Zakir Hussain is Research Fellow at the Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi, India. A political economist specializing in the Middle East, South Asia, the USA and China, he has been associated with the National Labour Institute, International Labour Organization, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses and National Maritime Foundation, and has acted as consultant to institutions including the International Organization for Migration, European Union and Ernst & Young. He is an alumnus of the prestigious International Visitor Leadership Program of the US Department of State and has held positions as visiting scholar across China, the USA, Syria and Kuwait. Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) is a prestigious, proactive, autonomous think-tank specialising in foreign policy issues and external affairs, established in 1943 by a group of eminent intellectuals. The Council conducts policy research through its in-house faculty as well as external experts. It organises an array of intellectual activities – conferences, seminars, roundtable discussions, lectures and publications – and maintains a landmark and well-established library, website and the journal Indian Quarterly. It is engaged in raising public awareness about India’s role in international affairs and offers policy models and strategies to the government and people while serving as a platform for Track-II dialogues and interactions with other foreign think-tanks.

• List of Figures and Tables. Preface. Introduction. 1. Saudi Arabia: Internal Dynamics and Absorptive Capacity 2. Oil, Islam and Regime Security 3. Saudi Arabia and the United States: Disconnect or Still Old Allies? 4. Saudi-Sino Engagement: Evolving into a ‘Special Relationship’ 5. Saudi Arabia and India: Converging Interests 6. Conclusion: King Salman: Continuity and Change Bibliography. Index.

Zakir Hussain is Research Fellow at the Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi, India. A political economist specializing in the Middle East, South Asia, the USA and China, he has been associated with the National Labour Institute, International Labour Organization, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses and National Maritime Foundation, and has acted as consultant to institutions including the International Organization for Migration, European Union and Ernst & Young. He is an alumnus of the prestigious International Visitor Leadership Program of the US Department of State and has held positions as visiting scholar across China, the USA, Syria and Kuwait. Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) is a prestigious, proactive, autonomous think-tank specialising in foreign policy issues and external affairs, established in 1943 by a group of eminent intellectuals. The Council conducts policy research through its in-house faculty as well as external experts. It organises an array of intellectual activities – conferences, seminars, roundtable discussions, lectures and publications – and maintains a landmark and well-established library, website and the journal Indian Quarterly. It is engaged in raising public awareness about India’s role in international affairs and offers policy models and strategies to the government and people while serving as a platform for Track-II dialogues and interactions with other foreign think-tanks.

• List of Figures and Tables. Preface. Introduction. 1. Saudi Arabia: Internal Dynamics and Absorptive Capacity 2. Oil, Islam and Regime Security 3. Saudi Arabia and the United States: Disconnect or Still Old Allies? 4. Saudi-Sino Engagement: Evolving into a ‘Special Relationship’ 5. Saudi Arabia and India: Converging Interests 6. Conclusion: King Salman: Continuity and Change Bibliography. Index.