It is a sign of how synonymous with violence and repression Saudi Arabia has become in recent years that I found myself wondering, after reading this book, whether Malise Ruthven would be wise to step into any Saudi embassy around the world.
That was the fatal decision taken by the journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 when he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. He was murdered and dismembered inside by a team flown in especially for the purpose. His crime? He was a prominent critic of the Saudi regime and its de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Saudi Arabia does not do dissent.
If this all sounds excessive, it is worth recalling a detail from 2021. The human rights…