THE FAULT LINES OF THE MIDDLE EAST CONVERGE IN SAUDI ARABIA

In recent years, the de facto head of the House of Saud, Mohammed bin Salman, has promoted the oil-rich kingdom as an open, liberalizing nation that has invested in culture, tourism, and social innovation to become a beacon for the region. Malise Ruthven, a leading commentator on Islamic affairs, reveals the historical currents beneath these changes: how the royal house co-opted Wahhabism to consolidate its power and enforce authoritarianism in collusion with Western businesses and governments.

"Ruthven's unblushing polemic treats Jamal Khashoggi's gruesome murder in Istanbul and its cover-up as representative of the Saudi kingdom's recent policies rather than, as their defenders claim, a regrettable aberration" - Times Literary Supplement

"One of today's most perceptive observers and historians of religion" - Guardian

"An eye-popping and unsettling read ... meticulous" - Times

"Informed and insightful ... Ruthven has won a deserved reputation as one of the most informed and acute writers on the Islamic world, eschewing angry pontification or clever instant commentary. This book ... deserves to be read by anyone seriously interested in Saudi Arabia and its growing influence in the world ... excellent" - Literary Review

"****" - Telegraph