As a Saudi woman, I personally believe that democracy is an effective form of governance. However, it is certainly not the only effective form of governance out there, no matter how much the west likes to believe so.
Here in Saudi Arabia, our social structure is tribal, and it is through this identity our politics is defined. The king is chosen through a process that is called Bay’ah, an oath of allegiance to a king. A king cannot rule the country if the members of Bay’ah do not approve of him.
Additionally, there is a robust social contract between the royal family and the people where the royal family guarantees security, stability, and high living standards for all (free medical care, free education, subsidized gas and water prices, etc.), and where the people work to keep social and political stability.
Therefore, Saudi Arabia is one of the most socially and politically stable countries in the world, although being located in a turbulent region that is the Middle East.
