Saudi Arabia's Reform Gamble

摘要

About an hour north of Jeddah, in western Saudi Arabia, there is a security perimeter and a turn-off. The journey from Jeddah is relatively unremarkable, with mostly desert to both sides for the bulk of the drive. The compound is exceedingly well guarded, with concertina wire and concrete barriers (lovingly known as Texas barriers in US war zones) surrounding the facility. Multiple checkpoints and identification checks await.