The first Saudi state was established in 1744 when Muhammad ibn Saud, the founder of the House of Saud, joined forces with the religious leader Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. Together, they established a political entity based in Diriyah that worked toward spreading religious reform and consolidating power across various parts of the Arabian Peninsula.
By the early 19th century, the first Saudi state had expanded its territory significantly, gaining control over most of the Arabian Peninsula, including the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. However, this expansion alarmed the Ottoman Empire, which dispatched Egyptian forces under the command of Ibrahim Pasha to crush the Saudi state.
After a long campaign, Ibrahim Pasha captured Diriyah in 1818, destroying the city and bringing an end to the first Saudi state. Abdullah bin Saud, the last ruler of the first Saudi state, was sent to Istanbul where he was executed. Despite its fall, the first Saudi state laid important foundations for future Saudi revival and established the alliance between the House of Saud and the religious reformist movement.