▁century ; ▁today ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁bare ▁land ▁without ▁any ▁buildings . ▁ ▁An ▁al liance ▁between ▁Im am ▁Muhammad ▁ibn ▁Abd ▁al - W ah hab ▁and ▁Muhammad ▁ibn ▁Sa ud ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁formation ▁the ▁first ▁Sa udi ▁State ▁( also ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Em ir ate ▁of ▁Di ri y ah ), ▁challeng ing ▁the ▁authority ▁of ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ▁which ▁did ▁not ▁pay ▁much ▁attention ▁to ▁matters ▁of ▁cre ed . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁Naj d ▁was ▁under ▁I bn ▁Sa ud ' s ▁control ▁by ▁the ▁time ▁Muhammad ▁bin ▁Sa ud ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 7 6 5 . ▁By ▁ 1 8 0 6 , ▁the ▁Hij az , ▁including ▁Me cca ▁and ▁Med ina , ▁was ▁under ▁the ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁Sa ud s . ▁The ▁expansion ▁of ▁Sun ni ▁Islam ▁came ▁at ▁the ▁exp ense ▁of ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁emp ires ' ▁losing ▁the ▁control ▁over ▁Islam ' s ▁holy ▁places . ▁Con sequently , ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ▁sent ▁arm ies ▁and ▁defeated ▁the ▁first ▁Sa udi ▁state ▁in ▁the ▁Ott oman – W ah hab i ▁War ▁( 1 8 1 1 – 1 8 1 8 ). ▁Years ▁later ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 4 – 1 9 2 5 , ▁the ▁Sa ud ▁cl an ▁reg ained ▁control ▁over ▁Hij az ▁and ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁He j az ▁and ▁Ne jd ▁was ▁formed ▁under ▁Abd ul ▁Az iz ▁ibn ▁Sa ud ' s ▁rule . ▁ ▁The ▁C ust od