Can you beat them?
Saudi Arabia Quiz
Ten questions on Saudi Arabia, from the 1744 pact behind the first Saudi state to Roosevelt's meeting with Ibn Saud, the oil weapon, the siege of Mecca and Mohammed bin Salman.
- 10 questions
- About 3 minutes
- Medium
- Includes a photo
About this quiz
Saudi Arabia is a family, an oil field and two holy cities fused into one state. The quiz covers how the Al Saud built it, the bargain Ibn Saud struck with Franklin Roosevelt in 1945, the secret deal of 1974, the siege that shook Mecca in 1979, the decision that turned Osama bin Laden against the monarchy, and the changes of the last decade.
It is written for readers who know the kingdom from the headlines. The last questions, on the 2019 attack on Abqaiq and on the royal succession, are the hardest.
Topics in this quiz
Read up first
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Blog
The Geopolitics of Saudi Arabia
Oil, Mecca, and one ruling family. How Saudi Arabia became the swing power of the Middle East, and why 2026 is testing everything it built.
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Encyclopedia
1973 Oil Embargo
The 1973 OPEC production cuts and embargo that quadrupled oil prices, weaponized energy, and ended the cheap-oil postwar boom.
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Blog
Who are the Houthis, and why are they attacking ships again?
Yemen's Houthis went from mountain summer camps to choking world shipping. Who they are, who arms them, and why they are hitting Saudi tankers in 2026.
