Being Young, Male and Saudi : Identity and Politics in a Globalized Kingdom

Revealing a distinct group of voices, this unique account of the lives of young Saudi men based on remarkable primary research examines ideas and beliefs about identity, employment, marriage and gender segregation, as well as political participation and exclusion, to reconsider the future of Saudi Arabia as a globalized kingdom.

Although the position of Saudi women within society draws media attention throughout the world, young Saudi men remain part of a silent mass, their thoughts and views rarely heard outside of the Kingdom. Based on primary research across Saudi Arabia with young men from a diverse range of backgrounds, Mark C. Thompson allows for this distinct group of voices to be heard, revealing their opinions and attitudes towards the societal and economic transformations affecting their lives within a gender-segregated society and examining the challenges and dilemmas facing young Saudi men in the twenty-first century. From ideas and beliefs about, identity, education, employment, marriage prospects and gender segregation, as well as political participation and exclusion, this study in turn invites us to reconsider the future of Saudi Arabia as a globalized kingdom.