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

Saudi Arabia, the world's leading oil producer, is also the world's most absolute feudal monarchy and the place where the gap between the haves and have-nots is the widest. Journalist Aburish (Pay-Off: Wheeling and Dealing in the Arab World) takes a close look at the 90-year-old dynasty, emphasizing recent history and the House of Saud's dictatorial, profligate and increasingly corrupt ways, aided in the last instance by U.S. oil companies. He compares the present situation in Saudi Arabia with Iran before the overthrow of the Shah in 1979--``blind, oblivious haughtiness by a hated ruling class.'' With a national debt approaching $100 billion, the country's financial structure is on the verge of collapse. The West, says the author, must take immediate drastic action before a revolution results in a cessation of oil production, worldwide depression and the possibility of a jihad, or holy war, against the infidel West if, for instance, UN forces tried to occupy the oil fields. Aburish urges a complete reversal of U.S. policy, with Washington pressuring the House of Saud to share the national wealth with the Saudi people, to begin protecting their human rights and to give them a voice in the country's affairs. A well-researched and provocative expose/denunciation of Arabia's powerful ruling clan. Photos. (June)