Saudi Arabia is often the subject of caricature: In the popular imagination, it is full of camels, sand dunes and louche princes. But the stereotypes conceal serious divisions within society, which have only widened in recent years. As an ICWA fellow, David Kenner examined the aspirations and frustrations of young Saudis from across the country and all walks of life.

David delivered his end-of-fellowship report virtually on June 9, 2021, co-hosted with Network 20/20. He explained how society is changing since Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s ascent to power. Dartmouth Professor Dirk Vandewalle, preeminent Middle East scholar and former ICWA board chair, moderated a discussion and Q&A.



David Kenner is a returning ICWA fellow who spent two years exploring economic change and society in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. Before his fellowship, he was Middle East editor at Foreign Policy magazine.





Dirk Vandewalle is a renowned Libya scholar and a Dartmouth professor. He was an ICWA fellow (Libya, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt in 1986-89), trustee and board chair. He is the author of internationally acclaimed books on Libya and several edited volumes and several dozen academic articles on North Africa.