A Saudi Shuffle

Posted on March 5th, 2009 Austan Mogharabi No comments  Print This Post

The Washington Institute for Near East Policy published this short piece regarding a sudden series of changes in Saudi Arabia’s ministries.  Interestingly enough, the changes are the first under King Abdullah, who ascended to the throne in 2005.

The key take-a-ways:

- Appointment of Prince Faisal as Minister of education.  Faisal is generally regarded as a progressive who founded a think tank to study opportunities for refom in higher education.  Faisal’s marriage to King Abdullah’s daughter suggests that he (and his policy suggestions) will enjoy special access to, and support from, the King.

- Appointment of the first woman deputy minister working in the Ministry of Education on Girls’ Affairs.

- Removal of the head of the Saudi clerical establishment, the Supreme Council of Justice.

- Removal of the head of the religious police, who is responsible for imposing strict Islamic lifestyles and controlling contact between the sexes.

- Appointment of a new head of the Council of Senior Clerics,  the body that provides religious cover for the decision of the Saudi royal family.

One potential reason for the shift might be that Saudi Arabia is starting to realize that they can no longer spread radicalism abroad without worrying about the impact on their own stability.  Traditionally, Saudi Arabia has funded extremists operations, and supported the spread of radical ideologies, as long as it happened outside their borders.  Recently, however, Yemeni extremists who consider the Saudi family a group of takfiris (apostates) have been creating trouble among the Saudi Shia minority and launching attacks within Saudi territorial borders.

Give it a read and see for yourself.  At the very least, these are developments of which we should all remain apprised.  They might suggest the beginning of a new path for Saudi Arabia if the House of Saud continues the reforms.