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Power and Autonomy in the Saudi State

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Power and Autonomy in the Saudi State Power and Autonomy in the Saudi State Case Study Analysis of Policy Implementation MoneefN. Mlafekh Thesis Submitted to the Department of Politics At The University of Sheffield In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy In Public Policy and Governance 2010 IMAGING SERVICES NORTH Boston Spa, Wetherby West Yorkshire, LS23 7BQ www.bl.uk BEST COpy AVAILABLE. VARIABLE PRINT QUALITY Declaration This thesis is available for Library use on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. I certify that all material in this thesis which is not my own work has been identified and that no material has previously been submitted and approved for the award of a degree by this or any other University. 2 ABSTRACT There is a substantial literature that now exists on public policy analysis which recognises a variety of issues surrounding implementation. Studies of the actions of public policy service deliverers or what Lipsky (1980) calls street level bureaucrats (SLBs), reveals numerous examples where they misinterpret or contest the conceived purpose of policies formulated at the central level and, therefore, fail to deliver policy in a manner consistent with the ideals of core policymakers. In the case of Saudi Arabia however, little is known about the factors that contribute to the implementation of public policy there or the degree of political autonomy experienced by Saudi SLBs at the implementation stage. The purpose of this study is to address this lacuna by exploring the nature of power and autonomy in the Saudi political system through a case study of public education policy. The research examines the way in which such policy is implemented by secondary schools principals and education managers (SLBs) in three different local education authorities across Saudi Arabia, namely in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam cities, and examined the variable degree of devolved power or political autonomy experienced by these SLBs in the implementation process. The research was drawn from semi-structured interviews conducted with secondary school principals and various managers of education at the local level, as well as with senior officials in the Saudi Ministry of Education (MoE). The issues that emerged were mainly related to key aspects of power relationships between different bureaucratic tiers of the MoE and education policy process within the policy formulation, implementation and monitoring stages. The key fmding of the research indicates that SLBs have a considerable degree of discretionary power in the implementation process, leading to variation not only between the central policy formulation stage and the local implementation level but also across the 3 regions. This is explained by the nature of the Saudi governance structure and, more particularly, the education policy itself, which lacks clear objectives, instructions, rules, procedures and mechanisms for monitoring and feedback. These findings challenged the existing literature on the Saudi State that explains the authoritarian, top-down nature of the Saudi political system which assumes policy made by the centre is closely translated further down the policy-chain at the policy implementation stage by SLBs. 3 DEDICATION This work is dedicated to: His Royal Highness Prince Salman Bin Abdul-Aziz AI-Saud The Governorate of Riyadh Province-Saudi Arabia A man who valued education and never thought twice when it came to investing in his people's education. Without his support and encouragement, the completion ofthis work would not have been possible. 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS All praise and thanks be to Allah (God) for His direction and guidance throughout my entire life. The completion of this study would not have been possible without the valuable contributions and assistance of many individuals. I would like to express my deepest thanks and gratitude to my supervisor Professor David Richards for his guidance, scholarly advice and encouragement. His valuable comments, suggestions and generosity with his time have enabled me to complete this academic work. My thanks go to my second supervisor Professor Mathew Flinders for his comments, criticism and valuable correction. I should also like to thank Sarah Cooke, the department of politics secretary and graduate research administrator at the University of Sheffield for her support, encouragements, and friendly attitude. My deeply grateful also goes to those in Saudi Arabia who inspired, support and encouragement me through the long years: my brother Nasser bin Naif and my best friend Retired Major General, Nasser Hmood Alotaibi and to all my brothers and sisters. To my mother I give my sincere acknowledgment and thanks and appreciation for her encouragement, patience and prayers-may Allah extend her life and keep her in excellent health. My greatest gratitude must go to my wife, Noudha bint Khalid bin Mlafekh, who stood by me throughout the years of my academic pursuit. She has been a source of constant hope and support. My daughters and Sons also deserve my sincere thanks. To all of them I am very much indebted. 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract. .......................................................................................................................................... 3 Dedication ....................................................................................................................................... 4 Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................... 5 Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ 6 List of Tables and Figures ............................................................................................................. 11 List ofAbbreviation ...................................................................................................................... 13 PARTI-THEORYANDBACKGROUND CHAPTERl: GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1.1- Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 14 1.2- The Purpose of the Study....................................................................................................... 18 1.3- The Research Questions ........................................................................................................ 19 1.4- The Significance of the Study................................................................................................ 20 1.5- The Limitations of the Study................................................................................................. 21 1.6- The Organization of the Study............................................................................................... 22 CHAPTER2: THE NATURE AND DEVELOPMENT OF POLITICAL SYSTEM 2.1- Introduction .............................................. , ...................... , ............................ 26 2.2- The Political History of Saudi State ................................................................. 27 2.2.1- Religion and State ............................................................................. 28 2.2.2- Tribal and State ................................................................................ 33 2.3- The Political Reform (1992) ......................................................................... 37 2.4- Division of Power and Authorities ofthe State .................................................... .43 2.5- Comparison of Monarchies ...........................................................................50 6 2.5.1- Morocco Political System .................................................................... 51 2.5.2- Jordan Political System ........................................................................ 53 2.5.3- U.K Political System .......................................................................... 54 2.6- Conclusion ................................................................................................. 59 CHAPTER3: THE NATURE AND DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION SYSTEM 3.1- Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 62 3.2- Political History of Education ............................................................................................... 63 3.2.1- Religion and Education ............................................................................................... 63 3.2.2- State and Education ............................................................................. 69 3.3- Structure of Public Education ............................................................................. 74 3.3.1- Administration and of Education ............................................................. 74 3.3.2- Organizations of Public Education ........................................................... 76 3.4- Education Policy and its Implementation ............................................................................. 78 3.5-Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 88 CHAPTER4: POLICY IMPLEMENTATION - LITERATURE RIVEW 4.1- Introduction ................................................................................................ 90 4.2- Policy Making Cycle
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