Muhammad bin Saud (d. 1765) is considered the first head of the House of Saud, which is technically named for his father, Saud bin Mohammed bin Mukrin. He began his power base from the town of Ad-Dar'iyah, where he met Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab. Wahhab came to Saud for protection, and it was granted to him. The two also decided to work together to rid the Arabian peninsula of what the saw as innovations in the practice of Islam by bringing the religion back to its purest form. They formed an alliance, and this was formalized by the wedding of Ibn Saud's son to Abdul Wahhab's daughter.

Using the ideology of Wahhab, Muhammad bin Saud helped establish the House of Saud among other tribes in the Arabian peninsula. While many other tribes fought only for power and prestige, the House of Saud's use of religion differentiated them and earned respect among other tribes and build support.

Thus, Muhammad bin Saud is considered the founder of the First Saudi State. The way he set up his government has served as model for rulers of the House of Saud until the present day. The government was based on Islamic principles and made use of shura. He ruled from 1744 till his death in 1765.