King Faisal And The Modernisation Of Saudi Arabia

King Faisal And The Modernisation Of Saudi Arabia
Author: Willard A. Beling
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 204
Release: 2019-03-13
Genre: History
ISBN: 0429728050

The late King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz was born in Riyadh in 1905/6, several years after his father Abdulaziz Ibn Saud had recaptured it from Ibn Rashid. In 1964 he became king of Saudi Arabia, famous for harbouring twenty five percent of the world's oil reserves and hailed as the most powerful Arab ruler in centuries. In 1975, his nephew shot him in

Italy and Saudi Arabia confronting the challenges of the XXI century

Italy and Saudi Arabia confronting the challenges of the XXI century
Author: Silvia Colombo
Publisher: Edizioni Nuova Cultura
Total Pages: 136
Release: 2013-10-06
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 8868121514

Italy and Saudi Arabia are united by numerous and strong ties that have developed over the decades. In 1932, the two countries signed a Treaty of Friendship that constitutes the origin of their bilateral relations. The celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the establishment of Saudi-Italian diplomatic relations provide an opportunity to assess the state of these relations, as well as to advance some proposals as to how the two countries’ mutual cooperation and engagement in the regional and international arenas could be strengthened. The steady development of Saudi-Italian relations over the past 80 years has most recently been affected by the accelerated changes taking place in the Mediterranean region as part of the so-called “Arab Spring”. This region represents a priority for both countries and a significant link between them. Both economic imperatives and a geo-strategic rationale lie behind the increasingly frequent calls for a consolidation of bilateral relations between Italy and the countries of the GCC in general, and Saudi Arabia in particular. This book wishes to commemorate the outstanding level of engagement between Italy and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in a number of domains. It also aims to advance our knowledge of the most promising areas of cooperation, the challenges facing such cooperation and the prospects for future mutual engagement.

'Iffat Al Thunayan

'Iffat Al Thunayan
Author: Joseph A. Kechichian
Publisher: Liverpool University Press
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2015
Genre: Queens
ISBN: 9781845196851

Iffat Al Thunayan, spouse of the late King Faysal bin 'Abdul 'Aziz Al Sa'ud (r. 1964-1975), was a pillar of the ruling Al Sa'ud family. Born and raised in Istanbul to an uprooted Sa'udi family, she returned to the Kingdom in 1932, a few months before the founder ruler, 'Abdul 'Aziz bin 'Abdul Rahman, reinstituted the monarchy. 'Iffat used her influence to infiltrate many progressive ideas into the Kingdom, including significant strides in education for both boys and girls as well as major advances in health care. An astute observer and a doer par excellence, Queen 'Iffat left her mark on the contemporary history of the Al Sa'ud, as she protected and empowered her kin. She raised a formidable family, listened carefully, guided conversations as necessary, spoke with moderation, recommended policies to her husband and, after the latter was assassinated, to her brothers-in-law who succeeded him. A politically conscious spouse, Queen 'Iffat played the leading role in Sa'udi female society, attended many state functions, and received female state guests. She traveled extensively, especially in Europe and the United States, supported myriad charities, and cajoled many to invest in the Kingdom. Universally respected, many people sought her advice for she shared her ambitions and ideas to benefit the entire country. Based on multiple interviews conducted with members of the al-Faysal family, friends, and acquaintances of the late Queen, Joseph A. Kechichian offers the first political biography of a Sa'udi monarch's spouse. This work is an important resource for social scientists and political analysts, and of interest to all who wish to learn about Arab women in general, and Sa'udi women in particular.

Saudi Interventions in Yemen

Saudi Interventions in Yemen
Author: Caroline F. Tynan
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 190
Release: 2020-07-29
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1000095665

This book explains the Saudi decision to launch a direct military intervention in Yemen in 2015 by comparing it with the monarchy’s response to Egyptian intervention into Yemen in 1962. It does so through the lens of domestic politics by tracing the monarchy’s response to the opposition in both time periods, and how this was informed by the different regional contexts of the 1960s and the 2011 Arab Spring. The study argues that Saudi Arabia enhanced its own institutions, including a pan-Islamic ideological justification to rule, in response to aggression from Egypt and its revolutionary pan-Arab ideology. This contributed to a relatively cautious Saudi foreign policy in response to regional threats from Arab nationalism, along with a strategy of co-optation within the kingdom. In contrast, the non-ideological threat embodied in the Arab Spring posed a more existential danger to Saudi legitimacy. The new crown prince manipulated the regime’s sense of anxiety from this to consolidate power through further scapegoating of the Shi’a minority, exacerbated tensions with foreign rivals, and, most blatantly, the 2015 intervention in Yemen. Comparing Saudi foreign policy changes from the Arab nationalist period to the post-Arab Spring period, this volume is a valuable resource for scholars and students interested in political science, history, international relations and Middle East politics.

King Faisal of Saudi Arabia

King Faisal of Saudi Arabia
Author: Alexei Vassiliev
Publisher: Saqi
Total Pages: 530
Release: 2013-03-01
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0863567614

In 1964 Faisal bin Abdul Aziz became king of a country holding a quarter of the world's oil reserves, also home to Mecca and Medina. He was called 'the most powerful Arab ruler in centuries'. Eleven years later, in front of television cameras, his nephew shot him at point-blank range. In this authoritative biography, Alexei Vassiliev tells the story of a pious, cautious and resolute leader who steered Saudi Arabia through a minefield of domestic problems, inter-Arab relations and the decline of Soviet influence in the Middle East. King Faisal maintained ties with both Egypt and the United States through two Arab - Israeli wars and the 1973 Arab oil embargo, which revolutionized the world energy market. Throughout, he staked high hopes on cooperation with the US, a relationship that is still vital to both countries' interests. Exhaustively researched and including original documents and interviews in Arabic, Russian and English, King Faisal of Saudi Arabia: Personality, Faith and Times offers a unique perspective of this seminal figure and is key to understanding the Arab world today.

Jihad in Saudi Arabia

Jihad in Saudi Arabia
Author: Thomas Hegghammer
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 303
Release: 2010-04-01
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 113948639X

Saudi Arabia, homeland of Osama bin Laden and many 9/11 hijackers, is widely considered to be the heartland of radical Islamism. For decades, the conservative and oil-rich kingdom contributed recruits, ideologues and money to jihadi groups worldwide. Yet Islamism within Saudi Arabia itself remains poorly understood. Why has Saudi Arabia produced so many militants? Has the Saudi government supported violent groups? How strong is al-Qaida's foothold in the kingdom and does it threaten the regime? Why did Bin Laden not launch a campaign there until 2003? This 2010 book presents the first ever history of Saudi jihadism based on extensive fieldwork in the kingdom and primary sources in Arabic. It offers a powerful explanation for the rise of Islamist militancy in Saudi Arabia and sheds crucial new light on the history of the global jihadist movement.

The International Politics of the Persian Gulf

The International Politics of the Persian Gulf
Author: Arshin Adib-Moghaddam
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 375
Release: 2006-09-27
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1134171889

Adib-Moghaddam examines the causes and consequences of conflict in one of the most important regions of the world. Bridging the gap between critical theories of international relations and the empirical study of the Gulf area, this book expands on the many ideologies, cultural inventions and ideational constructs that have affected relations in the past three decades. Key issues explored include: the rise and fall of Arab and Persian nationalism the international repercussions of the Islamic revolution in Iran the events surrounding the three Gulf Wars the 'mindset' of terrorist networks such as al-Qaeda why US neo-conservatism is threatening regional order. Provocatively written, persuasively researched and conclusively argued, The International Politics of the Persian Gulf presents the first comprehensive analysis of international relations in the Gulf from an explicitly multidisciplinary perspective.

The Wahhabi Mission and Saudi Arabia

The Wahhabi Mission and Saudi Arabia
Author: David Commins
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 353
Release: 2009-03-30
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0857731351

Wahhabism has been generating controversy since it first emerged in Arabia in the 18th century. In the wake of September 11th instant theories have emerged that try to root Osama Bin Laden's attacks on Wahhabism. Muslim critics have dismissed this conservative interpretation of Islam that is the official creed of Saudi Arabia as an unorthodox innovation that manipulated a suggestible people to gain political influence. David Commins' book questions this assumption. He examines the debate on the nature of Wahhabism, and offers original findings on its ascendance in Saudi Arabia and spread throughout other parts of the Muslim world such as Afghanistan and Pakistan. He also assesses the challenge that radical militants within Saudi Arabia pose to the region, and draws conclusions which will concern all those who follow events in the Kingdom. "The Wahhabi Mission and Saudi Arabia" is an essential reading for anyone interested in the Middle East and Islamic radicalism today.

Regime Stability in Saudi Arabia

Regime Stability in Saudi Arabia
Author: Stig Stenslie
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 183
Release: 2012
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0415693349

This book examines the structure of political power amongst elites inside Saudi Arabia and how they might cope with the very serious challenge posed by succession. Presenting a new and refreshing theoretical approach that links elite integration with regime stability, the author shows that the kingdom's royal elite is far more integrated than it has generally been given credit for. Based on extensive field work inside Saudi Arabia, the book offers a detailed, up-to-date survey and assessment of all the key sectors of the elites in the country. The author examines how the succession process has been used in highly different circumstances - including deposition, assassination, and death by old age - and demonstrates how regime stability in Saudi Arabia rests on the royal family's ability to unite and to solve the challenge of succession. He offers a strong analysis of intra-ruling family mechanisms and dynamics in this notoriously private royal family, and addresses the question of whether, as the number of royals rapidly grows, the elite is able to remain integrated. Providing a rare insight into the issues facing the royal family and ruling elite in Saudi Arabia, this book will be of great interest to scholars and students of Middle Eastern politics, and Saudi Arabia in particular.