Misplaced Pages

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Battle of Dilam" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (February 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Battle of Dilam
Part of the Unification of Saudi Arabia
Location of Ad-Dilam, Saudi Arabia.
Date 27 January 1903 Location Ad-Dilam, Arabia Result Saudi victory
Belligerents
Emirate of Jabal Shammar Supported by: Ottoman Empire	Emirate of Nejd and Hasa
Commanders and leaders
Abdul-Aziz bin Mitab	Abdulaziz Ibn Saud
Strength
4,000	3,500
Casualties and losses
250	160

The Battle of Dilam was a major battle of the 1903–1907 Saudi–Rashidi War, during the Unification of Saudi Arabia campaign, between the Rashidi dynasty and Saudi rebels. It occurred on 27 January 1903, in the town of Dilam south of Riyadh, the capital of the present day Saudi Arabia.

A year after the Battle of Riyadh, Ibn Saud attempted to draw the Rashidis away from Riyadh with a campaign of misinformation. When his plan succeeded, Saud deployed 1,000 fighters in Riyadh before leaving the city with another 3,500 to capture Dilam. The Rashidis followed Ibn Saud to Dilam in order to finish him off and regain control of the town.

Ibn Saud had however borrowed money from Riyadh merchants and spent it purchasing ammunition and hiring specialist riflemen from Kuwait. Ibn Saud's forces took up fixed positions around Dilam, waited until the Rashidis were very close and then poured fire on them, forcing them to retreat. Further Rashidi attacks were met the same way. The next morning the Rashidi forces withdrew. They did not know that Ibn Saud's stock of ammunition was nearly depleted, and that further attacks might well have forced a Saudi retreat instead.

During the battle, the Rashidis suffered 250 casualties and lost control of southern Nejd.

See also

• List of wars involving Saudi Arabia

References

1. Dhaifallah Alotaibi (2017). Ibn Sa'ud and Britain: Early Changing Relationship and Pre-state Formation 1902-1914 (MA Thesis thesis). Bangor University. ProQuest 2083742545. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
2. Lacey, Robert (1982). The Kingdom. London: Fontana Paperbacks. pp. 69–70. ISBN 0-00-636509-4.

This article about a battle is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e

This Saudi Arabia related article is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e

• 1903 in Asia
• 20th century in the Arabian Peninsula
• Battles involving the House of Saud
• Conflicts in 1903
• Battle stubs
• Saudi Arabia stubs