Saudi Arabia Exposed : Inside a Kingdom in Crisis

by John R. Bradley

• ISBN13: 9781403964335
• ISBN10: 1403964335
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 2005-06-14
• Publisher: St Martins Pr

Summary

Saudi Arabia: land of oil, terrorism, Islamic fundamentalism, and a crucial American ally. As the only Western journalist to have extensively worked in the Saudi Kingdom, John R. Bradley is uniquely able to expose the turmoil that is shaking the House of Saud to its foundations. From the heart of the secretive Islamic kingdom's urban centers to its most remote mountainous terrain, from the homes of royalty to the slums of its poorest inhabitants, he provides intimate details and reveals underlying regional, religious, and tribal rivalries. Bradley highlights tensions generated by social change, focuses on the educational system, the increasing restlessness of Saudi youth faced with limited opportunities for cultural and political expression, and the predicament of Saudi women seeking opportunities but facing constraints. What are the implications for the Sauds and the West? This book offers a startling look at the present predicament and a troubling view of the future.

Author Biography

John R. Bradley has reported extensively from Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East for The New Republic, Salon, The Washington Times, The Independent and The London Daily Telegraph. He has commentated on related issues for CNN, CBS, the BBC and NPR.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	ix
Introduction	xi
PART ONE
1. Liberal Voices of the Hijaz	3	(38)
2. The Death of the Majlis	41	(14)
3. Flower Men, Tribal Sheiks	55	(18)
4. Shia Fear	73	(14)
5. Ticking Time Bombs: Saudi Youth	87	(18)
PART TWO
6. Expatriate Life (and Death)	105	(30)
7. Urban Crime Wave	135	(18)
8. The Segregation of the Sexes	153	(28)
9. Who's Censoring Whom?	181	(24)
10. Are the Saudis Sunk?	205	(13)
A Note on Sources	218	(1)
Index	219