Saudi Arabia: King Salman's efforts to usher in systemic change may irk his supporters
Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz
Reforms have always been controversial in Saudi Arabia. Every time the king enacts a reform, he risks losing the support of conservatives. But in the last decade, Saudi Arabia has tried to break free from this constraint. The country has expanded voting rights, opened cinemas, and permitted its women to drive.
Even though institutional reforms remain missing, King Salman is looking to address this problem. He has ordered reforms in three key institutions of the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia's king issued a series of orders on Sunday, with reformation planned in three Saudi institutions: The Shura council, the Supreme Court, and the council of senior scholars.
The Shura council functions like a parliament. But, the members are appointed, not elected. And all final decisions are taken by the king. The new appointees include a speaker and two deputies. One of them - a woman.
Women were first allowed to join the shura council in 2013. By October 2017 - they made up 20% of the council. 150 members are part of the new Shura council, which begins its four-year term later this week.
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The king also ordered reformation of Saudi Arabia's top religious body - the council of senior scholars, which is headed by Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh.
The council advises the king on religious matters, and the Grand Mufti looks at the new reforms with apprehension. He is opposed to concerts, cinemas, and even chess tournaments.
The council was long overdue for reforms, but the order does not reveal what changes will be made.
With this restructuring, King Salman is hoping to placate the kingdom's conservatives. But it also puts him on a collision course with the clergy.
The Wahhabi-Saudi pact is the source of the kingdom's stability. And the crown prince's reforms have already alienated the clerics. People want systemic change that starts at the top. For this - Saudi Arabia's archaic governing bodies need to be reformed, and King Salman has taken the first step.