TMC Topic Guide
Saudi Arabia
Created: June 2020
Last Updated: October 10, 2022
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Note: This guide contains coverage of U.S.-Saudi Arabia relations, as well as the domestic politics of Saudi Arabia, including its governance, economy, and the 2018 killing of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
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Table of contents
Death of Jamal Khashoggi, October 2018
Social and cultural reform
Mohammed bin Salman
Politics and the economy
The U.S. and Saudi Arabia
Death of Jamal Khashoggi, October 2018
Social and cultural reform
- Stéphane Lacroix, “Saudi Arabia finally let women drive. Don’t mistake it for democratic reform,” October 5, 2017.
- Nathan J. Brown, “Saudi Arabia is moving to reign in its religious police. Sort of,” August 16, 2017.
- Yu-Ming Liou and Paul Musgrave, “Here’s why Saudi Arabia is loosening its restrictions on women,” June 27, 2016.
- Toby Matthiesen, “Sectarianism after the Saudi mosque bombings,” May 29, 2015.
Mohammed bin Salman
Politics and the economy
- Marwan M. Kraidy, “Why did Saudi Arabia target billionaire media tycoons in its purge?” November 16, 2017.
- Marc Lynch, “Why Saudi Arabia escalated the Middle East sectarian conflict,” January 4, 2016.
- Stephanie Dahle, “Looking back at the Middle East’s 2019: Surprises from Trump, Saudi power moves, protests and more,” December 29, 2019.
- Fanar Haddad, “Why a controversial Iraqi Shiite cleric visited Saudi Arabia,” August 10, 2017.
- Stéphane Lacroix, “Saudi Arabia’s Muslim Brotherhood predicament,” March 20, 2014.
The U.S. and Saudi Arabia
- Henry Farrell, “If OPEC is a cartel, it’s not a very good one,” October 10, 2022.
- Alexandra Stark, “Congress failed to block the sale of missiles to Saudi Arabia. Why?” December 23, 2021.
- Marc Lynch, “What kind of deal is Trump making with Saudi Arabia?” May 22, 2017.
- Marc Lynch, “What’s really wrong with the U.S.-Saudi relationship” April 20, 2016.
- Jordan Tama, “What is the Global Magnitsky Act, and why are U.S. senators invoking this on Saudi Arabia?” October 12, 2018.