Selected as one of the Books of the Year 2022 by the Times Literary Supplement

Winner of the Polonsky Prize for Creativity and Originality in the Humanistic Disciplines awarded at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

If you are interested in hearing more about the book, here is a webinar for you, with an introduction by Jean-Loup Samaan and a comment by Jessie Moritz, who discusses the book in the context of Arabian politics. We also recorded a book talk at the ZMO in Berlin, with an introduction by Ulrike Freitag and two fascinating comments. Elad Giladi places the book in the context of the Saudi novel and literary approaches to poverty in Saudi Arabia. Inken Wiese locates the book in the wider context of Gulf charity and discusses the odds and challenges of conducting fieldwork in the Arab Gulf monarchies.

If you want to listen to a discussion of the book on-the-go, listen to this episode of the Tel Aviv Review Podcast “Civil Society in an Islamic State: The Case of Charity in Saudi Arabia” or listen to a discussion of the book recorded at the LSE Middle East Center with Steffen Hertog and Hanna Almoaibed on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify.

‘masterly study’
Jonathan Benthall, The Middle East Journal 76/4 (2023)

‘A ground-breaking study of Saudi charity organizations interwoven with history, contemporary developments, and gender analysis. Comprehensively and holistically researched, rich in statistics and personal lived experience, it is a compelling read for anyone interested in the inner workings of Saudi society and the economy outside of official institutions and narratives.’
Natana Delong-Bas, Boston College

‘Nora Derbal presents a fascinating study of civil society in the authoritarian context of Saudi Arabia – a topic that is very much under-researched. It’s highly original, impressively written and meticulously detailed. This is truly a piece of social science at its absolute best.’
Paul Aarts, University of Amsterdam

‘an impressive bibliography, which interestingly leaves much space for works in Arabic by Saudi historians as well as interpretations by Saudi activists themselves…Its ethnographic dimension is precious at a time when the conditions for independent research are increasingly difficult for all. It can thus serve as a guidebook for graduate students.’
Laurent Bonnefoy, Arabian Humanities 17 (2023)

‘Nora Derbal’s book is timely, well-written and based on extensive fieldwork in Saudi Arabia. It is a welcome addition to the literature that places civil society initiatives in Saudi Arabia, especially in the Hijaz, in a wider socio-political context and problematises simplistic notions of state-society relations and authoritarian rule.’
Toby Matthiesen, Ca’ Foscari University

‘Derbal has written a brilliant, innovative and ground-breaking book on aspects of charity and civil society in Saudi Arabia and how it is faring under the authoritarian regime of MbS. The book is packed with her detailed and perceptive field work and research in the Hejaz from 2009 to 2020. It makes a huge contribution to the academic study of charitable work in Saudi Arabia.’
Caroline Montagu, Arab Digest, July 20, 2023

‘Nora Derbal’s Charity in Saudi Arabia: Civil Society under Authoritarianism (CUP) is a penetrating addition to the research literature on charity…Focusing on local charities and on everyday Islam as an ethical framework at odds with religious officialdom, she questions many stereotypes.’
Jonathan Benthall, The Times Literary Supplement

I will soon add information about my first book, Philanthropie in Saudi Arabia: Bestandsaufnahme und Untersuchung der organisierten philanthropischen Praxis (Lucius & Lucius/De Gruyter 2012).