Articles
If you have no access to a specific publication, email me and I’m happy to share a copy: nora.derbal@mail.huji.ac.il.
Peer Reviewed Journal Articles
Nora Derbal: Electronic Dance Music Festivals in Riyadh: Pop Culture as a Space for Cooptation and Contestation, Arabian Humanities 14 (2020).
Within the course of a decade, electronic dance music (EDM) grew from an underground subculture into one of the most popular music genres among youth in Saudi Arabia. EDM parties developed from an intimate, semi-legal pastime practice of cosmopolitan youth into state-sponsored mass parties. In this article, I discuss the effects of the state’s embrace of pop culture as a strategy of the new Saudi nationalism, heralded by Vision 2030. In the name of the diversification of the economy, today the Saudi state invests in local music festivals. Yet, rather than understanding Saudi youth as mere objects of state policy, I suggest that Saudi youth navigate, reject, and appropriate these new cultural spaces, and turn them into an arena, where all kinds of subversive practices can become possible.
Exercising the Body, Exercising Citizenship: On the History of Scouting in Saudi Arabia, in special issue “The Rise of Sports and Art on the Arabian Peninsula,” Sports, Ethics and Philosophy 14:3 (2020), 303–319.
Scouting was one of the first modern ‘sports’ to reach Saudi Arabia, with the first boy scout troops dating back to 1943. Yet scouting has largely escaped the attention of historians and social scientist who study the Arab Gulf states, since this uniformed youth movement does not conform to the ‘tribal modern’ identity that is today propagated and researched within the region, as found, for example, in the discourse on heritage sports. How did a Saudi scouting movement take root, importing what is still largely perceived to be a Western cultural practice, identified with a white British-North American middle class? The research demonstrates that the scouting movement was able to take hold in the region by negotiating the universal ideals of modernity and internationalism of the scouting movement with more particular understandings of nationalism and social reform. Following the trajectories of the early Saudi scouting movement, the analysis traces how the conception of what constitutes ‘modern’ evolved from an understanding that emphasizes universal traits, toward a negotiated and particularised interpretation of what ‘modern’ means and should mean in the local context of Saudi Arabia.
Zwischen Reformversprechen und Status quo: Frauen in Saudi-Arabien (Between Reform and Status Quo: Women in Saudi Arabia), Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte (APuZ) 46 (2014), 19–24. (PDF)
Kaum ein Aspekt Saudi-Arabiens erzeugt so viel Aufmerksamkeit außerhalb der Landesgrenzen und erhitzt die Gemüter ähnlich wie die Frauenfrage. Deuten die staatlichen Reformen der vergangenen Jahre auf eine Liberalisierung der Geschlechterpolitik und mehr weibliche Teilhabe am gesellschaftlichen und politischen Leben? Frauen sind in Saudi-Arabien vielfach Repressionen ausgesetzt. Dennoch greift eine kulturalistische Darstellung der saudischen Frau als Opfer ihrer Kultur und Gesellschaft, die mit Prädikaten belegt wird wie “patriarchal”, “tribal” und “beduinisch” zu kurz, um die Geschlechterordnung im Königreich zu verstehen. Wie die folgenden Ausführungen zeigen, muss die Frauenfrage im historisch gewachsenen politischen Gefüge des Landes verortet und diskutiert werden.
Private Charity for Public Welfare? The Renaissance of Benevolent Engagement in Saudi Arabia against the Background of an Overburdened Welfare State, Orient 5 (2012), 54–59. (PDF)
Saudi Arabia is a country of significant natural resources and economic wealth. At the same time, it is a nation fighting an increasing pauperisation of broad strata of its society. This situation makes Saudi Arabia exceptional and paradigmatic among the Arab states of the Middle East. In a socio-economic climate of extreme wealth and poverty within striking distance, the increasing trend of private charities that engage to help the poor and needy appears symptomatic of the paradox.
Chapters
Islamic Charity and Relief Organizations in Global Saudi Daʿwa?, in Peter Mandaville (ed.), Wahhabism in the World: Understanding the Global Impact of Saudi Religious Influence, Oxford/ New York: Oxford University Press 2022, 114–134.
This chapter examines the relationship between Saudi foreign aid and religion, between relief work and proselytization. Saudi aid organizations are strongly associated with missionary activity (daʿwa) and the propagation of Wahhabi Islam. The chapter demonstrates how Saudi Arabia’s new political leadership since 2015 aims to sideline Islam from humanitarianism. This, the author argues, shall add international recognition and visibility to a new imagine of the state—a post-Wahhabi Saudi state. The discussion of KSRelief (the King Salman Humanitarian and Relief Center) highlights the state’s attempt to change the image of Saudi aid by presenting it as universal aid rather than Islamic charity. The reorientation of the aid landscape comes at the cost of freedom of organization and a loss of the multiplicity of values, which the field of humanitarianism historically represented in Saudi Arabia.
Humanitarian Service in the Name of Social Development: The Historic Origins of Women’s Welfare Associations in Saudi Arabia (PDF), in Esther Möller, Johannes Paulmann and Katharina Stornig (eds.), Gendering Humanitarianism: Politics, Practices, and Empowerment during the Twentieth Century, Palgrave Macmillan Transnational History Series, London: Palgrave Macmillan 2020, 167–192.
This chapter offers insights into the blurred boundaries between humanitarian action, charity, and development in Saudi Arabia. By focusing on women volunteers’ interplay with the state, the chapter explores how humanitarian practice has offered a space to challenge and transgress sociopolitical norms and practices in Saudi Arabia. The analysis points to how women’s welfare associations have strategically mobilized prevalent social and cultural constructions of femininity within a state-fostered ideological frame of societal “development”, in order to represent and justify their involvement in the public arena of welfare. The chapter concludes with a gendered reading of the origins of The First Women’s Welfare Society in Jeddah, founded in 1961, and Al-Nahda Women’s Charity Society, founded in Riyadh in 1962.
Kuwait Country Report (PDF), in Bertelsmann Stiftung, BTI 2020 Country Report – Kuwait. Güterslohn: Bertelsmann Stiftung, 2020.
After several politically (2011 – 2014) and economically (2014 – 2017) challenging years, Kuwait experienced internal stability and modest economic growth during the period under review. However, Kuwait’s external relations (particularly inter-GCC relations) have grown more tense and fragile during the same time.
Die Provinzstadt Tayma, Saudi-Arabien. Vorarbeiten zu einer interdisziplinären historischen Betrachtung (The Provincial Town Tayma, Saudi Arabia. Preliminary Investigations for an Interdisciplinary Historical Study), with Ibrahim Salman and Arnulf Hausleiter, in Martin Gussone, Katharina Lange, Anne Mollenhauer (eds.), Archäologisches Erbe und soziale Praxis. Reflexionen aus Archäologie, Bauforschung und Ethnologie, Berlin: Reimer 2019, 31–50.
Research into the modern history in rural areas of the Arabian Peninsula is rare. Our case study presents initial steps of an interdisciplinary and integrated approach of historians, building archaeologists and archaeologists towards the study of the modern history of the provincial town of Tayma in the northwest of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as reflected in the monumental representative architecture in the old town of Tayma. It is aimed at contributing to the discussion of strategies for dealing with this part of the historical and cultural heritage of the region in a rapidly changing society.
Bahrain Country Report (PDF), in Bertelsmann Stiftung, BTI 2016 Country Report – Bahrain. Güterslohn: Bertelsmann Stiftung, 2016.
At the start of 2015, Bahrain’s government was heading toward a new level of state repression, with growing acquiescence among political opponents. In the period under review, political reform remained cosmetic, failing to disguise the authoritarian structure of the ruling system. Bahrain’s economy profited from these stable conditions; it recovered both from the global financial crisis of 2008 and the disruptions caused by the political turmoil that the country experienced in the wake of the Arab Spring in early 2011.
In the Shadow of the ‘Arab Spring’ – Youth Networks, Benevolent Activism and Counterrevolution in Saudi Arabia, in Omar Bortolazzi (ed.), Youth Networks, Civil Society and Social Entrepreneurship, Bologna: Bologna University Press 2015, 23–42. (PDF)
In the kingdom, mobilization in line of the Arab Spring has been rather cautious. Although similar to other countries in the region, criticism of existing social injustice and discontent with the political regime has been articulated, the country appeared rather “immune” towards the regional turmoil. The lack of Arab Spring furor has tempted a debate about what some authors reflected upon as a potential Saudi “counter-revolution” and others declared a “failed revolution”. The aim of this article is to feed empirical evidence into the debate about the repercussions of the Arab Spring. The data presented outlines some major effects that the Arab uprisings and local unrests have had on local practices of institutionalized charity in Saudi Arabia. The case studies suggest that the Arab Spring, rather than inviting pro-democracy change to the kingdom, led to a reinforcement of authoritarian control over citizens’ engagement.
Domestic, Religious, Civic? Notes on Institutionalized Charity in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,” in Robert Lacey and Jonathan Benthall (eds.), Gulf Charities Today. Arab Islamic Philanthropy in the ‘Age of Terror’ and Beyond, Berlin: Gerlach Press 2014, 145– 167.
Saudi charity and benevolence are often the subject of debate – usually in the context of allegedly supporting terrorist activities or fundamentalist campaigning for innocent minds in Third World countries. Only recently Saudi Arabia and transnational relief organizations have been taken up in a serious academic debate as influential humanitarian donors with high potential and a large scale of assistance in areas of disaster around the world. While Saudi philanthropy and humanitarian assistance outside of the kingdom have become an object of inquiry, there is still little awareness about the vibrant culture of giving and community support that – on a domestic level – shapes the everyday life of so many Saudis. This article gives an overview of charity and community initiatives in the city of Jeddah.
Lifestyle and Liberty in the Name of Piety and Islam. Philanthropy in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (PDF), in John D. Gerhart Center for Philanthropy and Civic Engagement (ed.), Takaful 2011 – The First Annual Conference on Arab Philanthropy and Civic Engagement. Selected Research, Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press 2011, 46–75.
While Saudi philanthropy is often characterized as a tool for terrrorism, there is little awareness outside of the kingdom about the vibrant culture of giving and community support that shapes the everyday life of many Saudis. This frequently overlooked activism sheds new light on the debate about civil society in Saudi ARabia. In this article, I argue that within the philanthropic field lies great potential for participation and civic engagement.
In the Media/ Miscellenious
Saudi-Arabien – ein Land im Wandel (Saudi Arabia – a Country in Transition),” Bundeszentrale Politische Bildung (bpb) Kinofenster.de, March-June 2020.
Saudi-Arabien befindet sich in einem radikalen Wandel. Ihr Alltag sei freier und fröhlicher geworden, sagen heute viele junge Menschen die dort leben. Was noch vor kurzem im ultrakonservativen Königreich undenkbar gewesen wäre, etwa öffentliche Konzerte, Kunst als Lehrfach an Universitäten, Sportveranstaltungen und Visa für Touristen, ist innerhalb fünf Jahren Realität geworden. Insbesondere für Frauen hat sich viel verändert. Das rasche Tempo der Veränderungen zeigt sich auch daran, dass der Konflikt um die Reisegenehmigung der Hauptfigur Maryam in Haif Mansours Spielfilm, Die perfekte Kandidatin, heute bereits veraltet erscheint.
Künstlerinnen und Intellektuelle üben den Spagat (Artists and Intellectuals in a Balancing Act),” Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, July 8th, 2019, no. 155, p. 12.
Zur Dschidda Saison in Saudi-Arabiens liberalster Stadt dürfen erstmals internationale Besucher anreisen. Bei Konzerten, Theater und Straßenkunst herrscht größere Offenheit als sonst. Aber die Regeln dafür sind unklar. Ein Club musste schließen. Doch erstmals führt eine Reiseführerin durch die Altstadt.
Saudi Arabia, Humanitarian Aid and Knowledge Production: What Do We Really Know?, in Muslim Humanitarianism #MUHU, Allegra Lab, July 5th, 2019.
Saudi Arabia has one of the largest humanitarian aid budgets in the world.Yet, Saudi humanitarianism is commonly associated with religious indoctrination and the spread of an intolerant and misogynist version of Islam. The demonization of Saudi humanitarianism builds on an essentializing portrayal of a Saudi “Other” whose quest for cultural and political hegemony poses a threat. Few countries in the world continue to evoke associations of an exotic Other to the same extent as Saudi Arabia. Through the juxtaposition of the literature on Saudi overseas aid with local aid approaches in Saudi Arabia, I suggest that we should reconsider our understanding of Saudi humanitarianism. Rather than picturing Saudi humanitarian aid abroad as a comprehensive enterprise, driven by a monolithic state, I argue that Saudi humanitarianism is a contested field in which numerous actors compete and produce rather diverse results on the ground. For various methodological reasons, research on Saudi humanitarianism tends to focus either on overseas aid or on domestic aid practices, thus replicating an artificial demarcation which the Saudi state enforced in the wake of 9/11 and accusations that charitable funds support Islamist terrorists around the world. Yet, I show that the concept of humanitarianism and the history of its associations in Saudi Arabia has been an organic one that does not easily follow clear divisions into a domestic and an overseas model.
‘Stille Revolution‘ oder Reform ‚von oben‘? Zur aktuellen Lage von Frauen in Saudi-Arabien (‘Silent Revolution’ or ‘Top Down’ Reform? On the Current State of Women in Saudi Arabia), FriedensForum. Network of the German Peace Movement 4 (2018), 48–49.
Jahrzehntelang galten saudische Frauen im Westen als Paradebeispiel für Unterdrückung im Namen des Islam. Der politische Kurswechsel, den wir in diesen Tagen in Saudi-Arabien beobachten können, macht nun die Rolle und Einflussmöglichkeiten des Staates auf die Geschlechterordnung im Land für alle sichtbar. Die stillen Reformbemühungen der vielen saudischen Frauen (und Männer) der letzten Jahre werden vom Staat beflügelt und 2018 als Revolution „von oben“ und Aufbruch in ein neues Zeitalter zelebriert.
Zivilgesellschaft trotz fehlender Grundrechte in Saudi-Arabien? (Civil Society in Saudi Arabia?), WeltTrends 135 (2018), 30–35.
Kann es in einem autoritären Staat wie Saudi-Arabien, der bürgerliche Grundrechte missachtet, überhaupt Zivilgesellschaft geben? Während man in der Vergangenheit meist davon ausging, dass Saudi-Arabien keine autonome ZIvilgesellschaft habe, zeigen neuere Untersuchungen, dass es verd´schiedene Formen sozialen Engagements im Königreich gibt, die historisch tief verwurzelt und meist auf lokaler Ebene zu finden sind. Gerade für die marginalisierten Frauen und Jugendlichen stellen solche Vereine und Salons wichtige Räume dar, in denen Netzwerke gepflegt und Gemeinschaft gestiftet wird.
Philanthropie in Saudi-Arabien. Bestandsaufnahme und Untersuchung der organisierten wohltätigen Praxis in Djidda, Maecenata Schriften vol. 9, Stuttgart: Lucius & Lucius 2012.
Den Ausgangspunkt der vorliegenden Arbeit bildet die Beobachtung vor Ort in Saudi-Arabien in 2009/10, dass Wohltätigkeit ein omnipräsentes und in ihren organisierten Formen immer stärker sichtbares Phänomen in der saudischen Gesellschaft darstellt. Am Anfang steht deshalb die Frage, wie dich die These der zunehmenden gesellschaftlichen Attraktivität von organisiertem philanthropischem Engagement erklären lässt. (This is a slightly revised version of my MA thesis, submitted in 2011 at Freie Universität Berlin.)