Saudi Arabia in the Balance: Political Economy, Society, Foreign Affairs - Tapa dura

"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

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