In 2006 the Allegiance Commission, a council comprising 35 members of the royal family, was formed to participate in the selection of the crown prince. [62] In a country that is said to "belong" to the royal family and is named after it,[63] the lines between state assets and the personal wealth of senior princes are blurred. The armed forces employ expatriate personnel in support and training positions. In Aug. 2003, following the U.S.-led war on Iraq in March and April 2003, the United States withdrew its troops stationed in Saudi Arabia. The elections for "virtually powerless" municipal councils were for half the seats (half of each council's seats were appointed). The Qur'an is declared to be the constitution of the country, which is governed on the basis of Islamic law (Shari'a). At the time Saudi Arabia had one-third of all known oil reserves, but falling demand and rising production outside OPEC combined to reduce its oil revenues from $120 billion in 1980 to less than $25 billion in 1985, threatening the country with domestic unrest and undermining its influence in the Gulf area. The Islamist candidates tended to be backed by public figures and the religious establishment and won most of the seats in the Saudi cities such as Riyadh, Jeddah, Medina, Tabuk and Taif. It is also empowered to investigate financials and freeze assets until cases are decided on.
Real growth rate: 3.6%. [101], In February 2005, the first elections in Saudi Arabian history were held.
[105], In 2007, a Saudi commentator noted that the municipal councils were proving to be powerless. Saudi Arabia contains the world's largest continuous sand desert, the Rub Al-Khali, or Empty Quarter.
Not sure about the geography of the middle east? [98][98][99], The lack of critical thought in the education system has been cited by some as the reason why fewer protests occurred in the Kingdom. Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 145,941 (2012). Houthi rebels gained considerable ground in Yemen in 2014 and 2015. Man wearing a mask at a camel market in a village near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2014. [16] There is also a 150-member Consultative Assembly, appointed by the King,[19] which can propose legislation to the King but has no legislative powers itself,[20] including no role in budget formation. Women were not eligible to vote, and less than a third of eligible voters registered. The detainees included current and retired military officers, security officers under the Interior Ministry, health officials and judges. More than a dozen women won seats on local councils throughout the country. Prince Fahd was a talented administrator who initiated significant industrial development in the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that has not granted women suffrage. [8] Government is dominated by the royal family. Tribal identity remains strong and, outside the royal family, political influence is frequently determined by tribal affiliation, with tribal sheiks maintaining a considerable degree of influence over local and national events. Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper. [97] On 18 March the same year, King Abdullah announced a package of $93 billion, which included 500,000 new homes to a cost of $67 billion, in addition to creating 60,000 new security jobs. The Saudi government allowed U.S. and coalition troops to be based in Saudi Arabia and welcomed the Kuwaiti government in exile during the First Gulf War. The country’s Basic Law bans the formation of political parties and charges sedition and condemnation of the king in the kingdom with long jail terms. The Saudi government and the royal family have often, and over many years, been accused of corruption. The one exception to this rule was Khaled al-Tuwaijri, Secretary-General of the Court and King Abdullah's éminence grise. The key ministries have historically been reserved for the royal family,[5] as are the thirteen regional governorships. Saudi Arabia was largely spared the popular uprisings that spread throughout the Middle East and Northern Africa in early 2011, largely because King Abdullah remains popular among Saudis and the country's oil wealth provides a level stability not seen in countries such as Egypt. [73] Transparency International in its annual Corruption Perceptions Index for 2012 gave Saudi Arabia a score of 4.4 (on a scale from 0 to 10 where 0 is "highly corrupt" and 10 is "highly clean"). Still, the decision is a significant victory for women in a country where they are not allowed to drive and must have a male chaperone with them in public at all times. King Saud (1953–1964) was considered incompetent and extravagant and his reign led to an economic and political crisis that resulted in his forced abdication.
In April 2016, the Saudi Government announced a broad set of socio-economic reforms, known as Vision 2030. [110], On 15 February 2009, in a reshuffle King Abdullah removed Sheikh Ibrahim Bin Abdullah Al-Ghaith from his position as President of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice. [59] Although the Al ash Sheikh's domination of the ulama has diminished in recent decades,[60] they still hold the most important religious posts and are closely linked to the Al Saud by a high degree of intermarriage.
It also outlined a framework for councils at the provincial or emirate level. Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy,[5] although, according to the Basic Law of Saudi Arabia adopted by royal decree in 1992, the king must comply with Sharia (that is, Islamic law) and the Qur'an. [79], The rule of the Al Saud faces political opposition from four sources: Sunni Islamist activism, liberal critics, including an underground green party, the Shia minority – particularly in the Eastern Province; and long-standing tribal and regional particularistic opponents (for example in the Hejaz). [41] For example, he (as well as King Abdullah) has spoken in favor of women having the right to vote, to follow the career path they wish and to be able to drive a car. In 2001, OPEC cut oil production three additional times. Although the ruling family came to power largely through its martial skill and religious ties, its continued hegemony has been based on the traditional view in Arabian society that leaders owe their positions to their ability to manage affairs. No political parties or national elections are permitted,[4] and according to The Economist's 2010 Democracy Index, the Saudi government was the seventh-most authoritarian regime among the 167 countries rated. Guard standing watch over Saudi Arabia's northern border with Iraq, 2014. Faisal's assassination by a deranged kinsman in 1975 shook the Middle East, but it failed to alter his kingdom's course. King Khalid died of a heart attack in 1982, and he was succeeded by his half-brother, Prince Fahd bin 'Abdulaziz, who had exercised the real power throughout Khalid's reign. "[75], On 6 March 2020, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman detained three senior royal members, including the King Salman’s brother Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, the former crown prince Mohammed bin Nayef, and his younger brother, to eliminate the risk of potential successors of the throne. Several attacks against Westerners took place in 2003 and 2004. King Abdullah died on Jan. 23, 2015. Saudi Arabia was neutral until nearly the end of the war, but it was permitted to be a charter member of the United Nations. For the first time, women in Saudi Arabia were allowed to vote and run for office in the milestone Dec. 2015 election. Check our encyclopedia for a gloss on thousands of topics from biographies to the table of elements. [71] Prince Bandar denied the allegations. Power rests largely in the hands of the royal family, which governs through a process that—despite the political and economic changes since the late 20th century—differs little from the traditional system of tribal rule. [16] This process is not reported by the Saudi media. The role of the council is gradually expanding as it gains experience. Examples include: King Abdullah, who was the Commander of the National Guard from 1963 until 2010, when he then appointed his son to replace him;[35] Read CNN's Fast Facts about Saudi Arabia and learn more about the oil-rich, Middle Eastern kingdom, home to Islam's holiest cities, Mecca and Medina.
A succession of invaders attempted to control the peninsula, but by 1517 the Ottoman Empire dominated, and in the middle of the 18th century, it was divided into separate principalities. State Dept. Prince Nayef was personally committed to maintaining Saudi Arabia's conservative Wahhabi values. He also removed Sheikh Saleh al-Luhaidan as head of the Supreme Judicial Council and appointed the first female minister.[111][112][113]. [18] The king makes appointments to and dismissals from the Council, which is responsible for such executive and administrative matters as foreign and domestic policy, defense, finance, health, and education, administered through numerous separate agencies. We've got you covered with our map collection.
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