Saudi Arabia in the 1980s

Saudi Arabia in the 1980s PDF Author: William B. Quandt
Publisher: Brookings Institution Press
ISBN: 9780815720515
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 220

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Book Description
This book examines the foreign relations, politics, and government of Saudi Arabia during the 1980s.

Saudi Arabia in the 1980s

Saudi Arabia in the 1980s PDF Author: William B. Quandt
Publisher: Brookings Institution Press
ISBN: 9780815720515
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 220

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Book Description
This book examines the foreign relations, politics, and government of Saudi Arabia during the 1980s.

Saudi Arabia in the 1980s - An Expat Reflects

Saudi Arabia in the 1980s - An Expat Reflects PDF Author: Marty Morris
Publisher: Cielo Sierra DBA Authors' Publishing House
ISBN: 9780982534014
Category : Americans
Languages : en
Pages : 176

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Book Description
Morris's experience may cause readers who are thinking about expatriate work to think again. He urges anyone considering working abroad to do research before signing anything.

A History of Saudi Arabia

A History of Saudi Arabia PDF Author: Madawi al-Rasheed
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521644129
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 278

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Book Description
Saudi Arabia is a wealthy and powerful country which wields influence in the West and across the Islamic world. Yet it remains a closed society. Its history in the twentieth century is dominated by the story of state formation. After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Ibn Sa'ud fought a long campaign to bring together a disparate people from across the Arabian peninsula. In 1932 the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was born. Madawi al-Rasheed traces its extraordinary history from the age of emirates in the nineteenth century, through the 1990 Gulf War, to the present day. She fuses chronology with analysis, personal experience with oral histories, and draws on local and foreign documents to illuminate the social and cultural life of the Saudis. This is a rich and rewarding book which will be invaluable to students, and to all those trying to understand the enigma of Saudi Arabia.

Awakening Islam

Awakening Islam PDF Author: Stéphane Lacroix
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674265254
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 382

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Book Description
Amidst the roil of war and instability across the Middle East, the West is still searching for ways to understand the Islamic world. Stéphane Lacroix has now given us a penetrating look at the political dynamics of Saudi Arabia, one of the most opaque of Muslim countries and the place that gave birth to Osama bin Laden. The result is a history that has never been told before. Lacroix shows how thousands of Islamist militants from Egypt, Syria, and other Middle Eastern countries, starting in the 1950s, escaped persecution and found refuge in Saudi Arabia, where they were integrated into the core of key state institutions and society. The transformative result was the Sahwa, or “Islamic Awakening,” an indigenous social movement that blended political activism with local religious ideas. Awakening Islam offers a pioneering analysis of how the movement became an essential element of Saudi society, and why, in the late 1980s, it turned against the very state that had nurtured it. Though the “Sahwa Insurrection” failed, it has bequeathed the world two very different, and very determined, heirs: the Islamo-liberals, who seek an Islamic constitutional monarchy through peaceful activism, and the neo-jihadis, supporters of bin Laden's violent campaign. Awakening Islam is built upon seldom-seen documents in Arabic, numerous travels through the country, and interviews with an unprecedented number of Saudi Islamists across the ranks of today’s movement. The result affords unique insight into a closed culture and its potent brand of Islam, which has been exported across the world and which remains dangerously misunderstood.

The Saudi Arabian Economy

The Saudi Arabian Economy PDF Author: Mohamed A. Ramady
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1441959874
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 516

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Book Description
The Saudi Arabian economy has changed almost beyond recognition since the oil boom days of the 1980s, and the Kingdom itself has changed too economically, socially, and demographically. In the second edition of The Saudi Arabian Economy, Mohamed Ramady uses several overlapping themes to establish and develop a framework for studying the fundamental challenges to the Saudi economy. Particular attention is paid to the benefits of short-term planning and long-term diversification intended to shield the economy from potentially de-stabilizing oil price fluctuations and the pace and diversity of domestic reforms. The author examines the core strengths and evolution of various financial institutions and the Saudi stock market in the face of globalization, before analyzing the private sector in detail. Topics discussed include: • The hydrocarbon and minerals sector, including the emergence of the competitive petrochemical sector • The impact of small and medium sized businesses and the evolving role of “family” businesses • The growing role of women in the Saudi economy • The role of privatization and FDI as engines of change and the position of public-private-partnerships • The establishment of a foundation for a knowledge-based economy Finally, the author offers an analysis of the key challenges facing the Saudi economy, paying particular attention to the potential costs and benefits of globalization, and membership in the WTO. Employment, education, economic and social stability, and Saudi Arabia’s place in the Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as Saudi Arabia’s evolving strategic economic relations with China and other countries are offered as keys to the consensus building needed to ensure the Kingdom’s healthy economic future.

Saudi Swing Oil Producer 1980s

Saudi Swing Oil Producer 1980s PDF Author: Terrence O. Reinke
Publisher: Mehta Publishers
ISBN: 9783937229232
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The dissertation examines Saudi oil policy, focusing mainly on the first half of the 1980s. In this period, Saudi Arabia played a "swing producer" role to control oil prices in the world oil market. This behavior of Saudi decision-makers can be understood within the economic framework of the "dominan producer" model. After interdisciplinary research on previous political and economic studies of Saudi oil policy, the dissertation concludes that the basic notion of Saudi oil policy as a "swing producer" was intended to meet Saudi Arabia's long-term political and economic interests. It was therefore logical for Saudi officials to implement the oil policy of "swing producer" to maximize the long-term economic value of Saudi oil, since this would also contribute tothe political consolidation of the Saudi regime.

Saudi Arabia in the New Middle East

Saudi Arabia in the New Middle East PDF Author: F Gregory Gause, III
Publisher: Council on Foreign Relations
ISBN: 0876095171
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 64

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Book Description
The United States'' relationship with Saudi Arabia has been one of the cornerstones of U.S. policy in the Middle East for decades. Despite their substantial differences in history, culture, and governance, the two countries have generally agreed on important political and economic issues and have often relied on each other to secure mutual aims. The 1990-91 Gulf War is perhaps the most obvious example, but their ongoing cooperation on maintaining regional stability, moderating the global oil market, and pursuing terrorists should not be downplayed. Yet for all the relationship''s importance, it is increasingly imperiled by mistrust and misunderstanding. One major question is Saudi Arabia''s stability. In this Council Special Report, sponsored by the Center for Preventive Action, F. Gregory Gause III first explores the foundations of Riyadh''s present stability and potential sources of future unrest. It is difficult not to notice that Saudi Arabia avoided significant upheaval during the political uprisings that swept the Middle East in 2011, despite sharing many of the social and economic problems of Egypt, Yemen, and Libya. But unlike their counterparts in Cairo, Sanaa, and Tripoli, Riyadh''s leadership was able to maintain order in large part by increasing public spending on housing and salaries, relying on loyal and well-equipped security forces, and utilizing its extensive patronage networks. The divisions within the political opposition also helped the government''s cause. This is not to say that Gause believes that the stability of the House of Saud is assured. He points out that the top heirs to the throne are elderly and the potential for disorderly squabbling may increase as a new generation enters the line of succession. Moreover, the population is growing quickly, and there is little reason to believe that oil will forever be able to buy social tranquility. Perhaps most important, Gause argues, the leadership''s response to the 2011 uprisings did little to forestall future crises; an opportunity for manageable political reform was mostly lost. Turning to the regional situation, Gause finds it no less complex. Saudi Arabia has wielded considerable influence with its neighbors through its vast oil reserves, its quiet financial and political support for allies, and the ideological influence of salafism, the austere interpretation of Islam that is perhaps Riyadh''s most controversial export. For all its wealth and religious influence, however, Saudi Arabia''s recent record has been less than successful. It was unable to counter Iranian influence in post-Saddam Iraq, it could not prevent Hezbollah taking power in Lebanon, and its ongoing efforts to reconcile Hamas and the Palestinian Authority have come to naught. The U.S.-Saudi relationship has, unsurprisingly, been affected by these and other challenges, including Saudi unhappiness with Washington''s decision to distance itself from Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, the lack of progress on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and Iran. For its part, the United States is unhappy with the Saudi intervention in Bahrain and Saudi support for radical Islamists around the region and the world. The two traditional anchors of the U.S.-Saudi relationship-the Cold War and U.S. operation of Riyadh''s oil fields-are, Gause notes, no longer factors. It is no wonder, he contends, that the relationship is strained when problems are myriad and the old foundations of the informal alliance are gone. It would be far better, Gause argues, to acknowledge that the two countries can no longer expect to act in close concert under such conditions. He recommends that the United States reimagine the relationship as simply transactional, based on cooperation when interests-rather than habit-dictate. Prioritizing those interests will therefore be critical. Rather than pressuring Riyadh for domestic political reform, or asking it to reduce global oil prices, Gause recommends that the United States spend its political capital where it really matters: on maintaining regional security, dismantling terrorist networks, and preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons. There have been few relationships more important to the United States than that with Saudi Arabia, and it is vital that, as it enters a new phase, the expectations and priorities of both countries are clear. In Saudi Arabia in the New Middle East, Gause effectively assesses the challenges and opportunities facing Saudi Arabia and makes a compelling argument for a more modest, businesslike relationship between Washington and Riyadh that better reflects modern realities. As the United States begins reassessing its commitments in the Greater Middle East, this report offers a clear vision for a more limited-but perhaps more appropriate and sustainable-future partnership.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia PDF Author: International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept.
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1513513494
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 38

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Book Description
This Selected Issues paper explores policies to drive diversification for Saudi Arabia. Diversification is needed to create jobs for Saudis and to mitigate the impact of uncertainty in oil markets. Although the business climate should be improved, and remaining infrastructure gaps addressed, reforms need to go beyond these areas. Diversification in Saudi Arabia that creates jobs for nationals could be held back by the effects of relatively high wages and their impact on cost competitiveness. Creative solutions are needed to address the impact of high government wages and employment on competitiveness. Industrial policy could help overcome the incentives that encourage companies to focus on the nontradable sector, but should be handled carefully, keeping lessons from other countries’ experiences in mind. Export orientation and competition are crucial mechanisms to ensure discipline. Strengthening human capital to raise productivity and provide workers with the skills needed in the private sector will be essential to success.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia PDF Author: Heidi Tawfik
Publisher: Windmill Books(CA)
ISBN: 9780962945502
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 213

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Book Description
"One's features change after every bath" is a Middle Eastern proverb which means that individuals, societies, & perhaps nations, undergo changes with each major experience. The immense oil revenues which enriched the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the seventies & early eighties, transformed the country from poverty & obscurity to a world power. The recent Gulf War brought an unprecedented number of foreign troops to Saudi soil. As a result of this war, new changes, however subtle, are bound to appear in the national psyche. It will take several years for the manifestation of the full impact of these changes. This book reflects the views & impressions about the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by an American woman who lived there during the mid-1980s. The author writes about her unique experience of observing the results of the technological modernization of Saudi Arabia.

The Gulf in the 1980s

The Gulf in the 1980s PDF Author: Valerie Yorke
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 104

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Book Description