Sectarianization of Identity and nation building in Saudi Arabia

Abstract EN

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded on 23rd September 1932 by the strategic amalgamation of dual kingdoms of Hejaz and Najd under Ibn Saud.

Like all nation building paradigms, there are some prominent nation building tenants of the Saudi Kingdom as well.

This paper is an analysis of the historical foundation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a nation and locates the role of sectarianization of identity in hindering the recent initiatives of rebuilding the Saudi nation state, by modernizing its economy and cultural space.

The study is a brief examination of how the sectarian political biases were exercised in the country’s formative years, and the departure point of sectarianization in Saudi Arabia.

The article also takes a case study of one of the sects in Saudi Arabia; the Ismailis of Najran and it moves on to briefly explain the international norms and standards making thorough reflections on sectarian discrimination inside the country.

Lastly, the article also delves into the consequences of sectarian politics as a roadblock in nation building in Saudi Arabia.