the beginning of the modern history of the state of saudi arabia is argueably when an islamic reformer named muhammad ibn abd al wahhab and a local ruler named muhammad bin saud founded the emirate of diriyah in the year 1744. it was founded in the area of nejd, the central part of the arabian peninsula. the sa'udi emirate's leadership can be viewed as a traditional form of rule within communities of arabia in the 18th century. over the next century and a half the family went through a lot of opposition and hurdles. the family faced opposition from powerful families of arabia but also rulers of egypt and the ottoman empire.