Abstract

Research on Saudi Arabia, though previously very limited and on the fringes of disciplines such as Anthropology, History and Islamic Studies, has been expanding fast in recent years. The increase in publications on Saudi Arabia partially reflects a political opening of and easier access to the Kingdom. It is also an expression, however, of an increasing Western public awareness and media interest. In the midst of globalization, post-Orientalism and the Arab Spring, Saudi Arabia still holds to be as the exotic “Other” per se evoking images of the desert and the Bedouin, land of plenty of petroleum and breeding ground of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Against this background, this workshop will provide the opportunity to bring together young researchers working on Saudi Arabia, thereby aiming to create an interdisciplinary platform for exchange. The workshop approaches new research trends on Saudi Arabia from two perspectives: it aims at fostering a substantial academic, interdisciplinary discussion within the emerging scholarship on Saudi Arabia, as well as addressing practical and methodological questions on researching the Kingdom.

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