This paper will discuss different strategies towards writing the history of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The history of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia is being interpreted very differently by scholars, activists and official historiographers. Official narratives often focus on the role of the state in the unification of the country and the integration of al-Hasa into the Saudi kingdom. They barely mention the local social, religious and political dynamics such as the presence of a large Shiite minority. Dissenting interpretations try to emphasize the specific local history of the region and its peculiarities. In recent years, several books, journals, articles and associations have tried to counter official narratives of the region. These are mainly the work of a group of Shiite political activists, who used to be or are still part of Shiite Islamist Movements. This group of political activists has tried to create a unified historical narrative for the Shiite community in the Eastern Province that includes its regional, sectarian and socio-economic characteristics. Their main aim is to raise the political consciousness of the population and they have developed from – at certain times armed – revolutionary struggle against the government to the writing of local histories. Many of them see the writing of historical texts as a continuation of their political work. This paper will examine their strategies at creating a unified historical narrative for the Shiite community. It will also try to outline to what extent this narrative is accepted by the Shia community. The paper is based on fieldwork carried out in Saudi Arabia, interviews with key activists and historians, and a hermeneutic examination of writings by Shiite activists and local historians.