On Faisal's death, however, Saudi fortunes declined once more. Disagreements between the sons of Faisal weakened the House of Saud. At the same time, a tribal leader of the Shammar, Muhammad bin Rashid, based in Hail, created a strong political body which rapidly covered the greater part of Nejd, and by 1871 (1288 AH), after concluding a pact with Turkey, captured al-Hasa.

In 1889 (1307 AH), a younger son of Faisal, Abdul Rahman bin Faisal, managed to confirm the rule of the Saudi dynasty by assuming the leadership of the family. At that time, the authority of the Saudi family centered on Riyadh but, in 1891 (1309 AH), the House of Saud faced a further set-back. Muhammad bin Rashid completed his control of Nejd by capturing Riyadh, the citadel of the House of Saud. Adbul Rahman was forced to leave the city. He settled for months with the Al-Murrah tribe at the Great Waste, in the outskirts of the Rub al-Khali, the Empty Quarter, accompanied by his son, Abdul Aziz (Ibn Saud), the future King of Arabia.

Eventually he left for Bahrain, to gather his family, and then went to Kuwait to live there in exile.