Ibn Saud managed to conquer and unite the vast territory of the Arabian Peninsula, give it his family name, and alienate, divide, and control his cousins and brothers in order to establish a clear and undisputed line of succession through his sons. After Ibn Saud’s death, his sons, though never entirely united, maintained enough coherence to keep the store running.
沙特类似于一个家族产业。1932年，伊本·沙特设法征服并统一了阿拉伯半岛的广袤领土，为家族设立了名号，对兄弟和从兄弟采取分而治之的策略，以期建立一套明晰的、毫无争议的、由其子孙接班的权力大统。伊本·沙特死后，他的儿子虽然从来不曾真心团结过，但仍足以凝聚在一起守住伊本的祖业。但对于他们的数以千计的王子来说，情况已有所不同。随着老一代相继去世，新一代已经陷入了内斗的局面。