Part 9/11:
Abd el Aziz’s relationship with Western powers, especially the United States, hinged on oil, which solidified ties that would enable Saudi prosperity, granting it significant geopolitical leverage. Yet, even amidst newfound wealth, pressures for adherence to traditional Wahhabi norms persisted. Rapid modernization with luxurious lifestyles clashed with the strictures of Wahhabism, igniting tensions which culminated in the famous siege of the Grand Mosque in Mecca in 1979.