About this Book

"[Ottaway provides] deep analysis of the rationale for MBS's actions and the intricacies of the political machinations within the Saudi royal family." --Helen Lackner, Asian Affairs

"An accessible and informed contribution that should appeal to a wide range of audiences." --Madawi Al-Rasheed, International Affairs

"A must-read analysis of the tensions driving the changing nature of the seventy-five-year-old US-Saudi relationship. Ottaway has masterfully placed at the center of his narrative Mohammed bin Salman, the ruthless, repressive, reformer would-be king who may well hold the key to Saudi Arabia's future." --Aaron David Miller, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

"Excellent.... A thorough, insightful examination of what has happened in Saudi politics, what went wrong, and where the kingdom is going under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman." --Theodore Karasik, Gulf State Analytics

Mohammed bin Salman. A monarch-to-be without scruples? Or a visionary seeking a path to global power? A social reformer determined to bring his country into the twenty-first century? Or just another brutal dictator? A leader on the road to greatness, or one destined to follow in the footsteps of Icarus? Veteran Washington Postforeign correspondent David Ottaway draws on more than a half-century of observation and reporting to shed light on these conundrums at the heart of any attempt to understand Saudi Arabia--and the man who is poised to rule the country for decades to come.
CONTENTS:

• The Conundrums of Saudi Arabia.
• Mohammed bin Salman's Meteoric Rise to Power.
• THE OLD ORDER CRUMBLES.
• Upending the House of Saud.
• King Abdullah: The Surprise Reformer.
• King Salman: The Daedalus of Saudi Arabia.
• THE NEW SAUDI ARABIA.
• The Kingdom of Mohammed bin Salman.
• The Fourth Industrial Revolution.
• "Who Will Rid Me of This Troublesome Journalist?"
• The Quest for Great Power Status.
• The Saudi-US Relationship: Too Damaged to Repair?
• CONCLUSION.
• Prospects for Reform ... and Repression.