Saudi Arabia appeared on the world map thanks to the efforts of its "founding monarch" Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud. In the first quarter of the 20th century, he seized several areas in the Arabian Peninsula, including Riyadh and Mecca.
But the kingdom was established not only with power. It was also based on principles of the ultra-conservative doctrine of Wahhabism, a religious movement within Sunni Islam.
Having used Wahhabism as one of the pillars of his kingdom, Abdel Aziz could make its expansion efforts religiously legitimate.
In fact, Saudi Arabia emerged as a result of the union between two families – the ruling Al Saud family and the Al ash-Sheikh religious family. Within this union, the former played the role of political elite while the last provided the necessary religious legitimacy for it. The system of executive and juridical powers was based on the distribution of authorities between the two classes.
The executive branch, including the armed forces, economy and foreign policy, has always been in the hands of the Al Saud family. In turn, the juridical power was the privilege of Abdel Wahhab’s descendants until the early-1970s.
Nevertheless, Saudi Arabia was never a theocracy. Now, clerics are not involved in political decision-making and are considered regular subjects to the monarch.
In the late 1940s, the oil age began in the kingdom, which intensified contacts between Riyadh and the West. The kingdom gradually involved in global political and economic processes. Under external influence, the Saudi government became more centralized, introducing modern institutions and procedures.
The trend accelerated in the early-1990s when the Al Saud family initiated a round of reforms. As a result, representatives of other families gained access to the politics in the kingdom. This was the beginning of Riyadh’s social transformation.
Currently, 81 percent of the population (29.8 million people, according to the 2010 census) lives in cities. By stimulating public secondary and higher education, the government contributed to the emergence of the "educated class." Over 96 percent of the working Saudi citizens (four million people, at the age of 25-44) are educated. Some 90,000 Saudi citizens a year travel to study abroad. There 265 universities in the kingdom and 52 regional technical colleges.
The involvement of the educated class in politics put in the spotlight the issue of human rights. The term "citizen" was introduced to the official lexicon of the government, and is now applied to everyone residing in the country.
The political system has also undergone major transformations. In 1992, the first constitutional-like acts were passed – the Basic Law of Saudi Arabia and the Consultative Assembly Establishment Act. Since then, the king has not been described as the sole ruler in the kingdom, and the country has not been considered an absolute monarchy.
The Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia has 150 members, including 30 women. The vast majority of them have higher education. In 2014, the Assembly was invested with the right to initiate laws. The Consultative Assembly is gradually transforming into the center concentrating educated citizens of the kingdom. The government formed in February 2015 comprises of members of the Assembly, except for two ministers.
In Spring 2015 and in Autumn 2012, the kingdom held elections of municipal councils which allowed only the participation of men. The municipal election campaign of 2015 already involved women.
One of the most important goals of the reforms is to diminish the role of religion and clerics. Saudi Arabia is on its way to becoming more and more secular. The government is slowly taking control over religion’s role in public life.
According to the Basic Law, the government is the only keeper of the Islamic doctrine. After new ministers were established to control the juridical system and religious institutions, clerics were stripped off of the monopoly in judiciary, education and the appointment of imams.
Saudi Arabia is changing. The changes are not revolutionary – they are gradual and conservative because their goal is to preserve and strengthen the positions of the ruling Al Saud family, Kosach wrote.
Nevertheless, they are transforming the image of the country which is drifting from absolutism and the dominance of religion to a modern state.
