Saudi Arabia plays a very important role in influencing Islamic thought around the globe today.
In 1925, the House of Saud conquered Mecca. In 1932, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was officially founded.
For the last half of a century, Saudi Arabia has been using its great oil wealth to export its ideas around the globe. And the kingdom has been spending far more on spreading their ideas throughout the Islamic world than any other country.
If one wants to understand politics and scholarship in the Islamic world today, it is important to study what is going on currently in Saudi Arabia. We are not saying that all Muslims agree with Saudi Arabia. We are simply saying that Saudi Arabia plays a major role as a global influencer in the world of Islamic thought.
Below are resources we compiled on Saudi Arabia's global influence.
Disclaimer: We don't claim that this is the authoritative source on the subject. We are simply compiling a few links as an educational service for our readers.
BOOKS
Wahhabism and the World: Understanding Saudi Arabia's Global Influence on Islam by Peter Mandaville
This book discusses how Saudi Arabia has been pouring billions to propagate Wahhabi Islam around the globe. This book features essays by leading scholars who explore the origins and evolution of Saudi religious transnationalism, assess ongoing debates about the impact of these influences in various regions s around the world, and discuss possible future trends in light of new Saudi leadership.
The Call: Inside the Global Saudi Religious Project by Krithika Varagur
Krithika Varagur discusses Saudi influence around the Islamic world, from Nigeria, to Indonesia to Kosovo. She discusses the kingdom's effort to use their oil wealth to spread Wahhabi Islam around the globe. She investigates the lasting effects of Saudi influence today, and what really happened to their religious global campaign in the 21st century, after oil revenues slumped and after their activities became increasingly subject to international scrutiny?
It is important to note that Krithika Varagur seems to have a hostile attitude to these ideas.
How Saudi Arabia's religious project transformed Indonesia (The Guardian, 4-16-20)
Krithika Varagur also wrote the article above.
RELATED WORLD FUTURE FUND PAGES
Our Collection of Reports on Islam
State of the Islamic World Today
SAUDI CROWN PRINCE MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Live Interview - April 2021 (World Future Fund)
Inside the Palace with Mohammed Bin Salman (The Atlantic, April 2022)
Full interview with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman at the FII summit in Riyadh (YouTube, January 2021)
Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud – House of Saud (House of Saud)
Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud (House of Saud)
Mohammed bin Salman (Wikipedia)
SAUDI ARABIA
Saudi Arabia (Wikipedia)
International propagation of Salafism and Wahhabism (Wikipedia)
History of Saudi Arabia (Wikipedia)
About Saudi Arabia (The Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)
MUSLIM WORLD LEAGUE
The Muslim World League is an international Islamic organization based in the holy city Mecca. Its goal is to promote tolerance, humanitarianism, dialogue, moderation, justice and peace. They also aim to ward off movements that call for extremism, violence and exclusion.
Muslim World League Links
The Muslim World League Site (in English)
Muslim World League Wikipedia Page
Muslim World League on Twitter (in Arabic)
Muslim World League on Twitter (in English)
Common Values Among Religious Followers Forum 2022
The forum on "Common Values among Religious Followers" launched with the support of the Muslim World League. Muslim leaders and senior scholars traveled to Riyadh to attend this international religious event with the participation of representatives of several major religions and cultures. See more below.
News on Muslim World League 2022 Forum
The forum on "Common Values among Religious Followers" launched under the auspice of the Muslim World League (Muslim World League, 5-11-22)
World faith leaders convene in Saudi Arabia for first time in ground-breaking conference to build bridges with Muslim leaders (Religion News Service, 5-12-22)
Speaker at Muslim World League 2022 Forum: Sheikh Dr. Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Alissa
Dr. Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Alissa Home Site Twitter Facebook
Sheikh Dr. Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Alissa is the Secretary General of the Muslim World League.
He also heads the Intellectual Warfare Center, a body affiliated with the Saudi Defense Ministry dedicated to combating extremist and terrorist ideology.
DISCUSSIONS ON GLOBAL ISLAM
James M. Dorsey
James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute of the National University of Singapore and the author of the column and blog, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer. James focuses as a journalist and scholar on religious and ethnic conflict; political and social change in Middle East and North Africa and its impact on South, Central and Southeast Asia; and the nexus of sports, politics and society in the Middle East and North Africa and Asia.
Saudi Arabia and Indonesia: Clashing visions of 'moderate Islam' (Wion News, 5-4-22)
Can Indonesia’s Humanitarian Islam inspire a Hindu nationalist equivalent? (James Dorsey, 5-9-22)
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Indonesia
Nahdlatul Ulama
Nahdlatul Ulama is an Islamic organization in Indonesia. Its membership estimates range from 40 million to over 90 million, making it the largest Islamic organization in the world, along with the world's largest Muslim civil society movement. This organization strongly believes in tolerance toward other religions.
NU Online Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram
India
Ram Madhav - Former Secretary General of BJP
In an essay published by Open, an Indian current affairs weekly, Mr. Madhav, widely viewed as a moderate among Hindu nationalists, called on Indian Muslims to adopt a moderate form of Islam propagated and practiced by Nahdlatul Ulama, the world and Indonesia's largest Muslim civil society movement.
Indian Muslims Need to Emulate the Indonesian Model (Open the Magazine, 2-18-22)
Out of favour in the BJP, Ram Madhav makes a comeback in RSS (The Print, 5-18-22)