Saudi Arabia and Iran (Library of Modern Middle East Studies) by Mabon Simon

Author:Mabon, Simon [Mabon, Simon]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9780857729071
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2015-10-20T16:00:00+00:00

The Role of Tribal Values

While tribal power diminished under Ibn Saud, tribal values remained and played an integral role within the state-building process. Indeed, “informal tribal practices loomed behind the bureaucratic procedures and institutions”.22 Institutional development, combined with certain other factors, including a centralisation of power in Riyadh, the growth of urban populations and an increase in the ease of travel also resulted in a diluting of tribal power. Alongside these developments, tribal leaders and chiefs became large landowners and consequently became upper class.23 Conversely:

many rank-and-file tribal members formed the bulk of the Saudi lower class [. . .] Devoid of sufficient skills, education, and income, tribal groups either settled in shacks on the outskirts of major cities or maintained a nomadic or agricultural life-style. The dissonance between their traditional ways and modernization led many to dissatisfaction with the new lavishness and Westernization, and they became alienated.24

The Al Saud’s attempt to increase both legitimacy and support has led to the establishment of networks of support, associated with tribal leaders. It is through these networks that Kostiner suggests tribal values have the capacity to ease tensions between different levels of the state and have played a key role in the process of state building.

One such way this has been achieved is through the tribal Majlis, which has served as an unofficial forum for many. General sessions of the Majlis are said to last 40 minutes, with around 100 people present. A standard session of the Majlis contains a speech from the King on a specific issue, then those present are permitted to raise their concerns, often financially motivated, or to pledge their allegiance.25 Despite the perception of some who hold that the Majlis is a form of democratic representation, this is incorrect. The ability to express views and opinions to a ruler is not tantamount to having an input into the decision-making process. Furthermore, the Wahhabi ulama perceive that sovereignty is derived from God, rather than understandings of popular sovereignty, which is derived from the people, making democracy appear incompatible with the Saudi political system.

An integral component of tribalism and of the Saudi state as a whole is that of asabiyya, “defined as zealous partisanship [. . .] party spirit, team spitit, espirit de corps [. . .] tribal solidarity, racialism, clannishness, tribalism”.26 The notion of asabiyya dates back to the work of Ibn Khaldun, which is incredibly important within tribal societies and the process of state building within these societies. As such, several passages from his work, The Muqaddimah, are worth quoting in full. When discussing security, Khaldun feels a collective can only be successful in their goals if the collective is a close-knit group, as this “strengthens their stamina and makes them feared, since everybody’s affection for his family and group is more important”.27 If this is true with regard to protecting the homestead, he argues, “it is equally true with regard to every other human activity, such as prophecy, the establishment of royal authority, or propaganda”.28

According to Khaldun,

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