Bureaucracy in Public Sector in Saudi Arabia, Essay Example

Introduction

The bureaucracy of Saudi Arabia is controlled by the Al Saud family and the upper class members of society. Over time, power in the region has been shifting more towards the ruling family over other members of the social elite, and no new individuals have been able to come to power in this rigid governmental system. As a consequence, the Al Saud family has been in charge of political and social decisions for a long period of time, which has allowed bureaucratic procedures to remain relatively stable. This is reinforced by the concept that the Quran is considered to be the law of the land. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the ruling family to interpret the teachings of this sacred word to rule over the people in a just manner.

Despite the fact that the government is derived in the religion of the people, Saudi rulers have sought to win the popular opinion of the people for a long period of time, meaning that they would need to address the concerns of the public in order to maintain this favor. Therefore, informal consultations are a component of the bureaucratic process, although these consultations have an opportunity to be repealed if they are seen as generally unpopular acts. Therefore, to avoid this redundancy, making policies and enforcing laws has become an important part of the political process in Saudi Arabia, as it is important to make the correct decision the first time. However, it is important to consider that the power of the government is an oligarchy rather than an absolutist system due to the influence that a group of individuals have on government decisions. Before those in power make decisions, they therefore attempt to determine the opinions of the public to ensure that the choices provide maximum benefit to the country. The bureaucracy therefore involves a series of “civil servants, business partners, local notables, and tribal leaders attuned to the sentiment in different social strata” (Countries at the Crossroads, 2012). These individuals therefore serve as the connection between the people and the government that is necessary in order to ensure that governmental decisions are representative of the population. Therefore, these groups are somewhat representative of the bureaucracy, as their power derives from the ability to transmit these important messages.

While the representatives of the people are said to have power in Saudi Arabia, it is also important to consider those from the elite social class hold power as well and could be considered to act as an integral part of the bureaucracy. These individuals have an enhanced ability to consult and counsel the ruling family, which helps them impart their influence on social structure. This is particularly important because while the people of Saudi Arabia generally lack the ability to form organized groups to promote their rights, members of the elite class are able to do so more easily, and therefore experience a greater extent of representation. This enhanced representation of the elite class began as early as 1964 with King Faisal’s rule, and this trend has continued since this time.

A third branch of the bureaucracy in Saudi Arabia could be said to be religious in nature. The second best organized social group within the country is the ulama, which is responsible for the religious activities of inhabitants. Because the nation is founded on Islamic principles and the law is based in Islam, the ulama holds considerable power over the morality of the people living in Saudi Arabia. As a consequence, this group has control over various aspects of Saudi society, including the legal system, education system, and social rights and restrictions of the nation’s inhabitants. The law enforcement responsibilities of the ulama indicate that society holds religious tradition above other forms of law and that breaking religious law equates to breaking the law of the land.

Since Saudi Arabia does not have national elections, it is expected that these bureaucratic powers will remain in place for a long period of time. The government is currently benefitting the people and there are high satisfaction rates. Therefore, there does not appear to be a need to disrupt the system that is currently in place. While the government is primarily run by the ruling family under the guidance of the ulama, both the ruling family and the social elite are concerned with the support of the general populace, which contributes to their desire to ensure that all of their needs are being met.

The Importance of the Bureaucracy in Ensuring the Public Voice is Heard

Individuals in many nations across the world are concerned with the political tactics of Saudi Arabia and other countries that have oligarchies in place because they believe that it is not possible for the voices of individuals living in these nations to be heard. Furthermore, many believe that democracies are the only government systems that could be implemented in order to ensure that there is equal representation of a nation’s inhabitants. However, upon analysis of the relationship between the bureaucracy and the people of Saudi Arabia, these claims appear to be false. It is important to understand Saudi Arabia’s government in a manner that avoids an ethnocentric point of view, because in modern world affairs, it is evident that democracy is not always the best answer and many not always be possible in every situation. Thus, it is essential to point out the role of the bureaucracy in ensuring that the public is able to communicate with the royal family through representation.

Since there are no national elections in Saudi Arabia, it is important to consider that there is a constant power struggle between consultative councils with different representation. For example, the Majlis Al-Shura have legislative abilities but they themselves have never been elected. However, since the members of this organization are appointed by the king every four years, it is important for the ruling family to be aware of public opinion to ensure that their legislation reflects their interests in addition to the interests of the country as a whole. Members of the elite class and other representatives have the ability to impact the decisions made by the ruling family, which indicates how the bureaucracy is established. Since the members of the consultative counsels can generally serve for only two terms, this system is reminiscent of the one put in place by democratic governments. However a major difference is that the ruling party retains ultimate control over these decisions. In recent years, certain consuls have fought to have more power over the nation’s finances, although this attempt has been relatively unsuccessful. It is important to note that despite this failed attempt to gain control over the budget, the council will have opportunities to petition public opinion in the future if it feels that this is truly the best option for Saudi Arabia. Therefore after repeated lobbying, the group may become successful in acquiring more power. This demonstrates that despite the relative stability present in the bureaucracy, the voice of the people still can be heard and it has the ability to impact the councils that are in power. Furthermore, these councils have the ability to gain more or less power depending upon the particular political climate.

Furthermore, there has been evidence that indicates that public opinion as it pertains to world affairs is a driving factor of the bureaucracy’s motives. Two municipal elections ago, the election was postponed. Common opinion was held that these elections were put off in order to provide the ability for women to participate, as this issue had been debated intensely prior to the election. Overall, this indicates while traditional Saudi culture indicated there was no place for women in elections, the voice of the people is strong and the bureaucracy is willing to listen to it. While plans are still being made for this involvement, the public is expecting a significant shift in the political climate during the next municipal election. Since the Saudi Arabian ruling family wishes to gain the overall support of the public, it will likely continue to support the notion of women being involved in these elections provided that the public voice continues to express its interest in this idea.

On the other hand, it is evident that certain aspects of the bureaucracy will remain stable despite political dissent (House, 2012). Individuals with lesser ties to Islam have attempted to reform the government, believing that the nature of the society is too religious. As a consequence, these groups have fought for national elections and a reform of the nation’s laws. In order to retain their power, the ruling family and elite class has ignored these arguments in order to preserve their power. Furthermore, these individuals reminded the protestors that there are many reforms currently occurring and that it would be challenging to put more in place simultaneously. When these arguments have gotten extreme, the ruling family has sent these dissenters to prison due to their participation in disrupting the peace of the public.

Many citizens of Saudi Arabia who are content with the ruling family and bureaucracy system argue that they are able to get many of the resources that they need to survive. Like democratic systems, this oligarchy provides its citizens with public services to ensure that the poor are able to eat and access healthcare. In the United States, similar programs such as the use of food stamps and the implementation of the Affordable Care Act have been put in place. Therefore, the poor citizens of the country have reported that they are content with their government systems, as they are provided with public subsidies and even employment when they are unable to find positions of their own. Furthermore, many middle class citizens are pleased with the government as well. A large portion of the nation’s budget is spend on providing for defense, housing, and the establishment of public works buildings such as schools and hospitals. These actions are generally associated with the princes who are put in charge of running these facilities, although overall approval is generally towards the ruling family for having put these structures in place.

Regulating the Power of the Bureaucracy

Many people are concerned that the power of the bureaucracy is too strong. However, it is important to consider that there is a disciplinary board in place that was created to assess bureaucratic abuse. Furthermore, individuals are not provided with power as a consequence of providing civil services to the nation (Al-Hamoud, 1991). It is essential to note that when the bureaucracy appoints individuals to these service positions, they are provided with clear and inflexible requirements regarding their job responsibilities and performance expectations. Since the agencies do a thorough job of determining the eligibility of candidates prior to appointment, they are not frequently dismissed from their positions nor do they typically have the ability to improve in rank. It is due to this rigidity that the national oil company and the central bank of Saudi Arabia are able to operate so effectively.

Despite this rigidity of structure, groups are occasionally invited to petition the behaviors of the bureaucracy. While it is possible for the government to deny these hearings, they are usually heard in order to ensure the good faith of the people. In many instances, the information provided by these groups provide the country with benefit. For example, groups have come to the Economic Council to provide then with information regarding business in the area. When such information is mutually beneficial, it is taken into consideration and then implemented in terms of policy. The economic interests of businesses in Saudi Arabia reflect the economic interests of the country as a whole, so the opinions of individuals will be heard as a result. However, representative councils are less likely to heed information that does not provide this mutual benefit. Despite the criticism that such decisions typically receive from individuals and representatives of other countries, it is important to equate this form of representation to the democratic system in a sense. Just because a bill is proposed to Congress doesn’t mean that it will become a law; a majority of Congress and the House must agree that the bill would benefit a majority of individuals before it is able to pass. This case in the same in terms of the Saudi Arabian council’s. While these organizations are willing to hear almost all recommendations that are being provided to them, it is only reasonable for them to legally implement a few. Therefore, the suggestions that have the ability to confer the greatest extent of benefit to the country are the ones that are permitted.

The Future Stability of the Bureaucracy

It is expected that external factors will act on the Saudi Arabian bureaucracy in a manner that will cause it to lose the extent of its power in the future. There is currently a lot of pressure on the government by the United States and other democratic allies to take action to more significantly support the power of the people. While it can be argued that these countries do not understand the importance of the structure that Saudi Arabia has in place, it is likely that it will need to make slight modifications to appease these allies that have a lot of influence over the country in terms of political and military alliances. Despite these pressures, however, it would not be possible for Saudi Arabia’s government to completely shift. If this would occur, the country would become chaotic and not be able to confer its allies any of the benefits that they seek. Therefore, while some reform may be made in the future, these changes will likely be to only a small extent.

Overall, it has become apparent that the civil liberties of Saudi Arabian inhabitants has been directly tied into the political status of the nation in addition to its role in world affairs. Since there is no formal constitution employed by the government, it is necessary to consider that the government does not guarantee a freedom of speech, opposite of what the American Constitution requires (Abdulaziz, 2005). Furthermore, a documented law specifically states, “information, publication, and all other media shall employ courteous language and the state’s regulations, and they shall contribute to the education of the nation and the bolstering of its unity. All acts that foster sedition or division or harm the state’s security and its public relations or detract from man’s dignity and rights shall be prohibited.” Therefore, it is evident that the Saudi Arabian government prefers that its citizens act according to certain social conventions when they are speaking in public. As a consequence, this prevents the media from being able to provide the types of reports that it may wish to publish. On the other hand, it is important to consider that the government wants to promote its strength in the eyes of the world, and public dissent on television would prevent the nation’s ability to accomplish this, which could support its military and political efforts. In many instances, media officials are required to submit their reports to the Ministry of Information for approval before this information could be published (Long, 2005).

As long as these censoring procedures are in place, it is evident that the bureaucracy will maintain power. Since the bureaucracy is able to monitor the information flow, they are able to decide what is published and what will be kept unreported. As noted, this confers major benefits for the government, as they can use this ability to control information in order to better protect their people. On the other hand, some groups claim that this is a violation of civil liberties, even though these liberties are not granted by the Saudi government in the first place. It is unsurprising that the media is not the same in Saudi Arabia as it is in other nations. For example, in many cases, the media is considered to be the fourth branch of the government. Since the media is able to put twists on stories and select which information will be released to the public, it essentially has the power to control politics. However, the monitoring of this information prevents these reports from being biased in a manner that will drive government agenda. Instead, it is presented in a way that provides key information to Saudi Arabian citizens so that they are able to remain educated about local, national, and world affairs.

One could argue that having power over the news is a key example of how the bureaucracy has too much control. However, it is likely that this power will change over time. Many other nations are aware of these monitoring policies and have expressed their lack of enthusiasm about them. Since the political state of Saudi Arabia has influenced policy change in the past, it is therefore likely that the country’s current relationship with the United States will trigger a policy change once again. However, even if this occurs, it will likely be expected that all news personnel, whether appearing on camera or providing written word, will need to provide the public with information in a manner that is seen as polite an in accordance to governmental principles.

Modern Political Changes

 The impact of world powers on Saudi Arabia has been evident lately, as the judiciary has established a Supreme Court and Court of Appeal. Overall, the councils that regulate legislation and law enforcement believe that the government will run more smoothly if it is able to operate using specialized courts. Currently, judges are appointed by members of the ruling family, although they are required to be accountable to Allah rather than to the ruling family. As a consequence, judges are expected to act morally and according to the teachings of the Quran. Since the Quran is technically the existing law of Saudi Arabia, it is important for judges to be well versed in the text and to be aware of suitable punishments for immoral behaviors according to these words. Despite the issues that many Western cultures see in the Saudi Arabian law system, it is imperative to note that its laws were created on the same basis as cultures with primarily Christian values. For example, the Constitution was written based on a Christian moral code, even though the individuals that drafted this document did not wish for there to be an official religion. In the same sense, the Quran dictates whether actions of the people are moral or immoral and these senses of ethics are used to convict individuals for their criminal charges. While the Quran is used more directly in these situations than in Western civilizations, it is important to note that both Islamic countries and Christian countries have laws based on the same sense of morality. It is biased opinions that cause other societies to believe that their legal system is somehow better than those that are related to it. The Saudi Arabian legal system is not without faults, but it is derived from the same beliefs that dictate the penal code of societies around the world today.

Conclusion

The Saudi Arabian bureaucracy is in a prevalent place in power in society. The ruling family is able to dictate bureaucratic responsibilities to members of the elite class, who then allow the voice of the people to be heard through their actions. Overall, the bureaucracy is susceptible to feedback from both the voices of the people and the members of the elite class. When large groups desire social change, they are permitted to seek council from the relevant bureaucratic agency. In almost all instances, these agencies will agree to hear these reports and make a legislative decision based on the advice if it confers benefit to the country. It is also important to consider that the power of the bureaucracy is related to the political climate of the nation. Lately, this concept has been tied into the idea that Saudi Arabia has formed an alliance with the United States. As a result, it has felt pressured to incorporate some aspects of the democratic system into its daily operations. There is currently a debate as to whether censorship should continue in the media. While many individuals believe that this censorship is detrimental, others believe that it is beneficial because it allows the ruling family to remain strong and that the people of Saudi Arabia have no real entitlement to the freedom of speech. Despite the slow evolution of society on this front, clear changes to the Saudi Arabian legal system have been made. There are now specialized courts available to deal with different classifications of criminal charges, which is expected to allow judges to specialize in the types of crimes they work with.

It is expected that these shifts in power will bring a general change in the responsibilities of the bureaucracy, but this will not remove the system. Since the bureaucracy has been an integral part of Saudi Arabian politics for many years, its power will remain the same even though their expected roles will change. Overall, the bureaucracy is responsible to act as the liaison between the people and the ruling class, so they will continue to be prevalent despite the changing political nature of the country’s relationships. Furthermore, while it is possible that these changes will remain for a certain period of time, it is important to consider that public opinion may result in their reversal. Ultimately, the Saudi Arabian government will implement decisions that will result in the best for their people, and the bureaucracy is integral in this ever changing role.

References

Abdulaziz A. (2005). Ornamental Constitutionalism: The Saudi Basic Law of Governance. Yale Journal of International Law, 30(2): 376–395.

Al-Hamoud A. (1991). The Reform of the Reform: A Critical and Empirical Assessment of the 1977 Saudi Civil Service Reform. University of Pittsburgh.

Countries at the Crossroads. (2012). Saudi Arabia. Retrieved from https://freedomhouse.org/report/countries-crossroads/2010/saudi-arabia#.VXZV989Viko

House, Karen Elliott. (2012). On Saudi Arabia: Its People, Past, Religion, Fault Lines—and Future. Alfred A. Knopf.

Long, David E. (2005). Culture and Customs of Saudi Arabia. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books/about/Culture_and_Customs_of_Saudi_Arabia.html?id=VKisHwiTxJQC