Saudi Arabia’s unique position in the world in terms of oil and Islam is combined with the preservation of a traditional, albeit changing, socio-political order based on Sharia in its Wahhabi interpretation. Many scholars have repeatedly been pessimistic about the future of the Saudi regime. However, history has demonstrated its amazing resilience.

Established by King Faisal in the 1960s–70s, the balance in the royal family has helped avoid major upheavals for almost half a century. Yet socio-political stagnation, the emergence of new social forces in Saudi society, and conflicts within the “tribe of Al Saud” threatened to destabilize the situation.

In response, King Salman (since 2015) and his son Mohammed have focused on the strengthening the centralization of power in their hands and began to implement the necessary socio-economic reforms, breaking the resistance of the opposition. Their task was and is to adapt the country to the new realities of the 20th century in the context of growing multipolarity.