ABSTRACT
Although Ibn Sa‘ud was back in the town of his fathers and again master of the seat of the once powerful Wahhabi state the area of his conquest was, in comparison with the vast expanse of Arabia or even with Nejd itself, an infinitesimal dot. It would be impossible to retain what had been the reward of courage if the surrounding territory were not conquered as well. The wall, the castle and forts within and without ar-Riyadh were quickly repaired and provisioned. Ibn Sa‘ud saw that he must himself take the field and that he could only beat his adversary in the open where small groups could manoeuvre quickly, make surprise attacks and swift withdrawals. He sent messengers to his father in Kuwait. ‘Abd ar-Rahman was only too willing to escape the damp heat of the coast and return to the dry highlands of the interior where, too, he would be spiritually more at ease.
