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Saudi Arabia's history timeline

  • 570

    Muhammad's birth

    Muhammad's birth
    The Islamic leader was born in a Quaraysh tribe in the Makkah province. He was a prophet (also viewed as God's final one) and God's messenger.
  • Period: 624 to 628

    The Military Era

    Muhammad began his military years due to Meccans anger at Muhammad's success, and went to battle against the Meccans in three major battles: The Battle of Badr, The Battle of Uhud, and The Battle of the Trench and the Siege of Medina. In March, 628, a treaty was signed between the two sides.
  • Period: 632 to 661

    Rashidun Caliphate

    After Muhammad's death, the first of the four major Caliphates, the Rashidun Caliphate, was founded. It was ruled by the first four successive caliphs (successors) of Muhammad after his death and became one of the largest empires of its time. Lasted 29 years.
  • Jun 8, 632

    Muhammad's death

    Muhammad's death
    Muhammad died at the age of 62 or 63 in the house of his wife Aisha. He fell ill, had fever, headaches and weakness for several days. Nowadays Muhammad's legacy is still present and muslims remember him with a lot of fervor.
  • Period: 1400 to 1500

    Saud Dynasty's foundation

    The House of Saud is Saudi Arabia's royal family and was founded in 1400s near Riyadh. Is still one of the most powerful families of Arab.
  • Period: to

    The alliance

    Muhammad bin Saud Al Saud, a member of the House of Saud, allied with Wahhabists and increasing the family's domain.
  • Saudi Arabia's foundation

    In this year the history of Saudi Arabia in its current began in form as a state.
  • Construction of the Al-Ajyad Castle

    Construction of the Al-Ajyad Castle
    This Castle and Fortress was built under Ottoman rule in Mecca in order to protect the city, shrines and avoid being invaded by bandits.
  • Wahhabi sack of Karbala

    Occurred under the rule of Abdul-Aziz bin Muhammad. Approximately 12,000 Wahhabis from Najd attacked the city of Karbala and killed between 2,000 to 5,000 of the inhabitants, destroyed a lot of their sacred elements like belongings of Muhammad's grandson and offerings.
  • Period: to

    Wahhabi War

    Lasted seven years. It was a war between Egypt Eyalet under the reign of Muhammad Ali Pasha (nominally under Ottoman rule) and the army of the Emirate of Diriyah, the First Saudi State, resulting in the destruction of the latter.
  • Wahhabis being driven out of Mecca

    The Wahhabi movement was not accepted at all by Arab muslims and the opposition was stronger because they did not have a pure cult attitude.
  • Period: to

    The proccess of establishing the Kindom of Saudi Arabia

    Since 1902 to 1927, the Al Saud leader, Abdulaziz, carried out a series of wars of conquest which resulted in the establishment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1930.
  • Period: to

    The absolute monarchy of Abdulaziz

    Abdulaziz, who is considered the founder of the modern saudi state, became the first king of Saudi Arabia after fighting for 30 years until the Unification of the state.
  • Period: to

    The second Arabian King, Saud

    After Abdulaziz's death, Saud, his immediate successor, faced opposition from most in the royal family and after a period of internal tension in Saudi Arabia, was forced from the throne and replaced by his brother.
  • Period: to

    Faisal's reign

    Faisal replaced his brother in 1964. He presided over a period of growth and modernization fueled by oil wealth. Saudi Arabia's role in the 1973 oil crisis and, the subsequent rise in the price of oil, dramatically increased the country's political significance and wealth.
  • Period: to

    Khalid succeeding to the throne

    Khalid, Faisal's successor, reigned during the first major signs of dissent: Islamist extremists temporarily seized control of the Grand Mosque in Mecca in 1979 and his reign saw both huge developments in the country due to increase in oil revenues and significant events in the Middle East.
  • Period: to

    Fadh's reign

    Fahd ascended to the throne on the death of his half-brother King Khalid on 13 June 1982. During his reign Saudi Arabia became the largest oil producer in the world. However, internal tensions increased when the country allied itself with the United States, and others, in the Gulf War of 1991. In the early 2000s, the Islamicist opposition to the regime carried out a series of terrorist attacks. Also, Fadh is credited for having introduced the Basic Law of Saudi Arabia during this period.
  • Demolition of the Ayjad Fortress

    Demolition of the Ayjad Fortress
    Sparkling global outccry, it was demolished by the Saudi government in 2002 for commercial development of the Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower.
  • Period: to

    Abdullah, Saudi Arabia's sixth King

    Abdullah succeeded Fahd in 2005. He instituted a number of mild reforms to modernize many of the country's institutions and, to some extent, increased political participation. During his reign he maintained close relations with United States and United Kingdom and bought billions of dollars worth of defense equipment from both states. He also gave women the right to vote for municipal councils and to compete in the Olympics.
  • Period: to

    The Arab Spring

    It was a revolutionary wave of both violent and non-violent demonstrations, protests, riots, coups, foreign interventions, and civil wars in North Africa and the Middle East that began on 18 December 2010 in Tunisia with the Tunisian Revolution.
  • Possession of the current King of Saudi Arabia, Salman

    Possession of the current King of Saudi Arabia, Salman
    Salman succeeded as king in 2015 after his half-brother Abdullah died of pneumonia at the age of 90. One of the things he did first after being possesed was to streamline the government bureaucracy. His major initiatives as King include the Saudi intervention in the Yemeni Civil War, Saudi Vision 2030, and a 2017 decree allowing Saudi women to drive.