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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Saudi Arabia
Index
Government: Absolute monarchy that based legitimacy on
fundamentalist interpretation of Islamic law. King head of state
and head of government; no written constitution or elected
legislature. Crown prince deputy prime minister; other royal
family members headed important ministries and agencies.
Political system highly centralized; judiciary and local
officials appointed by king through Ministry of Justice and
Ministry of Interior.
Politics: Political parties, labor unions, and
professional
associations banned. Informal political activity centered around
estimated 4,000 princes of Al Faisal branch of Al Saud ruling
family. On important policy matters, king sought consensus among
senior princes of major Al Saud clans. King also consulted senior
ulama (religious scholars) of Al ash Shaykh family and leaders of
main tribal families. Western-educated professional and
technocratic elite had restricted influence through alliances
with various Saudi princes.
Foreign Relations: Founding member of United Nations
(UN),
League of Arab States, Organization of the Islamic Conference,
and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Participated in UN
specialized agencies, World Bank, Nonaligned Movement,
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, and
Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries. Security,
Arab nationalism, and Islam main foreign policy concerns.
Objective to prevent radical Arab nationalist or radical Islamic
movements from threatening stability of Arabian Peninsula. Most
active Arab participant in war against Iraq, 1991. Historically
had close ties with United States, despite differences over
Israel. Closest regional allies fellow members of GCC and
Egypt.
Data as of December 1992
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