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The Margin★ Midterms 2026 · 124d
Africa & Middle East · reference

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

Absolute monarchy

SystemAbsolute monarchy
Head of stateKing Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Head of governmentPrime Minister Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler
LegislatureConsultative Assembly (Majlis ash-Shura) · 150 appointed members with advisory powers
ElectionsNo national elections · only limited municipal votes have ever been held

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman runs day-to-day rule and the Vision 2030 drive to diversify the world's largest oil exporter, from NEOM to entertainment and sports investment, while loosening social codes and centralising political control. The kingdom restored ties with Iran in 2023 and weighs normalisation with Israel against Palestinian statehood conditions. It will host the 2034 football World Cup.

Live encyclopedic leader and election records · verified 2026-07-02
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