Now that the tremor caused by the major reworking of the Saudi governmental establishment has had a chance to settle, I’d like to take a look at what it means—well, what it might mean. Saudi ‘man in the street’ reactions range from ‘A new day has dawned!’ to ‘It’s about time!’ So far, I’ve not seen any published criticism that the changes have gone too far or in the wrong direction. I’m sure there are Saudi who believe that, though.

Arab News runs a piece which gets the ideas that the new Ministers for Health and for Justice hope to implement. It’s interesting reading:

Al-Rabeeah pledges to revamp health sector. Both recognize that the current systems are inadequate for today’s Saudi Arabia. Among the main problems they both identify is the quantity and quality of manpower to meet demands. That is certainly the case. The legal reforms now underway are critically hinged on training new judges in new ways of thinking. Demand for health care in the Kingdom is growing. More facilities in more locations are needed and those need new staff. Where they will come from is a question yet to be answered, but training within the Kingdom must take place alongside recruitment of foreign workers.

Saudi Gazette reports that the new Information Minister is taking up the usual refrain of ‘We need to do a better job of explaining ourselves and Islam’. That’s not terribly encouraging, but it’s to be expected. It’s reported that he will be meeting with Saudi media heads—I suppose to give them an indication of how he intends to lead the Ministry. What he says to them and whether he intends a lessening of government interference in a free media is yet to be determined.

The changes in leadership at the Ministry of Education are very significant, in my view. Not only does the new Minister have considerably clout within the government, especially as he is a member of the ruling family, but his background in security provides him with the information he needs to root out the extremists burrowed deep within the Saudi educational system. Further, in a change not earlier noted, there will be a new Deputy Minister of Education, Faisal Al-Muammar, who had been head of the National Dialogues program that sought to get Saudis talking to each other on substantive and sometimes tendentious issues. This, I think, suggests that tolerance of differing viewpoints is going to be the rule, not the exception.

I’ve noticed that the changes announced line up quite well as responses to criticisms appearing in the United Nations ‘periodic review’ of Saudi Arabia’s human rights record. The full, tri-annual review, due to be reported later this month, will take Saudi Arabia to task for serious failings in reaching international standards for human rights. The failings are all the more serious because the country is one of the members of the UN’s Human Rights Commission.

Turki Al-Sudairi was replaced as the head of the government-supported Human Right Commission. No one offered much in the way of major criticism of the way he did his job, but it is believed that a younger leader was necessary to face the enormous tasks ahead.

Respect for religious freedom an issue that is going to be constantly drummed upon over the coming years. Implementing a Grand Ulema Commission that includes all schools of Sunni Islam—consequently breaking up the strangle hold that the Saudi interpretation of the Hanbali school had enjoyed—might do great good. It would have been even better had the newly comprised Commission included representatives of the various Shi’a schools, at least those practiced in Saudi Arabia, but one step at a time is better than no steps.

The role of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has been changed. The new General President, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bin Humayen Al-Humayen, has announced that ‘innocent until proven guilty’ will be the rule and that forgiveness, not punishment will be the new approach. How well that is implemented and how quickly or thoroughly the individual members of the Commission get on board of course remains to be seen.

All in all, I do find the changes to be significant and encouraging for those seeking modernization of the Saudi political and social situations. King Abdullah has laid down very clear markers of what he expects of his government and its relationship with his people and they trend toward moderation and tolerance. Some—perhaps they are only optimists—say that these changes are only the beginning, that further changes will be announced later this year. Those who wish the best for Saudi Arabia can hope.

Tweet