Customer Reviews

The Rise, Corruption and Coming Fall of the House of Saud

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1 star:		(4)

 

 

This book is well-written, well-documented and important. The author (who is writing from a country outside Saudi Arabia, but is himself a Saudi) minces no words in discussing the history, government and Royal Family. My personal view is that it is important to read books about other countries that are not authored by Americans. While this country has much more freedom in what is allowed to be written, read, published and broadcasted (the chapter on the Saudi press was very chilling), the media here tends to oversimplify many issues, and people don't take the time to hunt out other sources. Thus, another country is our "friend" one day in the news, the next they are "the enemy" and politics, foreign loans, arms deals, and all sorts of other goings-on are not really explained. This author explains the reasons behind everything that has been happening in the Middle East from 1900 on, and I certainly learned a lot about the Gulf War. In addition, I have read several books from the women's viewpoint in Saudi Arabia (e.g., Princess, Eight Months on Ghazzah Street), but this shows what is going on with the men in the ruling class. The author also did a good job of convincing me that the Saudi people may not be of one mind with the Royal Family, and that ordinary citizens can be subject to many abuses. Anyone who is interested in the Middle East ought to read this book. Informative, compelling and convincing.

Once you read this book it will be extremely difficult NOT to allow your revulsion for the Saudi Government and the "Royals" which populate it get in the way of objectivity toward the Saudis in general. This is a well-documented and classic study of the totally undeserving being handed incredibly good fortune and totally abusing the opportunity. Without retelling the story, suffice it to say, it addresses an inconsequential tribe of Bedouins who, due to being in the right place at the right time, are thrust onto the world's center stage and instead of making the most of the opportunity to be a positive force, use their good fortune in the most self-serving ways one can imagine (unfortunately with the "help" of Britain and the United States [aka as the Arabian American Oil Company]). (I lived in an ARAMCO compound, Ras Tanura, from 1961-1963 and I believe what I read squares with some of my experiences there.) This is a story of the total abuse of governmental privilege, of human rights, and of the opportunity to unite the positive aspects of Arab/Muslim culture with an entry into modernity. My guess is, many of you who think you know Saudi Arabia and Saudis, don't, and if you're interested in what is going on in that country, and with Western complicity in human rights violations and abuses of governmental privilege that would not be tolerated elsewhere, read this book. It addresses history, economics, and the human condition. It IS an eye-opener even for one who lived in the country and has been back since he lived there.

This is a useful book in that it challenges the public image that the Saudi royal family has put much effort and money into establishing, especially here in the West. That image is one of a benign monarchy, one that provides generously for its people while promoting geopolitical stability in the region. Needless to say, Mr. Aburish presents a radically different view, one of a brutal family run dictatorship that is corrupt to the core and which ruthlessly squashes dissent at home while sowing seeds of disunity among the other nations of the region. There is no doubt but that, in daring to write this exposé, Mr. Aburish provides a useful service, since neither the governments nor the media in the West show much interest in examining the Saudi government with a truly critical eye, although to some extent this can be explained by the inherent cynicism of mainstream journalism. After all, it is pretty much taken as a given that most regimes in the area are corrupt, repressive and autocratic, so reporting such is basically a "Dog bites man" type of story.

Mr. Aburish's problem is that he simply goes overboard. His attacks too often seem personal in nature, although this can be explained by the fact that he dedicated this book to a friend who had been tortured to death by the Saudi secret police. He brings a sense of passion to this work, which is laudable, but too often it causes him to abandon any sense of objectivity in his quest to lambaste the House of Saud. As a result, this book reads less like the work of a professional journalist and more like a one-man act of personal vengeance. At times it becomes downright silly, such as when he attacks Saudi patriarch Ibn Saud for buying 40 Packards, which he derides as being "the most vulgar car of the 1940's". And it is rife with factual errors and general sloppiness, most notably in the latter chapters. Defense contractor Grumman is spelled "Grueman" and he makes reference to Vice President Edmund Muskie, a man who was only a vice presidential candidate on McGovern's losing 1972 ticket. But the worst part is simply the complete lack of any sort of even handedness, this book reads less as an accurate accounting of the Royal Family and more as a cheap piece of propaganda (most notably, the section on Desert Storm, parts of which could have been lifted straight from the Iraqi Ministry of Information). He makes numerous broad assertions without providing much, if anything, in the way of proof. Most notable is his claim that the present regime is loathed by the majority of Saudis and is teetering on the verge of collapse. Perhaps it is, but he gives precious little evidence to support it.

In addition, he seems incredibly naïve when it comes to economics and foreign affairs. On the latter, he accuses the Saudi government of constantly trying to manipulate its neighbors so as to avoid potential conflicts. Well, since when is engaging in pragmatic opportunism forbidden in the art of statecraft? It would seem the Saudi government has been eminently successful in avoiding both bloody foreign confrontations and internal havoc, a feat that the late Shah of Iran was incapable of. Also, while asserting that rank and file Saudis have been denied their rightful share of the oil wealth, he simultaneously attacks the Saudi government for not sharing more of that wealth with their fellow Arab nations, a move that would have been about as politically popular as if the American president promised to fork over a large percentage of American tax dollars to enrich the Mexicans.

Finally, he is on multiple occasions guilty of rank hypocrisy. For example, he is outraged at the treatment that ARAMCO oilmen initially gave to their Saudi workers, looking down at them and calling them "A-rabs", yet Aburish is hardly above indulging in blatant snobbery, most notably in which he sneers at the Saud family as if they were the Arabic equivalent of disreputable white trash. And yet, toward the end, he also takes Oil Minister Sheik Yamani to task for showing off his academic prowess and sophistication because it was "un-Arabic". And, in the final chapter, one gets the impression that Aburish simply doesn't know what he wants, other than the overthrow of the House of Saud. Does he want to see a Western style liberal democracy? Or an Iran style Islamic republic? Or a "constitutional monarchy"? He doesn't say. And that's the fundamental problem. Aburish is, to a greater or lesser extent, a useful critic of the Saudi regime. But what he utterly fails to do is offer up any sort of practical alternative.

As America is in the midst of 'liberating' Iraq, perhaps one should consider this book.

It details how the House of Saud were a barbaric family, with little public support, on the verge of being terminated forever. They were viewed as barbaric by other ruling classes in the Arabian peninsula. However the ruling classes in Britain obviously felt differently and decided to give these barbarians money and arms to make them rulers of 'Saudi' Arabia. Once the British were out of the scene, the Americans stepped in allowing the House of Saud to consolidate their power. Why did they do this? Oil and strategic power. In other words the House of Saud were/are a puppet government. Who are the losers? The Arabian people who must put up with corruption and a backward and restrictive religion called Wahhabism (a religion that has always been a minority in the area). So much for western governments liberating oppressed people ruled by barbaric regimes!

I am sure a similar picture is true of many other countries in the Middle East.

This book has been made more relevant than ever by the recent invasion of Iraq. Once the book has been read, the reader will be in no doubt of the real motives of America in the Middle East and will be saddened by the fact that in the western world we have not really moved on since the 1920's with regards to foreign policy.

It is difficult to imagine holding the Saudi royal family in lower esteem than does Mr. Aburish. Even so, he may very well be providing a popular Arab/Muslim view, and that alone is good reason Western students of the Middle East should read this book. Aburish shows why the House of Saud often pursues conflicting foreign policies, or policies that alleviate problems in the short term while exacerbating them in the long run. He presents countless royal family excesses and political missteps, and explains why the family is unpopular with its neighbors and perhaps with many of its fellow Saudis.

Though very informative, this book should be taken with a grain of salt. The author is by no means unbiased, and some of his facts and examples are not supported or don't square with other accounts. For instance, the report of the meeting between King Fahd and then Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney immediately after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait is very different from that of General Norman Schwarzkopf. While Schwarzkopf was present, Aburish was not and we are not told who his source was. In my own limited dealings with several of the royal family members (I was a military advisor before and during the Gulf War) I found those that I worked with to be dedicated, competent officers. Admittedly, their numbers were few and I have no knowledge of their personal lives.

In any event, if the author is correct in his assertions, and I suspect he is, America's continued unconditional support of the Saudi monarchy could eventually backfire. Aburish surmises that unless the United States actively encourages the House of Saud to reduce excesses and put forth more effort on behalf of the Saudi people, the result could be a situation similar to when the Shah of Iran was overthrown by Islamic fundalmentalists.

This book is difficult to evaluate from the standpoint of objectivity. I have often wondered about life in Saudi Arabia and how it came about to exist. The book is educational from a historical viewpoint since I had very little information to begin with. However, it is quite apparent that the author detests the ruling House and has apparently been exposed to some very bitter experiences. This is prevalent in his writing and thus it is hard to separate accurate history from mud slinging. Nevertheless, it did introduce me to life in Saudi Arabia and some of the many complicated issues affecting this country. The ire of the author's pen just overshadows any objectivity one would like to associate with the relaying of history.

I found that Said did a wonderful job here in making a compelling presentation of his view of the "House of Saud".

Yes, this book is heavily critical of the current Saudi kingdom, but I think he is a very careful author and explains things very well.

I find what he is saying to be believable and he definately is very knowledgable on the subject. It definately was worth the read, especially since I am interested in the happenings in the Middle East.

It really makes you wonder why the U.S.A. supports Saudi Arabia.

Americans need to understand the horror of the Saudi Arabian government and this book provides it. The Saudi 'Royals' (euphamism for dictators for life) are nearly identical to the recently defeated Taliban government of Afghanistan. All thoughtful and freedom loving people of the world would be alarmed by the expose of this book: There is no democracy in Saudi Arabia, no free speech or freedom of religion. Censorship of media is extreme: All newspapers, magazines and books are strictly controlled by the government. Minority religions are brutally dealt with. Women are not allowed to drive, to appear in public without an abaya, to travel without permission from a husband or father, to work, to mix with any men outside their family. The justice system is the most barbaric and capricious form imaginable: routine torture, beheadings, amputations. There are thousands of 'disappeareds' every year. (Even such things as 'pets' are prohibited by the government!) This book provides an in depth look into the corruption of the Saudi Government--King and Company spend the BILLIONs in oil wealth and we all know those stories! The reader is left with an enlightened understanding of the price America pays for turning a blind eye to the Saudi Kings abhorrent abuse of power in return for our low oil prices. A must read.

As a former resident of Saudi Arabia and an admirer of the Late King Faisel, I was fascinated but saddened after reading this book. Saddened to learn that Faisel may have been no better than his brothers and fascinated at the picture Aburish paints of this remote but interesting country. Many living conditions reported on by the author were certainly true at the time I lived there. Too much wealth and not enough technology and knowledge amongst its' citizens. Aburish should be listened to carefully on his well-researched subject. Although lacking in complete objectivity, the author paints a compelling portrait of what could go wrong in Saudi Arabia and affect the rest of the world in a tragic way.

As a former resident of Saudi Arabia and an admirer of the Late King Faisel, I was fascinated but saddened after reading this book. Saddened to learn that Faisel may have been no better than his brothers and fascinated at the picture Aburish paints of this remote but interesting country. Many living conditions reported on by the author were certainly true at the time I lived there. Too much wealth and not enough technology and knowledge amongst its' citizens. Aburish should be listened to carefully on his well-researched subject. Although lacking in complete objectivity, the author paints a compelling portrait of what could go wrong in Saudi Arabia and affect the rest of the world in a tragic way.