The House of Saud

When the two planes crashed into the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11, 2001, shock waves spread throughout the world. The next day, it was revealed that 15 of the 19 terrorists responsible for the attacks were Saudi nationals who belonged to a radical Islamist movement led by Saudi millionaire Osama bin Laden. But why would Saudis, whose country was a traditional ally of the U.S., want to attack one of America’s most potent symbols? Neither America nor Saudi Arabia seemed able to provide an answer. Meanwhile, the rest of the world woke up to how little it knew about the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. To understand Saudi Arabia, you have to look at its ruling family. The al-Saud family hold the keys to every aspect of life in Saudi Arabia. The al- Sauds have managed to hold onto their power by maintaining the precarious balance between Islam and modernity on which the survival of this oilproducing state depends. But will they be able to weather the storm now approaching? The House of Saud retraces the recent history of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and examines how the country has changed over the years. Via portraits of the five Saudi monarchs, the film explores the four main themes running through the domestic and foreign policies of a country that remains profoundly tribal: Islam; oil; relations with the U.S.; and the Palestinian question.