MBS
The Rise to Power of Mohammed bin Salman
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3.3 • 3 Ratings
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- $2.99
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- $2.99
Publisher Description
A NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE • A gripping, behind-the-scenes portrait of the rise of Saudi Arabia’s secretive and mercurial new ruler
“Revelatory . . . a vivid portrait of how MBS has altered the kingdom during his half-decade of rule.”—The Washington Post
Finalist for the PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Financial Times, Foreign Affairs, Kirkus Reviews
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.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
At the age of 31, Mohammed bin Salman was appointed the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, making him the de facto ruler of the Arab world’s richest country. New York Times Middle East correspondent Ben Hubbard offers the first full-length portrait of an extremely powerful man that we know very little about. Despite having no business, military, or diplomatic experience, MBS (as he is commonly known) was first seen as a force for modernization, starting with the well-received lifting of longtime social restrictions on women. But soon bin Salman’s authoritarian bent, and his worrying tendency toward lashing out, came to the forefront, culminating in the torture and murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi under his direct orders. Hubbard, whose sources inside and outside of Saudi Arabia are unparalleled, provides new insights into MBS’s autocratic rule and inexperienced decision-making. Some stories are simply surreal—like the transformation of a luxury hotel into a deadly prison for perceived enemies in the royal family—while others, such as the miscalculations involved in the Saudi incursion into Yemen, are flat-out tragic. This is a must-read for anyone wanting to know what’s happening in the Middle East.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Journalist Hubbard debuts with an incisive portrait of modern Saudi Arabia and 34-year-old crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, better known by his initials MBS. Though much about MBS's early years remains unknown, Hubbard details his close relationship with his father, the governor of Riyadh, following the untimely deaths of two of MBS's older half-brothers, and his willingness to threaten with violence those who don't fall in line. After his father's ascension to the throne in 2015, MBS took control of the royal court and became minister of defense. He implemented ambitious social and economic reforms, including rolling back the kingdom's ban on women drivers, and courted Western investors with plans to build a $500 billion "smart city" near the Red Sea. He also declared war on the Houthi rebels in Yemen, escalated tensions with Iran and Qatar, detained hundreds of ministers and royal family members in the Ritz-Carlton hotel in a move billed as an anti-corruption push, and empowered underlings to aggressively silence dissidents a campaign that led to the slaying of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Saudi Arabia's Turkish consulate in 2018, severely damaging MBS's international reputation. Hubbard enriches the narrative with informed discussions of Saudi history and culture, illuminating the kingdom's complex blend of religious fundamentalism and technological ambition. This deeply researched and vividly written account provides essential insight into a figure poised to lead the region for the next half century.
