Islamism of Saudi Arabia as a tool for achieving regional hegemony

The paper deals with the Saudi version of conservative Salafi Islamism which has become an effective tool for achieving leadership in the Arab region. In this regard, the author considers the formation of this Islamist project and its evolution. The research demonstrates that since the beginning of the Arab Spring events, the Saudi project of Islamism faced the competing forces in the form of the Qatar-Turkey Alliance based on the moderate Islamism of the Muslim Brotherhood and a specific Shiite version of Islamism promoted by the Islamic Republic of Iran. A further confrontation has led to a weakening of the Qatar-Turkey Alliance and the intensification of the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran where Riyadh seriously seeks regional hegemony while Tehran tries to counter the growth of Saudi Islamism.