Making sense of Saudi Arabia is crucially important today. The kingdom's western province contains the heart of Islam, and it is the United States' closest Arab ally and the largest producer of oil in the world. However, the country is undergoing rapid change: its aged leadership is ceding power...

"Twenty articles on a wide range of major economic issues facing the region. Includes sections on economic history, inflation, balance of payments, transnational corporations, development strategies (e.g., import substitution, export-led growth), income distribution, labor markets, and the role...