Politics Ledger · Middle East & North Africa

Saudi Arabia

Closed autocracyAbsolute monarchyUnitaryState ideology: Islamic monarchy, increasingly framed as Saudi nationalism.
Updated todaysource: Curated
curated|
Updated todaysource: Curated
estimate
In charge
Mohammed bin Salman
Crown Prince and Prime Minister
Time in power
4.1 yrs
since 2022
Government seats
100%
majority
Next national vote
None
None scheduled (no national elections)
Governance score
20/100
composite of five indices

The Saudi state grew from an 18th-century alliance between the Al Saud dynasty and the Wahhabi religious movement. Oil wealth funded a rentier monarchy; Mohammed bin Salman is now centralising power and pursuing a rapid social and economic overhaul.

Leadership

Who Governs Saudi Arabia

Head of state
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
King and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
Since 23 January 2015 · 11.8 years
Age 91 (born 1935)ManRoute to power: hereditary
Head of government
Holds executive power
Mohammed bin Salman
Crown Prince and Prime Minister
Since 27 September 2022 · 4.1 years
Age 41 (born 1985)ManRoute to power: appointed
Ruling coalition
House of Saud, with the religious establishment as junior partner
Main opposition
None permitted; dissidents abroad
Last national election
12 December 2015
Municipal councils

First vote in which women could vote and stand.

Next national election
None scheduled
None scheduled (no national elections)

MBS is the de facto ruler. In 2026 the kingdom signed and invoked the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement with Turkey and Pakistan amid Houthi attacks.

Parliament

Majlis al-Shura (appointed, advisory)

Seat distribution (Appointed 2024 term), ordered from economic left to right.

PartyIdeologySeatsRole
Appointed Shura members (parties banned) (SHURA)Royal appointees150governing
Ideology

Party Landscape

Each party placed on economic and social axes, sized by seats.

Institutions

The System

Official name
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Capital
Riyadh
Population
35 million
Statehood
Kingdom unified 1932; Basic Law of Governance 1992
System
Absolute monarchy
Structure
Unitary
Current constitution
1992
Legislature
Consultative Assembly
Lower / sole chamber
Majlis al-Shura (appointed, advisory) (150 seats)
Electoral system
No national elections; municipal councils partly elected.
Term limits
None; succession among male descendants of Ibn Saud, overseen by the Allegiance Council.

Sources

  • Saudi Press Agency
  • Reuters, Aug-Oct 2026
  • EIU Democracy Index 2024; Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2025; RSF World Press Freedom Index 2025; Transparency International CPI 2024; IPU Parline, 2026; V-Dem v15 Liberal Democracy Index (approximate five-year readings)

Last verified 2026-10-29. Party placements are editorial estimates.

Data as of 2026-10-29.