Saudi Arabia and the Path to Political Change

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Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 085772407X
Total Pages : 400 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (577 download)

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Book Synopsis Saudi Arabia and the Path to Political Change by : Mark C. Thompson

Download or read book Saudi Arabia and the Path to Political Change written by Mark C. Thompson and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2014-06-16 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: State-society dialogue in Saudi Arabia is one of the most contested issues in the country today, yet little is known about the National Dialogue process, and its relationship with Saudi society is frequently and widely misunderstood. The first to examine the Saudi Arabian National Dialogue process in its entirety, Mark C. Thompson investigates the relationship between the King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue (KACND) and the key social constituencies of Saudi society. Since its establishment in 2003, the KACND has attempted to promote a culture of dialogue and has encouraged the debate of contentious socio-political issues by bringing individuals together from across the Kingdom. Drawing on Antonio Gramsci's theory of hegemony, the author asks whether the Saudi socio-political system is moving from a form of patrimonial state to one of ideological hegemony and, if this is the case, whether the KACND is a catalyst, or even a driving force, in this transition. Saudi Arabia and the Path to Political Change investigates the practices and the impact of the KACND and assesses the extent to which the institution's activities, and the ongoing National Dialogue process, represent a viable attempt to address emerging political concerns in Saudi Arabia. Covering pivotal issues including women's empowerment, public health and employment, the author here explores the extensive impact of the KACND's activities on internal cross-constituency communication and discourse and shows how the process relates to wider regime strategies and to the evolution of the Saudi polity. Based on approximately 120 interviews conducted in Saudi Arabia from 2009 to 2011 and drawing on the evidence of a wide range of focus groups and interviews with National Dialogue participants, KACND officials, government ministers, lawyers and journalists, this book provides a unique insight into the effects and consequences of Saudi National Dialogue, and questions the extent to which wider ideological debate is possible in the Kingdom.

Governance and Domestic Policy-Making in Saudi Arabia

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Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 0755644395
Total Pages : 328 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (556 download)

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Book Synopsis Governance and Domestic Policy-Making in Saudi Arabia by : Mark C. Thompson

Download or read book Governance and Domestic Policy-Making in Saudi Arabia written by Mark C. Thompson and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2022-03-24 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Saudi Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Plan 2020 are governmental initiatives to diversify Saudi Arabia's economy and implement nationwide social changes. Media and scholarly attention often describe the success or failure of these ambitious visions. This book shifts the focus to instead examine and evaluate the actual processes of domestic policymaking and governance that are being mapped out to achieve them. The book is unique in its breadth, with case studies from across different sectors including labour markets, defence, health, youth, energy and the environment. Each analyses the challenges that the country's leading institutions face in making, shaping and implementing the tailored policies that are being designed to change the country's future. In doing so, they reveal the factors that either currently facilitate or constrain effective and viable domestic policymaking and governance in the Kingdom. The study offers new and ground-breaking research based on the first-hand experiences of academics, researchers, policy-makers and practitioners who have privileged access to Saudi Arabia. At a time when analysis and reportage on Saudi Arabia usually highlights the 'high politics' of foreign policy, this book sheds light on the 'low politics' to show the extent to which Saudi policy, society, economics and culture is changing.

Saudi Arabia in Transition

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Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 1107006295
Total Pages : 361 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (7 download)

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Book Synopsis Saudi Arabia in Transition by : Bernard Haykel

Download or read book Saudi Arabia in Transition written by Bernard Haykel and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2015-01-19 with total page 361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents new insights and the most up-to-date research on Saudi Arabia's social, cultural, economic and political dynamics.

Saudi Arabia

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Author :
Publisher : Psychology Press
ISBN 13 : 9780415093255
Total Pages : 269 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (932 download)

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Book Synopsis Saudi Arabia by : Mordechai Abir

Download or read book Saudi Arabia written by Mordechai Abir and published by Psychology Press. This book was released on 1993 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Oil wealth facilitated Saudi Arabia's rapid modernization. Yet the resulting social changes produced tension in the kingdom between religious and state leaders, as well as between these two groups and the new elites. The Kuwait-Iraq crisis demonstrated both Saudi regional weakness and its importance to the U.S.-led West. It also increased the religious and socio-political tensions in the kingdom which threaten its stability. This work examines the contemporary tensions which form today's Saudi society and directs its path to the future.

Being Young, Male and Saudi

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Author :
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 1316946495
Total Pages : 379 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (169 download)

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Book Synopsis Being Young, Male and Saudi by : Mark C. Thompson

Download or read book Being Young, Male and Saudi written by Mark C. Thompson and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2019-10-03 with total page 379 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although the position of Saudi women within society draws media attention throughout the world, young Saudi men remain part of a silent mass, their thoughts and views rarely heard outside of the Kingdom. Based on primary research across Saudi Arabia with young men from a diverse range of backgrounds, Mark C. Thompson allows for this distinct group of voices to be heard, revealing their opinions and attitudes towards the societal and economic transformations affecting their lives within a gender-segregated society and examining the challenges and dilemmas facing young Saudi men in the twenty-first century. From ideas and beliefs about, identity, education, employment, marriage prospects and gender segregation, as well as political participation and exclusion, this study in turn invites us to reconsider the future of Saudi Arabia as a globalized kingdom.

Islam and Political Reform in Saudi Arabia

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Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1134126522
Total Pages : 674 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (341 download)

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Book Synopsis Islam and Political Reform in Saudi Arabia by : Mansoor Jassem Alshamsi

Download or read book Islam and Political Reform in Saudi Arabia written by Mansoor Jassem Alshamsi and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-06-12 with total page 674 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the link between Islamic thought/jurisprudence on the one hand and political action on the other. It shows how reformism is deeply rooted in Islamic tradition and how Sunni scholars have become activists for change in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia in the New Middle East

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Author :
Publisher : Council on Foreign Relations
ISBN 13 : 0876095171
Total Pages : 64 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (76 download)

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Book Synopsis Saudi Arabia in the New Middle East by : F Gregory Gause, III

Download or read book Saudi Arabia in the New Middle East written by F Gregory Gause, III and published by Council on Foreign Relations. This book was released on 2014-05-14 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The United States'' relationship with Saudi Arabia has been one of the cornerstones of U.S. policy in the Middle East for decades. Despite their substantial differences in history, culture, and governance, the two countries have generally agreed on important political and economic issues and have often relied on each other to secure mutual aims. The 1990-91 Gulf War is perhaps the most obvious example, but their ongoing cooperation on maintaining regional stability, moderating the global oil market, and pursuing terrorists should not be downplayed. Yet for all the relationship''s importance, it is increasingly imperiled by mistrust and misunderstanding. One major question is Saudi Arabia''s stability. In this Council Special Report, sponsored by the Center for Preventive Action, F. Gregory Gause III first explores the foundations of Riyadh''s present stability and potential sources of future unrest. It is difficult not to notice that Saudi Arabia avoided significant upheaval during the political uprisings that swept the Middle East in 2011, despite sharing many of the social and economic problems of Egypt, Yemen, and Libya. But unlike their counterparts in Cairo, Sanaa, and Tripoli, Riyadh''s leadership was able to maintain order in large part by increasing public spending on housing and salaries, relying on loyal and well-equipped security forces, and utilizing its extensive patronage networks. The divisions within the political opposition also helped the government''s cause. This is not to say that Gause believes that the stability of the House of Saud is assured. He points out that the top heirs to the throne are elderly and the potential for disorderly squabbling may increase as a new generation enters the line of succession. Moreover, the population is growing quickly, and there is little reason to believe that oil will forever be able to buy social tranquility. Perhaps most important, Gause argues, the leadership''s response to the 2011 uprisings did little to forestall future crises; an opportunity for manageable political reform was mostly lost. Turning to the regional situation, Gause finds it no less complex. Saudi Arabia has wielded considerable influence with its neighbors through its vast oil reserves, its quiet financial and political support for allies, and the ideological influence of salafism, the austere interpretation of Islam that is perhaps Riyadh''s most controversial export. For all its wealth and religious influence, however, Saudi Arabia''s recent record has been less than successful. It was unable to counter Iranian influence in post-Saddam Iraq, it could not prevent Hezbollah taking power in Lebanon, and its ongoing efforts to reconcile Hamas and the Palestinian Authority have come to naught. The U.S.-Saudi relationship has, unsurprisingly, been affected by these and other challenges, including Saudi unhappiness with Washington''s decision to distance itself from Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, the lack of progress on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and Iran. For its part, the United States is unhappy with the Saudi intervention in Bahrain and Saudi support for radical Islamists around the region and the world. The two traditional anchors of the U.S.-Saudi relationship-the Cold War and U.S. operation of Riyadh''s oil fields-are, Gause notes, no longer factors. It is no wonder, he contends, that the relationship is strained when problems are myriad and the old foundations of the informal alliance are gone. It would be far better, Gause argues, to acknowledge that the two countries can no longer expect to act in close concert under such conditions. He recommends that the United States reimagine the relationship as simply transactional, based on cooperation when interests-rather than habit-dictate. Prioritizing those interests will therefore be critical. Rather than pressuring Riyadh for domestic political reform, or asking it to reduce global oil prices, Gause recommends that the United States spend its political capital where it really matters: on maintaining regional security, dismantling terrorist networks, and preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons. There have been few relationships more important to the United States than that with Saudi Arabia, and it is vital that, as it enters a new phase, the expectations and priorities of both countries are clear. In Saudi Arabia in the New Middle East, Gause effectively assesses the challenges and opportunities facing Saudi Arabia and makes a compelling argument for a more modest, businesslike relationship between Washington and Riyadh that better reflects modern realities. As the United States begins reassessing its commitments in the Greater Middle East, this report offers a clear vision for a more limited-but perhaps more appropriate and sustainable-future partnership.

Saudi Stability in a Time of Change

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 29 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (716 download)

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Book Synopsis Saudi Stability in a Time of Change by : Anthony H. Cordesman

Download or read book Saudi Stability in a Time of Change written by Anthony H. Cordesman and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 29 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has begun a process of political change and turmoil that will take years to play out, and which could destabilize some MENA countries for a decade or more as a worst case. There is a tangible risk that Saudi Arabia will be affected in the short term, and it will take continued leadership and vision for Saudi Arab to deal with its longer-term internal challenges. This is a critical issue for both the US and global economy and US efforts deter and defend against Iran, instability in countries like Yemen, and deal with the threat of terrorism. The report concludes that Saudi Arabia is scarcely immune to protest and dissent, and has long struggled with the challenges of reform. What is most striking about the Kingdom over the past months of crisis, however, is the lack of any major challenge to government and the way it functions. The most serious challenges to Saudi stability may be structural. At the same time, there are reasons to believe that Saudi Arabia will remain stable and continue on the path to peaceful reform and change. No country in the MENA region has done more to invest in government services, education and jobs for youth, and broadly based economic development. The monarchy is reforming, putting more emphasis on performance, improving the ruler of law, and reducing corruption.

The Paradoxical Kingdom

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Publisher : Columbia University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780231128148
Total Pages : 428 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (281 download)

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Book Synopsis The Paradoxical Kingdom by : Daryl Champion

Download or read book The Paradoxical Kingdom written by Daryl Champion and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2003 with total page 428 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A specialist in Saudi Arabian affairs shows how religion, tradition, society, economics, politics and the state interact with each other as the nation lurches into the 21st century.

Saudi Arabia on the Edge

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Publisher : Potomac Books, Inc.
ISBN 13 : 1597978760
Total Pages : 477 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (979 download)

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Book Synopsis Saudi Arabia on the Edge by : Thomas W. Lippman

Download or read book Saudi Arabia on the Edge written by Thomas W. Lippman and published by Potomac Books, Inc.. This book was released on 2012-02 with total page 477 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Of all the countries in the world that are vital to the strategic and economic interests of the United States, Saudi Arabia is the least understood by the American people. Saudi Arabia's unique place in Islam makes it indispensable to a constructive relationship between the non-Muslim West and the Muslim world. For all its wealth, the country faces daunting challenges that it lacks the tools to meet: a restless and young population, a new generation of educated women demanding opportunities in a closed society, political stagnation under an octogenarian leadership, religious extremism and intellectual backwardness, social division, chronic unemployment, shortages of food and water, and troublesome neighbors. Today's Saudi people, far better informed than all previous generations, are looking for new political institutions that will enable them to be heard, but these aspirations conflict with the kingdom's strict traditions and with the House of Saud's determination to retain all true power. Meanwhile, the country wishes to remain under the protection of American security but still clings to a system that is antithetical to American values. Basing his work on extensive interviews and field research conducted in the kingdom from 2008 through 2011 under the auspices of the Council on Foreign Relations, Thomas W. Lippman dissects this central Saudi paradox for American readers, including diplomats, policymakers, scholars, and students of foreign policy.

Saudi Arabia

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Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317799348
Total Pages : 288 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (177 download)

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Book Synopsis Saudi Arabia by : Mordechai Abir

Download or read book Saudi Arabia written by Mordechai Abir and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-12-19 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This much-revised edition of Professor Abir's Saudi Arabia in the Oil Era now includes consideration of both Gulf Wars. Abir examines the social and political forces that have shaped Saudi Arabia, including the impact of Islam and of Westernization, drawing heavily on Saudi sources. There is also essential analysis of regional security dilemmas and of the country's prospects in the post-Gulf War era.

Saudi Arabian Modernization

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Publisher : Greenwood Publishing Group
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 136 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Saudi Arabian Modernization by : John A. Shaw

Download or read book Saudi Arabian Modernization written by John A. Shaw and published by Greenwood Publishing Group. This book was released on 1982 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Saudi Arabia in the Balance

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Publisher : NYU Press
ISBN 13 : 0814706991
Total Pages : 479 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (147 download)

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Book Synopsis Saudi Arabia in the Balance by : Paul Aarts

Download or read book Saudi Arabia in the Balance written by Paul Aarts and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 2006-03-01 with total page 479 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Saudi Arabia in the Balance brings together today’s leading scholars in the field to investigate the domestic, regional, and international affairs of a Kingdom whose policies have so far eluded the outside world. With the passing of King Fahd and the installation of King Abdullah, a contemporary understanding of Saudi Arabia is essential as the Kingdom enters a new era of leadership and particularly when many Saudis themselves are increasingly debating, and actively shaping, the future direction of domestic and foreign affairs. Each of the essays, framed in the aftermath of 9/11 and the 2003 invasion of Iraq, offers a systematic perspective into the country’s political and economic realities as well as the tension between its regional and global roles. Important topics covered include U.S. and Saudi relations; Saudi oil policy; the Islamist threat to the monarchy regime; educational opportunities; the domestic rise of liberal opposition; economic reform; the role of the royal family; and the country's foreign relations in a changing international world. Contributors: Paul Aarts, Madawi Al-Rasheed, Rachel Bronson, Iris Glosemeyer, Steffen Hertog, Yossi Kostiner, Stéphane Lacroix, Giacomo Luciani, Monica Malik, Roel Meijer, Tim Niblock, Gerd Nonneman, Michaela Prokop, Abdulaziz Sager, Guido Steinberg

Saudi Arabia

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781549747434
Total Pages : 97 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (474 download)

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Book Synopsis Saudi Arabia by : U. S. Military

Download or read book Saudi Arabia written by U. S. Military and published by . This book was released on 2017-09-14 with total page 97 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work will be of interest to any reader seeking a better understanding of the political and cultural history in Saudi Arabia. There is a current need for Special Operations Forces, specifically to appreciate the historical, domestic, regional, and other influences on the worldview and decision-making of Saudi Arabia's leaders, particularly those issues that have a significant impact on U.S.-Saudi security relationships. His monograph is a fascinating, condensed history of Saudi Arabia, focused on events and decisions that influence the modern political worldview of citizens in that country. For example, a history of tribes being ruled by outsiders; the pros and cons of alliances with the British and (more recently) the U.S., the impact of global geopolitics (e.g. Cold War), and the impact of regional neighbors' policies and events on Saudi Arabia's domestic and foreign policies (to include its relationship with the U.S.). This volume explains the importance of politically shrewd and pragmatic leaders and the ways that Iran's ambitions and policies threaten Saudi Arabia's regional influence, as well as how the historical fracturing of the U.S.-Iran relationship played well for Saudi Arabia. This book also provides a brief overview of Arabia from the early Islamic period to the rise of the first Saudi state in 1744 and then examines the emergence of Wahhabi Islam and First (1744-1818) and Second (1824-1891) Saudi States and the challenges associated with them. He then analyzes the emergence of the Third Saudi State and Saudi Arabia, and the recognition by Ibn Saud of the weaknesses and problems that undermined the previous Saudi States. This leads to the great succession crisis of the 1950s and 1960s when revolutionary Egypt and instability across the region toppled monarchies and threatened traditional regimes. Dr. Barrett highlights contemporary Saudi Arabia from 1975 to 2005 (the year that King Abdullah assumed the throne) and analyzes the reign of King Abdullah and his attempts to rationalize and reform the political, economic, and social life of the nation. This monograph has value to the military and policy world. It is not only a good explanation of the history of Saudi Arabia, but its greatest value is its succinctness in analyzing and presenting the Saudi strategic culture. It should be of interest to strategists, planners, and leaders interested in the region and the relationship with the Kingdom. The monograph concludes with an epilogue addressing King Abdullah's death on 23 January 2015 at age 90, providing context to the transition to King Salman's government and what the line of succession will look like in the future. Chapter 1 - The Arabian Context and Emergence of the Saudi State * Chapter 2 - Ibn Saud and the Founding of Saudi Arabia * Chapter 3 - Transition and Crisis: 1953-1975 * Chapter 4 - Modern Saudi Arabia and the Patronage State * Chapter 5 - The Reign of King Abdullah and the Contemporary Reality This study analyzes Saudi Arabia from the context of its own unique historical, political, economic, and socio-cultural path to a modern patronage state. It also looks toward the coming transformations facing the Kingdom- a generational leadership change, the socio-economic complications of population growth, and the challenges to Gulf security posed by an increasingly unstable region. Saudi Arabia differs fundamentally from the Gulf emirates of Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, the Sultanate of Oman, and the Kingdom of Bahrain. Saudi Arabia is the product of a parallel but very different historical experience. This is the story of three Saudi states, each driven by aggressive expansive policies, a distinct ideology, and each checked in its regional ambitions by the intervention of an outside power whose interests the Saudi state threatened.

Saudi Arabia in the Oil Era Pbdirect

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 9781138846746
Total Pages : 266 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (467 download)

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Book Synopsis Saudi Arabia in the Oil Era Pbdirect by : Mordechai Abir

Download or read book Saudi Arabia in the Oil Era Pbdirect written by Mordechai Abir and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-09-28 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is about the socio-political dynamics in modern Saudi Arabia both in European languages and Arabic. It discusses the changes that the country, society, educational system, government, politics of Saudi Arabia underwent due to modernisation.

Saudi Arabia

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Author :
Publisher : DIANE Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1437928382
Total Pages : 55 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (379 download)

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Book Synopsis Saudi Arabia by : Christopher M. Blanchard

Download or read book Saudi Arabia written by Christopher M. Blanchard and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2010-11 with total page 55 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contents: (1) Recent Developments; (2) Background: Saudi Arabia (SA)-U.S. Relations, 1931-2001; 9/11 and its Aftermath; Recent Assessments; Terrorist Financing; (3) Congress. Interest in SA: U.S. Foreign Assist. to SA and Prohibitions; Counter-terrorism Assist.; BAE Corruption Inquiry; (4) Current Issues in U.S.-SA Relations; Mil. Cooperation: Counterterrorism; Al Qaeda; Combating Extremism; Arab-Israeli Conflict; SA-Palestinian Relations; SA Policy Priorities in Iraq; U.S.-SA Trade; U.S. Oil Imports and SA Policy; SA Boycott of Israel and WTO Membership; Human Rights, Religious Freedom, and Political Reform; Leadership and Succession; Social Reform Debates and Recent Leadership Changes; Human Rights; Religious Freedom.

Saudi Arabia in a Multipolar World

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge Chapman & Hall
ISBN 13 : 9780367177119
Total Pages : 282 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (771 download)

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Book Synopsis Saudi Arabia in a Multipolar World by : Zakir Hussain

Download or read book Saudi Arabia in a Multipolar World written by Zakir Hussain and published by Routledge Chapman & Hall. This book was released on 2019-04-25 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has established itself as the twelfth-largest economy in the world, the largest West Asian economic power, worlds largest oil producer, and a strong and capable force in international politics, particularly in the Sunni Islamic world. However, at present it is at crossroads. Should it continue as akingdom or usher in