Saudi conquest of Hejaz

The 1924 campaign came within the scope of the historic conflict between the Hashemites of Hejaz and the Saudis of Riyadh (Nejd), which had already sparked the First Saudi-Hashemite War in 1919.

The pretext for renewed hostilities between Nejd and Hejaz came when the pilgrims from Nejd were denied access to the holy places in Hejaz.[3] On August 29, 1924, Ibn-Saud began his military campaign against Hejaz by advancing towards Taif, which surrendered without a major struggle.[3] Following the fall of Taif, the Saudi forces and the allied Ikhwan tribesmen moved on Mecca. Sharif Hussein’s request for British assistance was denied to him on the pretext of non-intervention in religious disputes.[3] King Hussein bin Ali had meanwhile fled from Mecca to Jeddah, after the assistance request from his son, King Abdullah of Transjordan was denied as well.[3] The city of Mecca fell without struggle on October 13, 1924.[3] The Islamic Conference, held in Riyadh on the 29th October 1924, brought a wide Islamic recognition of Ibn-Saud’s jurisdiction over Mecca.

With the advancement of the Saudi forces and blockade imposed on Jeddah, the Hejazi army began to disintegrate.[3] The city of Medina surrendered on December 9, 1925[lower-alpha 1], and Yanbu fell 12 days later.[3] Jeddah was handed to Sultan Abdulaziz of Nejd and Saudi forces on December 1925, with the Saudi forces entering its gates on January 8, 1926, after capitulation and safe passage was negotiated between King bin Ali, Sultan Abdulaziz, and the British Consul by the city's ruler Sheikh Abdullah Alireza.

Following the successful takeover over the Kingdom of Hejaz, Abdulaziz Ibn Saud was declared as King of Hejaz. The Kingdom was later incorporated into the Kingdom of Nejd and Hejaz, with Ibn Saud being the king of both in political union.

King Hussein of Hejaz fled to Cyprus, declaring his son Ali bin Hussein as the King of Hejaz, but effectively with the fall of the Kingdom the dynasty ended up in exile. Hashemites however remained to rule the Emirate of Transjordan and the Kingdom of Iraq.

• History of Saudi Arabia
• List of modern conflicts in the Middle East

• Al-Harbi, Dalal: King Abdulaziz and his Strategies to deal with events: Events of Jeddah. 2003, King Abdulaziz National Library. ISBN 9960-624-88-9.