Saudi Arabian Modernization: The Impact of Change on Stability

by John A. Shaw and David E. Long

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• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 003061774X
• ISBN13: 9780030617744
• Release Date: January 1982
• Publisher: Greenwood Publishing Group
• Length: 110 Pages

Customer Reviews

Short and Precise

The book ¡°Saudi Arabian Modernization¡± by John A. Shaw and David E. Long discusses the many problems that Saudi Arabia experienced on the way to her attempted modernization. The authors of this book present an interesting question about how it is possible that two parts of the world, so dependent on each other¡¯s support, can remain so ideologically different. Another issue that the authors try to analyze is the how the modernization process affects and changes the Saudi Arabian society and how these changes can cause instability. The book was published in 1982 so it does not account for any of the events after that year, and most importantly it does not take into consideration the Gulf War which had enormous impact on Saudi Arabia. The book is not organized chronologically but conceptually; in other words, the authors look at different concepts that have an effect on Saudi Arabia¡¯s modernization such as the economic development and the changes in society. Throughout the book, the authors also manage to fully support their idea of an Islamic cage that imprisons and controls every aspect of politics and society in Saudi Arabia, thus leaving no space for modernization and stability. The first section of the book discusses Saudi Arabia¡¯s economic situation and explains the process of technical modernization. According to Shaw and Long, economy has had and continues to have great impacts on Saudi Arabia¡¯s move towards modernization. In order to support their views, the authors give a brief but thorough explanation of Saudi¡¯s economy. The authors present us with an interesting and very true statement about Saudi Arabia¡¯s laissez faire economy and its Islamic nature: ¡°Unlike the protestant work ethic that more or less guides American economic activity, Islam does not distinguish between the world of the flesh and the world of the spirit.¡± This basically means that in the Saudi mind, God is the creator of all things and if people have wealth it is because God wants it to be so. In that case, no man should feel guilty about easily acquiring huge amounts of wealth without having to work hard for it. This, according to Shaw and Long, deprives Saudi Arabia from a work ethic without which there can never be modernization such as in the Western world. Shaw and Long further try to make certain that we fully understand how Saudi Arabia¡¯s economy works and that it is entirely based on oil. With its huge incomes from the oil industry, Saudi Arabia has every reason and potential to establish a highly modernized infrastructure. Here the authors imply the importance of the three Five Year Plans that resulted in high technological advances in the sectors of communication, transportation, utilities, housing, health and education (p.11). The first part of the book, therefore, is a nicely written preview of the beginnings of Saudi Arabian industrialization and technological modernization. It is then crucial to understand how it was possib