السعودية « ƆAL-SACŪDĪAḦ »
— Officially: المملكة العربية السعودية « ɔal-Mamlakaḧ ɔal-Carabīaḧ ɔal-Sacūdīaḧ ».
— English: Saudi Arabia.
— Seat of government: الرياض « ɔal-Rīād ».
— Status: Not democratic.
— Structure: Government is led by a son of عبد العزيز السعود « Cabd ɔul-Cazīz ɔal-Sacūd » (ابن سعود « Ɔibn Sacūd »), chosen for life by factions within the ruling family, typically in balance with his predecessor and successor.
— Governing party: آل سعود « Ɔāl Sacūd ».
— Heads of government: سلمان بن عبدالعزيز آل سعود « Salmān bin Cabd ɔul-Cazīz ɔāl Sacūd », ملك « malik » (since 2015); محمد بن سلمان « Muham:ad bin Salmān », crown prince.
— Assessment: Highly repressive, theocratic, and patriarchal. Previous ruler عبدالله « Cabdɔullah » (ملك « malik », 2005-15) became the ruler de facto in 1995 after the incapacitation of his half-brother فهد « Fahd » (ملك « malik », 1982-2005). Local elections have been held (2005, 2011) in which male citizens were allowed to participate; women are to be allowed to participate in 2015. After سلمان « Salmān » acceded, he first named another half-brother to succeed him (مقرن « Muqrin ») and his nephew محمد بن نايف « Muham:ad bin Nājaf » (by a full brother) to succeed مقرن « Muqrin », which would make محمد « Muham:ad » the first ruler outside of founding ruler عبد العزيز « Cabd ɔul-Cazīz » and his sons. Shortly after, سلمان « Salmān » made محمد بن نايف « Muham:ad bin Nājaf » the successor and named his own son محمد بن سلمان « Muham:ad bin Salmān » as next in line, thus concentrating the succession in his own سديري « Sudajrī » branch of the family. Finally, he displaced his nephew and elevated his son to crown prince, and the latter began consolidating his own power by purging rivals. محمد « Muham:ad » is often seen as the ruler de facto, and the driving force behind important policies, such as the intervention in اليمن « ɔal-Jaman ».
— FH: 7-7, not free. Econ: 1.71 (163), authoritarian.
— Updated: 2019 January 10.
O.T. FORD