The Saudi Social Awakening: Explaining Rapid Social Change

Since serious social reforms were first announced in Saudi Arabia in 2017, the country has witnessed dramatic change. This has led to the significant curtailment of the religious establishment’s authority, a visible shift in public culture, and the emergence of a dynamic, evolving relationship between the state and its citizens. This book captures the country’s profound social changes and identifies the factors that triggered—and later accelerated—their pace.

The book draws on rich ethnographic data from repeated visits to Saudi Arabia between 2014 and 2024, including over 250 interviews with religious actors, state officials and ordinary Saudis—especially youth. Rather than relying solely on a Western analytical lens, the book follows the latest approaches to change in Saudi Arabia, demonstrating that state-society relations in the country must be studied through the agency of Saudi youth and the state’s proactive efforts to cultivate active citizenship.

The Saudi Arabia of today presents a markedly transformed social landscape, a stark departure from the restrictive norms once shaped by Wahhabi teachings. This book argues that the ongoing social reforms offer a unique insight into the Crown Prince’s ambition to win political legitimacy and build a base of support among the youth.