Vision or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads Hardcover – September 17, 2020

Mr. Rundell's book is brief, to the point, packed with facts but eminently readable, and deeply informed by his many years as an American diplomat in Saudi Arabia. (Truth in packaging: I am also a retired US diplomat, but never served in the Middle East.) The book is excellent for non-specialists who want to look behind the veil (sorry for the pun) to know what makes (or has made) Saudi Arabia "tick", but also for experts because of Mr. Rundell's unparalleled access to key Saudi players who can better reveal what really happened in certain episodes.The book provides a brief overview of the formation and modern history of the Kingdom, then describes each of the power centers (interest groups) which the Saudi dynasty has skillfully balanced and used to sustain its position and stability, and finally describes the key challenges/tasks facing the kingdom ahead, and what we should look to as future indicators of whether King Salmon and his son the Crown Prince are succeeding.The underlying (and insightful) premise of the book is that Saudi Arabia faces acute demographic and economic challenges ahead and needs, if it is to remain stable, to diversify its economy away from oil, but can only produce the necessary skilled and motivated work force by reducing popular subsidies (financed by oil) and introducing more liberal cultural elements into society. The more rapid pace of reform needed has led the King/Crown Prince to abandon the old glacial process of reform based on consensus and log-rolling and instead to adopt a top-down centralized authoritarian scheme in order to force the pace of change. Doing so produces friction with the major interest groups and could itself threaten regime political stability. So the Saudi royal family now faces a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" dilemma, the outcome of which remains in doubt.So this is a most timely book providing an excellent primer by which to judge future events in a country which remains vital as the determinant of the world supply and price of oil...and as a key player in the evolution of Islamic doctrine towards either moderation or extremist terrorism.

This book is so spot on. I lived in Saudi Arabia from 2019-2023, and I wish I read this book first. The well-researched insights explain the paradox of the Al Saud family, Saudi Arabia’s history, politics, and its many cultures. Short-sighted Western views need this book to understand why the Saudis act as they do. Applying any other worldview to Saudi Arabia is a folly. Expats and visitors to Saudi Arabia will benefit from reading this book.

This book provides important background information about where Saudi Arabia stands now. It gave me a somewhat better feeling about the Crown Prince although the brutal murder in the embassy is a big black mark. Unfortunately, the book frequently goes into excruciating detail about things that happened in Saudi's history and seemed to be somewhat repetitive. It could easily have been written in many fewer words.I was curious about the roundup of many Saudi princess and business people a few years ago when they were herded into a luxury hotel. This was the signal given that things would not be the same going forward. Saudi royalty members had many wives and many children. It got to the point where there were perhaps a few hundred princess who were entitled to special treatment and privileges.The book outlines the challenges Saudi Arabia faces today and in the future.Well worth reading.

An excellent treatment of the history and current situation in Saudi Arabia. I learned a lot. The author certainly knows the subject, and does a very good job of explaining things, even to those (such as me) who don't know much about Saudi Arabia. News reports from there often focus on trivial matters (such as women drivers), but the stability of the country is one of the most important things (and one of the few bright spots) in the Middle East. And for the US and the world. This is a confusing area for Americans, with confusing names and a confusing polygamous family with literally hundreds of brothers and cousins: the state was founded in 1902 by Abdulaziz (known in the West as Ibn Saud), and the current king is still his son! The book clearly explains what the challenges are to the country, and what's being done about them, and why this is important to us. It gives an excellent account of the Ritz Carlton corruption scandal, explains what the war in Yemen is all about, and why Khashoggi was killed. And even explains what the deal is with women drivers... Should be read by anybody involved in making policy toward Saudi Arabia.

I've learned an enormous amount about the history of Saudi Arabia from Vision or Mirage; I've underlined passages on every few pages. Rundell's obviously deep knowledge of Saudi Arabia is apparent throughout, but he writes with a light touch that makes it highly readable and frequently enlivens his prose with an interesting detail that might not be found in more academic histories of the country. He does a remarkable job of explaining the complexities of the 21st century kingdom through its fascinating and sometimes brutal past. For anyone trying to understand just how much Mohammed bin Salman and his father have upended the country -- and the whole region -- this is required reading.

This book provides a sweeping and insightful history of the KSA. David Rundell draws upon personal knowledge and analysis along with vast research to assess the present state of Saudi affairs and the prognosis for KSA's future that now is tied to Vision 2030. Vision or Mirage is generous in its treatment of the ruling family and perhaps overly optimistic about the role KSA can play in opposing terrorism and achieving a lasting Arab-Israeli peace. But Vision or Mirage is informative, insightful, and well written. David Rundell provides a must-read for anyone interested in learning about one of the USA's most vital and intriguing allies.