ABSTRACT
King of Nej d and Saudi Arabia and founder of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Born in Riyadh about 1880, Sa'ud was the son of Abd al-Rahman and descended from the founder of the Wahhabi sect. Forced to flee from the invading Rashidis in 1891, he lived a short time in exile in Kuwait. In 1902 Sa'ud captured the town of Riyadh to reestablish rule by his family in the Nejd. By 1915 the British recognized him as ruler of the Nejd and Hassa. During World War I, he maintained a position of benevolent neutrality and received a subsidy of £5,000 monthly from Britain. He also continued to harass the Rashidis, allies of the Turks.
