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The Annexation of Hejaz: The Birth of Modern Saudi Arabia (1925 CE)
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In 1925, a pivotal event reshaped the political and religious landscape of the Arabian Peninsula: the annexation of the Hejaz region by the emerging Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the leadership of Abdulaziz Ibn Saud. This marked the culmination of a decades-long struggle for dominance in the region and laid the foundation for the modern Saudi state.
The Hejaz, a region along the western coast of the Arabian Peninsula, was historically significant as the home of Islam's holiest cities, Mecca and Medina. For centuries, it had been under the control of the Hashemite dynasty, which traced its lineage back to the Prophet Muhammad. The Hashemites, led by Sharif Hussein bin Ali, had allied with the British during World War I in the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire, with the promise of an independent Arab kingdom. However, the post-war settlement saw the region divided under British and French influence, with Sharif Hussein declared King of Hejaz in 1916.
Meanwhile, in the central Arabian region of Najd, Abdulaziz Ibn Saud was consolidating power. A descendant of the Al Saud family, he had reclaimed Riyadh in 1902 and gradually expanded his control over much of the Arabian interior. His forces, known as the Ikhwan (Brotherhood), were motivated by a strict interpretation of Wahhabi Islam and sought to unify the peninsula under Saudi rule.
Tensions between the Hashemites and the Saudis escalated in the early 1920s. The Ikhwan, driven by religious zeal and territorial ambition, launched a series of raids into Hejaz. By 1924, Sharif Hussein's position had weakened due to internal dissent, financial difficulties, and a lack of international support. In September 1924, the Ikhwan captured the city of Taif, followed by Mecca in October. Sharif Hussein abdicated in favor of his son, Ali bin Hussein, but the Saudi advance continued.
In December 1925, after a year-long siege, the city of Jeddah fell to Ibn Saud's forces. With the fall of Jeddah, Ali bin Hussein surrendered, and the Hejaz was formally annexed to the Saudi realm. The conquest was not merely a military victory but also a religious and ideological one, as Ibn Saud positioned himself as the protector of Islam's holy sites.
The annexation of Hejaz marked the unification of much of the Arabian Peninsula under Saudi rule. In 1926, Ibn Saud was proclaimed King of Hejaz, and in 1932, he formally established the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, merging Hejaz, Najd, and other regions into a single state. The conquest also solidified the alliance between the Al Saud family and the Wahhabi religious establishment, which would shape the kingdom's identity and governance for decades to come.
The loss of Hejaz was a devastating blow to the Hashemites, who were later granted thrones in Transjordan (modern-day Jordan) and Iraq under British auspices. For the people of Hejaz, the annexation brought significant changes, as the region's more cosmopolitan and mercantile culture was gradually integrated into the stricter Wahhabi framework of the Saudi state.
The annexation of Hejaz in 1925 was a defining moment in Middle Eastern history, marking the rise of Saudi Arabia as a regional power and the beginning of its enduring influence over the Islamic world.