Kingdoms in Crisis: The Hidden Arab Spring

Anti-monarchy protests in Qatif, Saudi Arabia, July 2012

The Middle East is one of the few parts of the world where feudalism is still in existence. While authoritarian regimes are common throughout the world, they typically do not use the language of feudalism to describe their power structures. Many states in the Middle East, however, are officially governed by a monarchy headed by a king. Some kings at least have the appearance of being liberal, with the monarchy being limited by a constitution (Bahrain) or a parliament (Jordan), while others assume absolute power (Saudi Arabia) like the medieval kings of legend.

Anti-monarchy protests in Budaiya, Bahrain, April 2012

Part of the reason these monarchies have remained in power is the support they receive from Western nations, especially the United States. Saudi Arabia is perhaps our most important ally in the region, no doubt due to their vast reserves of oil. This relationship dates back to an agreement made by President Franklin D. Roosevelt with the Saudi king, in which the US would promise to protect the monarchy in exchange for exclusive access to oil. Bahrain is also an important US ally, as a strategically located island in the Persian Gulf and home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet. Jordan maintains the appearance of being a liberal monarchy, but their close relations with the West are likely also the result of their border with Israel. All three monarchies are thus given diplomatic legitimacy because they serve Western interests.

Protests against economic policies in Jordan, November 2012

One would think that countries governed under feudal regimes would be ripe for the recent wave of popular unrest known as the Arab Spring. While there have been large protests in all three of these monarchies, none have been successful in toppling the government. This can be explained, at least in part, by the support the regimes enjoy from Western governments and media. Far from being supported by US officials, these protests went virtually undetected by major news networks. Even AlJazeera, a reputable source of news in the Arab world, was criticized for unequal coverage of the protests in these countries. The fact that the network is owned by the Emir of Qatar, another Middle Eastern monarch, likely has something to do with this apparent bias. For now, the dream of a free and democratic Middle East remains a distant goal, but the progress made in the past few years is no small achievement and may yet keep Arab hopes alive.