Q&A
Christopher Boucek
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Source: Getty
In The Media
Saudi Arabia's Political Dilemma
Saudi Arabia’s biggest internal challenge continues to be reconciling its conservative, religious identity with the politics of the modern world; while it grapples with fundamental political questions regarding religion and state, it must also deal with regional challenges that threaten its security.
Published on Dec 3, 2009
Source: Al Jazeera's Riz Khan Show
The continued discourse in Saudi Arabia concerning the role of Islam in society and politics has far-reaching implications. According to Christopher Boucek, because of the “power of Saudi Arabia in the global Muslim community and its powerful economic and political role in the Gulf, how Saudi goes much of the global Muslim community goes.” As Saudi Arabia continues to face these challenging political questions, it must also face instability caused by the on-going crises emanating from Yemen. Although, the “the Houthi rebellion itself is no threat to Saudi Arabia, the overall instability in Yemen is of great concern to it,” Boucek explains.
About the Author
Christopher Boucek
Former Associate, Middle East Program
Boucek was an associate in the Carnegie Middle East Program where his research focused on security challenges in the Arabian Peninsula and Northern Africa.
- Yemen After Saleh’s Return and Awlaki’s Exit
- Rivals—Iran vs. Saudi ArabiaQ&A
Christopher Boucek, Karim Sadjadpour
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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