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, Stephane Lacroix, Giacomo Luciani, Monica Malik, Roel Meijer, Tim Niblock, Gerd Nonneman, Michaela Prokop, Abdulaziz Sager, Guido Steinberg
Paul Aarts is Senior Lecturer in International Relations at the Department of Political Science, University of Amsterdam. Gerd Nonneman is Reader in International Relations and Middle East Politics, University of Lancaster, and a former Executive
The Editors The ContributorsTransliteration Introduction Paul Aarts and Gerd Nonneman Part I. IDEOLOGY AND CHANGEThe Wahhabi Ulama and the Saudi StateIslamo-Liberal Politics in Saudi Arabia Stephane Lacroix The War of IdeasMichaela Prokop Part II. POLITICAL ECONOMYSaudi Arabia's EconomyMonica Malik and Tim Niblock Segmented Clientelism: The Political Economy of Saudi Economic Reform Efforts Steffen Hertog From Private Sector to National BourgeoisiePart III. REGIME AND OPPOSITIONCircles of Power: Royals and Society in Saudi ArabiaMadawi Al-Rasheed Checks, Balances and Transformation in the Saudi Political System Iris Glosemeyer Political Opposition in Saudi Arabia Abdulaziz Sager The 'Cycle of Contention' and the Limits of Terrorism in Saudi Arabia Roel Meijer Part IV. EXTERNAL RELATIONSDeterminants and Patterns of Saudi Foreign PolicyCoping with Regional ChallengesPrince Abdullah's Peace Initiative Joseph Kostiner Understanding US-Saudi Relations Rachel Bronson Events versus Trends: The Role of Energy and Security in Sustaining the US-Saudi Relationship Paul Aarts CONCLUSIONS AND OUTLOOKA Triple Nexus: Ideology, Economy, Foreign Policy and the Outlook for the Saudi PolityPaul Aarts and Gerd Nonneman Index
"Aarts and Nonneman have organized the essays to complement one another in tone and content and to highlight both empirical and theoretical approaches." -Library Journal "Serves best as a source of information and some insight into the tactical questions facing the Saudi and U.S. ruling classes." -International Socialist Review "A thorough analysis of the country and of America's relationship with it... Useful for readers seeking to understand the complexities of Saudi society and U.S. interests." -Library Journal "A welcome and breathtaking burst of new knowledge. There is no volume today that contains so much useful material." -Joshua Teitelbaum,author of The Rise and Fall of the Hashemite Kingdom of Arabia "Many illuminating essays." -The Economist
