Description
Twenty-eight year old journalist and philosopher Pascal Menoret flew to Riyad just a few days after the September 11th attacks. As a French citizen, he was able to travel freely within the Arabian Peninsula, and took this opportunity to investigate the religious, political, social and economic forces at work in Saudi Arabia today as few Americans are likely to see it. The result is an innovative look at Saudi Arabian society, and the stakes at play within the geopolitical framework. Rather than a clandestine threat, a new picture emerges of progressive forces there that are in the process of disassociating themselves from fundamentalist ties.
Saudi Arabia today occupies a major place on the international geopolitical chessboard. Despite the suspicion that has befallen it since the September 11th attacks, Saudi Arabia remains a primary ally in the Middle East. Its oil capacities make it the leading exporter in the world and its leadership role within the Muslim world has only increased in recent years.