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“To these Arabs I was sent as a stranger, unable to think their thoughts or share their views,” wrote TE Lawrence in his 1926 war report The Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Just as the officer and archaeologist once did, 100 years later the sporting world is desperate for a valid interpretation of exactly what Saudi Arabia intends to do in the future after decades of valid standards, customs and tournament traditions having been devalued by Saudi billions in investment.
But what drives the Saudis? An answer lies in the neighborhood.