The inside story of Saudi Arabia’s Founding Day, celebrating the year it all began

A 1946 photograph of Shada Palace in Abha, built in 1820.
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Updated 23 February 2022
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The inside story of Saudi Arabia’s Founding Day, celebrating the year it all began

  • The Kingdom’s new Founding Day celebrates the true birthday of the First Saudi State in 1727

RIYADH: For generations, historians and writers have unwittingly perpetuated the myth that the First Saudi State, forerunner of the modern-day Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was founded in the year 1744.

In fact, as a new reappraisal of the origins of the Kingdom reveals, they were 17 years out.

There is no doubt that the events of 1744, the year in which Imam Mohammed ibn Saud of Diriyah offered sanctuary to the religious reformer Sheikh Mohammed ibn Abdulwahhab, were hugely significant. 




In this ‘Carte de Dreiye,’ the oldest-known map of Diriyah, drawn by a French diplomat in 1808, the historic UNESCO-listed district of At-Turaif on the Wadi Hanifah is recorded as ‘El Tereif.’

But over time the importance of that admittedly historic moment of common cause between state and faith came to obscure the far more complex and deeper-rooted origins of the First Saudi State.

It is to correct this neglect of the Kingdom’s crucial embryonic years that Founding Day has been created, to celebrate 1727 as the true moment of birth and to give Saudis a deeper appreciation of a past far richer than many realize. 




The original Makkah Gate in Jeddah.

It was in 1727 that Imam Mohammed ibn Saud came to the throne, carrying with him the dream of transforming the city state founded by his forebears three centuries earlier into the capital of a nation which, at its height, would bring peace and stability to most of the Arabian Peninsula.

This resetting of the clock from 1744 to 1727 is the outcome of extensive historical research that has been carried out studying the historical resources held by the new Saudi Historical School. 




Ibn Saud’s warriors on the move in the early 20th century as the future founder of Saudi Arabia fought to bring the Najd and the Hejaz together.

“Many historians have linked the rise of the state to the arrival of Sheikh Mohammed ibn Abdul Wahab, and have neglected the initial period of Imam Mohammed ibn Saud’s rule and the preceding era, even though this was the foundational period of the state,” said Dr. Badran Al Honaihen, associate director of historical research and studies at Diriyah Gate Development Authority.

“The revision and reinterpretation of historical events is an intellectual phenomenon found in every part of the world. Previous writings can be considered judgments and opinions that do not prevent revisions or the reaching of new conclusions.” 




It was in 1727 that Imam Mohammed ibn Saud came to the throne, carrying with him the dream of transforming the city state founded by his forebears three centuries earlier into the capital of a nation which, at its height, would bring peace and stability to most of the Arabian Peninsula. (Supplied)

Today, no one can pinpoint exactly when the long journey toward statehood began. The first certain waypoint on the path is the year 430 when the Banu Hanifah tribe migrated to Al-Yamamah in the lower Najd from their home in the Hejaz on the Red Sea coast.

Here, at the junction of several important caravan routes, the tribe to which the ruling house of Al-Saud belongs settled and thrived, founding Hajr — modern-day Riyadh — trading, and growing crops in the fertile valley that in time would take their name — Wadi Hanifah.

With the coming of Islam the Banu Hanifah stepped on to the stage of world history for the first time. 




It was in 1727 that Imam Mohammed ibn Saud came to the throne, carrying with him the dream of transforming the city state founded by his forebears three centuries earlier into the capital of a nation which, at its height, would bring peace and stability to most of the Arabian Peninsula. (Supplied)

In 628, six years after the hijra, the flight of Mohammed and his persecuted followers from Makkah to Madinah, the Prophet sent letters to various Arabian rulers, inviting them to embrace “Islam,” submission to the will of God.

The ruler of the Banu Hanifah at this time was Thumamah ibn Uthal, whose spiritual journey from initial rejection to heartfelt acceptance of Islam is celebrated in the Hadiths.

IMAM MOHAMMED IBN SAUD’S MOST SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS

• Unified Diriyah under his rule and contributed to its stability.

• Managed internal affairs and strengthened Diriyah’s community.

• Ensured regional stability.

• Built the Diriyah wall to counter external attacks.

• Began unification campaigns.

• Political independence from any external influence.

• Organized the country’s resources.

• Unified the majority of Najd.

• Secured Hajj and trade routes.

In Hadith number 189, he is recorded as telling Mohammed: “There was no face on the face of the Earth that was more hateful to me than your face, but now your face has become the most beloved of all faces to me.”

In historical terms, Al-Yamamah would lay dormant for much of the next 800 years. This was a dark age of neglect and widespread emigration to escape the economic hardship endured under the oppressive Ukhaidhir dynasty, which rose to temporary prominence in the Najd in the ninth century. 

Destiny, however, is a patient force, and by the 15th century the stage was finally set for the return to influence of the Banu Hanifah. 

Generations earlier, part of the tribe had migrated eastwards to settle on the shores of the Arabian Gulf. But in 1446, Manaa’ Al-Muraide, leader of the Marada clan of the Al-Duru tribe of the Banu Hanifah, led his people back to the heart of Arabia, at the invitation of his cousin, Ibn Dira’, the ruler of Hajr.

The settlement they had founded on the coast they had named Diriyah after their tribal name, Al-Duru. Now they established a new Diriyah on the fertile banks of the Wadi Hanifah.

In the words of historian Dr. Badran Al-Honaihen, Al-Muraide’s arrival “laid the building blocks for the establishment of the greatest state in the history of the Arabian Peninsula, after the Prophetic State and the Rashidun Caliphate.” 




It was in 1727 that Imam Mohammed ibn Saud came to the throne, carrying with him the dream of transforming the city state founded by his forebears three centuries earlier into the capital of a nation which, at its height, would bring peace and stability to most of the Arabian Peninsula. (Supplied)

Another 300 years would pass before the next momentous steps were taken. In 1720, Saud ibn Mohammed assumed the leadership of Diriyah, who the Saudi Royal Family named after him.

Today, historians date the origin of the First Saudi State to 1727, when Saud’s son, Mohammed, became the ruler of the city state.

He had, said Al-Honaihen, “assumed power in exceptional circumstances.” Diriyah had been rent by internal divisions, and a plague that had spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula had claimed many lives in the Najd. Nevertheless, “Imam Mohammed was able to unite Diriyah under his rule, and to contribute to the spread of security and peace at the regional level and on the level of the Arabian Peninsula.

“The project of the first Saudi state began in 1727, and then his sons took it on after him. What we need to remember from this story is unity, security and peace after centuries of lack of unity.” 




It was in 1727 that Imam Mohammed ibn Saud came to the throne, carrying with him the dream of transforming the city state founded by his forebears three centuries earlier into the capital of a nation which, at its height, would bring peace and stability to most of the Arabian Peninsula. (Supplied)

At last, here was a leader with a vision that extended beyond his immediate horizon, and who was determined to found a new state, based on education, culture and security and allegiance to the true faith of Islam.

It was to this dynamic and politically and economically increasingly powerful new state that the religious reformer Sheikh Mohammed ibn Abdul Wahab was drawn.

The sheikh, a religious scholar from the nearby village of Al-Uyayna, had become increasingly concerned that many in the Arab world were forsaking the teachings of the Prophet and returning to heretical pre-Islamic ways. His attempts to introduce reforms were met with hostility in Al-Uyayna, but he would find sanctuary in Diriyah.

“The migration to Diriyah of Sheikh Mohammed ibn Abdul Wahab came as a natural result of Imam Mohammed ibn  Saud’s policies,” said Al-Honaihen. “The Imam was known to be religious, and his two brothers, Thunayan and Mishari, and his son Abdulaziz were among those in contact with Sheikh Mohammed ibn Abdulwahhab in Al-Uyayna. 

“Sheikh Mohammed did not leave al-Uyayna until after Imam Mohammed invited him to come to Diriyah, and there was a state capable of protecting the Sheikh’s religious mission.”

For his part, “in supporting this reformist mission, Imam Mohammed saw that it was in agreement with the principles of the state he was working to establish, especially its religious aspect.”

In short, it was not the alliance of Sheikh and Imam that made possible the foundation of the First Saudi State, but rather it was the existence of that state, already politically and economically strong, that made possible the spread of the message of reform. 




It was in 1727 that Imam Mohammed ibn Saud came to the throne, carrying with him the dream of transforming the city state founded by his forebears three centuries earlier into the capital of a nation which, at its height, would bring peace and stability to most of the Arabian Peninsula. (Supplied)

Al-Honaihen stressed that the decision to officially recognize 1727 as the year of founding should in no way be interpreted as undermining religion as the cornerstone of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

“That’s not correct,” he said. “The objective is merely to put a precise political date to the founding of the state, namely Imam Mohammed ibn Saud’s accession to power in Diriyah, since a number of erroneous policies and opinions had arisen concerning the rise and establishment of the state.

“Moreover, the state in its constitution stipulates that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an Arab Islamic state whose religion is Islam and whose constitution is the Book of God and the Sunna of His Prophet.” 




It was in 1727 that Imam Mohammed ibn Saud came to the throne, carrying with him the dream of transforming the city state founded by his forebears three centuries earlier into the capital of a nation which, at its height, would bring peace and stability to most of the Arabian Peninsula. (Supplied)

He is also clear that Founding Day is not an alternative to National Day, celebrated on Sept. 23, but complementary to it.

“Founding Day is not intended to replace Saudi National Day, which celebrates the unification of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932, but rather to recognize the beginning of the Saudi state’s history with a new event that celebrates the deep historical roots of the Kingdom.”

Although there is no doubt about the year, 1727, the precise date of the start of Imam Mohammed’s reign is lost to history, according to Al-Honaihen.

Feb. 22 was selected as Founding Day simply because a number of important events are known to have taken place in the first months of Imam Mohammed’s reign, at the start of 1727.


Exhibitions at Prophet’s Mosque bring Islamic heritage to life

The exhibitions enrich the visitor experience with historical and cultural insights reflecting Islamic heritage. (SPA)
Updated 21 June 2025
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Exhibitions at Prophet’s Mosque bring Islamic heritage to life

  • The Rare Manuscripts exhibition in annex 204 of the southern courtyards, which is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., showcases “historical manuscripts, documents, and inscriptions that trace the evolution of Islamic writing”

MADINAH: The corridors and courtyards of the Prophet’s Mosque feature “unique sites and exhibitions that enrich the visitor experience, offering historical and cultural insights that reflect Islamic heritage and Madinah’s hospitality,” according to an article published by the Saudi Press Agency on Saturday.

A key attraction is the Architectural Evolution of the Prophet’s Mosque exhibition, located on the southern courtyard opposite exits 308 and 309, which uses interactive displays to highlight the mosque’s architectural development. It is open daily from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Opposite exits 306 and 307 is the International Exhibition of the Prophet’s Biography. Open from 4:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. daily, it offers “a contemporary presentation of Prophet Muhammad’s life and teachings.”

The Rare Manuscripts exhibition in annex 204 of the southern courtyards, which is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., showcases “historical manuscripts, documents, and inscriptions that trace the evolution of Islamic writing.”

The mosque’s library, at gate 10 on the western side, is open 24 hours a day and includes sections on manuscripts, rare books, audio archives, and art collections.

Near Uthman Gate, the Manuscripts and Rare Books Department serves researchers and enthusiasts. It houses more than 4,000 original manuscripts, nearly 60,000 digital copies, 4,600 photocopies, and 450 different editions of the Qur’an. It operates in two shifts: 8 a.m.–noon and 4–8 p.m.

“Together, these exhibitions and centers enhance the cultural and educational value of visiting the Prophet’s Mosque, offering pilgrims a more enriching experience,” the SPA stated.

 


New campaign urges Saudis to safeguard artifacts

Updated 21 June 2025
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New campaign urges Saudis to safeguard artifacts

  • Nationwide effort aims to curb threats to heritage sites and artifacts

RIYADH: The Heritage Commission launched the “Aadat” national awareness campaign to enhance public understanding of the importance of Saudi antiquities.

The campaign underscores the vital role of artifacts in reinforcing the Kingdom’s cultural and national identity, reflecting the succession of civilizations across its land over millennia.

It is part of a broader series of initiatives by the commission to spotlight Saudi antiquities and raise awareness of threats they face, such as encroachments and illegal trafficking.

HIGHLIGHT

The campaign promotes the idea that protecting antiquities is a shared responsibility, rooted in a deep appreciation of their role in the nation’s cultural heritage.

The campaign promotes the idea that protecting antiquities is a shared responsibility, rooted in a deep appreciation of their role in the nation’s cultural heritage, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

It adopts a comprehensive approach using various media and outreach tools, including field campaigns in public areas, markets, malls, and universities across multiple regions.

The commission also plans to introduce interactive pavilions to showcase key archaeological sites and highlight the Kingdom’s geographical and cultural diversity.

It stressed that the campaign continues its ongoing efforts to safeguard artifacts, which are rich in symbolic and cultural meaning.

Each artifact, the commission noted, tells a story from the past, and its preservation is essential to maintaining the national memory for future generations.

The commission announced last week that 744 new archaeological sites have been added to the National Antiquities Register, raising the total to 10,061 across the Kingdom.

This milestone underscores the richness and diversity of Saudi Arabia’s cultural heritage and reflects the commission’s ongoing commitment to documenting and preserving these sites.

The newly registered sites are spread across several regions: Riyadh (253), Makkah (11), Madinah (167), Qassim (30), Eastern Province (13), Asir (64), Tabuk (72), Hail (13), Northern Borders (2), Jazan (23), Najran (86), and Jouf (10).

Stressing the importance of community involvement in heritage preservation, the commission urged citizens and residents to report unregistered sites via the Balagh platform, social media, or the Unified Security Operations Center at 911.

 


Saudi Arabia, France civil aviation authorities discuss boosting cooperation

Saudi and French civil aviation officials pose for a group photo in Paris. (SPA)
Updated 21 June 2025
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Saudi Arabia, France civil aviation authorities discuss boosting cooperation

  • Discussions were held on mutual investment opportunities in aircraft design and assembly, as well as the incentives Saudi Arabia offers to attract high-quality investments in the aviation industry

PARIS: A delegation from the Saudi civil aviation sector, led by General Authority of Civil Aviation President Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej, visited the Airbus factory in Toulouse, France, as part of the 55th Paris Air Show at Le Bourget, which ends on June 22.

The visit strengthens cooperation with France in areas such as manufacturing, technology transfer, and localization of the aerospace industry, Saudi Press Agency said in a report.

Discussions were held on mutual investment opportunities in aircraft design and assembly, as well as the incentives Saudi Arabia offers to attract high-quality investments in the aviation industry.

 

 


Saudi FM reaffirms support for Palestine, condemns Israeli strikes on Iran at OIC meeting in Istanbul

Updated 21 June 2025
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Saudi FM reaffirms support for Palestine, condemns Israeli strikes on Iran at OIC meeting in Istanbul

  • Was speaking during opening session of 51st meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan reaffirmed the Kingdom’s unwavering support for the Palestinian cause during the opening session of the 51st meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, held in Istanbul on Saturday.

The foreign minister also condemned the Israeli strikes on Iran, describing them as a “blatant” violation of international law and an infringement on Iranian sovereignty and security.

The meeting, hosted by Turkiye, marked the start of its presidency of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers. Prince Faisal congratulated Turkiye on assuming the role and extended thanks to Cameroon for its efforts during its previous term.

In his address, Prince Faisal underscored the importance Saudi Arabia placed on the Palestinian issue, highlighting the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to end the war in Gaza, alleviate the worsening humanitarian crisis, and unify Arab and Islamic positions on the conflict.

He reiterated Saudi Arabia’s firm support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Turning to the Israeli-Iranian conflict, he said: “These attacks threaten the security and stability of the region,” and called for an immediate halt to military operations, de-escalation, and a return to negotiations between Iran and the international community.

Prince Faisal also reiterated Saudi Arabia’s continued backing of efforts to resolve the crisis in Yemen, expressing support for a comprehensive political solution and the restoration of peace, stability, and security in the country.


Saudi foreign minister holds talks with Egyptian and Pakistani counterparts on OIC sidelines

Updated 21 June 2025
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Saudi foreign minister holds talks with Egyptian and Pakistani counterparts on OIC sidelines

ISTANBUL: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held separate meetings on Saturday with his Egyptian and Pakistani counterparts on Saturday.

The discussions were held on the sidelines of the 51st session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Council of Foreign Ministers in Istanbul.

During talks with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, the two sides reviewed the close relations between the Kingdom and Egypt and discussed regional developments and their impact on the security of the region, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Prince Faisal also met with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. The discussions focused on bilateral ties, as well as regional and international developments and ongoing efforts to address them, SPA added.

Both meetings were attended by Prince Musab bin Mohammed Al-Farhan, advisor to the Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, and Fahd bin Asaad Abu Al-Nasr, Saudi ambassador to Turkiye.