Writing largely for an audience of U.S. foreign policy makers, Cordesman (Center for Strategic and International Studies) assesses the "strategic future" of Saudi Arabia. Political factors impacting external and internal stability are discussed, as are such issues as social and demographic trends, the structure of the economy, and the politics of oil. Cordesman makes a number of recommendations for political and economic reform, most of which seem to be based on the continuance of the status quo U.S.-Saudi political and military relationship, but purposely avoids overarching theories about the country. Because regional realities are currently under a state of rapid flux, updates to the work are said to be expected at the Center's Web site. A companion volume looks at military and state security issues. Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).

With the continuing importance of Saudi Arabia in regional and world politics, the current and future effectiveness of the Saudi military carries increased significance. Despite recent strains in relations with the U.S., particularly in light of the role Saudis played in the events of September 11, 2001, the Kingdom remains America's key Arab ally. Cordesman studies the challenges faced by the Saudis from both their allies and their potential enemies to assess Saudi Arabia's ability to forge a better approach to collective security in the Gulf and to create more stable long-term security arrangements with the U.S. and other Western Powers. This assessment of Saudi Arabia's strategic position includes a full-scale analysis of Saudi military forces, defense expenditures, arms imports, military modernization, readiness and war fighting capability. It examines both the cooperation and tension with other Southern Gulf States. It explores the implications of the conventional military build-up and creeping proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the Gulf and the resulting changes in Saudi Arabia's security position. All of these factors have critical implications for stability within the Kingdom, within the Gulf, as well as in the broader global context.

Report on world trends and long term prospects regarding population growth, natural resources and environmental issues - emphasizing the interrelationships between these areas, presents integrated approach projections to the year 2000 of fishery resources, forests, power resources, water resources, mineral resources, agriculture, climate and nuclear energy, etc., And includes a comparison of global model forecasting techniques. Diagrams, graphs, maps, references and statistical tables.

Writing largely for an audience of U.S. foreign policy makers, Cordesman (Center for Strategic and International Studies) assesses the "strategic future" of Saudi Arabia. Political factors impacting external and internal stability are discussed, as are such issues as social and demographic trends, the structure of the economy, and the politics of oil. Cordesman makes a number of recommendations for political and economic reform, most of which seem to be based on the continuance of the status quo U.S.-Saudi political and military relationship, but purposely avoids overarching theories about the country. Because regional realities are currently under a state of rapid flux, updates to the work are said to be expected at the Center's Web site. A companion volume looks at military and state security issues. Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has established itself as the twelfth-largest economy in the world, the largest West Asian economic power, world’s largest oil producer, and a strong and capable force in international politics, particularly in the Sunni Islamic world. However, at present it is at crossroads. Should it continue as a ‘kingdom’ or usher in the process of inclusive political representation? This volume answers such questions and explores how the state is coping with domestic, regional and global developments to remain relevant in the changing times. It provides a holistic overview of a slew of economic, political, cultural, military and security policy measures that have been initiated by the government. The work also offers a detailed analysis of Saudi Arabia’s relations with three significant powers — USA, China and India — and how they are evolving under new geopolitical and geostrategic dynamics. This book will interest strategists, policymakers, researchers and students of international relations, geopolitics, political science and political economy as well as the informed reader.

Introduction : a new kind of threat -- Saudi Arabia : oil fields ablaze -- Pakistan : loose nukes -- Mexico : a flood of refugees -- China : collapse of a great power -- Conclusions : the coming storm.

This book describes all aspects of Saudi Arabia, including its government, economy, society, and culture, as well as its role in the Middle East and its position internationally. In this comprehensive introduction to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, author Sherifa Zuhur reveals the fascinating people, culture, politics, and economic development of the largest Arab country of the Middle East. The book provides a detailed summary of Arabian history from the earliest settlements on the Arabian peninsula to the present day, with a focus on the rise of the current Saudi regime. It provides essential background on the oil politics of the Kingdom dating back to the discovery of oil in the late 1930s, an account of Saudi Arabia's subsequent economic advancement, and explanations of emerging societal issues such as labor importation and the changing roles of women. Saudi Arabia also details the Kingdom's cultural and religious milieu, including its music, poetry, architecture, legal system, and prominence in the Islamic world.

For fifty-five years, the United States and Saudi Arabia were solid partners. Then came the 9/11 attacks, which sorely tested that relationship. In Thicker than Oil, Rachel Bronson reveals why the partnership became so intimate and how the countries' shared interests sowed the seeds of today's most pressing problem--Islamic radicalism. Drawing on a wide range of archival material, declassified documents, and interviews with leading Saudi and American officials, and including many colorful stories of diplomatic adventures and misadventures, Bronson chronicles a history of close, and always controversial, contacts. She argues that contrary to popular belief the relationship was never simply about "oil for security." Saudi Arabia's geographic location and religiously motivated foreign policy figured prominently in American efforts to defeat "godless communism." From Africa to Afghanistan, Egypt to Nicaragua, the two worked to beat back Soviet expansion. But decisions made for hardheaded Cold War purposes left behind a legacy that today enflames the Middle East. Looking forward, Bronson outlines the challenges confronting the relationship. The Saudi government faces a zealous internal opposition bent on America's and Saudi Arabia's destruction. Yet from the perspective of both countries, the status quo is clearly unsustainable.