Suud

Suud, commonly transliterated as Al Saud (also written Suud in some languages), refers to the Saudi royal dynasty, the ruling house of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The surname derives from Saud, a tribal name, and the term is used to denote both the dynasty and the family members who hold political power in the country.

The House of Saud traces its origins to the 18th century, when Muhammad bin Saud formed an alliance with the religious reformer Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab in Diriyah in 1744. This partnership gave rise to the first Saudi state, which expanded across Najd but was largely destroyed by Ottoman and Egyptian forces by 1818. A second Saudi state emerged in the 19th century but also eventually collapsed. The modern state began with Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud, who began reconquest of the peninsula in 1902 and unified the regions into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932. The discovery of major oil reserves in the 1930s strengthened the family’s political and economic influence.

In contemporary governance, members of the House of Saud hold the principal positions of sovereignty, with the king serving as head of state and the crown prince typically acting as the main political leader in practice. The family’s influence extends across government ministries, the military, and major business enterprises. The dynasty has overseen significant reforms and modernization efforts, particularly under recent monarchs and Crown Princes, including economic diversification plans and social changes aimed at expanding the role of the private sector and altering societal norms.

Notes: The term Suud is a transliteration variant; the more common English form for the dynasty is Al Saud or the House of Saud.