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SUKKAR Atif-Theses Nosignature.Pdf POLITICAL REFORM AND ITS IMPACT ON POLITICAL STABILITY: A CASE STUDY OF THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA DURING THE PERIOD FROM 1990 TO 2010 by Atif Abdullah Sukkar Master of Development Administration (Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA) Bachelor of Political Science (King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, the KSA) A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts, Education and Human Development, School of Social Sciences and Psychology, Victoria University as the requirement of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (August, 2010) i ABSTRACT This research investigates the process of political reform in Saudi Arabia. Central to the study is an examination of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia‘s constitutional reforms implemented between 1990 and 2010, focusing on the Consultative Council (Majlis al-shūrā) and municipal councils as case studies. The research analyses the objectives, values and concerns that have informed the Kingdom‘s policies of political reform. Also, the study examines the extent to which Saudi Government reforms have responded to internal and external pressures for more far reaching reform and democratization. The study investigates how the events of the 1990-1991 Gulf War, the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Global Financial Crisis have influenced the direction of the Saudi Government‘s political reforms. Furthermore, the study examines how the Saudi Government dealt with various key stakeholders, co-opting some and excluding others from the reform process. It is argued that the Saudi Government‘s political reforms have been limited. These limitations refer to the government‘s objective to undertake reforms that do not lead to increased social mobilisation through independent political institutions but instead seek to preserve power and sustain the government‘s legitimacy. The Saudi Government has kept the Consultative Council and municipal councils under tight control, limiting their independence and hindering any social mobilisation that might influence the decision-making process. The government‘s ability to manage its limited, top-down institutional reforms can be contrasted with the scale and pace of social and cultural change in Saudi society, partly generated by government policies combined with rapid economic development over four decades. It is argued that the revival of tribal identities among the younger generation demonstrates how the penetration of new information technology platforms has facilitated social change, largely outside the control of government. ii STUDENT DECLARATION ―I, Atif Abdullah Sukkar, declare that the PhD thesis entitled (Political reform and its impact on political stability: A case study of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the period from 1990 to 2010) is no more than 100,000 words in length including quotes and exclusive of tables, figures, appendices, bibliography, references and footnotes. This thesis contains no material that has been submitted previously, in whole or in part, for the award of any other academic degree or diploma. Except where otherwise indicated, this thesis is my own work‖. Signature Date iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Without the help of the almighty Allah with everything, in addition to the guidance, support and encouragement of my family, relatives and many friends, I would not have finished this PhD thesis. I would like to dedicate this dissertation to Allah, and then to my principal supervisor Dr. Richard Chauvel, School of Social Sciences and Psychology, Victoria University, who contributed so much effort over almost five years assisting me to complete my thesis. Without Dr. Chauvel‘s guidance, through the most beautiful and difficult of times, I could not have finished this work. His great personality, his generosity with time and ideas, plus his wisdom and experience, helped me to successfully complete my thesis. I would like to thank him for all his support and especially the patience that he showed me. In addition, I am grateful to Dr. Khaled Al-Habbas of the Department of Political Science, King Abdulaziz University, who provided a great deal of support and suggestions. He allowed me to use his Ph.D. which proved to be a valuable resource. I must also thank Dr. Omer Alsharqi for his assistance in completing the forms necessary for ethical approval. Thanks also to Professor Ron Adams for his assistance in helping me to complete the requirements of my oral presentation to confirm my candidature. I would like to express special thanks to Victoria University for accepting me into its doctoral program and for providing its facilities, and the School of Social Sciences and Psychology for helping me to develop as a scholar. I would like to thank all my friends who have contributed to and helped me with this thesis. A special thanks to those from Saudi Arabia, the Majlis al-shūrā members, who gave me their valuable time, experience and insights. In this regard, I would like to thank Professor Sadakah Fadel and Dr. Mazen Balilah. Also, a special thanks to all my colleagues in the Political Science Department in the Faculty of Economics and Administration, King Abdulaziz University, who encouraged me to complete my Ph.D. A special thanks to Dr. Foud Baradah who made a great effort when he was head of the department to appoint me as a member of the academic staff. Finally, iv great thanks to my brother, Mr. Adnan Abdullah Sukkar, for his help and support before and after my father‘s death; my brother sustained both myself and my family during my study, especially while I was in Australia. v DEDICATION It is a pleasure to record my gratitude to all those who gave me the inspiration to complete this study. This thesis would not have been completed without the loving support of so many people, to whom I owe a great debt of gratitude. To the soul of my mother and father who took care of me and to whom I owe my life together with a special thanks to my wife, Soha, who gave me her patience and sacrificed everything in her life to encourage me to complete my study. To my children, Ammar, Ahmed, Emad, and Roba, who stood by me and gave me inspiration when things looked cold and grey. Many thanks to the rest of my loving family, especially my brothers and sisters and their wives, husbands, and children, all of whom encouraged and supported me throughout this work. Finally, great thanks go to my father in law, Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Al-grenawi, for his help and support which enabled me to overcome difficulties and which strengthened me, enabling me to complete this research. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................. ii STUDENT DECLARATION .................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................... iv DEDICATION............................................................................................................. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................... vii LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................... xiii LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................. xiii LIST OF APPENDICES .......................................................................................... xiv GLOSSARY OF TERMS .......................................................................................... xv CHAPTER ONE .......................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Background ....................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Aims of the study ............................................................................................... 9 1.4 Significance of the study .................................................................................. 11 1.5 Methodology and data collection ..................................................................... 12 1.5.1 Selection of interviewees ............................................................................ 15 1.5.2 Recruitment of participant groups .............................................................. 17 1.5.3 Interview techniques and structures ............................................................ 18 1.5.4 Interview data collection ............................................................................. 19 1.5.5 Interview data analysis ................................................................................ 19 1.6 Organisation of the thesis................................................................................. 21 vii CHAPTER TWO ....................................................................................................... 25 LITERATURE REVIEW ......................................................................................... 25 2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 25 Section One .............................................................................................................
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