Discover the complete history of Saudi Arabia — from the ancient caravan routes of Arabia and the sacred cities of Makkah and Madinah to the rise of the Saudi states, the unification of the Kingdom, the discovery of oil, and the transformation of modern Saudi Arabia.

Long before Saudi Arabia became synonymous with oil, the Arabian Peninsula was connected to some of the ancient world's most important trade networks. Caravans carrying frankincense and myrrh crossed the desert, oasis settlements flourished, and civilizations such as Dadan, Lihyan and the Nabataeans left their mark on places including AlUla and Hegra.

The story then moves to Makkah and Madinah and the rise of Islam in the 7th century. We explore how these sacred cities became central to the Muslim world and how Arabia's political position changed during the Rashidun, Umayyad, Abbasid and later Ottoman eras.

At the heart of the modern Saudi story lies Najd. From Diriyah and the First Saudi State to its destruction in 1818, the establishment of the Second Saudi State in Riyadh, and its collapse in 1891, the House of Saud experienced repeated cycles of expansion, defeat and return.

Then came one of the defining moments in Saudi history.

In 1902, Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud recaptured Riyadh. Over the following three decades, he expanded his authority across Najd, Al-Ahsa, Hail and the Hejaz. On September 23, 1932, these territories were formally unified as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

But another transformation was about to begin.

In 1938, Dammam Well No. 7 produced oil in commercial quantities. The discovery would eventually transform Saudi Arabia's economy, infrastructure and international importance. Roads, hospitals, universities, airports, industries and rapidly expanding cities followed as the Kingdom became one of the world's major oil producers.

This documentary also explores Saudi Arabia during the Cold War, the 1973 oil crisis, the 1979 Grand Mosque seizure, the Iran-Iraq War, the 1990–91 Gulf crisis, the challenge of Al-Qaeda, the development of Saudi Aramco, and the Kingdom's changing role in Middle Eastern and global affairs.

Finally, we enter the era of Vision 2030 and examine Saudi Arabia's efforts to diversify beyond oil through tourism, technology, entertainment, investment, infrastructure and large-scale development projects.

From ancient AlUla to modern Riyadh, from desert caravan routes to global energy markets, this is not simply the story of oil.

It is the story of power, faith, trade, conflict, survival and state-building across thousands of years of Arabian history.

Watch until the end and tell us in the comments: Which development had the greatest impact on the formation of modern Saudi Arabia — the sacred importance of Makkah and Madinah, the rise of the Saudi states, the recapture of Riyadh in 1902, the unification of 1932, or the discovery of oil?

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