Arab uprisings: Is Saudi Arabia next?
King Abdullah is showering his people with cash and releasing political prisoners to stave off protests. What if it doesn't work?
Saudi Arabia's royal family is so entrenched that the oil-rich kingdom it rules bears the family name. But that doesn't make the House of Saud immune to the wave of anti-government protests roiling the region. Already there are reports of protests in the oil-producing Eastern Province, and a planned March 11 "day of rage" is gaining steam on Facebook. Could Saudi Arabia be the next Arab government to fall?
Saudi Arabia can weather this storm: Saudi leaders are clearly nervous, and with good reason, says Rachel Bronson in The Washington Post. But they probably "won't find themselves confronting revolutionaries at their own doorstep." Loyal family members head the security forces, there's no organized opposition, and the rich king has "goodies to spread around" to pacify the masses.
"Could the next Mideast uprising happen in Saudi Arabia?"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Bribery" won't save the royal family: King Abdullah is in denial if he "thinks he can buy off protests with the promise of gifts," says Mai Yamani in The Guardian. The fledgling protests, especially those driven by internet-savvy Saudi youths, aren't just "petulant cries to be silenced with bribes and bread and circuses," but "demands for dignity and a genuine voice in government." If young protesters flood the streets on March 11, all bets are off.
"Why a king's ransom is not enough for Saudi Arabia's protesters"
If Saudi Arabia does fall, we're in trouble: "If the revolution is going to stop anywhere, it is likely to be in the desert at the gates of the House of Saud," says Fawaz Gerges in The Independent. Handing out cash may not be pretty, but it's a "tried and tested method of keeping dissent at bay." So Saudi Arabia "probably won't fall" — but if it does, we're in for a "devastating" spike in oil prices, and "an earthquake across the world economy."
"Saudi probably won't fall, but if it does the world will change"
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
5 ways to help the environment while on vacation
The Week Recommends An afternoon of planting trees could be the best part of your trip
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Doctors are taking on dental duties in low-income areas
Under the radar Physicians are biting into the dentistry industry
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Instagram hopes that blurring nudity in messages will make teens safer
The Explainer The option will be turned on by default for users under 18
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Arizona court reinstates 1864 abortion ban
Speed Read The law makes all abortions illegal in the state except to save the mother's life
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published
-
Henry Kissinger dies aged 100: a complicated legacy?
Talking Point Top US diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner remembered as both foreign policy genius and war criminal
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Last updated
-
Trump’s rhetoric: a shift to 'straight-up Nazi talk'
Why everyone's talking about Would-be president's sinister language is backed by an incendiary policy agenda, say commentators
By The Week UK Published
-
More covfefe: is the world ready for a second Donald Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question Republican's re-election would be a 'nightmare' scenario for Europe, Ukraine and the West
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published