse and said, "O Abdul-Aziz, it is terribly cold, and I have no clothes to protect me". Ibn Saud, saddened by the man's condition, removed his cloak and gave it to him. He also offered the elderly man a stipend to help him with his everyday costs.<ref name=noble/>

Due to the abundance of the poor, Ibn Saud established a guest house known as the "[[Thulaim Palace|Thulaim]]" or "The Host", where rice, meat, and several types of porridge were distributed to the poor. As the economy deteriorated, Ibn Saud began to increase his aid to the needy. He gave them "royal kits" of bread and "waayid", which were monetary gifts given to them on an annual basis.<ref>Fahd Al Maarik. ''Traits of King Abdulaziz'', p.121</ref> The King said, "I haven't obtained all this wealth by myself. It is a blessing from Allah, and all of you have a share in it. So, I want you to guide me to whatever takes me nearer to my Lord and qualifies me for His forgiveness."<ref>Mohammed Al Maani'. ''The Unification of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia'', Part 1, p.433</ref>

==Later years==
[[Image:Franklin D. Roosevelt with King Ibn Saud aboard USS Quincy (CA-71), 14 February 1945 (USA-C-545).jpg|thumb|Ibn Saud converses with U.S. president [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] (right) in 1945 through interpreter [[William A. Eddy]], on board the {{USS|Quincy|CA-71|6}}, after the [[Yalta Conference]]. [[Fleet Admiral]] [[William D. Leahy]] (left) watches.]] [[File:Kings_Farouk_and_Ibn_Saud_in_1946.jpg|alt=Kings Farouk and Ibn Saud in 1946|thumb|King [[Farouk of Egypt]] and Sudan alongside Ibn Saud checking an [[Egyptian Army]] unit in 1946.]]

Ibn Saud positioned Saudi Arabia as neutral in [[World War II]], but was generally considered to favor the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]].<ref name="A Country Study">''A Country Study: Saudi Arabia''. Library of Congress Call Number DS204 .S3115 1993. Chapter 5. "World War II and Its Aftermath"</ref> However, in 1938, when an attack on a main British pipeline in the [[Kingdom of Iraq]] was found to be connected to the German Ambassador, [[Fritz Grobba]], Ibn Saud provided Grobba with refuge.<ref>''Time'', 26 May 1941</ref> It was reported that he had been disfavoring the British as of 1937.<ref>''Time'', 3 July 1939</ref>

In the last stage of the war, Ibn Saud met significant political figures. One of these meetings, which lasted for three days, was with U.S. president [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] on 14 February 1945.<ref name=rudy9/> The meeting took place on board {{USS|Quincy|CA-71|6}} in the [[Great Bitter Lake]] segment of the Suez Canal.<ref name=rudy9>{{cite news|author=Rudy Abramson|title=1945 Meeting of FDR and Saudi King Was Pivotal for Relations|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-08-09-mn-388-story.html|access-date=22 July 2013|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=9 August 1990|location=Washington DC}}</ref> The meeting laid down the basis of the [[Saudi Arabia–United States relations|future relations between the two countries]].<ref>{{cite journal|author=Bahgat Gawdat|title=Saudi Arabia and the War on Terrorism|journal=Arab Studies Quarterly|date=Winter 2004|volume=26|issue=1|pages=51–63|jstor=41858472}}</ref> The other meeting was with British prime minister [[Winston Churchill]] in the Grand Hotel du Lac on the shores of the Fayyoun Oasis, fifty miles south of [[Cairo]], in February 1945.<ref name=resource>{{cite web|title=Ibn Saud meets British Prime Minister Winston Churchill|work=King Abdulaziz Information Resource|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130722081550/http://sacmclubs.org/king_abdulaziz/main/3665.htm|archive-date=22 July 2013|access-date=22 July 2013|url-status=usurped|url=http://sacmclubs.org/king_abdulaziz/main/3665.htm}}</ref> Saudis report that the meeting heavily focused on the Palestine problem and was unproductive in terms of its outcomes, in contrast to that with Roosevelt.<ref name=resource/>

After naming his son Saud as [[Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia]], the King left most of his duties to him, and he spent most of his time in [[Taif]].<ref name="kingdt">{{cite magazine|issue=20|title=King of the Desert|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=16 November 1953
|volume=6|url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,819242,00.html}}</ref> His first flight was between [[Afif]] and Taif in September 1945.<ref name=qdl>{{cite web|title=File 11/44 Leading Personalities in Iraq, Iran & Saudi Arabia|publisher=[[Qatar Digital Library]] |url=https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100061134244.0x00004c|access-date=18 August 2023|date=13 January 1948}}</ref> Ibn Saud met with King [[Farouk of Egypt]] during his ten-day state visit to Egypt from 10 to 22 January 1946.<ref name="qdl" /> Ibn Saud's first official visit to the Saudi Arabia's oil fields occurred between 21 and 29 January 1947 which was organized by the Arabian American Oil Company.<ref name=qdl/>

Ibn Saud participated in the [[1948 Arab–Israeli War]], but Saudi Arabia's contribution was generally considered token.<ref name="A Country Study" /> The Saudis deployed 800 to 1,200 troops against Israel, including volunteers, who were attached to the Egyptians.<ref>{{Cite web |date=27 December 2017 |title=King Abdulaziz archives reveal film about Saudi Army in Palestine |url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/1214996/saudi-arabia |access-date=24 June 2024 |website=Arab News |language=en}}</ref> He actively attempted to resolve the dispute between the [[Kingdom of Egypt]] and the [[United Kingdom]] in the early 1952 and developed a proposal for a settlement between two countries.<ref>{{cite news|title=Saudi Arabian move for a settlement|issue=52217|date=24 January 1952
|url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS70078008/TTDA?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-TTDA&xid=0337d7d0|access-date=2 November 2023|work=[[The Times]]}}</ref>

While most of the royal family desired luxuries such as gardens, splendid cars, and palaces, Ibn Saud wanted a royal railway from the [[Persian Gulf]] to Riyadh and then an extension to Jeddah. His advisors regarded this as an old man's folly. Eventually, [[ARAMCO]] built the railway, at a cost of $70 million, drawn from the King's oil royalties. It was completed in 1951 and was used commercially after the King's death. It enabled Riyadh to grow into a relatively modern city. But when a paved road was built in 1962, the railway lost its traffic.<ref>{{cite journal
|author=Michel G. Nehme|title=Saudi Arabia 1950–80: Between Nationalism and Religion|journal=Middle Eastern Studies|year=1994|volume=30
|issue=4|pages=930–943|jstor=4283682|doi=10.1080/00263209408701030}}</ref>

==Personal life==
{{further|House of Saud|Succession to the Saudi Arabian throne|Descendants of Ibn Saud}}
[[File:King Abdulaziz with Prince Faisal and Prince Saud.jpg|thumb|right|Ibn Saud (seated) with his sons [[Faisal of Saudi Arabia|Prince Faisal]] (left) and [[Saud of Saudi Arabia|Prince Saud]] in the early 1950s]]
[[File:Abdulaziz ibn Muhammad Al Saud with Mubarak Al-Sabah in Kuwait, 1910.jpg|thumb|Ibn Saud (seated left) with his brother-in-law [[Mubarak Al Sabah]]<ref>{{cite web|title=King Saud's Maternal ancestry|url=http://www.kingsaud.org/history/article/king-sauds-maternal-ancestry/207
|publisher=Information Source|access-date=3 April 2013|quote=[Ibn Saud] married Hussa, [[Wadha bint Muhammad Al Orair|Wadha [bint Muhammad]]]'s sister, after she got her divorce from Mubarak Al Sabah}}</ref> in Kuwait, 1910]]
Ibn Saud was very tall for a Saudi man of his time,<ref name=tam29>{{cite news|author=Mohammed Leopold Weiss|title=My friend Ibn Saud|work=[[The Atlantic]]|issue=144
|date=August 1929|location=Boston|id={{ProQuest|203560415}}}}</ref> his height reported as between 1.85m (6&nbsp;ft 1 in)<ref>David Lamb. (1988). ''The Arabs: Journeys Beyond the Mirage'', Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, {{ISBN|978-0394757582}} p.265</ref><ref>Kenneth Williams. (1933) ''Ibn Saʻud: the puritan king of Arabia'', J. Cape, p. 21</ref> and 1.88m (6&nbsp;ft 2 in).<ref>Richard Halliburton. (2013). ''Seven League Boots: Adventures Across the World from Arabia to Abyssinia'', Tauris Parke Paperbacks, p. 255</ref> He was known to have a charming and charismatic personality that earned him respect among his people and some foreign diplomats. His family and others described Ibn Saud as an affectionate and caring man.<ref name=noble/>

Ibn Saud had twenty-two consorts.<ref name="Illahi, M. 2018 p.119-120">Illahi, M. (2018). Doctrine of Terror: Saudi Salafi Religion. Australien: FriesenPress. p.119-120</ref> Many of his marriages were contracted in order to cement alliances with other clans, during the period when the Saudi state was founded and stabilized. Aside from his legal wives, he also had [[Concubinage in Islam|concubines]] in his [[harem]],<ref name="Illahi, M. 2018 p.119-120"/> who by definition were slaves ([[slavery in Saudi Arabia]] being legal). These included Baraka Al Yamaniyah. He was the father of almost one hundred children, including 45 sons. [[Muhammad Asad|Muhammad Leopold Weiss]] reported in 1929 that one of Ibn Saud's spouses had poisoned the King in 1924, causing him to have poor sight in one eye.<ref name=tam29/> He later forgave her, but divorced her.<ref name=tam29/>

One of the significant publications about Ibn Saud in the Western media was a comprehensive article by Noel Busch published in ''[[Life magazine]]'' in May 1943 which introduced him as a legendary monarch.<ref name=paulrb>{{cite thesis|author=Paul Reed Baltimore|title=From the camel to the cadillac: automobility, consumption, and the U.S.-Saudi special relationship|location=[[University of California, Santa Barbara]]
|pages=48,91|degree=PhD|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1638271483|year=2014|id={{ProQuest|1638271483}}}}</ref>

Ibn Saud had a [[kennel]] for [[saluki]]s, a dog breed originated in the Middle East.<ref name=aworld>{{cite magazine|title=Greyhound of the Desert|url=https://archive.aramcoworld.com/issue/196105/greyhound.of.the.desert.htm|magazine=[[Aramco World]]|date=May 1961|volume=12|issue=5
|pages=3–5}}</ref> He gave two of his salukis, a male and a mate, to British [[Field Marshal]] Sir [[Henry Maitland Wilson]] who brought them to Washington, D.C., USA.<ref name=aworld/> The male, named Ch Abdul Farouk, won a championship in the USA.<ref name=aworld/>

===Relations with family members===
Ibn Saud was said to be very close to his paternal aunt, Jawhara bint Faisal. From a young age, she ingrained in him a strong sense of family destiny and motivated him to regain the lost glory of the House of Saud. During the years when the Al Saud family were living almost as refugees in Kuwait, Jawhara bint Faisal frequently recounted the deeds of his ancestors to Ibn Saud and exhorted him not to be content with the existing situation. She was instrumental in making him decide to return to Nejd from Kuwait and regain the territories of his family. She was well educated in Islam, in Arab custom and in tribal and clan relationships. She remained among the King's most trusted and influential advisors all her life. Ibn Saud asked her about the experiences of past rulers and the historical allegiance and the roles of tribes and individuals. Jawhara was also deeply respected by the King's children. The King visited her daily until she died around 1930.<ref name=stig>{{cite journal|author=Stig Stenslie|title=Power behind the Veil: Princesses of House of Saud|journal=Journal of Arabian Studies: Arabia, the Gulf, and the Red Sea|year=2011|volume=1|issue=1|pages=69–79|doi=10.1080/21534764.2011.576050|s2cid=153320942}}</ref>

Ibn Saud was also very close to his sister [[Noura bint Abdul Rahman Al Saud|Noura]], who was one year older. On several occasions, he identified himself in public with the words: "I am the brother of Noura."<ref name=noble>{{cite web|title=King Abdulaziz' Noble Character
|work=Islam House|access-date=29 April 2012|url=http://d1.islamhouse.com/data/en/ih_books/single/en_king_Abdul_Aziz.pdf}}</ref><ref name=stig/> Noura died a few years before her brother, and the King was deeply saddened by her death.<ref name=noble/>

===Assassination attempts===
On 15 March 1935, three armed men from Oman attacked and tried to assassinate Ibn Saud during his performance of [[Hajj]].<ref>{{cite thesis |author=Jerald L. Thompson |title=H. St. John Philby, Ibn Saud and Palestine |url=https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/citations/ADA111290 |degree=MA |location=University of Kansas |date=December 1981}}</ref><ref name=amin>{{cite web|author=Amin K. Tokumasu|title=Cultural Relations between Saudi Arabia and Japan from the Time of King Abdulaziz to the Time of King Fahd |url=http://www.darah.info/bohos/Data/15/13.htm |work=Darah |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130708081440/http://darah.info/bohos/Data/15/13.htm |archive-date=8 July 2013 |access-date=2 January 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=richard/> He survived the attack unhurt, through the intervention of the crown prince, and the three attackers were killed by bodyguards.<ref name=amin/><ref name=richard>{{cite news|first=Richard |last=Halliburton |authorlink=Richard Halliburton |title=Ibn Saud, King of Arabia, Goes out from Mecca to Grant an Interview |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kansas-city-star-ibn-saud-king-of-a/177981176/ |access-date=1 August 2025 |newspaper=[[The Kansas City Star]] |page=16 |date=24 June 1935 |via=newspapers.com |quote=Two of the assassins, in the shadow of the Kaaba, were hacked to pieces; and the third, breaking free...was overtaken and struck down.}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/45334930 |journal=Current History |title=Arab King Escapes Assassins |volume=42 |number=2 |date=May 1935 |pages=218–220 |first=Robert L. |last=Baker |doi=10.1525/curh.1935.42.2.218 |jstor=45334930 |accessdate=August 1, 2025 |via=[[JSTOR]] |quote=While the Emir Suad grappled with the leader the King's alert bodyguard killed the would-be regicides.}}</ref>

Another assassination attempt occurred in 1951, when [[Captain (military rank)|Captain]] Abdullah Al Mandili, a member of [[Royal Saudi Air Force]], tried to bomb the King's camp from an airplane.<ref name=rosb/> The attempt was unsuccessful, and Al Mandili escaped to Iraq with the help of tribes.<ref name=rosb>{{cite journal|author=Rosie Bsheer|title=A Counter-Revolutionary State: Popular Movements and the Making of Saudi Arabia|journal=[[Past & Present (journal)|Past & Present]]|date=February 2018|issue=238|page=247
|doi=10.1093/pastj/gtx057}}</ref>

===Successor===
Ibn Saud's eldest son [[Turki I bin Abdulaziz Al Saud|Turki]], who was the crown prince of the Kingdoms of Nejd and Hejaz, died at age 18, predeceasing his father.  Had Turki not died, he would have been the crown prince.<ref name=kingsofk/> Instead, Ibn Saud appointed his second son, [[Saud of Saudi Arabia|Prince Saud]], heir to the Saudi throne in 1933. He had many quarrels with his brother Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman as to who should be appointed heir. Muhammad wanted his son [[Khalid bin Muhammad Al Saud|Khalid]] to be designated the heir.<ref name="A Country Study"/>

When the King discussed succession before his death, he favoured Prince Faisal as a possible successor over Crown Prince Saud due to Faisal's extensive knowledge, as well as his years of experience. Since Faisal was a child, Ibn Saud recognised him as the most capable of his sons and often tasked him with responsibilities in war and diplomacy. In addition, Faisal was known to embrace a simple Bedouin lifestyle. "I only wish I had three Faisals", Ibn Saud once said when discussing who would succeed him.<ref>{{cite news|title=Faisal, Rich and Powerful, Led Saudis Into 20th Century and to Arab Forefront|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/03/26/archives/faisal-rich-and-powerful-led-saudis-into-20th-century-and-to-arab.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=26 March 1975|access-date=6 April 2021|author=Paul L. Montgomery|author-link=Paul L. Montgomery}}</ref> However, he made the decision to keep Prince Saud as crown prince for fear that doing otherwise would lead to decreased stability.<ref name=mai/>

==Views==
Ibn Saud said, "Two things are essential to our state and our people&nbsp;... religion and the rights inherited from our fathers."<ref>{{cite journal|author=Joseph Nevo|title=Religion and National Identity in Saudi Arabia|issue=3|jstor=4283951|journal=Middle Eastern Studies
|doi=10.1080/00263209808701231|date=July 1998|volume=34|pages=34–53}}</ref> He also remarked, "We know what to avoid, and we know what to accept for our own benefit."<ref>{{cite journal|author=G. D. Van Peursem|title=Guests of King Ibn Saud|journal=The Muslim World|date=April 1936|volume=26|page=113|issue=2|doi=10.1111/j.1478-1913.1936.tb00862.x}}</ref>

Amani Hamdan argues that the King's attitude towards women's education was encouraging since he expressed his support in a conversation with St John Philby in which he stated, "It is permissible for women to read."<ref>{{cite journal|author=Amani Hamdan|title=Women and education in Saudi Arabia: Challenges and achievements|journal=International Education Journal|year=2005|volume=6|issue=1|pages=42–64|archive-date=19 April 2012|url=http://ehlt.flinders.edu.au/education/iej/articles/v6n1/hamdan/paper.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419030452/http://ehlt.flinders.edu.au/education/iej/articles/v6n1/hamdan/paper.pdf}}</ref>

Ibn Saud kept servants,<ref>{{cite book|author=Bruce Riedel|title=Kings and Presidents Saudi Arabia and the United States since FDR|year=2019 |publisher=Brookings Institution Press|isbn=9780815737162|page=2|url=https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Kings-and-Presidents_CH1.pdf|quote=Ibn Saud had come from Jidda on an American destroyer, the USS Murphy, with an entourage of bodyguards, cooks, and slaves}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Nicholas DeAntonis|title=Joe Biden is making clear that Saudi human rights violations won't be ignored
|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/03/11/joe-biden-is-making-clear-that-saudi-human-rights-violations-wont-be-ignored/|access-date=30 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210318211544/https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/03/11/joe-biden-is-making-clear-that-saudi-human-rights-violations-wont-be-ignored/|archive-date=18 March 2021|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=11 March 2021|quote=During the four-hour meeting between the President and the King, where the two discussed oil, Palestinian territories and their future partnership, “7-foot tall Nubian slaves” could be found on the opposite deck of the destroyer}}</ref> and regulated slavery in his kingdom in 1936.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Alaine S. Hutson|title=Enslavement and Manumission in Saudi Arabia, 1926–38|journal=[[Critique: Critical Middle Eastern Studies]]|year=2002|volume=11|issue=1|pages=49–70 |doi=10.1080/10669920120122243|s2cid=145685854 |quote=1936, the same year in which King Abd al Aziz ibn Abd ar Rahman Al Saud (r. 1902-53) decreed the Saudi Arabian slave regulations}}</ref> It was only his son, King Faisal, who abolished [[slavery in Saudi Arabia]] in 1967.<ref>{{cite news|author=Gabriel Marinescu |title=The History of the House of Saud: A Timeline of the Saudi Royal Family and Their Rise to Power|access-date=30 September 2023|work=The Science Survey|url=https://thesciencesurvey.com/news/2023/03/14/the-history-of-the-house-of-saud-a-timeline-of-the-saudi-royal-family-and-their-rise-to-power/|date=14 March 2023|quote=Due to pressures Faisal issued an executive order in 1967 abolishing slavery.}}</ref>

Ibn Saud repeated the following views about the British authorities many times: "The English are my friends, but I will walk with them only so far as my religion and honor will allow."<ref>{{cite journal|author=C. C. Lewis|title=Ibn Sa'ūd and the Future of Arabia|journal=International Affairs|date=July 1933|volume=12|issue=4|page=529|doi=10.2307/2603605|jstor=2603605}}</ref><ref>{{cite thesis|author=Fahd M. Al Nafjan
|title=The Origins of Saudi-American Relations: From recognition to diplomatic representation (1931-1943)|location=[[University of Kansas]]
|degree=PhD|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/303791009|page=83|year=1989|id={{ProQuest|303791009}}}}</ref> He had much more positive views about the United States, including finance, and in 1947 when [[the World Bank]] was suggested to him as the source of development loans instead of the [[US Export-Import Bank]], Ibn Saud reported that Saudi Arabia would do business with and be indebted to the United States instead of other countries and international agencies.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Joseph J. Malone|title=America and the Arabian Peninsula: The First Two Hundred Years|journal=Middle East Journal|date=Summer 1976|volume=30|issue=3|pages=421–422|jstor=4325520}}</ref>

Shortly before his death, the King stated, "Verily, my children and my possessions are my enemies."<ref>{{cite journal|author=Steffen Hertog
|title=Shaping the Saudi state: Human agency's shifting role in the rentier state formation|journal=International Journal of Middle East Studies|year=2007|volume=39|issue=4|pages=539–563|doi=10.1017/S0020743807071073|s2cid=145139112|url=http://dro.dur.ac.uk/4561/1/4561.pdf }}</ref> and "In my youth and manhood, I made a nation. Now, in my declining years, I make men for it."<ref name=paulrb/> His last words to his two sons, the future King Saud and the next in line Prince Faisal, who were already battling each other, were "You are brothers, unite!"<ref name=mai/>

A staunch opponent of [[Zionism]],{{sfn|Simons|1998|p=189}} Ibn Saud had a highly ambivalent opinion of the Jews. On the one hand  he often expressed his dislike for the Jews by referring to the [[Quran]] and the [[Hadith]].{{sfn|Ma'oz|2020|p=164}} In 1937 he called them "a race accursed by God" who are "destined to final destruction and eternal damnation".{{sfn|Simons|1998|p=191}} For him they were "enemies of Islam and prophet Muhammad"{{sfn|Ma'oz|2020|p=164}} and "enemies of the Muslims until the end of the world."{{sfn|Grayson|2005|p=52}} In some instances he made use of [[antisemitic trope]]s, calling the Jews a "dangerous and hostile race" with an "exaggerated love of money",{{sfn|Ma'oz|2020|p=164}} accusing them of "making trouble wherever they exist" or igniting conflicts between Muslims and Christians.{{sfn|Herf|2009|pp=226–227}}

On the other hand,  he thought of the Jews, at least those who were not Zionists, as "[g]ood friends of the Arabs", opposed declaring an anti-Jewish [[jihad]] and fiercely condemned the anti-Jewish [[1929 Hebron massacre]], which he considered a clear violation of Islamic principles.{{sfn|Ma'oz|2020|pp=164–165}} According to a Najrani Jew David Shuker now living in Israel, the King also had an associate, Yosef ben Aavetz, a Jew and the Jews of Najran were treated well.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Assegaf |first=Faisal |date=2022-10-27 |title=I am among a few Jews originated from Saudi Arabia still alive |url=https://albalad.co/wawancara/2022A12466/i-am-among-a-few-jews-originated-from-saudi-arabia-still-alive/ |access-date=2024-11-28 |website=albalad.co |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Death and funeral==
Ibn Saud experienced heart disease in his final years and also, was half blind and racked by [[arthritis]].<ref name="kingdt"/> In October 1953, his illness became serious.<ref>{{cite news|title=Warrior King Ibn Saud Dies at 76|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article52939653
|access-date=2 April 2013|newspaper=[[The West Australian]]|date=10 November 1953|via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Before Ibn Saud slept on the night of 8 November, he recited the [[shahada]] several times, which were his last words.<ref name=noble/> He died in his sleep of a heart attack in [[Shubra Palace]] in Ta'if<ref>{{cite book|editor1=Michael R. T. Dumper|title=Cities of the Middle East and North Africa: A Historical Encyclopedia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3SapTk5iGDkC&pg=PA344|year=2007|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-57607-919-5
|page=344|editor2=Bruce E. Stanley|location=Santa Barbara, CA}}</ref> on 9 November 1953 at the age of 78, and Prince Faisal was at his side.<ref name=kingsofk/><ref>{{cite journal|author=Richard Cavendish|title=Death of Ibn Saud|journal=[[History Today]]|year=2003|volume=53
|issue=11|url=http://www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/death-ibn-saud}}</ref>

The funeral prayer was performed at [[Al Hawiyah]] in Ta'if.<ref name=kingsofk/> Ibn Saud's body was brought to Riyadh where he was buried in [[Al Oud cemetery]]<ref name=kingsofk/><ref>{{cite news|author=Abdul Nabi Shaheen|title=Sultan will have simple burial at Al Oud cemetery|url=http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/saudi-arabia/sultan-will-have-simple-burial-at-al-oud-cemetery-1.916706|access-date=29 July 2012|newspaper=Gulf News|date=23 October 2011}}</ref> next to his sister Noura.<ref>{{cite book|author=Jennifer Bond Reed|title=The Saudi Royal Family (Modern World Leaders)|year=2006|publisher=Chelsea House Publishers|pages=42–43|isbn=9780791092187|location=New York
|url=https://archive.org/details/saudiroyalfamily00reed_0/page/n43/mode/2up?q=saudi+royal+family}}</ref>

U.S. president [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] issued a message on Ibn Saud's death on 11 November 1953.<ref>{{cite web|title=Message on the Death of King Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia|publisher=The American Presidency Project|url=https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/message-the-death-king-ibn-saud-saudi-arabia|access-date=7 May 2021}}</ref> U.S. Secretary of State [[John Foster Dulles]] stated after the King's death that he would be remembered for his achievements as a statesman.<ref>{{cite news|title=Western tributes to King Ibn Saud|newspaper=The Canberra Times
|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2898821|access-date=11 April 2013|date=11 November 1953|location=London|page=5}}</ref>

==Honors==
{{Infobox royal styles
| name        = Ibn Saud
| image       = File:EmblemSA.svg
| image_size  = 80
| reference   = [[Majesty|His Majesty]]
| spoken      = Your Majesty}}

* {{flag|Netherlands}}: Knight Grand Cross of the [[Order of the Netherlands Lion]] (18 September 1936)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nationaalarchief.nl/onderzoeken/index/nt00435/16e461b8-d2d8-11e8-828a-00505693001d?searchTerm=grootkruis|title=Kanselarij der Nederlandse Orden: Index gedecoreerden, Achternaam: Abdoel aziez bin abdoelrahmaan al faisal al sa'oed|language=nl}}</ref>
* {{flag|Spain}}: Grand Cross with White Decoration of the [[Cross of Military Merit]] (22 April 1952)<ref name="www.boe.es">''Boletín Oficial del Estado'': [http://www.boe.es/datos/pdfs/BOE//1952/113/A01826-01826.pdf Boletín Oficial del Estado] {{in lang|es}}</ref>
* {{flag|United Kingdom}}:
** Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable [[Order of the Bath]] (GCB, 1 January 1935)<ref name="Said K. Aburish-2005">{{cite book|author=Saïd K. Aburish|author-link=Said Aburish|title=The Rise, Corruption and Coming Fall of the House of Saud: with an Updated Preface|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hHnPerdBbGYC&pg=PA17|year=2005|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|isbn=978-0-7475-7874-1|page=17|location=London}}</ref>
** Knight Grand Commander of the Most Eminent [[Order of the Indian Empire]] (GCIE, 1 January 1920)<ref name="HM Stationery Office-1947">{{cite book|page=107|title=The India Office and Burma Office List: 1947|publisher=HM Stationery Office|year=1947}}</ref>
** Knight Commander of the Most Exalted [[Order of the Star of India]] (KCSI, 23 November 1916)<ref name="Mohammed Al Mutari-2018">{{cite journal|author=Mohammed Al Mutari|title=Control of al-Hasa (Saudi Arabia) and direct contact with Britain, 1910 –1916|journal=Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences|date=August 2018|volume=5
|issue=2|page=144|url=https://journals.ajsrp.com/index.php/jhss/article/download/814/769/1532}}</ref>
** Knight Commander of the Most Excellent [[Order of the British Empire]] (KBE, 23 November 1916)<ref name="Mohammed Al Mutari-2018"/>
* {{flag|United States}}: Chief Commander of the [[Legion of Merit]] (18 February 1947)<ref name="The New York Times-1947">{{cite news|title=Truman Presents Legion of Merit Medals at White House for Their Aid to the Allies|work=The New York Times|date=19 February 1947|id={{ProQuest|107818801}}}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of things named after Saudi kings#Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman]]
* ''[[King of the Sands]]'' (2012 film) – a biopic film on Ibn Saud directed by [[Najdat Anzour]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
{{refbegin|30em}}
* Michael Oren. (2007) ''Power, Faith and Fantasy: The United States in the Middle East, 1776 to the Present''. Norton.
* S. R. Valentine. "Force & Fanaticism: Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia and Beyond", Hurst & Co, London, {{ISBN|978-1849044646}}
* Muneer Husainy and Khalid Al Sudairi. (27 November 2009). [https://web.archive.org/web/20110911013106/http://www.noonptm.com//modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=951 History of Prince Rashed Al-Khuzai with King Abdul Aziz Al Saud]. ''Noon''. Cairo, Egypt
* [http://anntv.tv/new/showsubject.aspx?id=17145 The political relationship between Prince Rashed Al-Khuzai, Sheikh Izz ad-Din al-Qassam, and Saudi Arabia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811132850/http://anntv.tv/new/showsubject.aspx?id=17145 |date=11 August 2011}} Arab News Network, London – United Kingdom
* [http://www.asharqalarabi.org.uk/ruiah/b-sharq-115.htm The political relationship between Prince Rashed Al-Khuzai and Sheikh Izz ad-Din al-Qassam], The Arab Orient Center for Strategic and civilization studies London, United Kingdom.
* John A. De Novo. (1963). ''American Interests and Policies in the Middle East 1900–1939'' University of Minnesota Press.
*{{cite book|last=Grayson |first=Benson Lee |year=2005 |chapter=Amid Problems, the American Presence Grows |title=Saudi Arabia. A Modern Reader |publisher=Indianapolis University |pages=51–64}}
*{{cite book |title=Nazi Propaganda for the Arab World | last=Herf |first=Jeffrey | publisher=Yale University | year=2009 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=YzQNSTvHv-sC&pg=PA32  | isbn = 978-0-300-15583-9}}
*{{cite book|author=David A. Howarth|title=The Desert King: Ibn Saud and His Arabia|publisher=McGraw-Hill | year=1964 | isbn=978-0-906527-62-7 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FvIeAAAAIAAJ|author-link=David Howarth (author)}}
* {{cite book |first=Robert |last=Lacey |title=The Kingdom |url=https://archive.org/details/kingdomlace00lace |url-access=registration |year=1982 |publisher=Harcourt Brace Jovanovich |isbn=978-0-15-147260-4 |location=New York}}
*{{cite book|last=Ma'oz |first=Moshe |year=2020 |title=Jews, Muslims and Jerusalem. Disputes and Dialogues |publisher=Liverpool University}}
* Aaron David Miller. (1980). ''Search for Security: Saudi Arabian Oil and American Foreign Policy, 1939–1949''. University of North Carolina Press.
* Christopher D O'Sullivan. (2012). ''FDR and the End of Empire: The Origins of American Power in the Middle East.'' Palgrave Macmillan. {{ISBN|1137025247}}
* James Parry. (January/February 1999. [https://web.archive.org/web/20080607093721/http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/199901/a.man.for.our.century.htm#the.first.and.second.saudi.states "A Man for our Century"], ''Saudi Aramco World'', pp.&nbsp;4–11
* H. St. J. B. Philby. (1955). ''Saudi Arabia''.
* George Rentz. (1972). "Wahhabism and Saudi Arabia". in Derek Hopwood, ed., ''The Arabian Peninsula: Society and Politics''.
* Amin al Rihani. (1928). ''Ibn Sa'oud of Arabia''. Boston: Houghton–Mifflin Company.
*{{cite book|last=Simons |first=Geoff |title=Saudi Arabia. The Shape of a Client Feudalism |editor=Winberg Chai |year=1998 |publisher=Palgrave Macillan}}
* Richard H. Sanger. (1954). ''The Arabian Peninsula'' Cornell University Press.
*{{cite book |last=Shahi |first=Afshin |year=2013 |title=The Politics of Truth. Management in Saudi Arabia |publisher=Routledge}}
* [[Benjamin Shwadran]]. (1973). ''The Middle East, Oil and the Great Powers'', 3rd ed. 
* Gary Troeller. (1976). ''The Birth of Saudi Arabia: Britain and the Rise of the House of Sa'ud''. London: Frank Cass.
* Karl S Twitchell. (1958) ''Saudi Arabia'' Princeton University Press.
* Van der D. Meulen. (1957). ''The Wells of Ibn Saud''. London: John Murray.
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|author=Francis R. Nicosia|author-link=Francis R. Nicosia|title=The Third Reich and the Palestine Question|publisher=I. B. Taurus & Co. Ltd.|location=London|year=1985|page=190|isbn=978-1-85043-010-0}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons-inline}}
* {{Cite EB1922|wstitle=Ibn Sa'ud |short=x}}
* {{PM20|FID=pe/008447}}

{{S-start}}
{{S-hou|House of Saud||1877||1953}}
{{S-reg}}
{{succession box| before=[[Abdulaziz bin Mutaib Al Rashid]]|title=[[Emirate of Nejd and Hasa|Emir of Nejd]]|after=Himself as Sultan of Nejd|years=1902–1921}}
{{succession box| before=Himself as Emir of Nejd|title=[[Sultanate of Nejd|Sultan of Nejd]]|after=Himself as King of Nejd|years=1921–1927}}

{{S-bef| before = Himself as Sultan of Nejd }}
{{S-ttl| title  = [[Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd|King of Nejd]]
       | years  = 1927–1932 }}
{{S-aft| rows   = 2 | after  = Himself as King of Saudi Arabia }}

{{S-bef| before = [[Ali of Hejaz|Ali bin Hussein]] }}
{{S-ttl| title  = King of Hejaz
       | years  = 1926–1932 }}

{{S-bef| before = Himself as King of Hejaz and Nejd }}
{{S-ttl| title  = [[King of Saudi Arabia]]
       | years  = 1932–1953 }}
{{S-aft| rows   = 2 | after  = [[Saud of Saudi Arabia|Saud bin Abdulaziz]] }}
{{S-bef| before = [[Abdul Rahman bin Faisal Al Saud (1850–1928)|Abdul Rahman bin Faisal]] }}
{{S-ttl| title  = [[House of Saud|Head of the House of Saud]]
       | years  = 1901–1953 }}
{{S-end}}

{{Navboxes
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