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Madkhali rose and became famous in Saudi Arabia in the context of the 1990-1991 Gulf war as a defender of the Saudi royal family’s decision to allow U.S. troops on Saudi Arabia's ground. -
Muhammad al-Madkhali declared the prohibition of jihad by then Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid as being contrary to sharia law. -
Despite losing its audience in its country of origin (Saudi Arabia), the movement had grown outward by the early 2010s. The Madkhalists gained followers in western Kazakhstan.
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Islamists loyal to Muhammad al-Madkhali, one of the movement's figureheads, demolished Sufi shrines in Zliten in Libya using construction equipment and bulldozers. -
In 2018, Libya’s Madkhalis were estimated to number tens of thousands, making them the largest Salafi movement in the country.
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In early 2019, Madkhalists continue to be supported by the Saudi government and have found common cause with Khalifa Haftar, also noted as Libya's most potent warlord.
