King Abdulaziz al-Saud was the first monarch of Saudi Arabia. Born as the son of

Abdul Rahman bin Faisal Al Saud, the last ruler of the Second Saudi State, he consolidated his control over his ancestral lands and became the ruler of nearly all of central Arabia. He then unified his dominions into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932 and became the first monarch of the consolidated nation. Even though his family, the House of Saud, had been a power in central Arabia for well over a century prior to his becoming a king, what he accomplished by conquering more dominions and unifying the lands was truly remarkable. The much feared and respected ruler was born as Abdulaziz ibn Abdul Rahman ibn Faisal ibn Turki ibn Abdullah ibn Muhammad Al Saud, but was popularly known as Abdulaziz within the Arab World and Ibn Saud outside. Brought up under the care of his strict father, he started displaying signs of his greatness at an early age. He was intelligent, talented, courageous, and well-trained in military skills. He grew up to be an astute leader and proved himself to be a very able king after coming to power. His death in 1953 marked the end of an important era in the history of the Arab world