Updated April 9, 2019
Saudi Arabia
Change, Continuity, and Controversy
Figure 1. Saudi Arabia
The kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ruled by the Al Saud family
since its founding in 1932, wields significant global
influence through its administration of the birthplace of the
Islamic faith and by virtue of its large oil reserves. Saudi
leaders’ domestic and foreign policy decisions are fueling
calls from some U.S. leaders for a reassessment of
longstanding bilateral ties. The Al Saud have sought
protection, advice, technology, and armaments from the
United States, along with support in developing their
country’s natural and human resources and in facing
national security threats. U.S. leaders have valued Saudi
cooperation in security and counterterrorism matters and
have sought to preserve the secure, apolitical flow of the
kingdom’s energy resources and capital to global markets.
The Trump Administration seeks to strengthen U.S.-Saudi
ties as the kingdom implements new domestic and foreign
policy initiatives, while some in Congress call for change.

Leadership and Public Confidence
Source: CRS, using ESRI, and U.S. State Department data.
King Salman bin Abd al Aziz Al Saud (age 83) assumed the
Vision 2030 and Social Change
throne in 2015 after the death of his half-brother, the late
The centerpiece of Saudi leaders’ domestic agenda is the
King Abdullah bin Abd al Aziz. King Salman since has
altered the responsibilities and relative power of leading
Vision 2030 initiative, which seeks to transform the
kingdom’s economy by diversifying the government’s
members of the next generation of the Al Saud family, the
grandsons of the kingdom’s founder. King Salman’s son,
sources of revenue and reducing longstanding oil export
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (age 33), is now the
dependence by promoting investment and private sector
growth. Plans for an initial public offering of shares in state
central figure in Saudi policymaking, having asserted
oil company Saudi Aramco have been delayed to 2021.
control over key national security forces, sidelined potential
Authorities have reduced some consumer and industrial
rivals, and begun implementing ambitious policy changes.
subsidies and introduced a value-added tax. Amid some
In parallel, channels for expressing dissent within the
domestic criticism, authorities also have offered citizens
kingdom appear to have narrowed considerably. Since
relief payments, salary increases, and tax exemptions.
2017, security forces have detained dozens of activists,
Economic transformation has driven social change in the
Islamist figures, and journalists. Prosecutors have detained
kingdom since the early 20th century, and the Vision 2030
and/or pursued various charges against some well-known
figures, including prominent clerics, human rights
initiative is being accompanied by significant changes in
advocates, and women’s rights campaigners. In late 2017,
the state’s approach to some sensitive social matters.
Authorities reversed the kingdom’s longstanding ban on
authorities also imprisoned dozens of wealthy individuals
(and potential family rivals of the crown prince) for months
women driving in June 2018, in part to expand women’s
participation in the workforce. Parallel changes have
in the Ritz Carlton hotel in Riyadh as part of a nominal
created more public space for women in some social and
anticorruption campaign. Most of this latter group of
detainees were released after reaching undisclosed financial
cultural events, but most male guardianship rules restricting
women’s activities remain in place. Some Saudis welcome
settlement arrangements, amid accounts of abuse.
changes made to date and call for more, while others
Many Saudis and outside observers have expressed surprise
express opposition or concern about the changes’ potential
about the scope and rapidity of post-2015 developments and
effects on religious and social values.
continue to speculate about their potential implications.
Human Rights
Saudi decision-making had long appeared to be relatively
risk-averse and rooted in rulers’ concerns for maintaining
The October 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal
Khashoggi by Saudi government officials in the Saudi
consensus among different constituencies, including
consulate in Istanbul, Turkey has led to increased
factions of the royal family, business elites, and
congressional scrutiny of the kingdom’s human rights
conservative religious figures. Crown Prince Mohammed
bin Salman’s bolder and more centralized leadership has
practices. The Trump Administration has described the
killing as a “horrific act,” stated its intent to pursue
challenged each of these interest groups, and is leading
accountability for those responsible, and imposed travel and
Saudis and outsiders alike to reexamine their assumptions.
financial sanctions on some Saudi officials suspected of
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Saudi Arabia
involvement. The kingdom is prosecuting some officials on
strengthen ties with Iraq’s government, including the
charges of involvement. Other suspects, such as Crown
reopening of border crossings between the two countries.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s former adviser Saud al
Conflict in Yemen
Qahtani, reportedly have not been charged. Some in
Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition of mostly Arab
Congress continue to advocate for a more forceful U.S.
states since March 2015 in efforts to reinstate the
response to the Khashoggi killing and speak on behalf of
government of Yemeni President Abdu Rabbu Mansour
Saudi human rights activists detained and on trial.
Hadi, who was ousted in a 2014-2015 offensive by the
Zaydi Shia Houthi movement of northern Yemen. Iranian
“We want to make sure that everyone understands that
material and advisory support to the Houthi war effort—
the United States doesn’t believe that the killing of Jamal
including the provision of ballistic missiles and drones used
Khashoggi was anything other than a horrific act. And we
to attack Saudi Arabia—has amplified Saudi leaders’
hope that we can work together, both with Congress
anxieties and concerns. The Trump Administration lifted
and our allies, to hold those responsible accountable.”
some limits on U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia that the
Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, October 2018
Obama Administration had imposed to protest airstrikes
that resulted in civilian casualties, but announced plans to
Saudi Nuclear Plans
end U.S. refueling of Saudi coalition aircraft in November
Saudi leaders seek to recast the role of energy resources in
2018. The United Nations considers Yemen to be the
the kingdom’s economy and plan to develop domestic
world’s worst humanitarian crisis and cites Houthi
civilian nuclear power infrastructure. They have solicited
malfeasance and Saudi coalition-enforced limits on air and
bids for the construction of two nuclear power reactors. The
sea access as contributing to shortages of food and goods.
Trump Administration expedited consideration of required
The 116th Congress continues to debate proposals to restrict
regulatory approvals for U.S. firms to provide marketing
or condition U.S. military aid to Saudi operations, and the
information to Saudi officials, and may propose a bilateral
House and Senate passed S.J.Res. 7 directing President
nuclear cooperation agreement to the 116th Congress. Saudi
Trump to end some U.S. military involvement in Yemen.
officials have not forsworn uranium enrichment and have
Intra-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Tensions
stated their intent to use and develop domestic capabilities.
Saudi Arabia has led an effort to isolate the government of
Saudi nuclear facilities are subject to International Atomic
Qatar internationally since mid-2017, citing concerns about
Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards, The IAEA has
reported Qatari support for terrorism and aspects of Qatar’s
reviewed Saudi nuclear infrastructure and recommends
independent foreign policy approach. Various GCC-based
adoption and implementation of an additional protocol.
figures describe close Qatari ties with regional Islamist
Combatting Terrorism and Extremism
actors, including the Muslim Brotherhood, as problematic.
The U.S. government describes U.S.-Saudi cooperation on
The Trump Administration favors negotiation and
counterterrorism as robust and credits Saudi officials with
compromise by parties to the ongoing intra-GCC dispute.
reducing the financing of terrorism by Saudi nationals and
Israeli-Palestinian Affairs
with contributing to global efforts to undermine terrorist
Saudi Arabia is a leader among Arab states in supporting
propaganda. The Islamic State group has been highly
key Palestinian demands, but Saudi leaders also have
critical of Saudi authorities and religious officials, and U.S.
engaged quietly with Israel in light of the two countries’
threat assessments judge that the Islamic State and Al
shared interest in countering Iran. In January 2018, King
Qaeda pose continuing risks to the kingdom’s security. The
Salman reiterated the kingdom’s “firm position on the
Saudi government’s relationship with conservative religious
Palestinian cause and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian
figures is evolving, with the state promoting potentially
people to establish their independent state with Jerusalem as
controversial social policy changes while enlisting religious
its capital and on continuing efforts to find a just and lasting
leaders to counteract extremist messages. In December
solution to the Palestinian cause in accordance with relevant
2017, King Salman said “there is no place among us for an
international resolutions.”
extremist who sees moderation as degeneration.”
Saudi Foreign Policy
Relations with China and Russia
Greater Saudi energy exports to China have underwritten
The King and Crown Prince have actively pursued several
new Sino-Saudi economic and diplomatic ties, and bilateral
initiatives across the Middle East since 2015, challenging
meetings of senior officials are often followed by
Iran, reopening dialogue with Iraq, seeking to isolate Qatar,
announcements of new cooperation initiatives. Saudi
and fighting an ongoing war in Yemen. New Saudi activism
leaders also have opened substantive dialogue and
in regional affairs has created new questions for Congress
cooperation with Russia, encompassing coordination on oil
to consider, including with regard to defense cooperation.
production decisions to bolster global oil prices, discussion
Iran, Iraq, and the Levant
of arms sales, and talks on Syria and other regional issues.
Saudi policies toward Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon continue to
For more information, see CRS Report RL33533, Saudi
reflect the kingdom’s overarching concerns about Iran and
Arabia: Background and U.S. Relations.
the Iranian government’s ties to state and non-state actors in
these countries. Saudi authorities back the U.N. Security
Christopher M. Blanchard, Specialist in Middle Eastern
Council’s call for a negotiated settlement to the conflict in
Affairs
Syria and seek more progress in settlement talks before
reengagement with the Iran-aligned Syrian government of
IF10822
Bashar al Asad. U.S. officials have praised Saudi efforts to
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Saudi Arabia


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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10822 · VERSION 5 · UPDATED

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