- Middle East
- International Affairs
- History
- Revitalizing History
Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has redefined Saudi Arabia’s origins through the promotion of a new holiday Founding Day, shifting the state’s founding to minimize Wahhabism’s role. MBS has eliminated the religious police’s power and embraced entertainment to align with his Vision 2030 modernization goals. This historical transformation looks to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s legitimacy as a unified, progressive nation, supporting broader U.S. interests in curbing intolerant ideologies.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Cole Bunzel is a Hoover Institution Fellow, historian, and scholar of the contemporary Middle East, specializing in the history of Arabian Peninsula, Islamic theology and law, and modern Islamic radicalism. Bunzel received a B.A. and Ph.D. in Near Eastern Studies from Princeton University and an M.A. in international relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
ABOUT THE SERIES
Policy in Brief by the Hoover History Lab analyzes contemporary global policy challenges, offering insights and providing possible solutions through a historical lens.
