A few rumblings from that country, rioting by foreign workers...

Could it be caught up by the current winds of Middle Eastern/North African change?

For a hypothetical, lets assume it does.

Who are the most likely to take over?

What are the repercussions?

It could and should fall as IMO the Wahhabists foment alot of the extremism in the Islamic world. Ironically, I think it is the one place the US may draw the line and wish to intervene. I'm not sure that any kind of intervention is tenable however. Better to see who's left standing and form the best alliances one can.

You are thinking the unthinkable. I admit, the thought has crossed my mind but I quickly put it out--like a young boy thinking about sex during a Church service.

First, intervention by any non-Arab country would be next to impossible. The country is the site of too many Islamic holy sites. Infidels are not welcomes. It would make even the most liberal Islamic countries bristle with ire. Not an option.

Second, even if it there was a change in gov't and it was relatively peaceful (which is doubtful), it would make the financial markets around the world go bezerk. An interruption of oil flow from Saudi Arabia would have a real global impact.

Now, on the positive side, it might get rid of that pesky little blue diamond problem that has been plaguing Thailand for so long.

All I did in Church was think about sex. Is that unusual?

About Saudi Arabia falling. Maybe they should hire Gaddafi to handle security. He does not pussyfoot around.

I think the Saudis can handle a few public executions on their own.

I think the Saudis can handle a few public executions on their own.

Indeed they can. I've witnessed as much and it's enough for this life.

I wrote the post below in the topic in WORLD NEWS:

King Abdullah returns to Saudi Arabia and announces new benefits for citizens:

.scared as they are that the unrest in the other Arab countries could spread to Saudi Arabia...

A country with 25 million people of which 5 million are non-Saudis.

With a work force of 7.3 million but of which 80% is non-Saudi.

And a GDP/per Capita of $ 24.200 in 2010 but I doubt if that also counts for the 80% workforce out of those 7.3 million

Go figure.

Facts from:

https://www.cia.gov/...ok/geos/sa.html

LaoPo

******

If on January 1, 2011 (7-8 weeks ago) anybody would have said that Tunisia (10 Million people) would have fallen, Egypt's (82 Million people) Mubarak would have stepped down.....you would have been put in a van by men in white uniforms, taking you away and put you in a mental hospital.

Just one week ago I said to myself "No way they can move Ghadaffi out of his chair" and although he's still around somewhere..boy, was I wrong.

Lybia with 6.4 million people of which 166.000 non-nationals.

ANYTHING can happen now, also in Saudi Arabia , Yemen (23,5 M), Bahrain (738.000 people of which 70% Shi'ites and 30% minority are Sunni with the King + 235.000 non nationals) and , Syria ( 22,2 M people), Jordan (6,4 M people), Algeria ( 34,5 M people) and Morocco with (31,6 M people)

Next to that: a large % of the citizens of those countries are very young without proper jobs and income. .

We haven't seen it all yet I'm afraid.

LaoPo

There was a time when no one thought the USSR would ever dissolve either - at least by non-nuclear means..

Next to that: a large % of the citizens of those countries are very young without proper jobs and income. .

Without proper education as well.

Which makes them easy fodder for the few (in power or wanting power) who are educated and motivated.

Next to that: a large % of the citizens of those countries are very young without proper jobs and income. .

Without proper education as well.

Which makes them easy fodder for the few (in power or wanting power) who are educated and motivated.

One very large problem with the Saudi working force is...they don't think they have to start at the bottom.

Many young Saudis could and would be hired if they were willing to start at sweeping the floors at McDonald's or washing dishes at Burger King. Until just the past 2-3 years you would never find a young Saudi doing menial work, as we all have had to do in our working life. They wanted to start out with a private office, big desk and a red telephone.

Hopefully things will gradually change.

Next to that: a large % of the citizens of those countries are very young without proper jobs and income. .

Without proper education as well.

Which makes them easy fodder for the few (in power or wanting power) who are educated and motivated.

One very large problem with the Saudi working force is...they don't think they have to start at the bottom.

Many young Saudis could and would be hired if they were willing to start at sweeping the floors at McDonald's or washing dishes at Burger King. Until just the past 2-3 years you would never find a young Saudi doing menial work, as we all have had to do in our working life. They wanted to start out with a private office, big desk and a red telephone.

Hopefully things will gradually change.

Back in the day I used to work for BP Tanker Co. We used to give training journeys to Kuwaitis who been training as Deck Officers. We had one guy join a ship at Mina Sea Island. The Old Man told him he'd be standing 12 to 4 watches with the Second Mate. He was ok with this until he realised that that meant 12 noon to 4pm AND midnight to 4am. He upped and left and we never saw him again

Next to that: a large % of the citizens of those countries are very young without proper jobs and income. .

Without proper education as well.

Which makes them easy fodder for the few (in power or wanting power) who are educated and motivated.

One very large problem with the Saudi working force is...they don't think they have to start at the bottom.

Many young Saudis could and would be hired if they were willing to start at sweeping the floors at McDonald's or washing dishes at Burger King. Until just the past 2-3 years you would never find a young Saudi doing menial work, as we all have had to do in our working life. They wanted to start out with a private office, big desk and a red telephone.

Hopefully things will gradually change.

Back in the day I used to work for BP Tanker Co. We used to give training journeys to Kuwaitis who been training as Deck Officers. We had one guy join a ship at Mina Sea Island. The Old Man told him he'd be standing 12 to 4 watches with the Second Mate. He was ok with this until he realised that that meant 12 noon to 4pm AND midnight to 4am. He upped and left and we never saw him again

I retired from Saudi in 2008 but before we left Riyadh, I noticed quite a few young Saudi men had taken jobs at retail outlets in the malls and some fast food places. The Burger King near our housing compound had several of them. They were friendly, spoke good English and seemed to genuinely enjoy their jobs.

There are many jobs for young Saudi men, but they have to accept non-managerial positions to start.

What is the social structure amongst native Saudis there?

Are they mainly middle to high income families?

Is college education readily available?

It's a bit of a mystery country to me, most of my knowledge comes from... err... friendships... with Filipina girls who worked there for rich families.

The Saudis are planning a 'Day of Rage' on March 11. The King has increased salaries by 15% and also given other benefits, but it remains to be seen if this will be sufficient to prevent problems.

What is the social structure amongst native Saudis there?

Are they mainly middle to high income families?

Is college education readily available?

It's a bit of a mystery country to me, most of my knowledge comes from... err... friendships... with Filipina girls who worked there for rich families.

There are many rich Saudi families, outside the Royal family.

There are quite a few middle-income families who are in business, doctors, lawyers, engineers and so on.

There are poor families who are dependent on the leaders of their clan/tribe for income.

There is a real mix of income levels, but the social hierarchy has prevented many of the poor from climbing higher. As a tribe each of the Bedu are nominally rich in land, but that is a community richness, not an individual wealth source.

Too many of the young Saudis have been raised in expectation of having wealth rain down on them without any effort to earn it. I built mansions for Mohammed Sharbatly (the banana king of Saudi) and his sons. He was a very pleasant gentleman, who knew exactly what he wanted and worked damned hard to achieve it. His sons were arrogant louts.

But the population is increasing rapidly (poor television, no cinemas/theatres/discos) and the youngsters are increasing exponentially.

Saudis mobilise thousands of troops to quell growing revolt

By Robert Fisk, Middle East Correspondent

Saturday, 5 March 2011

Saudi Arabia was yesterday drafting up to 10,000 security personnel into its north-eastern Shia Muslim provinces, clogging the highways into Dammam and other cities with busloads of troops in fear of next week's "day of rage" by what is now called the "Hunayn Revolution".

Saudi Arabia's worst nightmare – the arrival of the new Arab awakening of rebellion and insurrection in the kingdom – is now casting its long shadow over the House of Saud. Provoked by the Shia majority uprising in the neighbouring Sunni-dominated island of Bahrain, where protesters are calling for the overthrow of the ruling al-Khalifa family, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia is widely reported to have told the Bahraini authorities that if they do not crush their Shia revolt, his own forces will.

Full article at link

Tick-tock-tick-tock.

Saudis mobilise thousands of troops to quell growing revolt

By Robert Fisk, Middle East Correspondent

Saturday, 5 March 2011

Saudi Arabia was yesterday drafting up to 10,000 security personnel into its north-eastern Shia Muslim provinces, clogging the highways into Dammam and other cities with busloads of troops in fear of next week's "day of rage" by what is now called the "Hunayn Revolution".

Saudi Arabia's worst nightmare – the arrival of the new Arab awakening of rebellion and insurrection in the kingdom – is now casting its long shadow over the House of Saud. Provoked by the Shia majority uprising in the neighbouring Sunni-dominated island of Bahrain, where protesters are calling for the overthrow of the ruling al-Khalifa family, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia is widely reported to have told the Bahraini authorities that if they do not crush their Shia revolt, his own forces will.

Full article at link

This article should have been clearly marked as an 'editorial'. It was presented as a news article.

The closing sentence reads thusly...

"This week's protests in the kingdom will therefore affect us all – but none more so than the supposedly conservative and definitely hypocritical pseudo-state, run by a company without shareholders called the House of Saud."

For the record, the Shiites in Saudi Arabia have been trying to overthrow the ruling Sunni family since 1932.

Again, there's more behind this than religious differences.

The Eastern Province is the heartland of Shia Islam in Saudi Arabia, also the heartland of the oil wealth. Now the gas fields in the Gulf are also in the area.

So the wealth of the Kingdom is concentrated in a few small areas in the country, with a basically different culture to the majority, but subservient to that majority.

It is not all about religion - in fact it is all about wanting a bigger slice of the cake. Iran's influence in this area is - and always has been - large. They would like nothing better than to see the Saudi oil, the Iraqi oil and the trade routes in the area come under their control. The Arabs could then go back to walking around the deserts behind their goats, while Iran held the entire world to hydrocarbon ransom.

It is not all about religion - in fact it is all about wanting a bigger slice of the cake.

which seems to be a rather fair demand. Shias in al-Hasa (and anywhere else in Saudi Arabia) were always at a disadvantage in many respects compared to wahhabi Sunnis.

It is not all about religion - in fact it is all about wanting a bigger slice of the cake.

which seems to be a rather fair demand. Shias in al-Hasa (and anywhere else in Saudi Arabia) were always at a disadvantage in many respects compared to wahhabi Sunnis.

Don't deny that - blame the British and French who backed the Al Saud family against the Husseini from Jidda. Yet T E Lawrence was bum-chums with the Husseini. Maybe that is why they were given Jordan and Iraq to rule over.