Country history · Asia

History of Saudi Arabia

38 recorded states lay in what is now Saudi Arabia, from Dilmun (2200 BCE) to Saudi Arabia. 2 of them have a full profile, and 18 outside powers ruled here.

ProfileState (capital or seat)8 without a known seat not shownOpen in the atlas →

Profiles

Empires that ruled here

Timeline

23rd century BCE

  1. Dilmun2200 BCE – 538 BCE · profile

9th century BCE

  1. Qedarites850 BCE – 300 BCE · tribal confederation

8th century BCE

  1. Thamud715 BCE – 450 CE · tribal confederation
  2. Kingdom of Dedan700 BCE – 500 BCE · kingdom

6th century BCE

  1. Kingdom of Lihyan500 BCE – 65 BCE · kingdom

5th century BCE

  1. Gerrha400 BCE – 100 CE · city state

2nd century BCE

  1. Nabataean Kingdom168 BCE – 106 CE · kingdom
  2. Himyarite Kingdom110 BCE – 525 CE · profile

3rd century

  1. Ghassanid Kingdom220 CE – 638 CE · kingdom

4th century

  1. Lakhmid Kingdom300 CE – 602 CE · kingdom

5th century

  1. Kingdom of Kinda425 CE – 540 CE · kingdom
  2. Pre-Islamic Mecca450 CE – 630 CE · city state

7th century

  1. Islamic state of Medina622 CE – 632 CE · theocracy
  2. Caliphate of Ibn al-Zubayr683 CE – 692 CE · caliphate
  3. Najdiyya685 CE – 693 CE · theocracy

8th century

  1. Ibadi Imamate of Hadramawt746 CE – 748 CE · theocracy

9th century

  1. Ukhaydirid Emirate866 CE – 1050 CE · emirate
  2. Qarmatians of Bahrain899 CE – 1077 CE · republic

10th century

  1. Sharifate of Mecca967 CE – 1916 CE · emirate

11th century

  1. Uyunid Emirate1076 CE – 1253 CE · emirate

13th century

  1. Rasulid dynasty1229 CE – 1454 CE · sultanate
  2. Usfurid dynasty1253 CE – 1330 CE · emirate

14th century

  1. Jarwanid dynasty1305 CE – 1440 CE · emirate

15th century

  1. Jabrid dynasty1440 CE – 1524 CE · emirate

16th century

  1. Habesh Eyalet1555 CE – 1865 CE · other
  2. Lahsa Eyalet1560 CE – 1670 CE · other
  3. Qasimid State1597 CE – 1872 CE · theocracy

17th century

  1. Banu Khalid Emirate1669 CE – 1796 CE · emirate

18th century

  1. Emirate of Diriyah1727 CE – 1818 CE · emirate

19th century

  1. Emirate of Asir1823 CE – 1872 CE · emirate
  2. Emirate of Nejd1824 CE – 1891 CE · emirate
  3. Emirate of Jabal Shammar1836 CE – 1921 CE · emirate

20th century

  1. Emirate of Nejd and Hasa1902 CE – 1921 CE · emirate
  2. Idrisid Emirate of Asir1906 CE – 1934 CE · emirate
  3. Kingdom of Hejaz1916 CE – 1925 CE · kingdom
  4. Sultanate of Nejd1921 CE – 1926 CE · sultanate
  5. Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd1926 CE – 1932 CE · kingdom
  6. Saudi Arabia1932 CE – present · kingdom

In the encyclopedia

Shared histories

States that also lay in other present-day countries:

States of Arabia and the Gulf → States of Horn and East Africa → All country histories →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). History of Saudi Arabia. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/saudi-arabia
MLA
“History of Saudi Arabia.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/saudi-arabia. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “History of Saudi Arabia.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/saudi-arabia.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘History of Saudi Arabia’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/saudi-arabia (Accessed: ).