The religious establishment's role in the governance of Saudi Arabia from 1960 to 2010

What is it about?

An examination of the relationship between religious power and the state in Saudi Arabia since 1960 till early 2010s as embodied through the religious establishment and the ruling family, respectively. Saudi Arabia is unique in that these two agents were co-founding partners. While this relationship was a mutually beneficial collaboration at its inception and subsequent decades, fault lines have emerged towards the latter half of the 20th century with perceptions becoming increasingly characterized by mutual suspicion and denial.

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Why is it important?

By conceptualizing what is meant by the “religious establishment,” the study demonstrates the active role it has played in governing the country, as well as the ebbs and flows of its relationship with the ruling family. The study further shows that while there may be one religious establishment, there exists a diversity of religiously-flavored social movements. In the context of this study, three variants of religious stratification are worth highlighting. These are: (1) traditional Salafists who support the government in all its actions; (2) the Sahwa who can be understood as discontented Salafists; and (3) the Tanweeris whose leaders and supporters are younger than and who advocate for democratic reforms.