Research Information System
International Spectator, vol.61, no.1, pp.159-176, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus)
Under the current leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS), the power and legitimacy of the Saudi state have undergone a transformation that manifests itself in multiple forms. The (re-)ordering of space and society has been a central discussion in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in recent years with several unique examples of transformation. An imaginary of new ‘Saudiness’ has been securitised by re-ordering certain spaces in the Kingdom that are either important to the everyday life of locals or for the historical legitimacy of the regime. Three conditions for re-ordering of ‘Saudiness’ are identified: a recognition of societal transformation and economic needs; the institutionalisation of MbS’s de jure leadership with absolute authority; and defining ‘Saudiness’ while dislocating other sources of national legitimacy. The burgeoning Saudi tourism and lifestyle are two signifiers that constitute this new Saudi imaginary. Against this backdrop, the politics of space, security, legitimacy and discourse is examined to shed light on the imaginary of new ‘Saudiness’ by combining a post-structural inquiry of securitisation with Doreen Massey’s space theory.