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.
complicated.
traditional or reluctant to change.
system of ideas and general laws that guide a nation, state, or other organization.
learned behavior of people, including their languages, belief systems, social structures, institutions, and material goods.
formal or legal order.
selection of people to public office by vote.
to grow or get larger.
to make public-policy decisions for a group or individuals.
someone who protects or takes legal responsibility for another person.
system for addressing the physical health of a population.
to develop large-scale factories and plants (industry).
to explain or understand the meaning of something.
religion based on the words and philosophy of the prophet Mohammed.
male monarch.
public rule.
the leader of an area of government. In the U.S., ministers are called secretaries.
king or queen.
very large, serious, and important.
place of worship in the Muslim or Islamic religion.
having to do with local government.
having to do with Islam, the religion based on the words and philosophy of the prophet Mohammed.
powerful or insightful.
holy book of the Islamic religion.
a system of spiritual or supernatural belief.
specific freedom or opportunity granted to an individual or organization based on the law.
set of laws based on the Quran and other Islamic sources.
always or almost always following limits, rules, or regulations.
something used to represent something else.
beliefs, customs, and cultural characteristics handed down from one generation to the next.