How a forgotten border war nearly erased Kuwait from the map after World War I
Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the rising Saudi state sought to annex Kuwait through military force and religious pressure. The conflict, marked by intense battles and a long-term trade blockade, tested Kuwait's sovereignty and its commitment to religious tolerance against the expansionist ambitions of the Ikhwan warriors.
The Kuwait–Najd War emerged in the wake of World War I as Ibn Saud of Najd sought to expand his territory by absorbing Kuwait. Tensions escalated in 1919 when Sheikh Salim Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah planned a southern commercial city, a move that triggered a diplomatic crisis and required British intervention to de-escalate. The situation turned violent in 1920 with the Battle of Hamdh, where 2,000 Ikhwan fighters defeated a smaller Kuwaiti force, setting the stage for a direct assault on the Red Fort at Al-Jahra.
During the Battle of Jahra, a force of 3,000 to 4,000 Ikhwan fighters besieged the fort, which was defended by 1,500 men. The fall of the fort would likely have resulted in Kuwait's total incorporation into Ibn Saud's empire. The siege only ended after the local merchant class pressured the Sheikh to secure British military support, which arrived in the form of warships and airplanes. Following the battle, the Ikhwan issued strict demands, including the adoption of their doctrine, the expulsion of Shias, and the destruction of an American missionary hospital.
The conflict concluded with the 1922 Uqair conference, where borders were redrawn without Kuwaiti representation. This agreement established a neutral zone of approximately 5,180 square kilometers. Despite the territorial settlement, Kuwait remained under a Saudi economic blockade for 14 years, lasting from 1923 until 1937. Throughout this period, Kuwait maintained its reputation for religious tolerance, with historical accounts noting that Wahhabism failed to gain a foothold among the local population, who remained resistant to the rigid ideological demands imposed by their neighbors.
Source: Kuwait–Najd War
