The Ikhwan threatened the stable conditions which Ibn Saud knew were essential if his new Kingdom was to survive. While Ibn Saud sought conciliation with the Hijaz, discontent festered amongst the Ikhwan for they soon realized that they who had made the conquest of the Hijaz possible were to be denied the reward they believed they deserved. There was to be no purge and no booty.
With an astuteness which was the hall-mark of his policy, Ibn Saud diverted the Ikhwan energies away from the Hijaz back into the desert where they could more freely and less dangerously give vent to their zeal.
As a result the citizens of the Hijaz were greatly heartened. Their fears had evidently been misplaced. Furthermore, Ibn Saud's firm control of the region and his effective action against the bandits who had preyed upon the pilgrims, brought immediate benefits. The number of pilgrims increased.
While it was essential to assert control in the Hijaz, to re-establish confidence in the rule of law and to ensure that pilgrims were adequately protected, diverting the disaffected Ikhwan back into the desert was not without its dangers. The Ikhwan would not be easily tamed and they remained convinced that they had the right to raid and plunder wherever they wished.