Formed by a collective of opposition members including Islamists and intellectuals, the party is pro-reform and demands representation and an end to absolute monarchy in the country.

[3] All except for Sheikh Abd al-ʽAziz al-Wuhaibi were released later in 2011, subject to travel and teaching bans, after agreeing in writing not to carry out "anti-government activity".

[4] The Umma Islamic Party was created on 9 February 2011[1] by an 11-member coordination committee[2] of Islamists and intellectuals including Dr Abdullah Alsalim, Dr. Ahmad bin Sa'd al-Ghamidi, Sheikh Abd al-ʽAziz al-Wuhaibi and Sheikh Muhammad bin Husain al-Qahtani.

[2] The Umma Islamic Party was part of the Umma Conference network headquartered in Istanbul, led by the Kuwait Hizb al-Umma and chaired by Hakim al-Mutayri, until it severed its ties in 2017 for increasing tutelage and lack of autonomy, though retaining its program in a revised edition.

[5] The detained party co-founders were told that they would be released only if they signed a pledge to stop advocating for political reform, which they initially refused.