Follows the line of the Saudi succession from its nineteenth-century origins to the present and chronicles the nation's ruling families' progression to an oil superpower.

Includes index. MAPS ON LINING PAPERS.

Welcome to the Kingdom -- Glossary -- Pt. 1: The desert -- Pt. 2: The House of Saʼud -- Pt. 3: The brethren -- Pt. 4: Oil -- Pt. 5: Petropower -- Appendix A: The ruling line of the House of Saʼud -- Appendix B: The sons of Abdul Aziz -- Appendix C: Prominent princes -- Appendix D: The relatives of Saʼud al Kabeer -- Appendix E: The Islamic calendar -- Appendix F: World oil and gas statistics -- Appendix G: Note on Arabic words.