8. Shifting Gears in Saudi Arabia

A

bdullah bin Abdul- Aziz ibn Saud was eighty- two when, in

2005, he was crowned king. Abdullah had already effectively

governed Saudi Arabia for a decade as crown prince. King

Fahd, his brother, had suffered a debilitating stroke in 1995, and Abdul-

lah took the reins in all but title. When Fahd passed away a decade later,

Abdullah’s rule became official.

For many Saudis, King Abdullah was a refreshing change from his

more flamboyant kin, including Fahd. These were royals with a taste for

the fast life, lavishing cash on yachts and parties and flying entourages to

Marbella on royal jets, with each given a Mercedes on arrival.^1 By con-

trast, Abdullah was a modest, cautious man committed to maintaining

the sociopolitical status quo. On his watch, Wahhabi restrictions on gen-

der segregation remained intact. Women continued to be banned from

driving or even sitting in the main lounge of a coffee shop. Religious

police roamed the malls to ensure Saudis behaved and dressed modestly.

King Abdullah likewise refused to tinker with the long- held social

contract. He made sure Saudi citizens received their subsidized services,

including energy. This meant keeping the prices of electricity, water, and

gasoline at rock bottom. King Abdullah did authorize some innovations,

including an institute empaneled to explore nuclear and renewable elec-

tricity, but by and large, energy policy stagnated.