Politics of Saudi Arabia سياسة المملكة العربية السعودية | |
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| Polity type | Unitary Islamic absolute monarchy |
| Constitution | Basic Law of Saudi Arabia (De facto) The Quran and the Sunnah (De jure)[a] |
| Legislative branch | |
| Name | Consultative Assembly[b] |
| Type | Unicameral |
| Meeting place | Al Yamamah Palace |
| Presiding officer | Abdullah ibn Muhammad Al ash-Sheikh, Chairman of the Consultative Assembly |
| Executive branch | |
| Head of state and government | |
| Title | King |
| Currently | Salman |
| Appointer | Allegiance Council |
| Cabinet | |
| Name | Council of Ministers |
| Current cabinet | Salman government |
| Leader | Prime Minister[c] |
| Deputy leader | First Deputy Prime Minister |
| Appointer | King |
| Ministries | 23 |
| Judicial branch | |
| Name | Judiciary of Saudi Arabia |
| Specialized Criminal Court | |
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| Basic Law |
 Saudi Arabia portal |
The politics of Saudi Arabia takes place in the context of a unitary absolute monarchy, along traditional Islamist lines, where the King is both the head of state and government. Decisions are, to a large extent, made on the basis of consultation among the King, the Council of Ministers, Islamic scholars (until the mid-2010s), tribal leaders and other traditional elites of the society. Saudi government is authoritarian,[d] although some analysts have characterized the government of Mohammed bin Salman as totalitarian.[e] The Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, is the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia. Under his rule, he has centralized policymaking, purged competing political elites, and dismantled pre-existing power-sharing dynamics.[1]
The Basic Law of Saudi Arabia contains many characteristics of what might be called a constitution in other countries. The Qur'an and the Sunnah is declared as the official constitution of the country. The kingdom's governance is officially proclaimed to be conducted on the basis of Islamic law (Shari'a). The Allegiance Council is responsible to determine the new King and the new Crown Prince. All citizens of full age have a right to attend, meet, and petition the king directly through the traditional tribal meeting known as the majlis.[2]
The government is dominated by the vast royal family, the Al Saud, which has often been divided by internal disputes and into factions. The members of the family are the principal political actors allowed by the government. Political participation outside the royal family is limited. Saudi Arabia is one of only four countries (the other being Vatican City, Brunei and Afghanistan) that does not have a separate legislative body.
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- ^ Alhussein, Eman (2023), "Saudi Arabias centralized political structure: prospects and challenges", Handbook of Middle East Politics, Edward Elgar Publishing, pp. 144–157, ISBN 978-1-80220-563-3
- ^ Marshall Cavendish (2007). World and Its Peoples: the Arabian Peninsula. Marshall Cavendish. pp. 92–93. ISBN 978-0761475712.