What is the main message of On Saudi Arabia?

The main message of On Saudi Arabia is to provide a nuanced understanding of Saudi society and its complexities.

How long does it take to read On Saudi Arabia?

The estimated reading time for On Saudi Arabia is a few hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.

Who is the author of On Saudi Arabia?

The author of On Saudi Arabia is Karen Elliott House.

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On Saudi Arabia Book Summary - On Saudi Arabia Book explained in key points

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On Saudi Arabia summary

Name: On Saudi Arabia
Rating: 3.8 (72 reviews)
Author: Karen Elliott House

Karen Elliott House

Its People, Past, Religion, Fault Lines – and Future

3.8 (72 ratings)

18 mins

Brief summary

On Saudi Arabia by Karen Elliott House is a captivating exploration of the intricacies and contradictions of the Saudi state. House provides a nuanced perspective on the kingdom's history, culture, politics, and global impact.

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On Saudi Arabia
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Key idea 1 of 8

What’s in it for me? Go behind the scenes of Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s most shut-off nations.

Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy – one of the few that still remains. What makes this kingdom so special, though, is its unique history. After World War I, the Ottoman Empire was no longer around to keep the peace in the Arabian Peninsula and, in 1932, after a lengthy military conflict between local tribal leaders, a new Saudi Arabian state was founded. It’s leader was King Ibn Saud.

The kingdom fared better than some of its neighbors. In 1938, large quantities of oil – which is still the bedrock of the economy – were discovered. Much of the population, however, lived in utter poverty – and still does. As non-religious tourism is still extremely limited, the following blinks will give you a unique look at the region that gave birth to Islam.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

how women fit into the male-dominated Saudi society;
what role social media is beginning to play in youth activism; and
why immense oil wealth isn’t solving Saudi economic problems.

Saudi Arabia is one of the last nations to have an absolute monarchy – in part because of religious influences.

If asked to think of royalty in a Western nation, you’d probably think of Britain. The British royal family has fascinated people for many generations – but no one has ever considered letting them run the nation’s government. Yet this is exactly how it works in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia’s king has practically unlimited power: He nominates the top religious leaders, appoints all the judges and chooses who makes up the 150 members of the country’s powerless parliament. Furthermore, throughout the nation, the various regions are ruled by princes with blood ties to the king.

To ensure a pristine public image, the king has put his relatives in charge of Saudi Arabia’s media outlets. And he also pays close attention to social and civic organizations to make sure they are discouraging people from organizing any political protests that might threaten the monarchy.

This power is backed by the royal family’s vast wealth, which derives from the primary driver of the nation’s economy: petrol oil.

However, the king’s power over his people has more to do with religious influence than economic coercion.

It wasn’t until the nineteenth century that Saudi Arabia settled down to having one absolute ruler. Before then, rival factions of nomadic Bedouin tribes ruled the land – recognizing no single absolute leader.

However, following a thirty-year military campaign, King Ibn Saud defeated the rival Arabian houses in 1932, conquering what would eventually become known as Saudi Arabia.

At the top of the new king’s to-do list was making sure that the Bedouin tribes remained loyal to his leadership. For this to happen, he needed to change the country’s social structure.

He used Wahhabism, a puritanical form of Islam, to convince the nomadic tribes to form settlements and communities known as umma, where people share one belief and obey the Qur’an without question.

Since the royal family, and Ibn Saud, were considered to be Allah’s representatives on earth, this arrangement would guarantee that the newly formed monarchy would be followed with unquestioning loyalty.

Saudi Arabia remains religious, but there is disagreement between its leaders on how religion should be followed.

Whether you grew up in a secular or slightly religious culture, you’re probably familiar with a prayer or two for a certain holiday. Maybe you say grace with your family before eating dinner. In the West, it’s common for religious commitment to be casual. This casualness becomes especially pronounced when compared with the centrality of religion in Saudi life.

In Saudi Arabia, everyone is well acquainted with salat, the Muslim prayers that people are obligated to perform five times a day.

Saudi Arabians have traditionally remained isolated from one another, but social media is changing this.

It’s easy to feel isolated and alone, even if you live in a crowded city. But there are many reasons for a Saudi Arabian to feel this way.

For generations, Saudi Arabian society has been one of isolation and cultural suppression.

Women are challenging their traditional role in Saudi society, and their efforts are starting to take effect.

It’s a common mistake to think that the traditional Islamic world relegated all women to household duties. After all, the Qur’an describes the prophet’s first wife as an accomplished businesswoman, and a subsequent wife as being a leader of an army.

Yet, despite these empowered forebears, Islamic women today are still fighting to be recognized as having a place outside the home, while modern society in Saudi Arabia is unsure about what women should be allowed to do.

A new generation of rebellious youth has emerged in Saudi Arabia, which reflects growing unrest.

Western teenagers are practically expected to rebel against their parents and other authority figures, but this concept is a new one to other places in the world.

In Saudi Arabia, previous generations were mostly complaisant. They recognized, or even revered, the power of the authoritarian religious state. This makes the recent waves of youthful rebellion especially momentous.

Saudi Arabia has an unusually large number of princes, but most of them are trying to help the country.

In the West, royalty is generally something that only a few lucky people are born or married into.

But there’s a different royal landscape in Saudi Arabia, where passing generations have left the nation filled with princes who have a lot of spare time on their hands.

Despite huge investment in public education, the unemployment rate in Saudi Arabia is dangerously high.

It’s no secret that some people in Western cultures can take things for granted. Take education, for example. Many kids moan and groan about having to go to school every day, when this is actually a great privilege.

In Saudi Arabia, the public education system is in poor shape.

The Saudi economy is overly dependent on oil and foreigners, and, so far, efforts to remedy this have failed.

Having a huge supply of oil in your backyard might not sound like such a bad thing, but when you have too much of a good thing, it can lead to problems. Saudi Arabia has come to know the downside of being oil-rich.

Over the years, Saudi Arabia’s economy has become dangerously dependent on oil and foreign labor.

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What is On Saudi Arabia about?

On Saudi Arabia (2012) gives a fascinating overview of a country rife with contradictions. Despite being immensely wealthy, Saudi Arabia is filled with people who live in abject poverty. And although on its way to being counted among the world’s most powerful countries, it has an education system that’s received execrable rankings. Add to this a liberal dose of religious fanaticism and a complex royal family and you’ll begin to see why Saudi Arabia has struggled to come to terms with itself.

On Saudi Arabia Review

On Saudi Arabia (2012) by Karen Elliott House sheds light on the complexities of Saudi society and its political landscape. Here's what sets this book apart:

The book offers a rare insider perspective from the author's extensive experience and interviews with a wide range of Saudis, providing unique insights into the country.
With rich historical context, it explores the challenges and contradictions of Saudi Arabia, fostering a deep understanding of its role in the Middle East and the wider world.
The book balances the personal stories of ordinary Saudis with in-depth analysis, ensuring both accessibility and intellectual rigor.

Best quote from On Saudi Arabia

Most people want to be more religious than the Prophet. But...the relationship between men and women is not war. - Sheikh al Ghamdi

—Karen Elliott House

Who should read On Saudi Arabia?

Readers wanting to know more about life in Saudi Arabia
Economists interested in a rich yet struggling nation
Travelers considering a visit to Saudi Arabia

About the Author

Karen Elliott House is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. After studying journalism at the University of Texas, she became a reporter for the Wall Street Journal. She spent much of the past 35 years visiting Saudi Arabia.

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