Build an understanding of a country undergoing dramatic and accelerating changes in this new edition of The History of Saudi Arabia.

Taking readers from the Saudi Arabia of pre-Islamic times to the present day, this revised edition in the Histories of Modern Nations series examines how the current efforts to transform the Kingdom fits into the long history of the region. The Arabian Peninsula - the birthplace of Islam - has a long heritage of multiple intersecting civilizations. In recent years, major events in Saudi Arabia have left a mark not only within the region itself but also around the world. The country continues to undergo significant developments, as the government, led by Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, aims to end its reliance on fossil fuels and build a dynamic society, without bringing into question its authoritarian political system, national security structure, and absolute monarchy.

Bring your knowledge up to date with revised information, based on new findings and historiography, on the political, military, religious, economic, and diplomatic history of the country. In addition, this book discusses events such as:
- The rise of Muhammad bin Salman - known as MBS - as the new crown prince under his father King Salman, who took the throne in 2015
- Vision 2030, a set of reforms designed to create a revived society, a robust economy, and a more vital national state
- The Saudi intervention in Yemen as part of the new King's foreign policy
- Goals to diversity the economy from oil to tourism and biotechnology
- Reforms impacting the status of women and the roles of the religious police

Wayne H. Bowen is professor of history and associate dean in the College of Undergraduate Studies at the University of Central Florida, USA. He is the author of ten books on European, military, and Middle Eastern history. His current research focuses on Spain and the Ottoman Empire, and religious conflict in the Mediterranean. Bowen received his BA in History from the University of Southern California, MA and PhD in history from Northwestern University, and Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. Bowen is a retired colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, with overseas deployments to Europe and the Middle East.