Salman’s Legacy: The Dilemmas of a New Era
in Saudi Arabia
Edited by Madawi al-Rasheed
London: C. Hurst & Co. Publications, 2018, 367 pages, $42.13, ISBN: 9781849049658
The Son King: Reform and Repression in Saudi Arabia
By Madawi al-Rasheed
London: Hurst & Company, 2020, 394 pages, $33.45, ISBN: 9781787383791
MBS: The Rise to Power of Mohammed bin Salman
By Ben Hubbard
New York: Tim Duggan Books, 2020, 392 pages, $26.20, ISBN: 9781984823847
Modern Saudi Arabia, which enjoys a special place in the Muslim world as the birthplace of Islam, came into existence in 1932. Tribal alliances, feuds, and flexible loyalties still shape the landscape, as they have done ever since the time when Ibn Saud, Amir of Hijaz allied with Imam Abdul Wahhab. Saudi Arabia has no congress, no parliament, no president, and no supreme court. The country continues to be a monarchy that follows a conservative interpretation of Islam. This review article aims to provide broader nuances about Saudi Arabia amid the rapid developments taking place in the Middle East in general and Saudi Arabia in particular, following the rise of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). This article begins with Salman’s Legacy, edited by Madawi al-Rasheed, and subsequently, takes up Madawi al-Rasheed’s The Son King and Ben Hubbard’s biography of MBS. It provides a brief summary of the books under review and analyzes their different themes while critically examining their prevailing shortcomings.