​This paper highlights the contributions of the Arab sociologists and anthropologists who critically theorized the workings of authoritarian states in modern and contemporary Arab societies in the Middle East and the Maghreb. This is based on a critical reading of the foundational writings of two renowned social researchers, namely Khaldun Hassan Al Naqeeb and Abdullah Hammoudi. The paper employs analytical and comparative descriptive approaches with a focus on the epistemological interventions of Hammoudi and Al Naqeeb concerning the authoritarian state. Moreover, this paper shall historicize the authoritarian state and its structures, liberation from the authoritarian state, and the transition to democracy.