Upon the death of Faisal, the House of Saud suffered from serious infighting, and saw Saudi holdings reduced by the Rashidis who were aided by a pact with the Ottoman Empire. In 1889, Abdul Rahman took control of the House of Saud and attacked Riyadh sucessfully.
Abdul Rahman only ruled from 1889 to 1891 when he was defeated by opponents and forced into exile in Kuwait.In later years,as his son built what was to become Saudi Arabia,Abdul Rahman was styled Imam and considered the spiritual leader of the country until his death in 1928.
| Preceded by: Faisal bin Turki |
Heads of the House of Saud | Succeeded by: Abdul Aziz ibn Abdul Rahman al-Saud |