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

The Kingdom brings together a fascinating selection of writings on contemporary Saudi Arabia by a diverse group of authors, and includes contributions by 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 society 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, dealing respectively with Saudi domestic political issues, the Kingdom’s role in regional affairs, studies of Saudi society, and cultural and religious life in the Kingdom.