| About
ad 570 |
The prophet Muhammad was
born in Mecca. |
| 630 |
Muhammad returned from
Medina and conquered Mecca. The Islamic conquest of Arabia began. |
| 660 |
The caliphs moved from
Medina to Damascus, Syria. Arabia declined in importance within the
Muslim Empire. |
| 1400s |
The Saud dynasty was
founded near modern Riyadh. |
| 1700s |
Saudi armies helped
spread the Wahhabi Islamic reform movement over much of Arabia. |
| 1824 |
Following defeat by
Ottoman forces, the Saud family established a new capital at Riyadh. |
| 1891 |
Family feuds weakened
Saudi power, and much of Arabia was conquered by the Ottoman Empire and
local tribal chiefs. The Saud family fled into exile in Kuwait. |
| 1902 |
Abdul Aziz ibn Saud
returned from Kuwait and captured Riyadh. |
| 1906 |
Saudi forces controlled
the Najd region. |
| 1913-1925 |
Saudi forces captured the
Al Ahsa', 'Asīr', and Al Hijāz (Hejaz) regions, unifying much of Arabia
under Saudi rule. |
| 1932 |
Ibn Saud proclaimed the
unified Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. |
| 1938 |
The first major petroleum
deposit in Saudi Arabia was discovered. |
| 1945 |
Saudi Arabia became a
founding member of the United Nations and of the Arab League. |
| 1953 |
Ibn Saud died. He was
succeeded by his eldest son, Saud. |
| 1964 |
Saud was forced from the
throne and succeeded by his brother, Faisal. Faisal used oil profits to
help modernize the country, and made Saudi Arabia more active in world
affairs. |
| 1967 |
Saudi Arabia offered
financial support to Arab countries fighting Israel during the Six-Day
War. |
| 1970s |
Rising oil prices greatly
increased Saudi Arabia's export earnings. Many new development projects
were funded by the new wealth. |
| 1973 |
Saudi Arabia stopped or
reduced oil exports to many Western countries following the Arab-Israeli
War of 1973. |
| 1982 |
Crown Prince Fahd assumed
the throne after the death of his half brother, King Khalid. |
| 1990 |
After Iraq invaded
Kuwait, troops from the United States and other Western nations arrived
in Saudi Arabia to help defend the country against an Iraqi invasion. |
| 1991 |
Saudi Arabia joined a
U.S.-led coalition that drove Iraq out of Kuwait during the Persian Gulf
War. |
| 1993 |
King Fahd officially
inaugurated the Shura Council, an advisory body of 60 members,
established in response to calls for governmental reform. |
| 1994 |
Saudi Arabia's economy
was hurt by falling oil prices and heavy spending. |
| 1999 |
Saudi Arabia, along with
other oil-producing nations, agreed to reduce oil production in an
effort to raise oil prices. |
General Knowledge :: HISTORICAL EVENTS BY COUNTRY :: SAUDI ARABIA