On this episode of pplpod, we explore the dramatic rise of Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud—known to the world as Ibn Saud—the tribal leader who founded the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Join us as we cover:

• The Exile’s Return: How Ibn Saud launched his conquest in 1902 by scaling the walls of Riyadh with just 40 men and tilted palm trees to reclaim his family’s ancestral home.

• Consolidating Power: The decades-long campaign to unify the Nejd and Hejaz, from defeating the rival Rashidi dynasty to suppressing the fanatical Ikhwan revolt.

• Oil and Geopolitics: The 1938 discovery that transformed the region's destiny and Ibn Saud’s historic meeting with U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt on the USS Quincy.

• The Man B ...