The Ruling Family Remains Poised

By Joseph A. Kéchichian

Dr. Joseph A. Kéchichian is a Senior Fellow at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. His latest books include From Alliance to Union:  Challenges Facing Gulf Cooperation Council States in the Twenty-First Century; 'Iffat Al Thunayan:  An Arabian Queen; and Legal and Political Reforms in Saudi Arabia.

For almost a century, Kool-Aid experts on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia saw little more than gloom and doom, imminent collapse of the ruling family, social backwardness and economic failure.  Generations of such “watchers” lusted for disaster, even if what occurred was nothing more that “wear-and-tear,” as the conservative monarchy went from rags to riches.

In 2016, some are yearning for catastrophe and will be disappointed if the monarchy is not toppled, pontificating that transformative efforts will ensure that outcome.  Quotations from Alexis de Tocqueville are generously invoked, especially conclusions that the most dangerous moments for an absolute monarch came when it delves in reforms, oblivious to the very nature of the Saudi system.  Others point to the fragilities associated with succession concerns and, naturally, the struggle for power that any winnowing creates.  The list is long but tangential, because conditions are not abysmal as they are often made out to be, and while dangerous developments preoccupied leaders, the vast majority of the population backed the Al Saud family.

“The Cipher Brief has become the most popular outlet for former intelligence officers; no media outlet is even a close second to The Cipher Brief in terms of the number of articles published by formers.” —Sept. 2018, Studies in Intelligence, Vol. 62

Access all of The Cipher Brief’s national security-focused expert insight by becoming a Cipher Brief Subscriber+ Member.

Subscriber+

Categorized as:InternationalTagged with:

Related Articles

How Safe Would We Be Without Section 702?

SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW — A provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that has generated controversy around fears of the potential for abuse has proven to be crucial […] More

Search

Close