ABSTRACT
Whether one employs a Brintonian, John-sonian, or Marxian model for an analysis of the stability vs. destabilization dynamics in Saudi Arabia, the expectation points towards “a revolutionary ferment” in the foreseeable future for that society. This chapter examines the extent to which destabilization tendencies have evolved. Malcolm Peck notes that Saudi Arabia has been an overlooked society in the Western social science literature.5 This, he says, has been a shortcoming of the West and therein lies the blame for the misperceptions that have ensued. The Saudi Royal Family’s perception of its own indisputable leadership and the same perception by outsiders seemed warranted because of the long-term isolation of Saudi Arabia and the sustainment of its “traditional society.” The most publicized threats to the Saudi regime have been external. The most significant threat to the Saudi regime has come from the Iranian crisis.
