OSHER 346 - Saudi Arabia: The Kingdom

Long seen as a mysterious and far-away land, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has become, in actuality, one of the world's most advanced countries. The tents, veils, and camel caravans of lore are today overshadowed by broad avenues, skyscrapers, and futuristic planned cities, all set among the sand dunes and mosques that for centuries constituted the stronghold of Islam's most conservative clerics, those who follow the teachings of Abdul Wahhab. In this course, we will follow the history of the Bedouin Arabs who settled the Arabian Peninsula and the often-unexpected events that transformed their lives: multiple foreign invasions, the advent of Islam, sudden oil wealth, being thrust by terrorists onto a world stage, and the Kingdom's recent struggle to throw off the restrictions of the past and create a technological future like no other. It remains an absolute monarchy--but Saudi Arabia has changed.