Tom Friedman recently made another of many visits to Saudi Arabia – the heart of Islam with two of its holiest sites. Much to his delight he’s found changes for the better he never thought he’d see in his lifetime.
When I worked there for a year at the excellent ARAMCO hospital in Dhahran, I felt the restrictive rules would never let up: women had very few rights; we were not allowed to leave the country without an exit visa; religious police roamed the nearby town’s streets looking for infractions in the enforced conservative dress; and countless other restrictions on freedoms we would take for granted in our society.
But the biggest problem has been corruption. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has investigated this over the past two years and is cracking down. Perhaps 100 Billion is being saved back into the government coffers. Societal rules are loosening. Women are beginning to drive. Cultural events are happening. They are attempting to return to their more moderate Islam last seen there in 1979.
Friedman is wondering if this “Arab Spring” arriving in Saudi will usher in wide acceptance of top down reforms. This would be a blessing for the people there – and would perhaps help to give a moderate counterbalance to the extremism of Iran. Time will tell.