The history of modern Saudi Arabia begins in the year 1902 when Abdul Aziz Al-Sa'ud and a band of his followers captured the city of Riyadh, returning it to the control of his family.

Abdul Aziz was born about 1880 and spent the early years of his life with his father in exile in Kuwait. After the capture of Riyadh, he spent the next twelve years consolidating his conquests in the area around Riyadh and the eastern part of the country from where the Turks were expelled.

The Arab tribes had never liked the Turks and they were only too willing to listen to a new ruler whose ambitions were aided considerably by the troubles of the Ottoman Empire.

On 22 September 1933, the lands under the control of Abdul Aziz were renamed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and in 1936 a treaty was signed with Yemen marking the southern borders of the Kingdom.

The main preoccupations of Abdul Aziz were the consolidation of his power and the restoration of law and order to all parts of his recently-created kingdom. To these ends, he developed a system whereby every sheikh was responsible for his own tribe under the authority of the king who was empowered to intervene to impose law and order. It was clearly understood that internal anarchy within the Kingdom could quickly lead to foreign intervention. And all were agreed that this was unacceptable.

Before the discovery of oil, the economy was dependent upon the pilgrimage to Makkah and Medina and on the export of dates. Saudi Arabia is still one of the world's leading producers of dates but today the economy is dominated by oil. Petroleum revenues have been used to create an infrastructure which will in time transform Saudi Arabia into a diversified industrial state.

Oil and petroleum products account for more than 90% of the country's income. At Jubail on the Arabian Gulf and Yanbu on the Red Sea, major new industrial centres have been built. The power to run them is derived from natural gas from the oil fields. In addition to oil and petroleum products, the country produces iron and steel, processed foodstuffs, cement and electrical equipment. Domestic water requirements are met by desalination plants.

Though natural water is in short supply, the government has funded agricultural development in order to reduce dependence upon imported foods and raise the standard of living in rural areas. There is also an expanding fishing industry.

Before the discovery of oil, the economy was dependent upon the pilgrimage to Makkah and Medina and on the export of dates. Saudi Arabia is still one of the world's leading producers of dates but today the economy is dominated by oil. Petroleum revenues have been used to create an infrastructure which will in time transform Saudi Arabia into a diversified industrial state.

Oil and petroleum products account for more than 90% of the country's income. At Jubail on the Arabian Gulf and Yanbu on the Red Sea, major new industrial centres have been built. The power to run them is derived from natural gas from the oil fields. In addition to oil and petroleum products, the country produces iron and steel, processed foodstuffs, cement and electrical equipment. Domestic water requirements are met by desalination plants.

Though natural water is in short supply, the government has funded agricultural development in order to reduce dependence upon imported foods and raise the standard of living in rural areas. There is also an expanding fishing industry.