The Political Development Of Two Middle East States

Student Name Professor Name Course Date The Political Development of Two Middle East States Governments across the Middle East face a wide range of problems every day, but all those governances and socioeconomic issues have helped them progress and shape the future of their citizens. Countries reliant on energy exports keep looking for paths to diversification, while energy-poor nations need to adopt strategies that help them boost exports and grow domestic markets. At the same time, water scarcity is taking a severe form and governments have to strengthen their political system as soon as possible. Without a strong political system, the Middle East states can never pave their ways towards progress and prosperity, and thus they cannot deal with the problem of water scarcity. In short, the challenge of improving governance to bolster economic growth is urgent in countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar (Al-Turaiqi 08). The area of modern-day Saudi Arabia consisted of four main regions: Al-Ahsa, Southern Arabia, Najd, and Hejaz. Ibn Saud founded the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932 and decided to unite these four regions into a single state. In 1992, the Basic Law declared that Saudi Arabia is a monarchy ruled by children of King Abdul al Aziz al Saud and that Holy Quran is the only constitution of this state, which is governed on the basis of Islamic rules and regulations. Saudi Arabia has neither any political party nor national elections are held here. The ruler’s grip is limited because he has to observe Islamic rules and traditions regardless of his power, fame, and money. He also has to retain religious leaders and other significant elements in society. If he doesn’t do so, the chances are that he will be replaced within a few weeks (Lacroix and George 11). Saudi Arabia is one of those few countries where Islamic rules are observed, and every citizen has to remain within his limits. For instance, you would have to offer prayers, five times a day, regardless of the nature of your job or health condition. With time, Saudi kings have developed a centralized system to ensure the provision of maximum facilities to the public. Since 1952, the Council of Ministers has been formulating general policies to strengthen the political system of the country. The main elements of this council are a prime minister, two deputy prime ministers, twenty ministers of defense, three ministers of state, and a couple of advisors and hear of autonomous organizations (Hurewitz 13). The king combines executive, judicial and legislative functions, and royal decree forms the basis of Saudi Arabia’s legislation. The king also works as the prime minister and is responsible for handling all the projects. He sometimes meets the representatives of the United States, Canada, England, China and other countries, to exchange new ideas. The king has to make sure that no laws are broken in any part of the country, which gives us a feel that Saudi Arabia is not under the supervision or pressure of another country. In ancient times, the concept of colonialism was introduced by Europeans who believed that they are the only rulers in the world and had a right to defeat political or superior parties of all countries (Lester 17). For this purpose, they started killing the rulers of other states and soon dominated more than 70 percent part of the world. Saudi Arabia also remained under the influence of those colonials but for a few years only. Soon Saudi Arabia established itself as a separate state and did not allow Europe or another superpower to interfere with its personal matters. With time, the political, social and economic system of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was strengthened, and today it has become one of the most developed and wealthiest states in the world. It’s safe to say that the role of government in Saudi Arabia has grown significantly since the founding of Kingdom. Unlike other states, which are under the rule of either America or England, Saudi Arabia’s rulers are managing the whole system on their own (Fromherz 17). In one way or the other, they don’t accept the influence of other countries and follow Islamic rules and regulations only. It is good that government improves and evolves with time to keep pace with rising challenges, needs, and expectations of the people. Fortunately, the Saudi government has reiterated its commitments to accountability and transparency and is able to provide both locals and tourists with the marvelous and peaceful environment. It is to be noticed that the crime rate in Saudi Arabia is lower than any other kingdom. Here people have well-paying jobs regardless of their background and qualifications, and everyone has a sense of freedom. Meanwhile, the government does not allow people to raise their voices against the country on social media and ask them not to get involved in some illegal activities (Al-Turaiqi 08). Rules and regulations are very strict in this country and accordance with Islamic policies. No Muslim woman can step out of her house without wearing a proper dress, and she has to bring her husband, father, son or brother too. Similarly, shopkeepers are asked to sell only high-quality products to tourists and locals. If any shopkeeper compromises on quality, his license gets canceled, and the shop remains closed until he pays all the fines and clarifies the matter with the government. In recent months, under the Strategic Directions program, the Saudi government has approved the strategic directions determined by a number of agencies and organizations. Policies are always evaluated by the government to ensure that they are up-to-the-mark and align with future social and economic needs (Lacroix and George 11). At the same time, the laws are set according to Islam so people can live their lives accordingly. In Saudi Arabia, it is strictly forbidden to skip your prayer; neither the government representatives nor ordinary people can do so until there is an emergency situation. Three councils linked with the Council of Ministers have been created to manage Saudi Arabia’s overall system. Furthermore, Council of Political and Security Affairs and Council of Economic Affairs and Development have joined hands to provide locals with maximum healthcare, transportation, and education facilities at reasonable amounts. No doubt, the introduction of all these councils has helped speed up the development of Saudi Arabia (Hurewitz 13). Today, this country is selling its oil and other natural resources in refined form to different countries. In return, it earns a lot and meanwhile generates huge revenues from the tourism industry. By the whole, Saudi Arabia’s economic and financial system is quite stable, and the country has implemented all basic and advanced strategies to maintain peace and harmony everywhere. Street crimes are zero in this country, thanks to the government for making it possible. Those who commit a crime are sent to the jail or punished on the spot. Saudi Arabia is not an electoral democracy. The Basic Law declared that Holy Quran and Sunnah are the constitutions of this country. The cabinet, which is appointed by t...