The Saudi royal family maintained their power for ninety years by financially supporting the Wahhabist religious leaders who initially helped them rise to prominence. This arrangement involved ensuring that the extremists focused their jihadist activities outside of Saudi Arabia, allowing the royal family to avoid internal conflicts while appearing to champion Islamic values.

One of the most notorious individuals to emerge from this partnership was Osama bin Laden, who symbolized the consequences of this delicate balance between maintaining power and appeasing radical elements within Saudi Arabia. The dynamics of this relationship reveal the complexities of governance and religious influence in the Middle East.