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conservative Wababi sect of Sunni
Islam, of which the majority of Sau–
dis today are followers. In return for
the supporl of his monarchy by the
ulemas
(Moslem clergy), he offered
to make the ulemas partners in his
rule. This close link of church and
state has served to preserve the status
quo in Saudi Arabia for nearly five
decades.
King lbn Saud died in 1953 at tbe
age of 75. At his death, he had 15
wives from different tribes and more
than 45 sons. The number of daugh–
ters is unknown.
Royal Hierarchy
Today, the house of Saud has
expanded to an estimated 4,000 to
6,000 princes and an equal number
of princesses.
lt
is by far the world's
largest royal family.
Virtually all key government posts
in Saudi Arabia are held by members
of the royal family. Each main prov–
ince is also commanded by a prince.
At the top of the royal pyramid is
66-year-old King Khalid ibn Abd al
Aziz Al Saud. The king also holds
the post of prime minister. He suc–
ceeded to the throne in 1975, when
his brother King Faisal was assassi–
nated by a mentally deranged neph–
ew. King Khalid also holds the pres–
tigious position of guardian of the
holiest place in Islam, the Grand
Mosque and Kaaba in Mecca.
Crown Prince Fahd, 59, is next in
line. He holds the office of deputy
prime minister. Though occasionally
criticized for his "jet setter" image,
he has forged a reputation for hones–
ty and diplomatic skill. Because of
King Khalid's ill health and general
April 1980
disinterest in the daily grind of gov–
erning, Princc Fahd has become the
defacto day-to-day ruler of the coun–
try. But he too has reportedly begun
to suffer ill health of late.
Prince Abdullah, 58, is second in
line to the throne. An efficient
administrator, he is commander of
the country's na tional guard o f
40,000 Bedouins. He also holds the
position of second deputy prime
minister.
Prince Sultan, 57, is a half–
brother of King Khalid anda fui!
brother of Crown Prince Fahd.
He is the country's defense
minister, commanding the
50,000-man Saudi army. He
stands third in line to the
throne after Prince Fahd
and Prince Abdullah.
Other royal princes holding
top posts are Prince Saud al-Faisal,
39, the country's Princeton-educated
foreign minister, and Prince Nayef,
46, the nation's hard-working inter–
ior minister.
"Bedouin Democracy"
Contrary to popular conception, Sau–
di Arabia is nota one-man, totalitar–
ian-type regime. On the contrary, the
widest possible consensus is always
sought before any major policy is
finalized. This approach is often
referred toas ' ' Bedouin democracy."
Consensus is accomplished
through consultation among the
royal princes, the ulemas, senior gov–
ernment officials and tribal chiefs.
No decision is final until the broadest
possible agreement has been ob–
tained. l f consensus is not possible, a
decision is postponed. Rash, spur-
of-the-moment decisions are virtual–
ly impossible. Rather, decisions fre–
quently take weeks, even months.
The ancient Bedouin custom of
holding
majlis
also fosters wide input
in decision making. These are weekly
open councils where anyone can
ROYAL HIERARCHY
of Saudi Arabia
includes King Khalid (above) and
(below, from left) Crown Prince Fahd
(Oeputy Prime Minister), Prince Saud
(Foreign Minister). Prince Naif (Interior
Minister) and Prince Abdullah (Com·
mander of the National Guard). Virtual/y
al/ top government posts are held by
members of the royal family.
19
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