BLOOD AND OIL

A thorough delineation of the rapacious, ambitious new economic plan for Saudi Arabia by the heir apparent to the throne, Mohammed bin Salman.

Like Ben Hubbard in his recent scathing assessment, MBS, dogged Wall Street Journal reporters Hope and Scheck diligently chart the rapid rise—and recent faltering—of MBS (as he is known colloquially), though this book focuses less on biography and more on his determination to remake the Saudi economy. With the accession of his father to the Saudi Arabian throne in 2015, his seventh son was already expertly positioned at his father’s side to succeed and to carry out a sweeping set of reforms. King Salman, who was the governor of Riyadh for nearly 50 years (until 2011), has been known as the enforcer and disciplinarian in the corrupt, far-flung family. Beginning in 2015, MBS served as defense minister and moved swiftly over the ensuing four years to consolidate his power by squeezing out relatives. Among many other initiatives, he waged war on Yemen; set out to enrich his family in stock trading and other ways, which his father had been loath to do; instigated a staggering economic reform for the country called Vision 2030, which he has consistently touted internationally; courted Donald Trump, “treating him like a king” during his first foreign visit; shook down the richest men in his country by holding them hostage at the Ritz-Carlton until they shelled out; moved ahead with the public listing of the state oil company, Aramco; and, most brazenly, continued to ruthlessly silence his critics—e.g., the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi. The last murder nearly derailed him, as the authors point out in their meticulous, highly relevant narrative, and while the international community has grown wary of this lethal upstart, it is too early to tell if MBS will fulfill his bloody-minded vision. The cast of characters and Al Saud family tree are especially helpful.

An excellent work of impressive research on a dangerous world leader.