King Abdullah

Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz al-Saud, late king of Saudi Arabia, was one of the most powerful monarchs in the world. King Abdullah, who died in 2015 at the age of 90, was an absolute monarch, meaning his power was not limited by a constitution, law, or other governing body.

One of King Abdullah's most complex responsibilities was balancing Saudi Arabia's conservative traditions with modern culture.

Saudi Arabia is a profoundly religious nation. Its official religion is Islam, and the Quran, the Muslim holy book, serves as the country's constitution. In fact, King Abdullah's only official title was Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, referring to mosques in the Saudi cities of Mecca and Medina, the two holiest places in Islam. Shariah, the Islamic moral code, is the legal code of Saudi Arabia.

Saudi interpretation of Shariah includes strict limitations on the rights of women. All women must have a male guardian, for instance—usually her husband, brother, father, or son. These guardians control when and how women travel, work, and receive health care and education.

King Abdullah slowly expanded women's rights. Saudi Arabia is becoming a modern, industrialized nation and about 18 percent of Saudi women work outside the home, mostly in urban areas. The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology is open to both men and women. Norah al-Faiz, Saudi Arabia's first female member of the Council of Ministers, represents the interests of women's education.

In 2011, King Abdullah made the monumental decree that women would be allowed to vote and run for office in the next elections, scheduled for 2015.

Women are still not allowed to drive, however, and the "right-to-drive" is often seen as a major symbol of independence. Just two days after being granted the right to vote, a woman in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was sentenced to 10 lashes for driving without a chaperone.