Islam in Saudi Foreign Policy: The Case of Maʿruf al-Dawalibi

Abstract

This article provides new and unique insights into the surprisingly understudied role Islam in Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy. The closed nature of the Saudi state makes this topic difficult to examine. To bypass such obstacles, the article focuses on the career of Maʿruf al-Dawalibi (1909–2004), whose work on behalf of Saudi Arabia is well documented in publicly available sources. Al-Dawalibi played a critical role in transforming Islam into a strategic asset for the Saudi Kingdom, and he did so during a period in which Saudi Arabia developed the institutions and patterns of behaviour that continue shape its use of Islam in foreign policy today. Thus, this article brings to bear sources from multiple archives, the Arab and international press, conference proceedings, and al-Dawalibi’s memoirs to examine the role of Islam in Saudi foreign policy. It argues that contrary to popular perceptions, Wahhabi interpretations of Islam have not guided Saudi foreign policy. Rather, the regime in Riyadh has manipulated and shaped its interpretation of Islam to meet its international security interests. As such, the role of Islam in Saudi foreign policy can only be understood by studying the interaction between the religion and geopolitics.