Word: saud
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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Domestically, the ruling House of Saud faces some rising discontent from a middle class that remains shut out of political power. In what remains a largely feudal society with a complex system of consensus building, the technocrats and businessmen who emerged during the boom years lack modern forums in which to vent their views sufficiently. Many young Saudis, particularly those educated in the West, are increasingly frustrated by their elders' refusal to allow them any governmental voice...
...many women are striving to push their way into the 1980s. A growing number are refusing to wear a veil in public, and some run businesses and are entering professions and occupations in which they work side by side with men. At King Saud University, female students still attend classes on a separate campus and listen to lectures from male professors over closed-circuit TV. But beneath their veiled garments, many are outfitted in tight skirts, spike heels and snug-fitting tops and resemble nothing so much as Brooke Shields look- alikes. The coeds are becoming more aggressive...
Despite its myriad problems, the House of Saud remains firmly entrenched and popular. In a kingdom in which 5,000 princes have a vested interest in preserving the political system, the chances of major change seem remote. Nonetheless, Fahd is sometimes criticized as indecisive and too subservient to religious authorities. The health of the 64-year-old King, a diabetic who craves sweets, smokes cigarettes and is overweight, is a matter of concern. So is the condition of Crown Prince Abdullah, 62, the first in line of succession, who is reportedly scheduled to have coronary-bypass surgery...
Politically, however, Saudi Arabia remains stable. The House of Saud is closely allied with the country's religious leadership and controls the key sectors of the economy. Most observers agree that oil prices could fall much further without affecting the family's rule...
Halfway around the world from Cancun, a similar flurry of nervous consultation took place. In the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh, Hussain Lwasani, the Iranian Foreign Ministry's director for African and Arab affairs, met with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al Faisal. Lwasani's mission, said a Saudi spokesman, was "related to the current oilmarket situation." A day later, Major Khoualdy Humaidi, a member of Libyan Strongman Muammar Gaddafi's governing Revolutionary Command Council, showed up for a session with Saudi King Fahd. Later, it was announced that the 13-member Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries would hold...