Sultan bin Bajad Al-Otaibi


Sultan bin Bajad bin Hameed Al-Otaibi was a member of the Otaibah tribe and leader of the Ikhwan movement in Saudi Arabia, the virtual army that supported King Abdul-Aziz to build his kingdom between 1910 and 1927. During the movement, he led the Arab tribal forces in the occupation of al-Hasa, Ha'il, Al-Baha, Jizan, Asir, Mecca, and Jeddah. He was illiterate and very religious—strongly believing in Salafi principles.
After the occupation of Hijaz, King Abdul-Aziz and several of the Ikhwan leaders went into bloody clashes, as Abdul Aziz wanted to stop incursions outside of Arabia and concentrate on building the foundations of a modern state. Al-Otaibi and his associates considered this a sin and challenged the agreements, made by Ibn Saud with the British and neighboring powers. Bin Bajad entered into an open rebellion against Ibn Saud's forces and continued opposing him even after the major defeat of the rebel Ikhwan in the Battle of Sabilla.
Sultan bin Bajad was eventually killed while in captivity in Al Artaweeiyah in 1931.