What do you know about the history of Saudi Arabia?

Question

I am hoping to learn about Saudi Arabia and want to know what the Wahhabi movement. I am also curious about when Saudi Arabia and the US became allies with each other, or maybe when oil was discovered in Saudi Arabia.

Thanks for the answers

please, can I get some answers please.

Answer 1

You might try this:
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107947.html

Oil: the above site says it was discovered in 1936; others say 1938
http://www.globalsecurity.org/org/news/2003/030126-saudi01.htm

Saudi Arabia and the US:
http://www.state.gov/s/c/rls/rm/46720.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wahhabi
http://i-cias.com/e.o/saudi_5.htm

Answer 2

Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam. 17 of the 19 hijackers on 9/11 were from this country (not Iraq or Afghanistan). President Bush has a close relationship with the Saudi Royal family. As for the Wahhabi movement, check wikipedia. Thanks for answering my question.

Answer 3

Saudi Arabia is the only country named after a family.
It was founded after WW1 by ibn Saud about 1922. Before that Arabia was a province of the Ottoman Empire.
The Wahabis are a fundementalist Muslim sect and have kept Saudi Arabia socially backward.
US oil companies began prospecting in the 1920s and when they found oil struck a very favorable deal with the ruling family.
This continued until 1973 when OPEC hugely increased the oil price after another Arab/Israeli war and the Saudis suddenly had vast wealth.