National Day in Saudi Arabia Date in the current year: September 23, 2024

The modern history of Saudi Arabia began in 1744, when Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, a preacher and a scholar, and Muhammad bin Saud, emir of the city of Ad-Diriyyah, founded the House of Saud, the present-day ruling dynasty in Saudi Arabia.

The First Saudi State existed until 1818, when it was defeated by Egyptian and Ottoman Forces. The short-lived Second Saudi State was founded in 1824 and existed until 1891, when it was brought down by the enemies of the House of Saud.

The unification of Saudi Arabia was started by Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud, known in the West as Ibn Saud, in 1902, when he took over Riyadh. By 1912 he took over the entire region of Nejd and captured Rashidi with the support of the British troops. In 1925, he conquered the Heijaz, a region important for being the location of the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

The conquered territory was named the Kingdom of Nejd and Hejaz. It existed from 1927 until 1932, when it consolidated with al-Hasa and Qatif into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The anniversary of the unification of the Third Saudi State is the national day of Saudi Arabia.