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, tribal leaders and other traditional elites of the society. Saudi government is authoritarian, although some analysts have characterized the government of Mohammed bin Salman as totalitarian. 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.
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals(KFUPM) (Arabic: جامعة الملك فهد للبترول و المعادن, Jāmiʿat al-Malik Fahd li-l-Bitrūl wa-l-Maʿādin – short: Arabic: جامعة البترول Jāmiʿat al-Bitrūl), before 1986 as the University of Petroleum and Minerals, is a public research university in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Established in 1963 by King Saud bin Abdulalziz as the College of Petroleum and Minerals, it is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in Saudi Arabia and its science, engineering, business, and management programs are highly regarded in the country as well as in the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is King of Saudi Arabia, reigning since 2015 and had previously served as Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2022. The 25th son of King Abdulaziz, the founder of Saudi Arabia, he assumed the throne on 23 January 2015. Prior to his accession, he was Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia from 18 June 2012 to 23 January 2015. Salman is the third oldest living head of state, the oldest living monarch, and Saudi Arabia's first head of state born after the unification of Saudi Arabia. He has a reported personal wealth of at least $18 billion, which makes him the third wealthiest royal in the world and one of the wealthiest individuals in the world.
The King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH&RC) is a tertiary referral hospital in Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia.
The Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia is the chairman of the Council of Ministers and head of government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Prime Minister is always either the King of Saudi Arabia or Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been Prime Minister since 27 September 2022.
Muhammad bin Nayef Al Saud, colloquially known by his initials MBN or MbN, is a former Saudi Arabian politician and businessman who served as the crown prince and first deputy prime minister of Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2017 and as the minister of interior from 2012 to 2017.
The Saudi Council of Ministers is the cabinet of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is led by the King. The council consists of the king, the Crown Prince, and cabinet ministers. The Crown Prince is also the Prime minister and Chairman of the Council of Ministers. Since 2015, there are 23 ministers with portfolio and seven ministers of state, two of whom have special responsibilities. All members of the council are appointed by royal decree.
The Saudi National Security Council (SNSC) (Arabic: مجلس الأمن الوطني) was the body in charge of coordinating Saudi Arabia's national security, intelligence and foreign policy strategy. It was established in 2005 by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The first secretary general of the SNSC was Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the former Saudi Ambassador to the United States. The assistant secretary general of the SNSC was Prince Salman bin Sultan until 6 August 2013. The council was abolished by King Salman on 29 January 2015.
The e-Government in Saudi Arabia was established as per Royal Decree No. 7/B/33181 dated 7 September 2003. The e-Government was created by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. In 2005, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology created the e-Government Program Yesser with the ministry of finance and the Communications and Information Technology Commission. The portal offers around 2500 services for people of Saudi Arabia. The main goal of the service is to facilitate the transactions of citizens, residents and visitors by providing a quick and sufficient assistance. Moreover, Yesser contributes to encouraging governmental agencies in achieving a sustainable progress by improving efficiency and capacity.
The Ministry of Health, commonly abbreviated to MoH, is the ministry overseeing the health care and health policy of Saudi Arabia. The ministry is tasked with formulating strategies to ensure public health in the country, while also managing crucial health infrastructure.
The King of Saudi Arabia, officially the King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is the monarch and head of state/government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who holds absolute power. He is the head of the Saudi Arabian royal family, the House of Saud. The king is the supreme commander-in-chief of the Royal Saudi Armed Forces and the head of the Saudi national honors system. The king is called the "Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques", a title that signifies Saudi Arabia's jurisdiction over the mosques of Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and Al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina. The title has been used many times through the history of Islam. The first Saudi king to use the title was Faisal; however, King Khalid did not use the title after him. In 1986, King Fahd replaced "His Majesty" with the title of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and it has been since used by both King Abdullah and King Salman. The king has been named the most powerful and influential Muslim and Arab leader in the world according to the Muslim 500.
The Ministry of Energy is a government ministry in Saudi Arabia and part of the cabinet. It is responsible for developing and implementing policies concerning petroleum and related products. The Ministry of Energy is working to diversify the national energy mix used in electricity production, increasing the share of natural gas and renewable energy sources to approximately 50% by 2030 while reducing the use of liquid fuel.
The Ministry of Media is one of the governmental bodies of Saudi Arabia and part of the cabinet. The main function of the ministry is to regulate the media of Saudi Arabia and the communications between Saudi Arabia and other countries. It is headquartered in Riyadh.
The Saudi Council of Economic and Development Affairs is one of two subcabinets of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was established by King Salman to replace the Supreme Economic Council, and is led by the King Salman’s son and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, who holds additional roles such as Defense minister.
The Ministry of Sport, formerly the General Sports Authority, is a government ministry responsible for sports in Saudi Arabia. The Ministry of Sport was previously known as the General Sports Authority and before that as the General Presidency of Youth Welfare (GPYW), which was created in 1974.
The following lists events in the year 2019 in Saudi Arabia.
Ahmed bin Aqil al-Khateeb is a Saudi Arabian bureaucrat who has been serving as Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia since February 2020. He previously led the country's General Entertainment Authority as its inaugural president between May 2016 and June 2018 and was previously Minister of Health from January to April 2015. He is also a former advisor at the Saudi Royal Court and has served as the chairman of Saudi Arabian Military Industries as well as the Saudi Fund for Development.
The Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) (Arabic: الهيئة الملكية لمدينة الرياض), formerly the The Riyadh Development Authority (RDA) and The High Commission for the Development of Arriyadh, is a royal commission established in 1974 during the reign of King Faisal bin Abdulaziz which was tasked with overseeing urban, economic, social and cultural development of Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.
The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources (MIM) (Arabic: وزارة الصناعة والثروة المعدنية) is a Saudi government body responsible for the industry and mineral resources operations. The Ministry was established on 30 August 2019 after the separation of the Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources into the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources. The Ministry aims to diversify the economy of the Kingdom away from oil. Bandar Alkhorayef was appointed as the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources.
The Ministry of Tourism, before 2020 as the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH), till 2015 as the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) and prior to 2008 as the Supreme Commission for Tourism (SCT), is a government ministry in Saudi Arabia that is concerned with the tourism sector of the country. Established in the year 2000 through a royal decree by King Fahd, it was transformed into a ministry in 2020.
