Charity in Saudi Arabia
Civil Society under Authoritarianism

An innovative study of charity practices in Saudi Arabia, focusing on ordinary Saudis who provide charity to the poor and needy.

Nora Derbal (Author)

9781316513477, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 28 July 2022

370 pages
23.5 x 15.7 x 2.3 cm, 0.68 kg

'Derbal's book is an example of saudology at its best, and it joins the small golden series of fieldwork-based studies carried out in the 2000s … The study is based on an impressive range of information, including interviews, participant observation, documentation published by the charities, and information obtained from social media. The book is highly recommended reading for anyone who has an interest in modern Saudi Arabia, in civil society under authoritarian rule, and in charity work, which is one of the pillars of any Muslim society.' Stig Stenslie, Politics, Religion and Ideology

In this innovative study of everyday charity practices in Jeddah, Nora Derbal employs a 'bottom-up' approach to challenge dominant narratives about state-society relations in Saudi Arabia. Exploring charity organizations in Jeddah, this book both offers a rich ethnography of associational life and counters Riyadh-centric studies which focus on oil, the royal family, and the religious establishment. It closely follows those who work on the ground to provide charity to the local poor and needy, documenting their achievements, struggles and daily negotiations. The lens of charity offers rare insights into the religiosity of ordinary Saudis, showing that Islam offers Saudi activists a language, a moral frame, and a worldly guide to confronting inequality. With a view to the many forms of local community activism in Saudi Arabia, this book examines perspectives that are too often ignored or neglected, opening new theoretical debates about civil society and civic activism in the Gulf.

1. Introduction: Civil society theory, charity, and inequality in Saudi Arabia
2. Meanings of welfare: The First Women's Welfare Association in Jeddah
3. Managing poverty and national development: The Society of Majid bin ʿAbd al-ʿAziz for Development and Social Services
4. Negotiating citizenship and belonging: The Young Initiative Group
5. Fun, freedom, and personal growth amid rising repression: The Hikers
6. Conclusion: Civil society activism and everyday Islam in Saudi Arabia.

Subject Areas: Poverty & unemployment [JFFA], Middle Eastern history [HBJF1]