The Kingdom: Saudi Arabia and the Challenge of the 21st Century

by Joshua Craze (Editor), Mark Huband (Editor)

Overview

The prominence of Saudi Arabia in international relations today is undisputed. Bringing together contributors from the worlds of business, politics, journalism and academia, The Kingdom provides a much-needed context to the role that Saudi Arabia plays today. In so doing, it unravels the contradictions and complexities of the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the West. The Kingdom brings together a fascinating and diverse group of authors, including such established figures as Madawi Al-Rasheed, Khalid Al-Dakhil, Badriyyah Al-Bishr, Saad Sowayan and Mona Eltahawy. The chapters range widely in their subject matter, from reformism under King Abdullah to Saudi Arabia's role as a regional power broker, thereby revealing the great breadth of issues preoccupying Saudis and others as they seek to build a modern state without compromising their powerful attachment to the religious, cultural and historical traditions which are the bedrock of Saudi society. The book is divided into four sections: Saudi domestic political issues, the Kingdom's role in regional affairs, studies of Saudi society, and cultural and religious life in the Kingdom.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781850659020
Publisher:	Hurst
Publication date:	06/22/2009
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.60(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Mark Huband is an award-winning journalist who was formerly Middle East correspondent for the Financial Times. He is the author of several books including Warriors Of The Prophet: The Struggle For Islam.

Joshua Craze is attached to the British Institute of Eastern Africa and is a contributing writer at Saudi Debate.

Table of Contents

Royal rule in a time of change

Money replaces ideas as petitioners' silence leaves Saudi reform at an impasse
Madawi al-Rasheed

Modernity vies with tradition as Saudis debate the future
Shaker Nabulsi

Princely power to test succession plans
Madawi al-Rasheed

Saudi dissent more than just jihadis
Mahan Abedin

Bin Laden's puritans keep Saudis in thrall to rebellious cycle
Madawi al-Rasheed

Foreign influence vital to success of Saudi reform
Shaker Nabulsi

Saudis seek the red lines of the new "liberal authoritarianism"
Madawi al-Rasheed

Religious old guard fights modernity as Saudis enjoy a laugh
Khalid al-Dakhil

Saudi Shi'a wait and see as new light falls on Islam's old divide—an interview with Fouad Ibrahim
Mahan Abedin

Abdullah streamlines Saudi succession plans but limits the power to choose
Khalid al-Dakhil

Fresh look at King Saud marks shift in attitudes towards Saudi past
Saad Sowayan

Free speech remains selective as Saudi arrests cast doubt on belief in dialogue
Fawaz Turki

Top-down fight against corruption leaves Saudis wondering who will watch the watchdogs
Saad Sowayan

Saudis bring reform by stealth as society takes the lead in forging modernity
Saad Sowayan

II Regional power in an era of turmoil

Saudis defend rights of the state by condemning Hizbollah adventurism
Khalid al-Dakhil

Weakened Arab system leaves leaders grappling with loss of influence
David Hirst

Saudis mull losses in Lebanon as bid for influence is shattered
Mahan Abedin

US deaf to Arabs as Saudis warn of war
Khalid al-Dakhil

Lebanon plays proxy as Arab states ponder Iran-Syria alliance
Khalid al-Dakhil

Saudi mediation in Lebanon threatened by collapse of sectarian balances
Khalid al-Dakhil

Saudis pour scorn on Friedman's view that Iran not Saudi Arabia is America's natural ally
Saad Sowayan

Arab hopes depend on success of Saudi diplomatic efforts to prove soft power can work
Shaker Nabulsi

Iran ponders aims of Saudi mediation as US ratchets up "'psy-ops" against Tehran
Mahan Abedin

Saudi builds border defences as desert frontiers defy efforts to fix lines in the sand
Joshua Craze

Al-Saud reap rewards of patience as US sees future in listening to its Arab allies
Saad Sowayan


Opportunity beckons in Riyadh as Arab leaders gain chance to take initiative on crises
Saad Sowayan

Iran's challenge to the West is Muslims' hope of cultural renaissance and nuclear balance
Munthir Alkewther

Decisive Saudis give Arab Leaders reason for hope after positive signs at Riyadh summit
Khalid al-Dakhil

III The many faces of Saudi society

The drive for rights is more than just about cars
Fahad Nazer

Abdullah tells Saudis they must accept diversity
Khalid al-Dakhil

Saudi women struggle to confront the religious guise of male power
Shaker Nabulsi

Schools reform lag leaves Saudi pupils victim of religious agenda
Shaker Nabulsi

Civil-religious divide brings new debate on Saudi future
Shaker Nabulsi

Judge provokes outcry among Saudis with "pre-Islamic" marriage ruling
Khalid al-Dakhil

Judge's divorce ruling highlights need to codify Saudi adherence to Sharia
Khalid al-Dakhil

Saudis resist efforts by clerical "class" to create nation of fashion slaves
Khalid al-Dakhil

Arab world's dearth of ideas lets "dour Islamists" ransack the attic of history
Fawaz Turki

Urban life key to Saudi nation building
Khalid al-Dakhil

Academics battle over true analysis of how the Saudi state was born
Khalid al-Dakhil

Opponents of Saudi reform show their arrogance in battle over "khusousiyyah"
Saad Sowayan

Women imprisoned by Saudi fundamentalists' false claims of "tradition"
Saad Sowayan

Islamist power stifles Saudi youth as teachers fear wrath of classroom zealots
Saad Sowayan

Non-Gulf voices of "Gulf" satellite channels deny region Arab world influence
Khalid al-Dakhil

Reflection key to writing Arabia's diverse history
Madawi al-Rasheed

Saudis tire of "Control Squads" as rigid moral guardians fall out of step with the people
Badriyyah al-Bisher

Grim plight of Saudi women stops kingdom turning development goals into reality
Badriyyah al-Bisher

Women carry the burden of "pleasure marriage" as men satisfy their souls
Badriyyah al-Bisher

Pressures of youth and rich-poor gap mean time right for Saudis to widen search for solutions
Saad Sowayan

Saudi enlightenment remains elusive as rivals fail in effort to counter extremism
Abdulaziz al-Khedr

IV Culture and authenticity

The first novel on the fall of the first Saudi capital
Khalid al-Dakhil

Saudis in quest for a "Luther" to bring tolerant Islam
Madawi al-Rasheed

A "modern" Quran the vital next step for Arabs to forge the future
Fawaz Turki

Saudis sip cup of tradition as coffee brings desert hospitality to modern life
Saad Sowayan

Coffee poets laud Arabia's men of deeds
Saad Sowayan

Fresh voice of Saudi enlightenment cites tolerance as exit from Arab "dark age"
Shaker Nabulsi

Muslim Brotherhood's failure of ideas leaves shura and democracy as far apart as ever
Shaker Nabulsi

Qaradawi damages Palestine's cause by turning global issue into Islamist weapon
Mona Eltahawy

Women cite Quranic rights as Muslim modernists use law to confront culture of oppression
Khalid Chraibi

Wife beaters set the tone as backward Imams threaten to overwhelm 21st Century Muslims
Mona Eltahawy

Elites crush cultural variety as silencing of Arab voices adds to risk of religious intolerance
Saad Sowayan

Mixed message on "riba" leaves Muslims trapped between usurers and lenders
Khalid Chraibi

Pope and people must understand truth of Quranic teachings on jihad and religious freedom
Khalid Chraibi

Families stop Arab women achieving real potential
Mona Eltahawy

Confusion over image and reality leaves Saudi critics chasing their private illusions
Abdul Aziz al-Khedr

Extremists cannot claim Quranic justification for violence despite proud boasts of "jihadis"
Khalid Chraibi