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MBS: The Rise to Power of Mohammed bin Salman
MBS is the untold story of how a mysterious young prince emerged from Saudi Arabia’s sprawling royal family to overhaul the economy and society of the richest country in the Middle East—and gather as much power as possible into his own hands. Since his father, King Salman, ascended to the throne in 2015, Mohammed bin Salman has leveraged his influence to restructure the kingdom’s economy, loosen its strict Islamic social codes, and confront its enemies around the region, especially Iran. That vision won him fans at home and on Wall Street, in Silicon Valley, in Hollywood, and at the White House, where President Trump embraced the prince as a key player in his own vision for the Middle East. But over time, the sheen of the visionary young reformer has become tarnished, leaving many struggling to determine whether MBS is in fact a rising dictator whose inexperience and rash decisions are destabilizing the world’s most volatile region.
Based on years of reporting and hundreds of interviews, MBS reveals the machinations behind the kingdom’s catastrophic military intervention in Yemen, the bizarre detention of princes and businessmen in the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton, and the shifting Saudi relationships with Israel and the United States. And finally, it sheds new light on the greatest scandal of the young autocrat’s rise: the brutal killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in Istanbul, a crime that shook Saudi Arabia’s relationship with Washington and left the world wondering whether MBS could get away with murder.
MBS is a riveting, eye-opening account of how the young prince has wielded vast powers to reshape his kingdom and the world around him.
Based on years of reporting and hundreds of interviews, MBS reveals the machinations behind the kingdom’s catastrophic military intervention in Yemen, the bizarre detention of princes and businessmen in the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton, and the shifting Saudi relationships with Israel and the United States. And finally, it sheds new light on the greatest scandal of the young autocrat’s rise: the brutal killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in Istanbul, a crime that shook Saudi Arabia’s relationship with Washington and left the world wondering whether MBS could get away with murder.
MBS is a riveting, eye-opening account of how the young prince has wielded vast powers to reshape his kingdom and the world around him.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published March 10, 2020
716 people are currently reading
6667 people want to read
About the author
Ben Hubbard
1 book136 followersBen Hubbard has spent more than a dozen years in the Middle East, reporting from Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere. He is the currently the Beirut bureau chief for The New York Times.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 415 reviews
March 14, 2020
I tore through this book in two days, utterly compelled by Ben Hubbard’s reporting on Saudi Arabia’s up-and-coming crown prince. The core of this book is obsessed with the question of how to document someone’s life and ideology when that person has exercised great control over any detail of their story, where access is limited, and no one has anything to gain by telling outsiders the truth. Hubbard’s solution is to document the place as much as the person, and this leads to a somewhat-unsatisfying picture of MBS, but a totally riveting look at how he has affected the culture of Saudi Arabia and where that country may be headed. Hubbard does an excellent job of showing how MBS has challenged the conservative power bases of the country with high-risk populist strategies and his ruthless and violent use of the power of the monarchy. The final chapters on the murder of Jamal Khashoggi are heartbreaking and disturbing on a number of levels, but actually feel somehow inevitable with the actions we’ve seen MBS take in the past. Although the book does not cover any of the latest news around Saudi Arabia’s oil price war with Russia, it does help contextualize some of MBS’ likely thinking around the issue. As the book’s afterword states, MBS is likely to be a key global player for years to come, and it’s important to start thinking about how his bold visions and inexperience may combine to affect the global picture going forward.
January 12, 2022
Page 19 (my book)
Saudi Arabia was a black hole, its murky politics dominated by men in identical white robes with seemingly interchangeable names, its society opaque, reduced in most writing to generalities about the birthplace of Islam and outrage over the treatment of women.
This book examines the rise to power of MBS (Mohammed bin Salman) as the new ruler of Saudi Arabia. The author speaks Arabic and has spent time in Saudi Arabia during the last decade observing the drastic changes brought about by MBS (for now the author can longer go to Saudi Arabia due to his journalistic writings).
MBS took power from Mohammed bin Nayef in 2017 by putting him under house arrest – basically it was a well orchestrated coup d'état by MBS who had been lurking in the background for some years networking and establishing connections with those in positions of power – particularly with those involved in state security.
Changes under MBS started almost immediately.
Page 170 MBS during a presentation in October 2017
“We will not waste thirty years of our lives dealing with any extremist ideas. We will destroy them today. Immediately.”
He is in the process of transforming Saudi Arabia from a rigid theocracy to a modern dictatorship. He is also propagating a personality cult around himself. He has “liberalized” the country. As he said, nobody prior to his leadership was having fun in Saudi Arabia – that’s why the rich would take their lavish vacations elsewhere. Now women have the right to drive. Some guardianship rules have been removed – women can now apply for a passport and travel. There are less restrictions on entertainment – with the opening of movie theaters which had been banned since 1979. Among other spectacles the Cirque du Soleil has performed with some restrictions on attire. I am not sure how much women’s clothing has changed and how much mingling of the sexes is occurring – like dancing? MBS has thwarted the power of religious groups and their intimidation of women.
All this is for the good. BUT Saudi Arabia is getting more and more bogged down in its war with Yemen, it has alienated Qatar as a friend, and most significantly hostility with Iran is escalating as the author points out “in political, ideological and religious terms”.
Even though MBS has attacked corruption he himself has acquired much wealth – as in purchasing a luxury yacht with a helipad valued at over $450 million.
The author gives us a view of the dysfunctional relationship of Saudi Arabia and the U.S. during the Bush and Obama years.
Page 113
After eight years of sparring with Obama over human rights, the Iran deal, the war in Yemen, they [the Saudis] found a path forward with the President [Trump].
MBS is increasing the technological surveillance of his people. Dissent can lead to imprisonment and disappearance. The killing of Jamal Khashoggi is but one example. MBS must be seen as the sole instigator of reform – some women (for example Loujain Al-Hathloul) who agitated for change have been imprisoned and tortured.
There is much pressure in Saudi Arabia to conform and with the added electronic surveillance it is becoming like an Orwellian state.
Saudi Arabia has always been a state that obfuscates – denying its religious intolerance, denying its subjugation of women, denying it role in 9/11. Now that the pandora’s box of gender equality has been opened there could be blow-back. More rights may be demanded leading to a youth rebellion – or conversely there may be a return to more religious intolerance as the Wahhabis still have power and access to petro-dollars.
To quote the Chinese curse with respect to Saudi Arabia “May you live in interesting times.”
Page 277-78
MBS’s Saudi Arabia is a place where women can drive and work and travel, but where campaigning for more rights can mean jail time. It is a place young people can mingle and ride roller-coaster’s and launch start-up apps, but where questioning government policies is considered treason. It is a place where young women can entertain dreams forbidden to their mothers and grandmothers, but where law-abiding citizens fear talking to journalists or human rights groups could make them disappear.
This is an excellent book on the latest developments in Saudi Arabia containing many personal observations on this difficult country. Here is one:
Page 284
Not long after Khashoggi’s death, I messaged my friend who worked in a bank.
“It’s you, Ben!!!” he responded. “Hii”.
He was glad I had gotten in touch he wrote. There was something he needed to tell me. The situation in Saudi Arabia had changed since we met and he was now afraid of communicating with a journalist. If the messages were intercepted, he would be at the state’s mercy, with little chance to defend himself.
He was breaking up with me.
He said not to take it personally and that having me as a friend had been a “real honor”. I told him I understood and asked that he save my number so he could call me from abroad someday…I haven’t heard from him since.
Saudi Arabia was a black hole, its murky politics dominated by men in identical white robes with seemingly interchangeable names, its society opaque, reduced in most writing to generalities about the birthplace of Islam and outrage over the treatment of women.
This book examines the rise to power of MBS (Mohammed bin Salman) as the new ruler of Saudi Arabia. The author speaks Arabic and has spent time in Saudi Arabia during the last decade observing the drastic changes brought about by MBS (for now the author can longer go to Saudi Arabia due to his journalistic writings).
MBS took power from Mohammed bin Nayef in 2017 by putting him under house arrest – basically it was a well orchestrated coup d'état by MBS who had been lurking in the background for some years networking and establishing connections with those in positions of power – particularly with those involved in state security.
Changes under MBS started almost immediately.
Page 170 MBS during a presentation in October 2017
“We will not waste thirty years of our lives dealing with any extremist ideas. We will destroy them today. Immediately.”
He is in the process of transforming Saudi Arabia from a rigid theocracy to a modern dictatorship. He is also propagating a personality cult around himself. He has “liberalized” the country. As he said, nobody prior to his leadership was having fun in Saudi Arabia – that’s why the rich would take their lavish vacations elsewhere. Now women have the right to drive. Some guardianship rules have been removed – women can now apply for a passport and travel. There are less restrictions on entertainment – with the opening of movie theaters which had been banned since 1979. Among other spectacles the Cirque du Soleil has performed with some restrictions on attire. I am not sure how much women’s clothing has changed and how much mingling of the sexes is occurring – like dancing? MBS has thwarted the power of religious groups and their intimidation of women.
All this is for the good. BUT Saudi Arabia is getting more and more bogged down in its war with Yemen, it has alienated Qatar as a friend, and most significantly hostility with Iran is escalating as the author points out “in political, ideological and religious terms”.
Even though MBS has attacked corruption he himself has acquired much wealth – as in purchasing a luxury yacht with a helipad valued at over $450 million.
The author gives us a view of the dysfunctional relationship of Saudi Arabia and the U.S. during the Bush and Obama years.
Page 113
After eight years of sparring with Obama over human rights, the Iran deal, the war in Yemen, they [the Saudis] found a path forward with the President [Trump].
MBS is increasing the technological surveillance of his people. Dissent can lead to imprisonment and disappearance. The killing of Jamal Khashoggi is but one example. MBS must be seen as the sole instigator of reform – some women (for example Loujain Al-Hathloul) who agitated for change have been imprisoned and tortured.
There is much pressure in Saudi Arabia to conform and with the added electronic surveillance it is becoming like an Orwellian state.
Saudi Arabia has always been a state that obfuscates – denying its religious intolerance, denying its subjugation of women, denying it role in 9/11. Now that the pandora’s box of gender equality has been opened there could be blow-back. More rights may be demanded leading to a youth rebellion – or conversely there may be a return to more religious intolerance as the Wahhabis still have power and access to petro-dollars.
To quote the Chinese curse with respect to Saudi Arabia “May you live in interesting times.”
Page 277-78
MBS’s Saudi Arabia is a place where women can drive and work and travel, but where campaigning for more rights can mean jail time. It is a place young people can mingle and ride roller-coaster’s and launch start-up apps, but where questioning government policies is considered treason. It is a place where young women can entertain dreams forbidden to their mothers and grandmothers, but where law-abiding citizens fear talking to journalists or human rights groups could make them disappear.
This is an excellent book on the latest developments in Saudi Arabia containing many personal observations on this difficult country. Here is one:
Page 284
Not long after Khashoggi’s death, I messaged my friend who worked in a bank.
“It’s you, Ben!!!” he responded. “Hii”.
He was glad I had gotten in touch he wrote. There was something he needed to tell me. The situation in Saudi Arabia had changed since we met and he was now afraid of communicating with a journalist. If the messages were intercepted, he would be at the state’s mercy, with little chance to defend himself.
He was breaking up with me.
He said not to take it personally and that having me as a friend had been a “real honor”. I told him I understood and asked that he save my number so he could call me from abroad someday…I haven’t heard from him since.
August 14, 2023
دوستانِ گرانقدر، ریویو را با فرستادنِ درود و آفرین بر «محمد بن سلمان» آغاز میکنم... عزیزانم، وقتی کتابی در رژیمِ جمهوری اسلامی ترجمه و منتشر میشود، آنهم با چنین موضوعی، خیالتان راحت باشد که بازهم قرار است که راست را دروغ و دروغ را راست جلوه دهند و با بیانِ برخی از وقایع، در میانِ جملات ِکتاب، به تخریبِ یک شخصیت یا جامعه ای به خصوص، بپردازند
دوستانِ گودریدزی، که در این سالها لطف داشته و ریویوهایِ من را میخوانند، خوب میدانند که یکی از منتقدانِ اصلیِ تمامیِ ادیانِ سامی به خصوص اسلام بوده و هستم و ریویوهایِ زیادی در جهتِ کوبیدنِ تازیانِ مسلمان و تازی پرستانِ بیخرد و ساده لوح نوشته ام.. و البته برخی هم بوده اند که آنقدر نادان و بیسواد بوده اند که برای دفاع از دین و مذهبشان نتوانستند دلایلِ قوی و سند و مدرک بیاورند و از رویِ ضعف و حماقت، به من برچسبِ نژادپرستی چسباندند، که اصلاً نظراتِ این ابلهانِ موهوم پرست برایم مهم نبوده و نیست.. مشکلِ من با خرافات زده ها و موهوم پرستان است، نه با نژادها و جوامعِ مختلف
عزیزانم، برایِ هر انسانِ آگاه و اهلِ خردی مشخص و نمایان است که «محمد بن سلمان» انسانِ بسیار آگاه، خردمند و به خصوص میهن پرست است که برایِ پیشرفتِ مردمانش و همچنین توسعهٔ سرزمینش هرکاری میکند.. محمد بن سلمان در همان آغازِ کار متوجه شد که دین و مذهبِ پدران و اجدادش، سد راهِ رشد و توسعهٔ عربستان است، او فهمید که با داشتنِ بیشترین ثروت و منابعِ طبیعی، تا زمانی که توسعهٔ اجتماعی و رشدِ فرهنگی انجام نگیرد، خبری از توسعهٔ اقتصادی نخواهد بود.. محمد بن سلمان همچون یک منجی دریافت که برای ورودِ تکنولوژیِ روز به کشورش و باز شدنِ دروازه هایِ عربستان به رویِ شخصیتها و ورزشکارانِ مشهور، سنتهایِ ابلهانه و موهوم را باید کنار گذاشت و نتیجه اش را امروز در ورزش و صنایعِ مختلفِ این کشور شاهد هستیم.. محمد بن سلمان به خوبی میدانست که پیروی از اسلامِ خلفایِ عربستان و سنتِ پیشینیان و اینگونه مزخرفات، برایِ عربستان و مردمِ کشورش نان و آب نمیشود و دستِ اسلام را باید از آموزش و پرورش کوتاه کرد، همان نسخهٔ درمانی که ویکتور هوگو برای مردمانِ فرانسه تجویز کرد و دست کلیسا را از آموزش و پرورشِ فرانسه کوتاه کرد.. محمد بن سلمان را میتوان به نوعی با رضا شاهِ بزرگ در ایران و «ولید بن یزید» تنها خلیفهٔ خردمندِ اسلام مقایسه کرد.. مخالفانِ محمد بن سلمان چه در داخلِ کشورش و چه در خارجِ کشورش، کسانی هستند که میدانند با هر بدعتی، منافعِ آنها به شدت در معرضِ خطر قرار میگیرد.. درکل داشتنِ چنین حاکمی، آرزویِ هر جامعه و انسانِ آگاه بوده و میباشد.. به عنوانِ یک انسان، تا زمانی که محمد بن سلمان، در جهتِ پیشرفتِ دانش و فرهنگ و آزادیِ مردمانِ کشورش گام برمیدارد، برایِ او آرزویِ سلامتی و پیروزی را دارم
-----------------------------------
«پیروز باشید و ایرانی»
دوستانِ گودریدزی، که در این سالها لطف داشته و ریویوهایِ من را میخوانند، خوب میدانند که یکی از منتقدانِ اصلیِ تمامیِ ادیانِ سامی به خصوص اسلام بوده و هستم و ریویوهایِ زیادی در جهتِ کوبیدنِ تازیانِ مسلمان و تازی پرستانِ بیخرد و ساده لوح نوشته ام.. و البته برخی هم بوده اند که آنقدر نادان و بیسواد بوده اند که برای دفاع از دین و مذهبشان نتوانستند دلایلِ قوی و سند و مدرک بیاورند و از رویِ ضعف و حماقت، به من برچسبِ نژادپرستی چسباندند، که اصلاً نظراتِ این ابلهانِ موهوم پرست برایم مهم نبوده و نیست.. مشکلِ من با خرافات زده ها و موهوم پرستان است، نه با نژادها و جوامعِ مختلف
عزیزانم، برایِ هر انسانِ آگاه و اهلِ خردی مشخص و نمایان است که «محمد بن سلمان» انسانِ بسیار آگاه، خردمند و به خصوص میهن پرست است که برایِ پیشرفتِ مردمانش و همچنین توسعهٔ سرزمینش هرکاری میکند.. محمد بن سلمان در همان آغازِ کار متوجه شد که دین و مذهبِ پدران و اجدادش، سد راهِ رشد و توسعهٔ عربستان است، او فهمید که با داشتنِ بیشترین ثروت و منابعِ طبیعی، تا زمانی که توسعهٔ اجتماعی و رشدِ فرهنگی انجام نگیرد، خبری از توسعهٔ اقتصادی نخواهد بود.. محمد بن سلمان همچون یک منجی دریافت که برای ورودِ تکنولوژیِ روز به کشورش و باز شدنِ دروازه هایِ عربستان به رویِ شخصیتها و ورزشکارانِ مشهور، سنتهایِ ابلهانه و موهوم را باید کنار گذاشت و نتیجه اش را امروز در ورزش و صنایعِ مختلفِ این کشور شاهد هستیم.. محمد بن سلمان به خوبی میدانست که پیروی از اسلامِ خلفایِ عربستان و سنتِ پیشینیان و اینگونه مزخرفات، برایِ عربستان و مردمِ کشورش نان و آب نمیشود و دستِ اسلام را باید از آموزش و پرورش کوتاه کرد، همان نسخهٔ درمانی که ویکتور هوگو برای مردمانِ فرانسه تجویز کرد و دست کلیسا را از آموزش و پرورشِ فرانسه کوتاه کرد.. محمد بن سلمان را میتوان به نوعی با رضا شاهِ بزرگ در ایران و «ولید بن یزید» تنها خلیفهٔ خردمندِ اسلام مقایسه کرد.. مخالفانِ محمد بن سلمان چه در داخلِ کشورش و چه در خارجِ کشورش، کسانی هستند که میدانند با هر بدعتی، منافعِ آنها به شدت در معرضِ خطر قرار میگیرد.. درکل داشتنِ چنین حاکمی، آرزویِ هر جامعه و انسانِ آگاه بوده و میباشد.. به عنوانِ یک انسان، تا زمانی که محمد بن سلمان، در جهتِ پیشرفتِ دانش و فرهنگ و آزادیِ مردمانِ کشورش گام برمیدارد، برایِ او آرزویِ سلامتی و پیروزی را دارم
-----------------------------------
«پیروز باشید و ایرانی»
August 14, 2022
More a book an a changing Saudi Arabia and the Khashoggi killing than a zoom in on the new crown prince perse. Chilling mix of social liberalisation and tech-enabled repression and breakdown of any resistance to his plans.
Interesting narration of a changing country, strewn with observations on how the country changed in a short time frame, both for the better and the worse.
The father of Mohammad Bin Salman (the titutalar MBS) was one of the 25 of 36 children of the founder of Saudi Arabia. While he was governor of Riyadh, the capital, for 50 years, it was by no means evident that the current crown prince would rise to his position, him being only the 6th son of his father. Through forcefulness and a focus on traditional values (not going to an US/UK university amongst others) and some fortunately timed deaths, he rose to great power. Ben Hubbard clearly knows a lot about the country, and the book is rich in anecdotes, but real reflections on MBS growing up are rare and hard to find given his current position and powers.
MBS: The Rise to Power of Mohammed bin Salman does tell us about a princess trying to shirk paying the ShangriLa hotel bill of 41 rooms, for 5 months (of €7m) in Paris, and her son having a graduation party which cost €19.5m, renting large parts of Eurodisney for three days. MBS his part of the family in contrast was not nearly as wealthy, but with his father becoming king, buying a yacht of €420m and a mansion near Paris of €300m becomes possible.
It is interesting how defanging the religious police with one royal decree works, and that the royal family is sufficiently entrenched to make changes to the purportedly conservative society without much counter rumbling. The whole blitzkrieg of consultants, involving spending more than USD 1 billion per year on amongst others McKinsey, BCG and Strategy& helps the prince make his grand vision more real and credible.
The rise of MBS coincides with Trump his election and a special relationship with Kushner develops. Familial ties being important and the new “with us or against us” rhetoric being favored by both Trump and MBS in his war against for instance Yemen or the larger shadow war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Intervention in Qatar and Yemen and even kidnapping the PM of Lebanon follow to get more clout in the Middle Eastern arena.
This all is facilitated by his father who had a stroke and delegated more and more of daily business to his favourite son, while the earlier anointed crown prince suffers from bad health and even more damaging rumours against him.
There is an internal power grip in the Ritz, proclaimed as an action against corruption, while the royal family at the same time set up a leasing company to cash in on the discount Boeing gave the state airline. The author details how the royal family grabbed control of Saudi Bin Laden, the largest building company of Saudi Arabia, a move thought to be relevant in the construction of Neom, the glitzy Red Sea town that must arise in the dessert.
Normal Saudis meanwhile are given more freedoms and sources of entertainment, with USD 64 billion being allotted to a national committee that needs to build up a domestic entertainment industry and gain the support of the 65% of the population being under 30. Till the rise of MBS eating was nearly the only entertainment possibility available to youngsters.
Overall this is more a book an a changing Saudi Arabia and the Khashoggi killing than a zoom in on the new crown prince perse. It offers a glimpse of the chilling mix of relative social liberalisation and tech-enabled repression and breakdown of any resistance to the plans of the state.
Interesting narration of a changing country, strewn with observations on how the country changed in a short time frame, both for the better and the worse.
The father of Mohammad Bin Salman (the titutalar MBS) was one of the 25 of 36 children of the founder of Saudi Arabia. While he was governor of Riyadh, the capital, for 50 years, it was by no means evident that the current crown prince would rise to his position, him being only the 6th son of his father. Through forcefulness and a focus on traditional values (not going to an US/UK university amongst others) and some fortunately timed deaths, he rose to great power. Ben Hubbard clearly knows a lot about the country, and the book is rich in anecdotes, but real reflections on MBS growing up are rare and hard to find given his current position and powers.
MBS: The Rise to Power of Mohammed bin Salman does tell us about a princess trying to shirk paying the ShangriLa hotel bill of 41 rooms, for 5 months (of €7m) in Paris, and her son having a graduation party which cost €19.5m, renting large parts of Eurodisney for three days. MBS his part of the family in contrast was not nearly as wealthy, but with his father becoming king, buying a yacht of €420m and a mansion near Paris of €300m becomes possible.
It is interesting how defanging the religious police with one royal decree works, and that the royal family is sufficiently entrenched to make changes to the purportedly conservative society without much counter rumbling. The whole blitzkrieg of consultants, involving spending more than USD 1 billion per year on amongst others McKinsey, BCG and Strategy& helps the prince make his grand vision more real and credible.
The rise of MBS coincides with Trump his election and a special relationship with Kushner develops. Familial ties being important and the new “with us or against us” rhetoric being favored by both Trump and MBS in his war against for instance Yemen or the larger shadow war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Intervention in Qatar and Yemen and even kidnapping the PM of Lebanon follow to get more clout in the Middle Eastern arena.
This all is facilitated by his father who had a stroke and delegated more and more of daily business to his favourite son, while the earlier anointed crown prince suffers from bad health and even more damaging rumours against him.
There is an internal power grip in the Ritz, proclaimed as an action against corruption, while the royal family at the same time set up a leasing company to cash in on the discount Boeing gave the state airline. The author details how the royal family grabbed control of Saudi Bin Laden, the largest building company of Saudi Arabia, a move thought to be relevant in the construction of Neom, the glitzy Red Sea town that must arise in the dessert.
Normal Saudis meanwhile are given more freedoms and sources of entertainment, with USD 64 billion being allotted to a national committee that needs to build up a domestic entertainment industry and gain the support of the 65% of the population being under 30. Till the rise of MBS eating was nearly the only entertainment possibility available to youngsters.
Overall this is more a book an a changing Saudi Arabia and the Khashoggi killing than a zoom in on the new crown prince perse. It offers a glimpse of the chilling mix of relative social liberalisation and tech-enabled repression and breakdown of any resistance to the plans of the state.
October 23, 2023
این یکی از کتابهای جدید در خصوص کشور عربستان هستش و بعد از خوندن چند کتاب که نهایتا تا سلطنت عبداله ادامه داشت، این کتاب درست بعد از مرگ عبداله و آغاز سلطنت سلمان شروع میشه.
جمعآوری اطلاعات در خصوص فرد جوانی که خیلی سریع پلههای ترقی رو طی میکنه و تاکنون در موردش بررسی زیادی در نشریات و منابع جهان نشده کار سختی هستش و تو این کتاب سعی کرده روایت خوبی از کودکی تا حال حاضر محمدبنسلمان ارائه بده.
کتاب خیلی به روز و تازه هستش و موضوعاتی مثل تقابل عربستان جدید با ایران، اصلاحات توی این کشور، کمکردن قدرت مذهبیون، تحریم قطر، گروگانگیری سعدالحریری، زندانی کردن شاهزادهها در هتل، قتل خاشقچی و ... رو پوشش میده.
نویسنده تلاش کرده که بیطرفی رو رعایت کنه و در عین حال که از یه سری پیشرفتها و اصلاحات تعریف کرده از خیلی از روشهای دیکتاتوری و بیرحمانه و بعضا ناپخته بنسلمان انتقاد کرده
به نظر من اگر شخصی به موضوع سیاست در منطقه خاورمیانه یا اصلاحات در کشور عربستان علاقه داره، از خوندن این کتاب لذت میبره و با وجوه مختلف شخصیت بنسلمان آشنا میشه که مطمئنا در آینده (و برای مدتی طولانی) اسمش رو در اخبار زیاد خواهیم شنید و رویکردش در خصوص ایران میتونه نظم منطقه رو تحت تاثیر قرار بده.
جمعآوری اطلاعات در خصوص فرد جوانی که خیلی سریع پلههای ترقی رو طی میکنه و تاکنون در موردش بررسی زیادی در نشریات و منابع جهان نشده کار سختی هستش و تو این کتاب سعی کرده روایت خوبی از کودکی تا حال حاضر محمدبنسلمان ارائه بده.
کتاب خیلی به روز و تازه هستش و موضوعاتی مثل تقابل عربستان جدید با ایران، اصلاحات توی این کشور، کمکردن قدرت مذهبیون، تحریم قطر، گروگانگیری سعدالحریری، زندانی کردن شاهزادهها در هتل، قتل خاشقچی و ... رو پوشش میده.
نویسنده تلاش کرده که بیطرفی رو رعایت کنه و در عین حال که از یه سری پیشرفتها و اصلاحات تعریف کرده از خیلی از روشهای دیکتاتوری و بیرحمانه و بعضا ناپخته بنسلمان انتقاد کرده
به نظر من اگر شخصی به موضوع سیاست در منطقه خاورمیانه یا اصلاحات در کشور عربستان علاقه داره، از خوندن این کتاب لذت میبره و با وجوه مختلف شخصیت بنسلمان آشنا میشه که مطمئنا در آینده (و برای مدتی طولانی) اسمش رو در اخبار زیاد خواهیم شنید و رویکردش در خصوص ایران میتونه نظم منطقه رو تحت تاثیر قرار بده.
September 1, 2024
Everyone knows how Khashoggi was killed, just like everyone knows who’s responsible.
But I can’t help remembering how much praise he was giving him, when MBS was aggravating a war in Yemen.
He had no sympathy for them ( the Yemenis )nor felt that they deserved any mercy.
Which means: be careful who you trust.
Four stars. ✨✨✨✨
But I can’t help remembering how much praise he was giving him, when MBS was aggravating a war in Yemen.
He had no sympathy for them ( the Yemenis )nor felt that they deserved any mercy.
Which means: be careful who you trust.
Four stars. ✨✨✨✨
April 11, 2020
I'm currently reading through this book for the 3rd time...
The first time I raced through it because it is fascinating and well written.
The 2nd time I read it, I wanted to be fair in my assessment of the facts presented, regarding the Prince, his nation and the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
My present reading, is looking at it through the lens of current, rapidly changing, events, i.e. imprisonment of family members, the oil situation with Russia, etc.
The Prince is a fascinating young man who rapidly came to power and is making quite a name for himself with world leaders. Little is known about him personally, yet he's making some big changes and progress in Saudi Arabia. He's controversial to say the least.
I look to Ben Hubbard as an expert... He has been closely following the Prince and his life, his rule and reforms for awhile now. He's written extensively on these subjects and I recommend to anyone that has any interest to read Ben's articles about the Crown Prince and his country.
An interesting book to say the least. Well written, easy to read and hard to put down.
Excellent book by Ben Hubbard who I will continue to read. You should too.
The first time I raced through it because it is fascinating and well written.
The 2nd time I read it, I wanted to be fair in my assessment of the facts presented, regarding the Prince, his nation and the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
My present reading, is looking at it through the lens of current, rapidly changing, events, i.e. imprisonment of family members, the oil situation with Russia, etc.
The Prince is a fascinating young man who rapidly came to power and is making quite a name for himself with world leaders. Little is known about him personally, yet he's making some big changes and progress in Saudi Arabia. He's controversial to say the least.
I look to Ben Hubbard as an expert... He has been closely following the Prince and his life, his rule and reforms for awhile now. He's written extensively on these subjects and I recommend to anyone that has any interest to read Ben's articles about the Crown Prince and his country.
An interesting book to say the least. Well written, easy to read and hard to put down.
Excellent book by Ben Hubbard who I will continue to read. You should too.
September 15, 2020
Suppose King Salman, King of Saudi Arabia and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, were to pass away tomorrow, September 15th, 2020. His son, the Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (hereafter MBS) would become one of the world's youngest heads of state. Just older than the Prime Minister of Finland, just younger than Kim Jong-un.
There is little in terms of shocking revelations or uncovering something completely unknown. What this biography does is provide a more thorough backing to what has been at first reported about the young monarch. There are many sources, but nearly all of them have had to be kept anonymous.
For the first two decades of his life, he might have been indistinguishable from the crowds of Saudi princes. He had a fondness for expensive vacations, but so did many of his cousins. After his father rose up the ranks of succession (his father's older half-brothers kept dying), he saw his opportunity - first in merging the courts of the king and the crown prince, and then overthrowing the previous crown prince in a 2017 palace coup. He found a firm ally in the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The alliance had been borne out of mutual antipathy towards Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood.
In Hubbard's account, it looks as if MBS has supplanted the traditional order of clerics and a model of consensus-based aristocratic rule with absolute monarchy. On the one hand, this has led to dramatic change - vast planned cities, a fondness for Silicon Valley tech, the curtailing of the old morality police, and the introduction of entertainment ranging from movie theatres to pro wrestling -- and on the other hand, cracking down on political opponents. These can go hand in hand - women can now drive, but many of the activists who called for it have been rounded up.
The crown prince is powerful and wealthy, but he faces serious challenges. The ongoing war in Yemen has been criticized as a human rights catastrophe and has become prohibitively expensive. Oil prices have sunk after the global fall in demand due to the pandemic, so budgets tighten. Trump is very willing to conclude deals and boasts of "saving his ass" -- but the future of that administration, to say nothing of its attitudes towards its 'friends', is capricious.
There is little in terms of shocking revelations or uncovering something completely unknown. What this biography does is provide a more thorough backing to what has been at first reported about the young monarch. There are many sources, but nearly all of them have had to be kept anonymous.
For the first two decades of his life, he might have been indistinguishable from the crowds of Saudi princes. He had a fondness for expensive vacations, but so did many of his cousins. After his father rose up the ranks of succession (his father's older half-brothers kept dying), he saw his opportunity - first in merging the courts of the king and the crown prince, and then overthrowing the previous crown prince in a 2017 palace coup. He found a firm ally in the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The alliance had been borne out of mutual antipathy towards Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood.
In Hubbard's account, it looks as if MBS has supplanted the traditional order of clerics and a model of consensus-based aristocratic rule with absolute monarchy. On the one hand, this has led to dramatic change - vast planned cities, a fondness for Silicon Valley tech, the curtailing of the old morality police, and the introduction of entertainment ranging from movie theatres to pro wrestling -- and on the other hand, cracking down on political opponents. These can go hand in hand - women can now drive, but many of the activists who called for it have been rounded up.
The crown prince is powerful and wealthy, but he faces serious challenges. The ongoing war in Yemen has been criticized as a human rights catastrophe and has become prohibitively expensive. Oil prices have sunk after the global fall in demand due to the pandemic, so budgets tighten. Trump is very willing to conclude deals and boasts of "saving his ass" -- but the future of that administration, to say nothing of its attitudes towards its 'friends', is capricious.
May 19, 2021
As you learn how Mohammad bin Salman came to power and what he did with it you get a portrait of life in Saudi Arabia. There is a good description of Jamal Khashoggi and the significance of his brutal murder. The book is highly readable. At times you cannot put it down.
Once his father got the unlikely nod to be King, MBS, as an ambitious young prince, had to get his older stepbrother out of the line of succession. He did this by holding him hostage until he renounced the throne and MBS was the crown prince. Unlike his relatives who seem to live for being rich, MBS is compelled to modernize his country. With his aging father most likely unable to lead the Kingdom, MBS is filling the void.
Ben Hubbard takes you through the actions that rocked the Kingdom. Some are worthy of their own books. Many of these episodes are page turners.
• Disbanding the Committee on Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice which was once believed all powerful
• Pitching his Vision 2030 - a planned community, so advanced that drone transportation will alleviate the need to have roads - to international elite investors
• Touring and “charming” world leaders
• Allowing women to drive, yet arresting and torturing its advocates
• Holding an unknown number of relatives (maybe 50) hostage until they surrendered wealth which he determined was corruptibly accumulated.
• Opening theaters and other entertainment venues
• Creating a troll farm to promote MBS and discredit any whiff of dissent
• Jailing and torturing journalists, even if their "crime" is a reasoned critique of a policy.
• Maintaining the War in Yemen and hostilities with Iran and other Shiite countries.
The portrait of Jamal Khashoggi and the story of his murder is the best I have seen. You learn about his prestige as a journalist and intellectual in prior administrations, where the author speaks of the previous climate for freedom of speech on a level I had not expected. There is detail on this murder down to the “engineer” who walked away in Khashoggi's clothes. There is a good analysis of what his death has meant for the Kingdom and for MBS as investors and world leaders consider his character.
The author, at minimum, will probably never get a visa to enter Saudi Arabia again. If not for the Khashoggi murder, his life would surely be in danger, as it stands there is no guarantee it isn't.
As the author says, Mohammad bin Salman (age 35) will be around for a while, so the world needs to know more about him.
Once his father got the unlikely nod to be King, MBS, as an ambitious young prince, had to get his older stepbrother out of the line of succession. He did this by holding him hostage until he renounced the throne and MBS was the crown prince. Unlike his relatives who seem to live for being rich, MBS is compelled to modernize his country. With his aging father most likely unable to lead the Kingdom, MBS is filling the void.
Ben Hubbard takes you through the actions that rocked the Kingdom. Some are worthy of their own books. Many of these episodes are page turners.
• Disbanding the Committee on Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice which was once believed all powerful
• Pitching his Vision 2030 - a planned community, so advanced that drone transportation will alleviate the need to have roads - to international elite investors
• Touring and “charming” world leaders
• Allowing women to drive, yet arresting and torturing its advocates
• Holding an unknown number of relatives (maybe 50) hostage until they surrendered wealth which he determined was corruptibly accumulated.
• Opening theaters and other entertainment venues
• Creating a troll farm to promote MBS and discredit any whiff of dissent
• Jailing and torturing journalists, even if their "crime" is a reasoned critique of a policy.
• Maintaining the War in Yemen and hostilities with Iran and other Shiite countries.
The portrait of Jamal Khashoggi and the story of his murder is the best I have seen. You learn about his prestige as a journalist and intellectual in prior administrations, where the author speaks of the previous climate for freedom of speech on a level I had not expected. There is detail on this murder down to the “engineer” who walked away in Khashoggi's clothes. There is a good analysis of what his death has meant for the Kingdom and for MBS as investors and world leaders consider his character.
The author, at minimum, will probably never get a visa to enter Saudi Arabia again. If not for the Khashoggi murder, his life would surely be in danger, as it stands there is no guarantee it isn't.
As the author says, Mohammad bin Salman (age 35) will be around for a while, so the world needs to know more about him.
July 19, 2020
Audible Audiobook – Unabridged
Ben Hubbard (Author), Robert Petkoff (Narrator), Random House Audio (Publisher)
Ben Hubbard (Author), Robert Petkoff (Narrator), Random House Audio (Publisher)
July 6, 2021
Brief thoughts, more to come -
MBS is a clever, cunning and conniving man, who doesn't play by the rules. Reading the beginning chapters showed a man, who probably read "The Art of War" while others play with their blocks. He ascended to power by manipulating and sabotaging his own family members and even managed to do so to his own father, Salman bin Abdulaziz before he was the ruler and while he ruled Saudi Arabia. MBS went as far as to put his own mother into lockdown (prison as stated in the book), while his father ruled then lied saying she was in Paris when his father asked where she was!
The author is an excellent journalist. He gives many examples of the intricacies of how various parts of the puzzle connect. He provides great context to the events and actions of MBS. The author was stationed in Saudi Arabia for several years so he understood it culture quite well. Only a century ago, its people were tent dwellers living in small communities with others in their tribe. Once oil was discovered, many experienced immense wealth though not distributed equally, as a result, the political shenanigans ensued. He delineates how many abuse their citizenry to take advantage others, particularly many examples of bills in the hundreds of thousands for graduations, weddings or just extended vacations are left unpaid to hotels and yacht clubs and others never pursued due to their powerful relatives or other connections with power.
MBS is a clever, cunning and conniving man, who doesn't play by the rules. Reading the beginning chapters showed a man, who probably read "The Art of War" while others play with their blocks. He ascended to power by manipulating and sabotaging his own family members and even managed to do so to his own father, Salman bin Abdulaziz before he was the ruler and while he ruled Saudi Arabia. MBS went as far as to put his own mother into lockdown (prison as stated in the book), while his father ruled then lied saying she was in Paris when his father asked where she was!
The author is an excellent journalist. He gives many examples of the intricacies of how various parts of the puzzle connect. He provides great context to the events and actions of MBS. The author was stationed in Saudi Arabia for several years so he understood it culture quite well. Only a century ago, its people were tent dwellers living in small communities with others in their tribe. Once oil was discovered, many experienced immense wealth though not distributed equally, as a result, the political shenanigans ensued. He delineates how many abuse their citizenry to take advantage others, particularly many examples of bills in the hundreds of thousands for graduations, weddings or just extended vacations are left unpaid to hotels and yacht clubs and others never pursued due to their powerful relatives or other connections with power.
November 10, 2024
کتاب “محمد بن سلمان” توسط بن هوبارد ،کارمند نیویورک تایمز و گزارشگر مسائل کشورهای عربی و خاورمیانه، نوشته شده. نویسنده شخصا در بازههایی از زمان در عربستان حضور داشته و تجربیات شهودی و غیرشهودی خودشرو در این کتاب نوشته. با اینکه کتاب، کتاب جالبیه و نکات خوبیرو به خواننده ارائه میده اما دو تا مسئله توجهمرو نسبت به اینکه نویسنده چقدر جنبه انصافرو رعایت کرده جلب کرد. اول اینکه جنبههای مثبت بن سلمان فقط دو مورد ذکر شد؛ یکی لغو قانون ممنوعیت رانندگی زنان و دیگری لغو قانون قیومیت زنان برای سفر که در هر دو مورد نویسنده با ذکر اینکه فعالان این مسیر در زندان هستن و مردم هنوز جرئت ندارن این کارهارو انجام بدن و چه و چه از اهمیت این مسئله کم کرده و این حس به خواننده دست میده که انگار کار خیلی مهمی انجام نشده. دومین نکته اختصاص دادن قسمت اعظم کتاب به جمال خاشقجی بود؛ منتقد محافظهکار سعودی و روزنامهنگار واشنگتن پست که سال ۲۰۱۸ در سفارت عربستان در شهر استانبول کشته شد. انگار نویسنده بیشتر قصد داشت در مورد عدم امنیت همکارانش در دنیا صحبت کنه و ادای دینی به خاشقجی کرده باشه و در عین حال هم از شدت سرکوب در عربستان صحبت کنه. با وجود اینکه احساس بیطرفی کامل از طرف نویسنده نگرفتم اما دوستش داشتم و این کتاب برای همه اونه��یی که معتقدن راه نجات ایران ظهور شخصی مثل بن سلمان هست، میتونه گزینه مناسبی باشه که ببینن آواز دهل شنیدن از دور خوشه و اونقدرا که رسانهها نشون میدن اوضاع عالی نیست. البته که من منکر راهگشاییهای بن سلمان نیستم و قطعا عربستان با وجود او تونسته همینقدر هم پیشرفت کنه اما خوبه که ما در کنار این زرق و برقها نکات منفیرو هم ببینیم و خودمونرو آماده کنیم که اگه روزی بن سلمانی داشتیم با دیدن قسمت تاریک ماجرا مایوس نشیم.
December 31, 2020
MBS: The Rise to Power of Mohammed bin Salman, by Ben Hubbard, is a fascinating book on the political rise of the current Saudi Arabian crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, or MBS as he is often called. MBS was born to the long time governor of Riyadh province Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Salman senior was a son King Abdulaziz, MBS' grandfather, who had three sons ahead of him in line for the throne. Salman senior became an adept governor of Riyadh, known for his knowledge of tribal customs and his ability to balance interests in his province, but held little ambition to be made king. This changed after his brothers died of age, disease or accident, putting him in line for the throne. Salman senior is now the current king of Saudi Arabia. MBS was in a similar boat - living sons or descendants of the first king are often placed in line first - MBS was at one time fourth in line to the throne. As a young man he was a bit of a stereotypical Saudi princeling, rich but not enough to outshine his superiors, and cloistered. However, he began to play the stock market young, and made a lot of money investing in Saudi companies and using his clout as a son of the crown prince - then king, to make a fortune. He also began to become much closer to his father, who would often take MBS to work with him as the governor of Riyadh, and then as the crown prince and king, eventually granting him powerful positions in the ministry of defense, and of court procedures. These positions would give him unrivaled access to his aging father, as well as significant political experience and networking within the Kingdom.
MBS began to oust his rivals one after another, ending with the house arrest of Salman seniors brother MBN, and MBN's renouncement of the crown prince position in favour of MBS, most likely under duress. MBS was rapid and brutal in taking power, sidelining his rivals, and placing his own mother in guarded seclusions to reduce her influence on events. MBS wooed his American counterparts, which helped him oust MBN, who was then the State's favourite to succeed in Saudi Arabia. MBS is young - in his mid-30's at this point, and when he became crown prince in 2017, was very young for the position. He made up for this with gusto - he implemented Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 initiative - a utopian investment scheme revolving around oil divestment, Western direct investment, and infrastructure projects. His other utopian project - NEOM, is a carbon-free futuristic city that is supposedly to be built as an alternative capital of sorts for the Kingdom. As minister of defense from 2015, MBS initiated the Saudi campaign in neighbouring Yemen to oust the Iranian backed Houthi's, and put in place the blockade on GCC rival Qatar. Both plans were audacious and ultimately rather disastrous from a foreign policy stance. Even so, his close relationship with US President Donald Trump ensured a continuous supply of American weapons and support in Yemen. MBS is seen in Saudi Arabia as a reformer - promoting women's rights, appointing Shiite's to ministry positions, and arresting numerous relatives on corruption charges, which are almost certainly warranted.
However, MBS is also of the autocratic mindset. He ousted rivals, and secured his position by throwing many of his relatives and Saudi Arabia's businessmen into first class prison, sometimes allegedly having them tortured until they agreed to support MBS' proposals and policies - a page right out of South Korean dictator Park Chung-hee's book. He has redefined Saudi ambitions in the region as aggressive, targeting Iran and Iranian backed regimes in a growingly dangerous struggle for supremacy in the region. The Saudi's were heavily involved in the Yemeni Civil War, in Syria, Libya, Iraq and the Egyptian coup. They have also been increasingly assertive in their neighbours internal politics, sending in troops to quash the Bahranian Arab Spring moment, blockading rival Qatar, and meddling in the affairs of Djibouti, Egypt and Lebanon, famously kidnapping President Harari of Lebanon and forcing him to resign in captivity. MBS has locked up dissidents, activists and journalists of all stripes, from those promoting women's rights on driving (which he made legal in 2018, although still locking up activists), to academics, right leaning Wahabi clerics, Shiite activists, and Saudi journalists. MBS is most infamous for the Kashoggi affair, where he had dissident journalist Jamal Kashoggi murdered in the Saudi embassy in Turkey. This event shook the world, weakened Saudi ties with the West, and embarrassed the Saudi regime to no end. MBS has also engaged in spats with Canada over human rights rhetoric, Turkey over Qatar and Libya - with Turkey signing formal alliances and basing troops in Doha, and fighting with the UN-backed GNC in Libya.
MBS' reforms have been a mixed bag, according to Hubbard. He sees lots of positive movement in Saudi Arabia, with needed reforms of cultural freedom, women's rights, and the economy signalling a shift away from the stagnant cultural life Saudi citizens have endured for the past few decades. MBS notes that these changes will take time, but seems willing to tackle controversial issues like corruption and women's rights in an ultraconservative monarchy. Even so, his heavy handed authoritarianism is a marked change as well. Saudi Arabia used to be known for its methodical stance on geopolitics, and its deference to the United States. MBS seems to be forging his own path, rushing headlong into regional conflicts, and aggressively approaching diplomatic crisis. These movements have certainly shaken up the region, although maybe not to Saudi Arabia's benefit. The crisis in Yemen is approaching its seventh year, and Saudi troops remain bogged down on stagnant lines of control as of this writing, having spent many billions of dollars spent, and thousands of Saudi troops lost, not to mention the over 230 000 dead Yemeni civilians killed. The blockade of Qatar has moved it decisively away from Saudi influence. Doha has weathered the crisis with difficulty, but moved away from the Saudi sphere, calling for closer ties to Iran, and strategically aligning to Turkey. Saudi policy across the region has seen setbacks to Iran all across the region, from Assad's victory in Syria, to the Saudi blunder in Lebanon, which has increased Hezbollah's influence in the country. Iraq is another area where the Saudi's have lost ground.
And of course, the Kashoggi murder. This has had a massive impact on Western relations and conceptions of Saudi Arabia. Once a pillar of Western policy in the Middle East, this event has soured this relationship. Even Trump's administration struggled to understand this baffling move, and the US House of Representatives seems to have strongly moved away from Saudi support. This, coupled with the issues with oil sales in a growingly carbon-neutral world have thrown Saudi policy on its head. MBS may have been trying to do this. Far from destroying the country, MBS has deftly held on to power, with little rivalry within the Kingdom seemingly present. This may be a good thing for MBS, but it may also signal growing difficulty for MBS to receive support and information from the veteran Saudi politicians within the nation. Only time will tell on that one.
Hubbard has written a fascinating book on the rise to power of MBS, the current crown prince of Saudi Arabia. This young politician has shaken up the cultural, political and diplomatic systems in Saudi Arabia, and signaled a new and more assertive era of Saudi politics in the region. This has led to diplomatic coups, warfare and murder, but has also seen a thaw in stagnant women's rights issues in the kingdom, a shift to more cultural freedom, and a movement away from oil economics (at least on paper). Only time will tell whether MBS' policies will have a net benefit, but for now, this regime has shown it is not afraid to lash out, and this has made it a pariah in Western capitals. Hubbard's book is fascinating, in depth, and worth a read for those interested in the politics of the Middle East.
MBS began to oust his rivals one after another, ending with the house arrest of Salman seniors brother MBN, and MBN's renouncement of the crown prince position in favour of MBS, most likely under duress. MBS was rapid and brutal in taking power, sidelining his rivals, and placing his own mother in guarded seclusions to reduce her influence on events. MBS wooed his American counterparts, which helped him oust MBN, who was then the State's favourite to succeed in Saudi Arabia. MBS is young - in his mid-30's at this point, and when he became crown prince in 2017, was very young for the position. He made up for this with gusto - he implemented Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 initiative - a utopian investment scheme revolving around oil divestment, Western direct investment, and infrastructure projects. His other utopian project - NEOM, is a carbon-free futuristic city that is supposedly to be built as an alternative capital of sorts for the Kingdom. As minister of defense from 2015, MBS initiated the Saudi campaign in neighbouring Yemen to oust the Iranian backed Houthi's, and put in place the blockade on GCC rival Qatar. Both plans were audacious and ultimately rather disastrous from a foreign policy stance. Even so, his close relationship with US President Donald Trump ensured a continuous supply of American weapons and support in Yemen. MBS is seen in Saudi Arabia as a reformer - promoting women's rights, appointing Shiite's to ministry positions, and arresting numerous relatives on corruption charges, which are almost certainly warranted.
However, MBS is also of the autocratic mindset. He ousted rivals, and secured his position by throwing many of his relatives and Saudi Arabia's businessmen into first class prison, sometimes allegedly having them tortured until they agreed to support MBS' proposals and policies - a page right out of South Korean dictator Park Chung-hee's book. He has redefined Saudi ambitions in the region as aggressive, targeting Iran and Iranian backed regimes in a growingly dangerous struggle for supremacy in the region. The Saudi's were heavily involved in the Yemeni Civil War, in Syria, Libya, Iraq and the Egyptian coup. They have also been increasingly assertive in their neighbours internal politics, sending in troops to quash the Bahranian Arab Spring moment, blockading rival Qatar, and meddling in the affairs of Djibouti, Egypt and Lebanon, famously kidnapping President Harari of Lebanon and forcing him to resign in captivity. MBS has locked up dissidents, activists and journalists of all stripes, from those promoting women's rights on driving (which he made legal in 2018, although still locking up activists), to academics, right leaning Wahabi clerics, Shiite activists, and Saudi journalists. MBS is most infamous for the Kashoggi affair, where he had dissident journalist Jamal Kashoggi murdered in the Saudi embassy in Turkey. This event shook the world, weakened Saudi ties with the West, and embarrassed the Saudi regime to no end. MBS has also engaged in spats with Canada over human rights rhetoric, Turkey over Qatar and Libya - with Turkey signing formal alliances and basing troops in Doha, and fighting with the UN-backed GNC in Libya.
MBS' reforms have been a mixed bag, according to Hubbard. He sees lots of positive movement in Saudi Arabia, with needed reforms of cultural freedom, women's rights, and the economy signalling a shift away from the stagnant cultural life Saudi citizens have endured for the past few decades. MBS notes that these changes will take time, but seems willing to tackle controversial issues like corruption and women's rights in an ultraconservative monarchy. Even so, his heavy handed authoritarianism is a marked change as well. Saudi Arabia used to be known for its methodical stance on geopolitics, and its deference to the United States. MBS seems to be forging his own path, rushing headlong into regional conflicts, and aggressively approaching diplomatic crisis. These movements have certainly shaken up the region, although maybe not to Saudi Arabia's benefit. The crisis in Yemen is approaching its seventh year, and Saudi troops remain bogged down on stagnant lines of control as of this writing, having spent many billions of dollars spent, and thousands of Saudi troops lost, not to mention the over 230 000 dead Yemeni civilians killed. The blockade of Qatar has moved it decisively away from Saudi influence. Doha has weathered the crisis with difficulty, but moved away from the Saudi sphere, calling for closer ties to Iran, and strategically aligning to Turkey. Saudi policy across the region has seen setbacks to Iran all across the region, from Assad's victory in Syria, to the Saudi blunder in Lebanon, which has increased Hezbollah's influence in the country. Iraq is another area where the Saudi's have lost ground.
And of course, the Kashoggi murder. This has had a massive impact on Western relations and conceptions of Saudi Arabia. Once a pillar of Western policy in the Middle East, this event has soured this relationship. Even Trump's administration struggled to understand this baffling move, and the US House of Representatives seems to have strongly moved away from Saudi support. This, coupled with the issues with oil sales in a growingly carbon-neutral world have thrown Saudi policy on its head. MBS may have been trying to do this. Far from destroying the country, MBS has deftly held on to power, with little rivalry within the Kingdom seemingly present. This may be a good thing for MBS, but it may also signal growing difficulty for MBS to receive support and information from the veteran Saudi politicians within the nation. Only time will tell on that one.
Hubbard has written a fascinating book on the rise to power of MBS, the current crown prince of Saudi Arabia. This young politician has shaken up the cultural, political and diplomatic systems in Saudi Arabia, and signaled a new and more assertive era of Saudi politics in the region. This has led to diplomatic coups, warfare and murder, but has also seen a thaw in stagnant women's rights issues in the kingdom, a shift to more cultural freedom, and a movement away from oil economics (at least on paper). Only time will tell whether MBS' policies will have a net benefit, but for now, this regime has shown it is not afraid to lash out, and this has made it a pariah in Western capitals. Hubbard's book is fascinating, in depth, and worth a read for those interested in the politics of the Middle East.
April 12, 2020
The people of Saudi Arabia have two choices: They are either for the government or they are for the government. There's no room for dissent. And the country's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, popularly known with the moniker MBS, had done some mean stuff to silence real and perceived critics and opponents.
He locked his mother away for months, detained dozens of royal relatives, kidnapped the president of a sovereign nation, ordered the gruesome murder of a dissident journalist, just to mention a few examples.
Yet, in spite of these horrendous crimes, MBS has a supporter in President Trump. While the killing of the journalist Khashoggi brought universal aghast and condemnation, Trump nonetheless declared, “The United States intends to remain a steadfast partner of Saudi Arabia to ensure the interests of our country".
Trump's admiration, if you will, for MBS is connected to his populist, 'America First' ideology. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia spends billions buying military weapons from the US; and like Trump, MBS is also obsessed with Iran. So the glue that's forging their relationship is money, Iran, and, of course, Trump's natural in admiration for tyrants.
But beyond his ruthlessness, there is an aspect of the young ruler that's charming. For starters, he's bringing revolutionary reforms in a religiously conservative country.
Some of the changes he had implemented include stripping the religious police of their powers, allowing women in the kingdom to drive cars, allowing the sexes to mix in public, allowing women to travel without a male companion or permission, etc.
MBS is complicated. He's on the one hand, reform-minded, while on the other hand, tyrannical. He'd vastly consolidated power using ruthless, totalitarian tactics. He'd also brought unprecedented reforms in the conservative kingdom. He's young and an up-and-coming king. And when he eventually becomes a king, he will rule the oil-rich kingdom for decades. The question is: “Will M.B.S. mature into a wiser monarch, or will unpleasant surprises continue to punctuate his reign?”
This book is not a biography of MBS per se, but it covers the politics of contemporary Saudi Arabia.
He locked his mother away for months, detained dozens of royal relatives, kidnapped the president of a sovereign nation, ordered the gruesome murder of a dissident journalist, just to mention a few examples.
Yet, in spite of these horrendous crimes, MBS has a supporter in President Trump. While the killing of the journalist Khashoggi brought universal aghast and condemnation, Trump nonetheless declared, “The United States intends to remain a steadfast partner of Saudi Arabia to ensure the interests of our country".
Trump's admiration, if you will, for MBS is connected to his populist, 'America First' ideology. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia spends billions buying military weapons from the US; and like Trump, MBS is also obsessed with Iran. So the glue that's forging their relationship is money, Iran, and, of course, Trump's natural in admiration for tyrants.
But beyond his ruthlessness, there is an aspect of the young ruler that's charming. For starters, he's bringing revolutionary reforms in a religiously conservative country.
Some of the changes he had implemented include stripping the religious police of their powers, allowing women in the kingdom to drive cars, allowing the sexes to mix in public, allowing women to travel without a male companion or permission, etc.
MBS is complicated. He's on the one hand, reform-minded, while on the other hand, tyrannical. He'd vastly consolidated power using ruthless, totalitarian tactics. He'd also brought unprecedented reforms in the conservative kingdom. He's young and an up-and-coming king. And when he eventually becomes a king, he will rule the oil-rich kingdom for decades. The question is: “Will M.B.S. mature into a wiser monarch, or will unpleasant surprises continue to punctuate his reign?”
This book is not a biography of MBS per se, but it covers the politics of contemporary Saudi Arabia.
August 10, 2025
"The MBS: The Rise and Power of Mohammad bin Salman" by Ben Hubbard offers a thoughtful and nuanced look at the life and political journey of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Mohammad bin Salman (MBS). Published in 2020, the book delves into the complexities of his rise to power, shedding light on how he has consolidated authority within Saudi Arabia. Hubbard carefully examines the significant impact MBS has on both his country and the wider world, inviting readers to consider the myriad challenges and controversies surrounding his leadership.
July 8, 2021
Brief thoughts, more to come -
MBS is a clever, cunning and conniving man, who doesn't play by the rules. Reading the beginning chapters showed a man, who probably read "The Art of War" while others play with their blocks. He ascended to power by manipulating and sabotaging his own family members and even managed to do so to his own father, Salman bin Abdulaziz before he was the ruler and while he ruled Saudi Arabia. MBS went as far as to put his own mother into lockdown (prison as stated in the book), while his father ruled then lied saying she was in Paris when his father asked where she was!
The author is a leading journalist, who has done his due diligence to accurately represent the material with lots of supporting documentation without colorful inferences, the facts speak solely for themselves and are all the more powerful without emotional commentary.
MBS is a clever, cunning and conniving man, who doesn't play by the rules. Reading the beginning chapters showed a man, who probably read "The Art of War" while others play with their blocks. He ascended to power by manipulating and sabotaging his own family members and even managed to do so to his own father, Salman bin Abdulaziz before he was the ruler and while he ruled Saudi Arabia. MBS went as far as to put his own mother into lockdown (prison as stated in the book), while his father ruled then lied saying she was in Paris when his father asked where she was!
The author is a leading journalist, who has done his due diligence to accurately represent the material with lots of supporting documentation without colorful inferences, the facts speak solely for themselves and are all the more powerful without emotional commentary.
![Profile Image for Namera [The Literary Invertebrate].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1647896333i%2F31792110._UX200_CR0%2C96%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
March 7, 2025
⤅ Nonfiction Book of the Month: April 2025
Very readable and interesting insight into MBS, whom the BBC dubs 'the world's most powerful prince' in their excellent documentary on him.
I recommend this one over Blood and Oil, which covers more the political machination of the Saudi royal court and is less exhaustive; MBS tries to peel back the layers to reveal the man himself, admittedly not with complete success.
Very readable and interesting insight into MBS, whom the BBC dubs 'the world's most powerful prince' in their excellent documentary on him.
I recommend this one over Blood and Oil, which covers more the political machination of the Saudi royal court and is less exhaustive; MBS tries to peel back the layers to reveal the man himself, admittedly not with complete success.
April 12, 2021
An eye opening and interesting insight into the job modern Saudi royal family and its crown Prince Bin Salman.
This book reports the facts (as best it can) into MBS’s early years and the beginning of his meteoric political rise. It is gripping but the tone was quite detached; otherwise this would have been rated much higher.
The stories this book unearths are ones I’d never heard of before; and the description regarding Khasoggi’s murder were harrowing to say the least.
Intriguing and compelling to the end, this book provides a glimpse of a very modern dictator.
This book reports the facts (as best it can) into MBS’s early years and the beginning of his meteoric political rise. It is gripping but the tone was quite detached; otherwise this would have been rated much higher.
The stories this book unearths are ones I’d never heard of before; and the description regarding Khasoggi’s murder were harrowing to say the least.
Intriguing and compelling to the end, this book provides a glimpse of a very modern dictator.
July 2, 2022
این یه کتاب تقریبا جامع در مورد محمد بن سلمان و چگونگی به قدرت رسیدن تا مرگ روزنامه نگار سعودی، جمال خاشقچی و همینطور ممنوعیتهایی که زنان جامعه عربستان باهاش دست به گریبانن.
اکثرا وقایع رو در شبکه مجازی قابل دسترسی هست اما این کتاب توضیح مفصل تمام وقایعی که از بن سلمان منتشر شده به دست یک روزنامه نگار آمریکاییه.
اکثرا وقایع رو در شبکه مجازی قابل دسترسی هست اما این کتاب توضیح مفصل تمام وقایعی که از بن سلمان منتشر شده به دست یک روزنامه نگار آمریکاییه.
May 12, 2020
http://www.bookwormblues.net/2020/05/...
My first thought, upon seeing this biography, was “what’s the point in writing a biography of a dude in his 30’s? Then, the more I thought about who MBS is, and all the events that have circled around this dude, the more I realized that there might be a huge point, and it might be very worth reading… so I bought it.
And I couldn’t put it down.
I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
It is that good.
Now, first you have to understand that Hubbard has had one hell of a task ahead of him. The Saudi government is essentially locked down. They have complete control over the flow of information, and MBS is at the helm of all of that. There are things known about him, but usually what is known is what people have let slip anonymously, or what someone like Hubbard, who has a boatload of experience in the realm, can understand and read into complex situations.
This book tells the evolution and PR campaign of a nation, with MBS at its core, rather than a book about MBS with all this other stuff floating around him. I think MBS himself is more like the glue that holds it all together, and so much of this gets traced back to him. This is a pretty good way to attack a book in general, because MBS doesn’t have a whole lot of personal life that is known enough to talk about.
Saudi Arabia is sort of going through a reinvention right now, with MBS the visionary (sort of?) at the helm of this ship, charting its new course. There is a whole lot of cultural flux going on, and there’s blowback by both conservative factions and liberal. A lot of this is covered, exploring these issues from both conservative and more liberal Saudis. With Hubbard’s experience in the realm and his knowledge of language and culture, I felt like he did a very good job at showing me not a Westerner’s view of how these things are happening, but a Saudi’s view of all this change, through interviews done with prominent clarics, and just people he runs across at events.
MBS is a young man. He’s got young ideals. He was a sort of far-flung member of the Saudi royal family, and it has been through a boggling amount of events, both natural and manipulated (natural deaths of uncles and etc, for example, and his withholding diabetes medication from MBN, who was the crown prince, until he forcefully abdicated his position) that he moved up to the position he is in today, and a whole lot has happened in his rise. A whole lot that has played a big role in international politics, like the war in Yemin, women driving, entertainment being allowed back in the country, a sort of defanging of the religious police, the kidnapping of the PM of Lebanon, and, of course, the death of Jamal Khashoggi.
This is all covered, and I was honestly surprised by just how much all of these big events have MBS as a control piece. With his father, King Salman in failing health, MBS has been both the first and second power broker in Saudi Arabia for quite some time. He is a man who has a certain vision for his country, but often the means he uses to attain that vision left me feeling like he had an unrealistic vision of the world, or maybe he’s just got a very loose grasp on reality? I don’t exactly know, but sometimes the divide between “I think journalists should report on what is happening in Saudi Arabia” and “So I’m going to murder Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey and have his body chopped into pieces by 15 people who did a really bad job at hiding their identities, who are also directly tied to my personal house” was… something to behold. I guess the lines connecting the end goal to the actions to attain those end goals might only be obvious to him, but to me it was just surreal with how disjointed his stated desires and actual actions often felt.
For example, he locked up all these powerful business owners, power brokers, and political influencers, as well as family members in the Ritz Carlton Hotel, forcing them to sign over vast swaths of their wealth, sometimes torturing them (One person reportedly died in custody, others claimed they were electrocuted, there were reports of sleep deprivation and etc). The aim of this particular game was to “cut down on corruption” and to be clear, there is a lot of corruption in Saudi Arabia. A good chunk of the populous cheered about this, because corruption is a big deal, and it’s all over, and a problem. Yay, finally someone is taking care of the problem.
But.
MBS, since his rise to power, has accumulated a boatload of money, and he hasn’t accounted for how he got any of it. He bought “the most expensive house in the world” which is located in France. According to my Google searches, I don’t think the guy has ever set foot in the place. He bought a yacht for half a billion dollars. He threw down something like $400 million on a Leonardo da Vinci piece, which is the most any private buyer has ever spent on art, ever. He rented a private island and threw a big party there, bringing in all sorts of performers, prostitutes, and cocaine. I mean, the guy is LOADED. And this kind of shows the dysfunction that I think this book highlighted the most. The end justifies the means, maybe, in his eyes. And the means are often brutal, horrible, and ill-planned. He’s had one PR nightmare after another, and he’s killed and arrested, brutally silenced a ton of people.
On the other hand, women can drive now, and Saudi Arabia is bringing some “government approved” entertainment back, so yay?
I think, maybe I’m left with this impression. He’s brutally consolidating his wealth and power, and he’s using “let’s modernize our country and make it a fun place to live again” as the curtain he’s operating behind.
The writing in this book was fantastic. There really wasn’t a slow moment throughout the piece. Everything connects to everything else. Once the ball starts rolling, it really just picks up pace until the explosive ending. Hubbard has a great way with building a bridge between Saudi Arabia, a culture not many of us understand, and the wider Western world. He doesn’t state his opinions on what is happening, but it is hard not to hear is disquiet, his disapproval, his worry over how a lot of these things are going to play out. Mostly, I found it fascinating to see how Saudi Arabia has a huge role in not just the Middle East, but the wider world, and why the US is so connected with them– something I didn’t quite grok until I read this book. With someone as unpredictable and often just stupid (and, let’s face it, BRUTAL and CRIMINAL can fit in here, as well) about actions as MBS, there is real concern with how all of this will play out.
It’s a book that left me torn down the middle. On the one hand, I really do genuinely hope that a lot of these social reforms pan out the way people over there want them to. Progress is important, and I think Saudi Arabia is due for a good dose of it. On the other hand, MBS has complete and absolute control over this nation and the people in it. He is silencing journalists, putting family members on house arrest, torturing people, and starting huge regional wars. He is dangerous, and unpredictable, and seems to not be nearly as smart as he thinks he is, so I’m not exactly sure where this will all end up, but it is worth watching.
This book is a must read for anyone with any interest at all in this sort of thing.
My first thought, upon seeing this biography, was “what’s the point in writing a biography of a dude in his 30’s? Then, the more I thought about who MBS is, and all the events that have circled around this dude, the more I realized that there might be a huge point, and it might be very worth reading… so I bought it.
And I couldn’t put it down.
I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
It is that good.
Now, first you have to understand that Hubbard has had one hell of a task ahead of him. The Saudi government is essentially locked down. They have complete control over the flow of information, and MBS is at the helm of all of that. There are things known about him, but usually what is known is what people have let slip anonymously, or what someone like Hubbard, who has a boatload of experience in the realm, can understand and read into complex situations.
This book tells the evolution and PR campaign of a nation, with MBS at its core, rather than a book about MBS with all this other stuff floating around him. I think MBS himself is more like the glue that holds it all together, and so much of this gets traced back to him. This is a pretty good way to attack a book in general, because MBS doesn’t have a whole lot of personal life that is known enough to talk about.
Saudi Arabia is sort of going through a reinvention right now, with MBS the visionary (sort of?) at the helm of this ship, charting its new course. There is a whole lot of cultural flux going on, and there’s blowback by both conservative factions and liberal. A lot of this is covered, exploring these issues from both conservative and more liberal Saudis. With Hubbard’s experience in the realm and his knowledge of language and culture, I felt like he did a very good job at showing me not a Westerner’s view of how these things are happening, but a Saudi’s view of all this change, through interviews done with prominent clarics, and just people he runs across at events.
MBS is a young man. He’s got young ideals. He was a sort of far-flung member of the Saudi royal family, and it has been through a boggling amount of events, both natural and manipulated (natural deaths of uncles and etc, for example, and his withholding diabetes medication from MBN, who was the crown prince, until he forcefully abdicated his position) that he moved up to the position he is in today, and a whole lot has happened in his rise. A whole lot that has played a big role in international politics, like the war in Yemin, women driving, entertainment being allowed back in the country, a sort of defanging of the religious police, the kidnapping of the PM of Lebanon, and, of course, the death of Jamal Khashoggi.
This is all covered, and I was honestly surprised by just how much all of these big events have MBS as a control piece. With his father, King Salman in failing health, MBS has been both the first and second power broker in Saudi Arabia for quite some time. He is a man who has a certain vision for his country, but often the means he uses to attain that vision left me feeling like he had an unrealistic vision of the world, or maybe he’s just got a very loose grasp on reality? I don’t exactly know, but sometimes the divide between “I think journalists should report on what is happening in Saudi Arabia” and “So I’m going to murder Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey and have his body chopped into pieces by 15 people who did a really bad job at hiding their identities, who are also directly tied to my personal house” was… something to behold. I guess the lines connecting the end goal to the actions to attain those end goals might only be obvious to him, but to me it was just surreal with how disjointed his stated desires and actual actions often felt.
For example, he locked up all these powerful business owners, power brokers, and political influencers, as well as family members in the Ritz Carlton Hotel, forcing them to sign over vast swaths of their wealth, sometimes torturing them (One person reportedly died in custody, others claimed they were electrocuted, there were reports of sleep deprivation and etc). The aim of this particular game was to “cut down on corruption” and to be clear, there is a lot of corruption in Saudi Arabia. A good chunk of the populous cheered about this, because corruption is a big deal, and it’s all over, and a problem. Yay, finally someone is taking care of the problem.
But.
MBS, since his rise to power, has accumulated a boatload of money, and he hasn’t accounted for how he got any of it. He bought “the most expensive house in the world” which is located in France. According to my Google searches, I don’t think the guy has ever set foot in the place. He bought a yacht for half a billion dollars. He threw down something like $400 million on a Leonardo da Vinci piece, which is the most any private buyer has ever spent on art, ever. He rented a private island and threw a big party there, bringing in all sorts of performers, prostitutes, and cocaine. I mean, the guy is LOADED. And this kind of shows the dysfunction that I think this book highlighted the most. The end justifies the means, maybe, in his eyes. And the means are often brutal, horrible, and ill-planned. He’s had one PR nightmare after another, and he’s killed and arrested, brutally silenced a ton of people.
On the other hand, women can drive now, and Saudi Arabia is bringing some “government approved” entertainment back, so yay?
I think, maybe I’m left with this impression. He’s brutally consolidating his wealth and power, and he’s using “let’s modernize our country and make it a fun place to live again” as the curtain he’s operating behind.
The writing in this book was fantastic. There really wasn’t a slow moment throughout the piece. Everything connects to everything else. Once the ball starts rolling, it really just picks up pace until the explosive ending. Hubbard has a great way with building a bridge between Saudi Arabia, a culture not many of us understand, and the wider Western world. He doesn’t state his opinions on what is happening, but it is hard not to hear is disquiet, his disapproval, his worry over how a lot of these things are going to play out. Mostly, I found it fascinating to see how Saudi Arabia has a huge role in not just the Middle East, but the wider world, and why the US is so connected with them– something I didn’t quite grok until I read this book. With someone as unpredictable and often just stupid (and, let’s face it, BRUTAL and CRIMINAL can fit in here, as well) about actions as MBS, there is real concern with how all of this will play out.
It’s a book that left me torn down the middle. On the one hand, I really do genuinely hope that a lot of these social reforms pan out the way people over there want them to. Progress is important, and I think Saudi Arabia is due for a good dose of it. On the other hand, MBS has complete and absolute control over this nation and the people in it. He is silencing journalists, putting family members on house arrest, torturing people, and starting huge regional wars. He is dangerous, and unpredictable, and seems to not be nearly as smart as he thinks he is, so I’m not exactly sure where this will all end up, but it is worth watching.
This book is a must read for anyone with any interest at all in this sort of thing.
March 22, 2020
Halfway through this I started thinking how MBS is such a complicated character. By the end, I decided he probably isn't that complicated. He's a dictator who acts mostly out of self interest. But there are some aspects of him that don't fit the typical mold of a totalitarian.
On the one hand he's a reformer who has allowed women the right to drive and to get a passport to travel outside Saudi Arabia. He's limited the previously vast influence of clerics, attacking extremism and ultra conservatism. He's brought entertainment events to Saudi Arabia to keep citizens from needing to go abroad to spend entertainment dollars. He has an ambitious Vision 2030 to diversify the country's economy beyond oil. And he has an even more ambitious plan to build some kind of 500 billion dollar robot city where the sand glows in the dark and the ultra rich can come create their own society.
But on the other hand he relies on deeply disturbing tactics. The book details him locking political opponents in a hotel, fueling the boundless humanitarian crisis in Yemen, and obviously his involvement in the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was choked and then cut into pieces with a bonesaw. Whether MBS was directly involved with this murder was not proven in this book, nor has it been proven elsewhere, but the author effectively argues that MBS certainly created an environment where people thought that kind of activity would be endorsed.
America is far from clean in the whole affair. There are numerous passages about MBS's involvement with Barack Obama, Jared Kushner and Donald Trump. America sells billions of dollars in weapons to the Saudis, and there has been a strange relationship based on profit and mutual benefit since FDR.
I enjoyed the book. I'm not sure there's a ton of new detail if you've read articles about MBS during the Khashoggi scandal, and the author doesn't have a ton of deep intelligence on MBS himself, since the Prince is such an insulated and impenetrable figure. I recommend the book though, if you have interest in the subject.
On the one hand he's a reformer who has allowed women the right to drive and to get a passport to travel outside Saudi Arabia. He's limited the previously vast influence of clerics, attacking extremism and ultra conservatism. He's brought entertainment events to Saudi Arabia to keep citizens from needing to go abroad to spend entertainment dollars. He has an ambitious Vision 2030 to diversify the country's economy beyond oil. And he has an even more ambitious plan to build some kind of 500 billion dollar robot city where the sand glows in the dark and the ultra rich can come create their own society.
But on the other hand he relies on deeply disturbing tactics. The book details him locking political opponents in a hotel, fueling the boundless humanitarian crisis in Yemen, and obviously his involvement in the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was choked and then cut into pieces with a bonesaw. Whether MBS was directly involved with this murder was not proven in this book, nor has it been proven elsewhere, but the author effectively argues that MBS certainly created an environment where people thought that kind of activity would be endorsed.
America is far from clean in the whole affair. There are numerous passages about MBS's involvement with Barack Obama, Jared Kushner and Donald Trump. America sells billions of dollars in weapons to the Saudis, and there has been a strange relationship based on profit and mutual benefit since FDR.
I enjoyed the book. I'm not sure there's a ton of new detail if you've read articles about MBS during the Khashoggi scandal, and the author doesn't have a ton of deep intelligence on MBS himself, since the Prince is such an insulated and impenetrable figure. I recommend the book though, if you have interest in the subject.
April 27, 2020
The author certainly had an agenda.
This book can be divided up into three categories MSB, Jamal Khashoggi and the last 30 years of Saudi history.
The author paints MBS as a narcissist, power hungry and vengeful. I have read other articles describing him as rooting out corruption, modernizing Saudi Arabia and fighting radical Islam. I think the truth lies in the middle.
The author sees Jamal Khashoggi as an innocent victim that can do no wrong. Nothing could be further from the truth. He hated both Jews and Israel. Jamal Khashoggi posted anti-Semitic comments on Twitter. He commented that the Jews fabricated their history in Israel. Also, he believed in the the protocols of the elders of zion.
He also admired Hamas, Hezbollah and the Muslim Brotherhood by championing their causes.
Lastly, Khashoggi mourned the death of Osama Bin Ladin. Need I say more.
I really can’t give this book more than 2 stars.
This book can be divided up into three categories MSB, Jamal Khashoggi and the last 30 years of Saudi history.
The author paints MBS as a narcissist, power hungry and vengeful. I have read other articles describing him as rooting out corruption, modernizing Saudi Arabia and fighting radical Islam. I think the truth lies in the middle.
The author sees Jamal Khashoggi as an innocent victim that can do no wrong. Nothing could be further from the truth. He hated both Jews and Israel. Jamal Khashoggi posted anti-Semitic comments on Twitter. He commented that the Jews fabricated their history in Israel. Also, he believed in the the protocols of the elders of zion.
He also admired Hamas, Hezbollah and the Muslim Brotherhood by championing their causes.
Lastly, Khashoggi mourned the death of Osama Bin Ladin. Need I say more.
I really can’t give this book more than 2 stars.
July 22, 2020
I was absolutely engrossed in this very journalistic impressions of MBS over the authors years of contacts on SA, like a true journalist he never presented any his own theories and deductions rather simply left the reader to make his own conclusions instead. The result is brilliant, we have a solid understanding of MBS within the Saudi context, we also have a general idea of what the rest of the world have to work with for the next 40 odd years of the an expected MBS rule, but most importantly, we all have khashogi example, whenever dealing with MBS in our personal capacities.........
March 14, 2020
It's more of a history of the Al-Saud family and the historical basis for the current Saudi state than an insightful profile of MBS. But still an interesting read for those interested in the politics of the middle east region.
October 28, 2020
کتاب خوبی که خوب تمایزهای بین زمامداران جدید این کشور و زمامداران قبلی را نشان میدهد.
September 14, 2020
Who is Mohammed bin Salman, aka MBS? Is he a young visionary reformer that he purported to be when he first came on the scene; the man who most probably ordered the death of Washington Post reporter, Jamal Khashoggi; or a rising dictator whose lack of experience has led to rash decisions like the war in Yemen which has greatly contributed to the destabilization of the volatile Middle East. In Ben Hubbard’s new book MBS: THE RISE TO POWER OF MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN, we are treated to a deep dive into how he rose to power in Saudi Arabia and what his policies have done to impact the daily lives of the Saudi people and the countries that must deal with the Riyadh regime, it’s oil wealth, and its influence in the Persian Gulf and beyond.
Hubbard, the Beirut bureau chief for the New York Times is very adept at digging deep into his subject area and developing astute observations. At first, he provides the background history that resulted in the creation of the Saudi Arabian kingdom and the context of the Salman family in particular MBS whose actions always seem driven by how he could maximize his own personal power and influence. Hubbard concentrates on the dynastic “pecking order” and how MBS, the sixth son of the twenty-sixth son of the kingdom’s founder would rise to power through luck and a series of deaths that unclogged the narrow path to achieve the position he coveted. With the passing of a number of princes MBS would then develop a strong relationship with his father as they realized that they held many things in common. This renewed relationship was the cornerstone that MBS rode to power which should result in his succeeding his father on the throne in the not too distant future.
In examining MBS’ life, Hubbard points out that he did little to make his mark before 2015, with no experience in the military, corporate policy, or knowledge how the United States functioned. This would result in a number of miscalculations in how he thought Washington would view his adventurous policies.
Despite extensive experience in the region, Hubbard viewed Saudi Arabia as a black hole because of its murky politics and opaque society that was dominated by social conservatism, support for terrorists, and its Wahhabis beliefs encouraging the likes of al-Qaeda and ISIS. Saudi influence appeared invisible, but Hubbard, a perceptive writer soon saw through what MBS was all about. The book is an easy read and points are understandable for the layman as Hubbard relies on his extensive knowledge in the region, interviews with people from all walks of life, and traveling the country extensively learning about the pre and post-MBS period before his visas were terminated in 2018.
Hubbard carefully details the political machinations within the royal family focusing on MBS’ competition with Mohammed Bin Nayef, a moderate who was next in line to the throne ahead of him. By 2016, MBS publicized his “Saudi Vision 2030” plan that was the core of his reform program which at the outset was his calling card to gain support. Throughout this period the Obama administration remained skeptical when it came to MBS’ plans. They felt he had all the ”buzz words” but little substance calling for economic reforms, but no political reform, privately arguing that he was too cocky despite the fact that his economic program made sense when he argued that his government suffered from an oil addiction. MBS’ world view saw Iran as the major threat, along with the Moslem Brotherhood and the German intelligence service, the BND warned that the new assertive Saudi Arabia that MBS proposed could destabilize the region, i.e.; confrontational stance toward Iran, promoting proxy wars in Syria and Yemen. However, MBS’ new approach called for improved relations with Israel. MBS shared Israel’s view of Iran and its puppet, Hezbollah and admired the country’s technological and economic power. MBS had never been totally supportive of the Palestinians, seeing them as an impediment to peace and in the not too distant future it is quite possible that an Israeli-Saudi rapprochement may be in the offering.
Hubbard introduces the reader to the contradictions of Wahhabism by focusing on a moderate cleric named al-Ghamdi Ahmed Qassam who confronted the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice which he believed went too far and was much too intrusive in the lives of the Saudi people. Hubbard explores a number of examples ranging from the lack of woman’s rights, religious fealty, and support for the dynasty reflecting how absurd their actions were.
Hubbard’s incisive analysis is on full display in discussing the life and impact of Jamal Khashoggi, a reporter who in his early career had links to Osama bin-Laden, Jalaluddin Haqqani, and the mujahedeen who fought the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. He believed that the Afghan revolt would reform Afghanistan, but he would be greatly disappointed particularly after 9/11 when he broke with al-Qaeda. The later Arab Spring further encouraged Khashoggi’s belief in reform in Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia which would soon be another major disappointment. He continued to write about the Saudi Dynasty as a reporter for a number of Arab newspapers and the Washington Post, but his repeated criticisms of Saudi policies in Yemen and Saudi society led to his murder, a murder that Hubbard chronicles in detail despite the Crown Prince’s denials that he was responsible.
Hubbard does a good job digging up important information particularly the implications of an Iranian backed Wikileaks dump of the hacked Saudi Foreign Ministry. Among the documents leaked was details concerning Saudi Wahabis missionary work worldwide training clerics and spreading the Saudi version of Islam. Hubbard’s observations are quite astute as he states, “the funding was not just to promote Islam, but to promote the right kind of Islam, which meant undermining the wrong kind of Islam,” – stop the spread of Shiism in China, India, and Africa. Further, Hubbard presents the actions and results of MBS’ disastrous policy of going after the Houthis in the Yemeni Civil War with almost full American support. The devastation of Saudi bombing and resulting death and infrastructure loss is eye opening. Hatred for Iran who supported the Houthi rebels was and remains the driving force for MBS.
MBS’ obsession with Iran led to confrontation with the Obama administration who eventually grew tired of death and devastation in Yemen, his refusal to consider the civil rights of his people, and his opposition to the Iran Nuclear Deal. In perhaps the most important part of the narrative Hubbard recounts MBS’ anger at President Obama apart from his nuclear deal, and his lack of action in the Syrian Civil War. As disagreement mounted MBS looked forward to the arrival of the Trump administration.
Hubbard’s remarks on the similarities between MBS and Jared Kushner are well thought out and he develops their similar ideologies and needs for power and wealth. Hubbard refers to the “the two princelings” as the key to the new burgeoning relationship between the Trump administration and MBS’ government. After eight years of sparring with Obama, Riyadh saw a breath of fresh air as issues like Iran, Yemen, arms deals, peace with Israel all seemed to come into greater focus as Trump, led by Kushner were open to whatever MBS offered, especially Saudi money entering the US economy, and kowtowing to Trump’s ego. By March 2017, the depth of the MBS-Kushner relationship was clear as joint plans were being developed and implemented.
There are few new revelations in Hubbard’s book, but a useful synthesis of how ruthless MBS is and how he achieved power and developed a close relationship with the Trump administration. The strength of the book is Hubbard’s thorough reporting and anonymous interviews of people inside the kingdom until the Saudi government stopped providing him visas in 2018. As critical Hubbard is in detailing MBS’ rise and policies he does point out that women can now drive, and he did work to break through some of the barriers that many young Saudis found suffocating. In April 2016 he striped the Commission of its powers and allowed certain forms of entertainment that previously had been banned. But despite some progress, Hubbard warns that authoritarian regimes can do popular things, but when it comes to opposition it will not be tolerated. Hubbard credits MBS for countering centuries of Saudi history by uncoupling the clerics from the monarchy. “Under MBS, the states’ authority comes less from its claim to defending religious orthodoxy than from a sense of authoritarian nationalism.”
The question must be raised as to which direction MBS will go in the future, but part of that answer may lie in American presidential politics. Trump has given him a free hand with little or no criticism especially when it came to Khashoggi’s murder and dismemberment. Hopefully, a Biden administration would demand greater accountability, if not MBS can continue to exercise his power with little restraint and based on his age the United States will have to deal with him for years to come.
Hubbard, the Beirut bureau chief for the New York Times is very adept at digging deep into his subject area and developing astute observations. At first, he provides the background history that resulted in the creation of the Saudi Arabian kingdom and the context of the Salman family in particular MBS whose actions always seem driven by how he could maximize his own personal power and influence. Hubbard concentrates on the dynastic “pecking order” and how MBS, the sixth son of the twenty-sixth son of the kingdom’s founder would rise to power through luck and a series of deaths that unclogged the narrow path to achieve the position he coveted. With the passing of a number of princes MBS would then develop a strong relationship with his father as they realized that they held many things in common. This renewed relationship was the cornerstone that MBS rode to power which should result in his succeeding his father on the throne in the not too distant future.
In examining MBS’ life, Hubbard points out that he did little to make his mark before 2015, with no experience in the military, corporate policy, or knowledge how the United States functioned. This would result in a number of miscalculations in how he thought Washington would view his adventurous policies.
Despite extensive experience in the region, Hubbard viewed Saudi Arabia as a black hole because of its murky politics and opaque society that was dominated by social conservatism, support for terrorists, and its Wahhabis beliefs encouraging the likes of al-Qaeda and ISIS. Saudi influence appeared invisible, but Hubbard, a perceptive writer soon saw through what MBS was all about. The book is an easy read and points are understandable for the layman as Hubbard relies on his extensive knowledge in the region, interviews with people from all walks of life, and traveling the country extensively learning about the pre and post-MBS period before his visas were terminated in 2018.
Hubbard carefully details the political machinations within the royal family focusing on MBS’ competition with Mohammed Bin Nayef, a moderate who was next in line to the throne ahead of him. By 2016, MBS publicized his “Saudi Vision 2030” plan that was the core of his reform program which at the outset was his calling card to gain support. Throughout this period the Obama administration remained skeptical when it came to MBS’ plans. They felt he had all the ”buzz words” but little substance calling for economic reforms, but no political reform, privately arguing that he was too cocky despite the fact that his economic program made sense when he argued that his government suffered from an oil addiction. MBS’ world view saw Iran as the major threat, along with the Moslem Brotherhood and the German intelligence service, the BND warned that the new assertive Saudi Arabia that MBS proposed could destabilize the region, i.e.; confrontational stance toward Iran, promoting proxy wars in Syria and Yemen. However, MBS’ new approach called for improved relations with Israel. MBS shared Israel’s view of Iran and its puppet, Hezbollah and admired the country’s technological and economic power. MBS had never been totally supportive of the Palestinians, seeing them as an impediment to peace and in the not too distant future it is quite possible that an Israeli-Saudi rapprochement may be in the offering.
Hubbard introduces the reader to the contradictions of Wahhabism by focusing on a moderate cleric named al-Ghamdi Ahmed Qassam who confronted the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice which he believed went too far and was much too intrusive in the lives of the Saudi people. Hubbard explores a number of examples ranging from the lack of woman’s rights, religious fealty, and support for the dynasty reflecting how absurd their actions were.
Hubbard’s incisive analysis is on full display in discussing the life and impact of Jamal Khashoggi, a reporter who in his early career had links to Osama bin-Laden, Jalaluddin Haqqani, and the mujahedeen who fought the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. He believed that the Afghan revolt would reform Afghanistan, but he would be greatly disappointed particularly after 9/11 when he broke with al-Qaeda. The later Arab Spring further encouraged Khashoggi’s belief in reform in Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia which would soon be another major disappointment. He continued to write about the Saudi Dynasty as a reporter for a number of Arab newspapers and the Washington Post, but his repeated criticisms of Saudi policies in Yemen and Saudi society led to his murder, a murder that Hubbard chronicles in detail despite the Crown Prince’s denials that he was responsible.
Hubbard does a good job digging up important information particularly the implications of an Iranian backed Wikileaks dump of the hacked Saudi Foreign Ministry. Among the documents leaked was details concerning Saudi Wahabis missionary work worldwide training clerics and spreading the Saudi version of Islam. Hubbard’s observations are quite astute as he states, “the funding was not just to promote Islam, but to promote the right kind of Islam, which meant undermining the wrong kind of Islam,” – stop the spread of Shiism in China, India, and Africa. Further, Hubbard presents the actions and results of MBS’ disastrous policy of going after the Houthis in the Yemeni Civil War with almost full American support. The devastation of Saudi bombing and resulting death and infrastructure loss is eye opening. Hatred for Iran who supported the Houthi rebels was and remains the driving force for MBS.
MBS’ obsession with Iran led to confrontation with the Obama administration who eventually grew tired of death and devastation in Yemen, his refusal to consider the civil rights of his people, and his opposition to the Iran Nuclear Deal. In perhaps the most important part of the narrative Hubbard recounts MBS’ anger at President Obama apart from his nuclear deal, and his lack of action in the Syrian Civil War. As disagreement mounted MBS looked forward to the arrival of the Trump administration.
Hubbard’s remarks on the similarities between MBS and Jared Kushner are well thought out and he develops their similar ideologies and needs for power and wealth. Hubbard refers to the “the two princelings” as the key to the new burgeoning relationship between the Trump administration and MBS’ government. After eight years of sparring with Obama, Riyadh saw a breath of fresh air as issues like Iran, Yemen, arms deals, peace with Israel all seemed to come into greater focus as Trump, led by Kushner were open to whatever MBS offered, especially Saudi money entering the US economy, and kowtowing to Trump’s ego. By March 2017, the depth of the MBS-Kushner relationship was clear as joint plans were being developed and implemented.
There are few new revelations in Hubbard’s book, but a useful synthesis of how ruthless MBS is and how he achieved power and developed a close relationship with the Trump administration. The strength of the book is Hubbard’s thorough reporting and anonymous interviews of people inside the kingdom until the Saudi government stopped providing him visas in 2018. As critical Hubbard is in detailing MBS’ rise and policies he does point out that women can now drive, and he did work to break through some of the barriers that many young Saudis found suffocating. In April 2016 he striped the Commission of its powers and allowed certain forms of entertainment that previously had been banned. But despite some progress, Hubbard warns that authoritarian regimes can do popular things, but when it comes to opposition it will not be tolerated. Hubbard credits MBS for countering centuries of Saudi history by uncoupling the clerics from the monarchy. “Under MBS, the states’ authority comes less from its claim to defending religious orthodoxy than from a sense of authoritarian nationalism.”
The question must be raised as to which direction MBS will go in the future, but part of that answer may lie in American presidential politics. Trump has given him a free hand with little or no criticism especially when it came to Khashoggi’s murder and dismemberment. Hopefully, a Biden administration would demand greater accountability, if not MBS can continue to exercise his power with little restraint and based on his age the United States will have to deal with him for years to come.
October 4, 2025
Ben Hubbard’s MBS offers a meticulously detailed portrait of Saudi Arabia’s young crown prince—his meteoric rise, his ruthless consolidation of power, and his attempt to rebrand the kingdom as both a modern state and a personal fiefdom. The book unfolds like a political thriller, tracing Mohammed bin Salman’s transformation from a largely unknown royal into one of the most powerful and polarizing figures in the Arab world.
Through interviews, documents, and first-hand accounts, Hubbard reconstructs key events: the bold but chaotic Vision 2030 plan, the rapid social reforms that lifted restrictions on women and entertainment, and the darker, more sinister side of MBS’s rule—the silencing of dissent, the imprisonment of intellectuals, and, ultimately, the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
Hubbard captures the contradictions within MBS himself: a man who dreams of progress but rules through fear; who courts Silicon Valley while crushing local activists; who speaks of reform yet acts as an autocrat.
The Ritz-Carlton episode—where scores of princes and businessmen were detained under the guise of an “anti-corruption campaign”—reveals the inner logic of his regime. Power was not simply to be centralized but purified of all competing loyalties. Billionaires like Alwaleed bin Talal were stripped
Hubbard’s MBS reads not merely as a biography but as a mirror reflecting the paradox of modern authoritarianism. His prose is restrained yet sharp, revealing horror through understatement rather than outrage. As a reader, I was struck by how easily reform can become spectacle—how progress, when monopolized by one man, turns brittle and performative.
MBS emerges from these pages not as a villain carved in stone but as a deeply modern despot—media-savvy, ambitious, and terrifyingly pragmatic. The book leaves you both impressed and unsettled, aware that beneath every promise of modernization lies the quiet sound of doors closing behind those who dissent.
Through interviews, documents, and first-hand accounts, Hubbard reconstructs key events: the bold but chaotic Vision 2030 plan, the rapid social reforms that lifted restrictions on women and entertainment, and the darker, more sinister side of MBS’s rule—the silencing of dissent, the imprisonment of intellectuals, and, ultimately, the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
Hubbard captures the contradictions within MBS himself: a man who dreams of progress but rules through fear; who courts Silicon Valley while crushing local activists; who speaks of reform yet acts as an autocrat.
The Ritz-Carlton episode—where scores of princes and businessmen were detained under the guise of an “anti-corruption campaign”—reveals the inner logic of his regime. Power was not simply to be centralized but purified of all competing loyalties. Billionaires like Alwaleed bin Talal were stripped
Hubbard’s MBS reads not merely as a biography but as a mirror reflecting the paradox of modern authoritarianism. His prose is restrained yet sharp, revealing horror through understatement rather than outrage. As a reader, I was struck by how easily reform can become spectacle—how progress, when monopolized by one man, turns brittle and performative.
MBS emerges from these pages not as a villain carved in stone but as a deeply modern despot—media-savvy, ambitious, and terrifyingly pragmatic. The book leaves you both impressed and unsettled, aware that beneath every promise of modernization lies the quiet sound of doors closing behind those who dissent.
May 8, 2020
I enjoyed this one. Author Ben Hubbard writes with an easy style, that doesn't struggle to hold the reader's attention.
The book covers a bit of Saudi history, the life of Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), as well as some of his immediate family, his rise to power, and his reforms.
"MBS" also talks a lot about Jamal Khashoggi; giving the reader a bit of relevant backstory. It chronicles a bit of his life and details the events that led up to his eventual killing at the embassy in Turkey.
The book also talks about the relationship of MBS with the Trump administration; Donald Trump, and Jared Kushner.
There's not a whole lot here that I was not already aware of. I was kind of hoping for a bit more of an in-depth look. This may be a subjective thing. I'm sure that there are many people who will be hearing about these things for the first time.
It was a well-written, formatted, and presented book. It gives an interesting insight into Saudi culture, and the lives of many of the Royal Family.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested.
4 stars.
The book covers a bit of Saudi history, the life of Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), as well as some of his immediate family, his rise to power, and his reforms.
"MBS" also talks a lot about Jamal Khashoggi; giving the reader a bit of relevant backstory. It chronicles a bit of his life and details the events that led up to his eventual killing at the embassy in Turkey.
The book also talks about the relationship of MBS with the Trump administration; Donald Trump, and Jared Kushner.
There's not a whole lot here that I was not already aware of. I was kind of hoping for a bit more of an in-depth look. This may be a subjective thing. I'm sure that there are many people who will be hearing about these things for the first time.
It was a well-written, formatted, and presented book. It gives an interesting insight into Saudi culture, and the lives of many of the Royal Family.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested.
4 stars.
January 25, 2021
For someone with no knowledge of MBS this would be a pretty good place to start. For me, most of this information was a re-hash of things I has read or seen already.
6/10
6/10
August 22, 2020
I’m glad I read this biography but this man is a murderer and he needs to be prosecuted as such. It’s well know he ordered the murder of Jamal khashoggi, an American resident was very careful not to write negative things about his birth country but encouraged by MBS’s comments in early articles, he dated to write about his hopes for SA in the future. MBS apparently took this as criticism and led to his eventual murder. MBS was slated to become Crown Prince but his uncle died and left his father in charge as King. His father pronounced MBS as next in line. MBS aimed to open up the kingdom as a tourist destination and to praise from outsiders. He has allowed women to drive and movie theaters to open. It’s easier to go to malls for women. While that was the fancy stuff for people to see on the outside, MBS sought to secure his spot then the royal family by imprisoning and torturing royal family members in a fancy hotel in which he shook them down for money and concessions in their power. At least one died. Women who expressed hope for more than driving in woman’s rights were kidnapped and tortured before appearing again and imprisoned. Khashoggi was often lured to Saudi Arabia and refused. A close friend went back and was arrested and tortured so he knew not to go back. But lured several times to the Saudi Embassy with nothing happening, killed him into making an appointment and killed by assassins when he arrived. MBS has gotten off easily in the murder. He was treated leniently by the US president and other countries have followed suit. He appears to be solidly slated to be king very soon.
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