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Abstract

Since the inception of Saudi crown prince Bin Salman into the kingdom’s political scene, there has been a rigid and formative process towards modernising the kingdom to fit in with the broader international community amidst an unprecedented increase in global interconnectedness. This dissertation seeks to explore Saudi Arabia within this context and thus informs the research question which is to analyse and examine the trajectory of modernisation processes in Saudi Arabia under the leadership of Crown Prince Bin Salman, within a broader historical context. It will employ modernisation theory in its analysis of the research topic. The dissertation's first chapter will present and explain the relevant theoretical framework and its importance to the subject matter. The second chapter will examine the incorporation of religion into Saudi Arabia's state structures and how it poses obstacles to modernisation, whilst also examining the country's modernisation trajectory since King Faisal's reign. The third chapter will analyse the factors driving rapid modernisation under Crown Prince Bin Salman, and the fourth chapter will evaluate his approach to modernisation, discussing both the positives and obstacles involved. Together, these chapters provide insight into the modernisation process underway in the Kingdom. This dissertation finds that the approach taken by Bin Salman to facilitate rapid modernisation in the Kingdom has seen successful developments, however, there are potentially fatal future hurdles which arise as to the sustainability of these costly initiatives, and the threats they pose to long standing and vital historic alliances as well as the fundamental elements of the Kingdom’s societal fabric.

Course: International Relations and Politics - BA (Hons) - C0694

Date Deposited: 2024-01-11

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis14276.html