The Son King: Reform and Repression in Saudi Arabia [Hardcover]

A sharp, authoritative account of MBS's Saudi Arabia, where reform and ruthless repression go hand in hand.In 2018, journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered by Saudi regime operatives, shocking the international community and tarnishing the reputation of Muhammad bin Salman, the kingdom's young, reformist crown prince. Domestically, bin Salman's reforms have proven divisive, and his adoption of populist nationalism and fierce repression of diverse critical voices--religious scholars, feminists and dissident youth--have failed to silence a vibrant and well-connected Saudi society.Madawi Al-Rasheed lays bare the world of repression behind the crown prince's reforms. She dissects the Saudi regime's propaganda and progressive new image, while also dismissing Orientalist views that despotism is the only pathway to stable governance in the Middle East. Charting old and new challenges to the fragile Saudi nation from the kingdom's very inception, this blistering book exposes the dangerous contradictions at the heart of the Son King's Saudi Arabia.Introduction: Knowledge in the Time of Oil1 - Becoming Saudi Arabia2 - Apostles and Apologists3 -The Son King and the 'Man of the Palace'4 - The New Populist Nationalism5 -The Sub-Nationals: Diversity and Exclusion6 - Women and Rights7 - Young and RestlessConclusionNotesSelect BibliographyMadawi Al-Rasheed is Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics Middle East Centre. She is the author and editor of several books on Saudi Arabia, most recentlySalman's Legacy: The Dilemmas of a New Era in Saudi Arabia. An exceptionally clear-sighted, readable analysis of the regime of Crown Prince Muhammad ibn Salman. With consummate skill, Al-Rasheed has dissected his programme of populist nationalism, bringing to light not only the methods used, but also the contradictions at its heart. -- Charles Tripp, Professor Emeritus of Politics, SOAS University of London

This book felt close to my heart as a woman activist and exilÓ7