The title of this book, based on my interests, seemed interesting enough. But I was rewarded with a really interesting and informative read that, in a fairly compact way, gave insights not only into Islam in Saudi Arabia, but also the greater country and culture.

Most of this book, clocking in at about 200 pages, is focused on the who, why, where and what of Islam in Saudi Arabia as it relates to Saudi Arabia today. This is not, and as the author states in his introduction, a comprehensive and detailed view from the time of Muhammad onto the present day. Rather this is a discussion of the last few hundred years and shows the currents of how Islam has influenced the modern Saudi society, with the dominant strains of not only the ubiquitous Wahhabi doctrine, but also how this has impacted other views, including Shi’a sectarianism in the country, as well as impacting foreign relations in terms of influence from abroad coming back to change Saudi society.

I found this book detailed enough, with a really good amount of explaining religious aspects of Islamic thought, history and cultural aspects of the Saudi nation. The fascinating aspect of all this is that Saudi is not a simple place, but is a very complicated stew of doctrinaire religious thought, foreign influence, technological challenges and new beliefs into how Saudi is a modern nation, and not the romantic idea of nomadic people with little sophistication discovering oil, as was the case 100 years ago.

Given the recent changes happening in Saudi society, especially as regards women, it is interesting to read this account and realize how much Saudi is affected by the strains of Islamic interpretation and how the government must manage all these tensions as a modern state. Great stuff to read if you have an interest, with an idea of respecting the cultural tides occurring.

I wish this book had been published before I went to Saudi Arabia. I was unable to find reliable information. Commins has done an excellent job in sorting out the realities and often dichotomies of Saudi life. I really appreciated his section on Wahabism, Thank you for the honest research.