Battle of Jeddah (1925)

The Battle of Jeddah (1925) was the concluding stage of the Hejaz-Nejd War, marking the end of Hashemite rule in the Hejaz region of what is now Saudi Arabia. It pitted the forces of Ibn Saud of Nejd, who sought to unify the Arabian Peninsula under his rule, against the defending forces of King Ali bin Hussein of Hejaz.

The battle centered around the city of Jeddah, the last major stronghold remaining under Hashemite control after Mecca and Medina had already fallen to Ibn Saud's Ikhwan forces. The siege of Jeddah began in January 1925. Ibn Saud's forces, primarily composed of Ikhwan warriors, employed a naval blockade and land-based attacks to isolate and weaken the city.

King Ali's forces, though smaller in number, initially mounted a determined defense. However, the naval blockade proved effective in cutting off supplies, leading to food shortages and diminishing morale within Jeddah. Furthermore, internal divisions and dwindling support for the Hashemite dynasty further weakened the city's resolve.

Facing overwhelming odds and dwindling resources, King Ali formally surrendered Jeddah to Ibn Saud in December 1925. He subsequently went into exile in Iraq. The surrender of Jeddah signified the complete conquest of the Hejaz by Ibn Saud and paved the way for the establishment of the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd, which later became the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932. The battle effectively ended over 700 years of Hashemite rule in the Hejaz.