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Saudi Arabia: A Modern History

By (author) David Commins

18.20

Saudi Arabia is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, a major player on the international stage and the site of Islam’s two holiest cities. It is also one of the world’s only absolute monarchies. How did Saudi Arabia get to where it is today?

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SKU: 9780300286892

1 in stock

ISBN: 9780300286892

Book Format: Paperback / softback

Pages: 400

Dimensions: 12.7 × 19.7 cm

Information about this book

Description

In this comprehensive account, David Commins narrates the full history of Saudi Arabia from oasis emirate to present-day attempts to leap to a post-petroleum economy. Moving through the ages, Commins traces how the Saud dynasty’s reliance on sectarianism, foreign expertise, and petroleum to stabilize power has unintentionally spawned secular and religious movements seeking accountability and justice. He incorporates the experiences of activists, women, religious minorities, Bedouin, and expatriate workers as the country transformed from subsistence agrarian life to urban consumer society.

Additional information

  • Paperback / softback | 400 pages
  • 12.7 × 19.7 cm | 0
  • 25 August 2026
  • Yale University Press
  • United States

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About the author

David Commins

1 Published Books

David Commins is the Benjamin Rush Chair in the Liberal Arts and Sciences and professor of history at Dickinson College. He is the author of Islam in Saudi Arabia, The Gulf States, and The Wahhabi Mission and Saudi Arabia.