Motives and Events of the Massacre of Yemeni Pilgrims in Tanuma and Sadwan by Ibn Saud’s Forces in 1923

Abstract

This study examines and analyzes one of the most overlooked atrocities in the modern history of the Arabian Peninsula: the massacre of Yemeni pilgrims in Tanomah and Sadwan in 1923, carried out by the “Ikhwan” forces loyal to Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, with direct British complicity or supportive silence, amid an intense political and military struggle in southern Arabia. The research aims to uncover the direct and underlying causes that led to this massacre, identify the actual actors responsible for it, and dismantle the official Saudi narrative that has attempted to obscure the truth for nearly a century.

The study employs a composite historical-analytical methodology that integrates contemporary historical sources and documents, rare manuscripts, oral testimonies from survivors and descendants of the victims, and modern scholarly studies.

The research concludes with several key findings, most notably: that the massacre was neither an accidental incident nor an isolated act by individual fighters, but rather part of a deliberate political strategy intended to demonstrate loyalty to Britain and expand Najdi influence in Yemen and ‘Asir; that Ibn Saud’s forces carried out systematic mass killings targeting unarmed pilgrims en route to perform Hajj; and that attempts to exonerate Ibn Saud by attributing responsibility solely to the Ikhwan lack historical foundation.

The study further reveals the extent of deliberate concealment of the event in modern Saudi historiography. It recommends incorporating the massacre into Yemeni educational curricula, establishing a national center dedicated to its documentation, and encouraging academic research to reconstruct this critical period in the modern history of Yemen and the Arabian Peninsula.