Unholy Kingdom

Religion, Corruption and Violence in Saudi Arabia

Malise Ruthven

$46.95

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

Verso Books
24 February 2026

Middle Eastern history; Geopolitics

In recent years the ruling family in Saudi Arabia, the House of Saud, has promoted the oil-rich kingdom as an open, liberalizing nation that has invested in culture, tourism, and social innovation to become a beacon for the region. International political manoeuvring, sports sponsorship, and the Vision 2030 programme with its vast architectural planning declare a bold future. But the murder in October 2018 of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul reveals a darker reality: one of intensifying political and religious repression. This is within the tumultuous context of the war in Yemen, sectarian rivalry with Iran, the crisis in Gaza, and volatile relations with the United States.

Malise Ruthven, a leading commentator on Islamic affairs, reconstructs the nation's history. He shows how the royal house co-opted Wahhabism to consolidate its power and enforce authoritarianism in collusion with Western businesses and governments. Unholy Kingdom looks to the nation's future in the hands of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, who touts the country's liberalisation while aggressively imposing his will upon the region.

This essential book traces the shifting fault lines in the Middle East to determine Saudi Arabia's place in our volatile times.

By: Malise Ruthven
Imprint: Verso Books
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Edition: New edition
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 129mm,
Weight: 250g
ISBN: 9781839760112
ISBN 10: 1839760117
Pages: 384
Publication Date: 24 February 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Malise Ruthven worked as an editor with the BBC Arabic Service and World Service in London before teaching Islamic studies and comparative religion at universities on both sides of the Atlantic. He is the author of several books on Islamic affairs as well as fundamentalism and religion in America. In 2004, London's Prospect Magazine ranked Ruthven among the 100 top public intellectuals in the UK. His blog on the New York Review of Books, Revolution by Latrine, won an award from the Overseas Press Club of America in 2011. He contributes regularly to the Guardian, Independent, The Financial Times, New York Review of Books, and the London Review of Books.

Reviews for Unholy Kingdom: Religion, Corruption and Violence in Saudi Arabia

Ruthven's unblushing polemic treats Jamal Khashoggi's gruesome murder in Istanbul and its cover-up as representative of the Saudi kingdom's recent policies rather than, as their defenders claim, a regrettable aberration -- Jonathan Benthall, Books of the Year * Times Literary Supplement * Ruthven is the leading British authority on modern Islam. His books are essential for understanding what is going on in the Middle East today -- Robert Irwin, author of The Arabian Nightmare One of today's most perceptive observers and historians of religion * Guardian * One of our most consistently sophisticated and stimulating writers on contemporary religion in general and Islam in particular. In a crowded field Ruthven remains way ahead of the pack. -- William Dalrymple, author of The Anarchy A shocking exposé of ruthlessness and folly. Ruthven gives a timely study of Saudi Arabia in its historical context and biting insight into its politics in an unravelling Middle East. -- Colin Thubron, author of Shadow of the Silk Road An eye-popping and unsettling read ... meticulous -- Justin Marozzi * Times * Informed and insightful ... Ruthven has won a deserved reputation as one of the most informed and acute writers on the Islamic world, eschewing angry pontification or clever instant commentary. This book ... deserves to be read by anyone seriously interested in Saudi Arabia and its growing influence in the world ... excellent -- Jason Burke * Literary Review * **** -- Rory McCarthy * Telegraph *