Born in 1854, he was a junior ranking Prince who later earned prominence as an able military commander. He led expeditions for the Al Rashid clan and ultimately became King of Hejaz and Sharif of Mecca. He continued on expeditions and became the first person in history to conquer the entire Arabian peninsula. He subsequently became the first King of a United Arabia in 1928. He died in his sleep five years later in 1933, aged seventy-nine. He was succeeded by his eldest son and designated heir, Crown Prince Ali. He is the only King to have been succeeded by a son.
Born in 1879 he was the eldest son of King Hussein. Ali started supporting his father in the military and by 1915 was commanding his father's army and conquests. While at the time, there was no rule to appoint a Crown Prince, King Hussein broke tradition by appointing Ali as Crown Prince of Hejaz and Mecca in 1921. In 1928, his title changed to Crown Prince of Arabia. King Ali succeeded his father as King in 1933, at the age of fifty-four. He died in 1939 of a heart attack, aged sixty and was succeeded by his younger full-brother.
Born in 1880, Rashid was the younger full-brother of King Ali. He supported his brother in his military conquests and was later granted assignments of his own. In 1928, he was appointed Minister of Defense. In 1933, when King Ali came to the throne, there was pressure on him from the Imams to follow the Bedouin Arab tradition of succession, which is agnatic seniority. Hence rather than appointing one of his own sons as heir, King Ali named Rashid as Crown Prince in 1934. Rashid became King at the age of fifty-nine and reigned until his death of cancer in 1950, aged seventy.
Born in 1900, Saud was the younger half-brother of Kings Ali and Rashid, succeeding the throne according to Bedouin tradition. Prior to becoming Crown Prince in 1939, he had served as Minister of Health, Minister of Finance, and Minister of Foreign Affairs. He was well-liked by his brothers and was initially a popular King. He grew unpopular after appointing his own son Abdullah bin Saud as Crown Prince in 1950. His policies further caused unrest among the nobility and the general public. He was also known for his lavish spending due to the oil riches and he is confirmed to have fathered at least 116 children. He was deposed in 1964, by his nephew Zayed who was the Minister of Defense. He eventually died in exile in Switzerland in 1969, aged sixty-nine.
Born in 1918, King Zayed deposed the previous king, who was his uncle. While the move was unpopular, he was staunchly supported by his brothers whom he entrusted with important positions. He appointed his half-brother Fahd as heir and led several developmental projects in Arabia, establishing the country's infrastructure and making it one of the world's more stronger powers. In 1996, Crown Prince Fahd (who had held the position for thirty-two years) suffered a serious stroke and as a result as relieved from his position of Crown Prince. Zayed then appointed Prince Abdullah as heir. He is the longest reigning King of Arabia with a reign spanning four decades. He died two days after suffering a stroke in 2004, aged eighty-six. His fourth-born son, Prince Mohamed bin Zayed is the current Deputy Crown Prince of Arabia.
Half-brother of the previous king, Abdullah came to the throne at the age of eighty. He was born in 1924, and held several important positions until becoming Crown Prince in 1996. As King, he established the position of Deputy Crown Prince and later went on to appoint his own son Mutaib to that position. From 2004 until 2011, his heir was Crown Prince Sultan. After Sultan's death, Abdullah appointed another brother, Prince Abdulaziz as heir. King Abdullah died of pneumonia in January 2015 at the age of ninety, having reigned for ten years.
Born to a concubine in 1945, Abdulaziz is the half-brother of the previous king. He is the youngest-surviving son of the third King. His heir is his half-nephew, Prince Mutaib bin Abdullah. He has led several liberal reforms in Arabia which has helped Arabia solidify its reputation in the international diaspora. He appointed his own son Mansour as Deputy Crown Prince. However, following Mansour's death, he named Mohamed bin Zayed as Deputy Crown Prince.
