Many intellectuals here have celebrated the announcement of the new succession law issued by King Abdullah last week as an extraordinary achievement, and hailed the king for a wise decision that came in a time of economic welfare and under no pressure. “If there was any pressure, it was by Saudi people who whispered the matter in their private gatherings though nobody ever discussed it in public,” Jamal Khashoggi, consultant of the Saudi ambassador to the U.S. said during a recent TV interview.
However, it is worth noting that none of these so-called intellectuals has given even the slightest hint to the country’s need to such law since King Fahad passed away and until the new law was issued. Our very own intellectuals have failed for one good year to recognize the importance of what they describe now as a “necessity for any modern country,” and “a turning point in political reform.”
Rereading Khashoggi’s statement, we should probably ask: if none of these intellectuals and the elite of our society was brave enough to raise the issue, could we expect ordinary people to discuss it publicly? I am not arguing how such law is essential for the stability of the country. I simply want to point out to the hypocrisy of the Saudi intelligentsia.
Saudi Jeans 
You have raised a good point there.
Why just now we hear all of this analysis about the importance of having a mechanism for succession?
I believe that the majority of Saudi intellectuals are, sorry to say, being reactive instead of being proactive.
The so called “Saudi intelligentsia”, and specially the claimed liberals, most of them are just brave when it comes to criticizing the Islamist in Saudi Arabia. They turn to be blind in pointing out the real critical issues facing Saudi Arabia future .. such as the badly needed reforms and why till the moment there is no real involvement of Saudi citizens in running their country matters and shaping its future.
In the specific case of succession law, it is just a little step which resolved in fact concerns of members of the Royal family more than the general Saudi citizens but the real issue lays there within the Royal family and in the same time majority of Saudi citizens are either careless about such matters or they are working very hard to make their living that such issues are not of concern!.
The new law completely ignored the existence of Saudi citizens. It kept the decision of who is the next Crown Prince. It even ignored the existence of so called Shura Council, which could have been asked to vote in case of lack of agreement among the members of the new established committee.
I don’t What this parade is all about?
The only thing that is “new” is the diminished role of the Islamic scholars in the succession process.
At least, in the past, those scholars were the only voice for some Saudi citizens.
I don’t know what this parade is all about?
The only thing that is “new” is the diminished role of the Islamic scholars in the succession process.
At least, in the past, those scholars were the only voice for some Saudi citizens.
Perhaps all these positive stories on the succession law are cautiously suggesting in as delicate a manner as possible that the transition been finalized 10 years ago, much more could have been done for the Kingdom.
Nobody could ever say such a thing. But the sentiment is widespread.