Saudi Arabia: torn between ancient traditions and the modern world, Saudis search for balance in the post-9/11 glare.(Kingdom On Edge)

At high noon, the streets of central Jeddah are empty, silent, vacant of all but the occasional lonely passerby to remind me that more than two million people live in the apartment towers and neighborhoods that radiate out from the shores of the Red Sea. This is the second largest city in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its commercial engine and busiest port, its most cosmopolitan metropolis.

But now, during the holy month of Ramadan, every sensual pleasure--including eating and drinking--is banned from dawn to dusk, and Saudis stay indoors to pray and fast, or to catch a nap in the ...

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