Death of a king

In the Saudi context, it would be fair to call the late King Abdullah a reformer of sorts – and an exceedingly cautious one. Unlike many other rulers in the Middle East he never indulged or supported Al-Qaeda and took the lead in the US coalition against Isis. Part of that stance was understandably spurred by self-preservation since extremist groups represented a threat to the monarchy as well. The Arab Spring posed a different kind of challenge and Abdullah criticised US President Barack Obama for withdrawing support from Hosni Mubarak and also sent troops into Bahrain to quell the uprising there. At a time of immense upheaval in the Arab world, and the Muslim world at large, Abdullah was a source of stability. He accepted change when it was inevitable but wanted it to be managed well and in doing became a friend not just to the rulers of other Muslim countries but the west as well. A glance at the obituaries and tributes pouring in for Abdullah shows just how loved he became during his 20 years as de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia. On the issue of women’s rights Abdullah did take a few positive steps and appointed a woman as a deputy minister and opened some professions to the Saudi women but that does not mean strict punishments are not imposed for driving or appearing in public without a head scarf.
In his final days Abdullah faced some of the most profound challenges of his rule. The steep drop in the international price of oil left him with an important decision to make. He did not chose to restrict supply but continued pumping oil to drive out competitors like the US and Russia. The other problem facing Saudi Arabia is the rise of the Islamic State which has taken over large parts of Syria and Iraq. Abdullah had been profoundly opposed to Bashar-al-Assad and supported his overthrow but then came the realisation that the Islamic State posed a greater threat. He was also at the forefront of initiatives to broker peace between Palestine and Israel as well as maintaining good relations with other Muslim countries – particularly Pakistan. Saudi Arabia is currently embroiled in a battle for regional supremacy with its great rival Iran and Abdullah’s successor Salman will have to find a balance between the kingdom’s ambitions and the reality of a changing Middle East. How he navigates this course, while continuing the tentative reforms started by Abdullah, will have major consequences for the future of Saudi Arabia and the Arab world at large.