Saudi Reforms, Five Years After
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John Burgess | Tuesday, September 12, 2006 |
Over at Crossroads Arabia, I’ve posted a lengthy and detailed entry about the reforms that have happened in Saudi Arabia since 9/11. Some of the post concerns things that happened while I was assigned there as Counselor for Public Affairs at the US Embassy in Riyadh. The rest is culled my my blog on US-Saudi relations, starting in the summer of 2004.
Some of the reforms look paltry from a Western perspective. But many of them are very, very big from a Saudi perspective. Considering the starting point, I think there’s real progress in reforming both Saudi civil society and government in favorable directions. New or enlarged freedoms range from the opening of new job categories to women; empowering them to get their own ID cards without male permission/supervision; a more free press; the opening of human rights bodies; the first nation-wide elections of any kind; more attention being paid to child and spousal abuse, as well as abuse of third world workers; moves toward greater transparency in government and the judicial system; reforming textbooks and school curricula; public condemnation of extremism and religious intolerance; and its own war against Islamic terrorism.
There is still a lot to be done. The progress made isn’t guaranteed to stick. But I think it important to realize that change toward moderation is, in fact, happening, and to acknowledge it. We want to see evidence that reform is possible. Here’s some.
About the Author: Former US Foreign Service Officer serving predominantly in the Middle East. Probably best defined as an East Coast Conservative.
After studying at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, I worked in the private sector, in newspapers, advertising, and retail. I joined the US Information Agency in 1979, studied Arabic and French, and had assignments in Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Bahrain, the UK, India, and two in Saudi Arabia.
I blog about Saudi Arabia, the importance of US-Saudi relations, and efforts toward reform in that country at Crossroads Arabia.
I believe that Saudi Arabia is of critical importance to the US, not only for oil, but for political, diplomatic, and strategic security reasons. It is far too important to leave to ignorant or ill-informed commentary.
I receive no Saudi funding for my work.
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