Polity Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

This article is about the specific polity Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and therefore only includes events related to its territory and not to its possessions or colonies. If you are interested in the possession, this is the link to the article about the nation which includes all possessions as well as all the different incarnations of the nation.

If you are looking for the page with the statistics about this polity you can find it here: All Statistics

Is a country that covers most of the Arabian Peninsula. It is ruled by the House of Saud, that created several polities in the region since 1745. Modern Saudi Arabia originated from the the legal merger of Nejd and Hejaz in 1932.

Establishment

  • September 1932: On 23 September 1932, Ibn Saud proclaimed the union of the main Saudi dominions of al-Hasa, Qatif, Nejd and the Hejaz as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Chronology

Interactive Chronologies with maps are available in the section Changes Navigation

1. Unification of Saudi Arabia

Were a series of wars and events that resulted in the establishment of modern-day Saudi Arabia.

  • September 1932: On 23 September 1932, Ibn Saud proclaimed the union of the main Saudi dominions of al-Hasa, Qatif, Nejd and the Hejaz as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

2. Saudi-Yemeni War

Was a war between Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of Yemen in 1934.

  • December 1933: In November 1933, the Yemenis advanced on Najran.
  • June 1934: The disputed areas of Jizan/Jizin, Asir, and Najran were incorporated into Saudi Arabia.

3. Al-Wadiah War

Was a military conflict which broke out on 27 November 1969 between Saudi Arabia and the People's Republic of South Yemen after PRSY forces seized the town of al-Wadiah on the PRSY-Saudi Arabian border.

  • November 1969: A military conflict broke out between Saudi Arabia and the People's Republic of South Yemen after PRSY forces seized the town of al-Wadiah.
  • December 1969: The Al-Wadiah War ended when Saudi forces retook al-Wadiah.

4. Gulf War

Was the military intervention by a United Nations-authorized coalition led by the U.S. in 1991 to free Kuwait from Iraqi forces that occupied the country since August 1990.

4.1. Iraqi invasion of Saudi Arabia

Iraqi forces invaded the town of Khafji in Saudi Arabia during the First Gulf War. Saudi Arabia was part of the coalition that invaded Kuwait to free it from Iraqi occupation.

  • January 1991: Iraqi forces invade the town of Khafji in Saudi Arabia.
  • February 1991: Iraqi forces are driven out of Saudi Arabia.

5. Arab Spring

Initially a series of anti-government protests and revolts across the Arab world, it soon evolved into a series of wars. The wars caused by the revolts are sometimes referred to as the Arab Winter.

5.1. Houthi insurgency in Yemen

Was an insurgency by Zaidi Shia Houthis against the Yemeni government that began in Northern Yemen and has since escalated into a full-scale civil war.

5.1.1. Houthi Attack in Saudi Arabia

Was the invasion of several border villages in Saudi Arabia during the Houthi insurgency in Yemen of 2004-2014.

  • November 2009: The Houthi insurgency took on an international dimension on 4 November 2009 when the Houthis attacked the Saudi border, killed one of the Saudi border guards, seized Al Khubah Village and other villages.
  • November 2009: On 5 November, Saudi Arabia responded to the Houthi invasion by launching heavy air strikes on rebels in northern Yemen, and moved troops nearer the border. Saudi government officials said that the air force had bombed Yemeni rebels who had seized a border area inside the kingdom, which they said had now been recaptured.

6. Further events (Unrelated to Any War)

  • June 1934: Emir Al-Hasan of Asir sought the restoration of his previously independent authority with limiting of the of the protectorate treaty. This led him to contacting the Imam of Yemen, being dissatisfied with Saudi overlordship. King ibn Saud responded with carrying out the full annexation of the Emirate in 1934 (in accordance with the Treaty of Taif).
  • January 1950: The enclaves of Madha and Nahwa appear to have arisen in the 1930s-40, following a dispute over the ownership of the area between Oman and the local emirs.
  • January 1966: In 1965 Jordan and Saudi Arabia concluded a bilateral agreement that realigned their border.
  • January 1970: A demarcation agreement dividing the Neutral Zone of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia was signed on 17 December 1967 but did not formally take effect until the exchange of instruments and signing which took place in Kuwait on 18 December 1969. Ratification followed on 18 January 1970.
  • November 2021: Qatar and Saudi Arabia demarcate their border, expanding Qatar's territory to include the southern shore of the Khawr al Udayd.