Saudi Arabia political hierarchy is quite different from the US and British political hierarchies and is totally based on the concept of a complete monarchy that was developed upon the system of belief of the Islam. The honorable King of the Saudi Arabia serves the two designations of the head of the government as well as the head of the state.
Yet the decisions are executed and finalized after an immense consultation with the senior princes of the royal family along with the religious establishments. So far the constitution of the country is considered; the holy Quran is declared the constitution of the country and is governed on the basis of the Islamic law.
The government of the Saudi Arabia is ruled and dominated by the vast honorable royal family, the Al Saud. The members of this royal family are the principle political leaders. There is some political participation from outside the royal family but that is quite limited and small yet the pressure has been there since last many years for broaden participation. The Saudi Arabia political hierarchy is described below in this article in the ladder format of starting with the highest rank of the hierarchy and then proceeding forward in a descending mode.
- The King
- The Crown Prince
- The Royal Family
- The Ulema and the Al ash – Sheikh
The King
The entire government of the Saudi Arabia is led by the King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz. The mighty king accepted the throne in the year 2005. There is a basic law for selecting king in Saudi Arabia and that specifies that the king must be chosen from the sons of the first king and their male descendents along with the approval of the religious leaders.
The Crown Prince
The next rank in the Saudi Arabia political hierarchy is the crown prince. The royal member of the royal family appointed as the heir of the crown is the Crown Prince. Currently the crown prince is the Prince Salman.
The Royal Family
The royal family totally dominates the Saudi Arabia political system. The family has vast number of members and thus controls most of the kingdom’s important posts and to have an involvement and presence at all levels of government. The major and key ministries are always reserved for the members of the royal family.
The Ulema and the Al ash – Sheikh
Ulema is the body of Islamic religious leaders and the jurists while the Al ash – Sheikh is the Saudi Arabia’s leading religious family. The importance of the Ulema and the Al ash – Sheikh is immense and is considered the major central role of religion in the Saudi Arabia political hierarchy. The reason lies in the fact that it is always said that Islam is more than a religion, it is a way of life in Saudi Arabia and hence the Ulema and the Al ash – Sheikh is pervasive.