This is a list of wars involving the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its predecessor states.
First Saudi state (1744–1818)
Ottoman-Saudi War(1811–1818) Eyalet of Egypt Ottoman-Egyptian victory
Second Saudi state (1824–1891)
Attack on Dammam(3–4 February 1866) Emirate of Nejd United Kingdom Saudi victory
Emirate of Riyadh (1902–1913)
First Saudi–Rashidi War(1903–1907) Emirate of Riyadh Otaibah tribe Mutayr tribe Emirate of Ha'il Saudi Victory Conquest of al-Hasa(1913) Ikhwan Ottoman Empire Riyadh victory
Emirate of Nejd and Hasa (1913–1921)
Second Saudi-Rashidi War(1915–1918) Emirate of Nejd and Hasa Emirate of Jabal Shammar Inconclusive Saudi offensive halted Kuwait–Najd War(1919–1920) Emirate of Nejd and Hasa Ikhwan Emirate of Kuwait Inconclusive Uqair Protocol of 1922 Kuwait lost more than two thirds of its territory as a result of the agreement
Sultanate of Nejd (1921–1926)
Conquest of Ha'il(1921) Sultanate of Nejd Emirate of Jabal Shammar Victory Incorporation of Jabal Shammar. Saudi Conquest of Hejaz(1924–1925) Sultanate of Nejd Ikhwan Kingdom of Hejaz Victory Incorporation of Hejaz.
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (1932–present)
Saudi–Yemeni War(1934) Saudi Arabia Yemen Victory Treaty of Taif signed on 14 June 1934, guaranteeing 20 years of peace between Saudi Arabia and Yemen Saudi Arabia leaves and Yemen gains control of Al-Hudaydah Jizan, Asir, and Najran became the provinces of Saudi Arabia First Arab–Israeli War(1948–1949) : Oren 2003, p. 5. All-Palestine Protectorate Holy War Army
Syria
Gelber, pp. 55, 200, 239 Morris, Benny (2008), 1948: The First Arab-Israeli War, Yale University Press, p. 205, New Haven, .Irregulars: Arab Liberation Army Al-Najjada Holy War Army Before 26 May 1948: Yishuv Paramilitary groups: Haganah Palmach Hish Him Irgun Lehi Allied Bedouin tribesPalestine Post, "Israel's Bedouin Warriors", Gene Dison, August 12, 1948After 26 May 1948: Israel Defense Forces Minorities Unit Foreign volunteers: MahalDefeat Arab League invasion of former Mandatory Palestine repelled 1949 Armistice Agreements Establishment of the State of Israel, Jordanian annexation of the West Bank, Egyptian occupation of the Gaza Strip 1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight Beginning of the Palestinian Fedayeen insurgency North Yemen Civil War(1962–1965) Kingdom of Yemen Yemen Arab Republic Defeat Saudi Arabia stopped supplying the Royalists Al-Wadiah War(1969) Victory al-Wadiah and Sharurah captured by Saudi forces Yom Kippur War(1973) DefeatReferences: Herzog, The War of Atonement, Little, Brown and Company, 1975. Forward Insight Team of the London Sunday Times, Yom Kippur War, Doubleday (publisher), 1974, p. 450 Luttwak and Horowitz, The Israeli Army. Cambridge, MA, Abt Books, 1983 Rabinovich, The Yom Kippur War, Schocken Books, 2004. p. 498 Revisiting The Yom Kippur War, P.R. Kumaraswamy, pp. 1–2 Johnson and Tierney, Failing To Win, Perception of Victory and Defeat in International Politics. p. 177 Charles Liebman, The Myth of Defeat: The Memory of the Yom Kippur war in Israeli Society Middle Eastern Studies, Vol 29, No. 3, July 1993. Published by Frank Cass, London. p. 411. At the final ceasefire: Egyptian forces held on the eastern bank of the canal. Israeli forces held on the western bank of the canal. Israeli forces held of the Syrian Bashan region of the Golan Heights. Lebanese Civil War(1976–1979) ADF
LF FLA VictorySM Saseen, The Taif Accord and Lebanon's Struggle to Regain its Sovereignty, p. 63. ADF mission goals achieved ADF becomes an all-Syrian force in 1979 1979 Qatif Uprising(1979) Government Ministry of National Guard National Guard Ministry of Interior General Directorate of Investigations General Directorate of Public Security Opposition Shia Islamists Organization for the Islamic Revolution in the Arabian Peninsula Leftists Communist Party in Saudi Arabia Union of Democratic Youth Democratic Women's League of Saudi Arabia National Union of Students of Saudi Arabia Assembly of Saudi Citizens The Workers' Committee * Crackdown on Shiite opposition groups Political exile of Saudi Shiites to Iran Extra government spending announced in Qatif region to address inequalities Religious intolerance and state discrimination continue until 2015Grand Mosque seizure(1979) Ikhwan Victory Saudi troops suppress uprising Execution of Juhayman and his followers publicly by decapitation Gulf War(1990–1991) United States Iraq Victory Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait; Emir Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah restored Heavy casualties and destruction of Iraqi and Kuwaiti Infrastructure Iraqi No-Fly Zone Enforcement Operations(1991–2003) Iraq Victory Various bombings of Iraqi forces both aerial and naval Mass numbers of Iraqi targets killed or destroyed Reduction in Iraqi air defense Beginning of the Iraq War First Intervention in the Somali Civil War(1992–1995) Somali National Alliance Defeat Failure to capture SNA leader Mohamed Farrah Aidid; specific Aidid lieutenants captured Civil war is ongoing Operation Ocean Shield(2009–2016) Somali pirates Victory Number of pirate attacks have decreased dramatically since the start of such operations, however attacks still occur near the coast waters of Oman, Yemen, Kenya, and Somalia Piracy drops 90% Sixth Sa'dah War(2009–2010) Houthis StalemateZimmerman, Katherine L. Yemen's Pivotal Moment. Critical Threats Project of the American Enterprise Institute, 2014. Houthis consolidate control over Sa'dah American-led intervention in the Syrian civil war (2014–2018) CJTF-OIR United States United Kingdom France Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates Italy Denmark Jordan Forces withdrawnWar on ISIS(2014–) Free Syrian Army Rojava United States
Islamic State al-Nusra Front KhorasanOngoing Multinational intervention against Syrian IslamistsSaudi Arabian–led intervention in Yemen(2015–) Hadi government Houthi government Houthis Saleh loyalists Ansar al-Sharia Islamic StateOngoing Houthis dissolve Yemeni government Houthis take control of northern Yemen Conflict in Najran, Jizan and Asir 2017–2020 Qatif unrest(2017–2020) Government of Saudi Arabia Ministry of National Guard National Guard Presidency of State Security General Directorate of Investigations Emergency Force Ministry of Interior General Directorate of Public Security Hezbollah Al-Hejaz (Suspected) Other Shia MilitiasSupported by:Al-Mukhtar Brigades Bahraini Militias Saudi victory Direct Involvement in the Middle Eastern Crisis (2025-present) Houthi–Saudi Arabian conflict Red Sea Crisis Intelligence support to Israel during Iranian strikes Defensive during the Twelve Day WarSaudi Arabia likely allowed Israel to use its airspace to do so...As with any other sovereign state, missiles or other unauthorized objects crossing a country's airspace are often deemed violations of either domestic or international law. |url-status=live}} 2026 Iranian strikes on Saudi Arabia October 7 attacks:Armed Israeli Citizens
Gaza War & West Bank Incursions: Israeli-backed groups: Fatah-affiliated groups
Defensive Only:
Intelligence support during April & October Iranian Due to strikes by Iraqi militias (until
2024 Kerman Bombings: Defensive during Iranian Retaliatory Strikes:
Jaysh al-Adl
Prosperity Guardian (until Aspides (until 2024):
Independent Patrols (Red Sea Crisis):
Syrian Civil War (until 2024):
Southern Operations Room Free Syrian Army Syrian National Army From 2024:
Twelve Day War:
Defensive 2025-26 Iranian protests: Iranian opposition Anti-government demonstrators Student demonstrators Police and military defectors Armed civilians
2026 Iran War:
Anti-Iranian Protestors (outside Iran) (until 2024) Axis of Resistance:
Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades Palestinian Mujahideen Movement Palestinian Freedom Movement
Houthi Yemen
Amal Movement Islamic Group
Intelligence Support:
Syrian Civil War (until 2024):From 2024: Assadist insurgents Defensive during Israeli invasion of Lebanon:
Defensive stances on attacks by Israel and allies:
Pro-Iranian protestors (outside Iran)Ongoing: Houthi attacks on September 2023 killed and injured Bahrain Defence Forces near Saudi-Yemen border. Saudi Arabia claims to have intercepted Houthi attacks during the Red Sea Crisis. As per the Times of Israel, Saudi Arabia provided intelligence about Iranian attacks to Israel During the 2024 Iran–Israel conflict. Saudi Arabia allowed Israel to use its airspace to attack Iran during the Twelve-Day War. 2026 Iran war: OngoingFollowing Israeli–United States strikes on Iran, loud explosions were reported in the eastern regions of Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.Saudi Arabia intercepted missiles aimed at the Prince Sultan Air Base and the Riyadh airport without any material losses. Iranian forces launched a missile attack on a US base in Saudi Arabia, a US soldier died by wounds sustained eights days latter.Saudi Arabia claimed to have intercepted two hostile drones aimed at the Ras Tanura oil refinery while a limited fire broke out due to falling shrapnel.The United States embassy in Riyadh was subject to an attack by two Iranian drones, which Saudi authorities confirmedThe Aramco facility in Ras Tanura was hit for the second time by a projectile.An Iranian drone strike, which the IRGC said targeted radar systems, hit a residential building in Al-Kharj, killing two peopleSaudi Arabia said that its forces had destroyed four drones targeting Shaybah oil field.CIA station in Riyadh is struck by Iranian drones.
Notes
References
Further information
External links CBC Digital Archives – The 1991 Gulf War Master Index of Desert Storm Oral History Interviews by the United States Army Center of Military History Bibliography of the Desert Shield and Desert Storm compiled by the United States Army Center of Military History Persian Gulf War 20th Anniversary of Desert Storm in Photos