The domestic challenges facing Saudi Arabia. (c2007)

Abstract

Saudi Arabia is going through political, social and economic internal changes that might constitute quite a challenge to the Kingdom's stability and to the ruling family's continuity. This research alms at studying these challenges and evaluating the risks they represent to the Kingdom and to the AI Saud. The thesis is composed of five major parts and a conclusion. The first chapter gives a historical background as to the formation of Saudi state and the consolidation of King Abdel Aziz's reign. Chapter two studies the patronage pyramid along with two major issues of concern to the ruling dynasty: protecting their image through the control of books and media, and a succession issue that the family might face. Chapter three examines political dissent in the Kingdom in its four aspects: the secular and nationalist trend, the royal opposition with the Free Princes episode, the Liberal- slamists, and finally the religious opposition which constitutes the major source of concern to the regime. An entire section is devoted to the Shiite question. Chapter four reveals the various causes of the social malaise reigning m the Kingdom: segregation of the sexes, homosexuality, drugs, criminality, huge population of expatriates, increasing western cultural influences ..., with a special emphasis on the situation of Saudi women. Chapter five studies the various stages the Saudi economy has gone through, with the latest challenges it is facing since the Kingdom has joined the WTO in 2005. The conclusion evaluates all these challenges and their impact on the stability of both the country and the regime.