In 2020, I was fortunate to be able to visit five Middle Eastern countries before the U.S. was severely impacted by COVID-19. Half of our group had just visited Saudi Arabia, and based on their comments, I decided to add that to my travel plans for 2021. In order to prepare myself for the experience, a former trip leader suggested I read “MBS: The Rise to Power of Mohammed Bin Salman” by Ben Hubbard. Two things that stand out for me was the fact that King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud made MBS responsible for the royals’ budget, as well as Saudi Aramco. Saudi Arabia is experiencing massive change and no matter what the future may hold, it is important to understand the beginnings and its leadership.

Source: The North Africa Journal December 29, 2021 17:00 UTC