eased wealth of his country would be directed toward long-term industrial and social welfare programs that would eventually benefit all sectors of the society and would secure Saudi Arabia as a permanent and important power in the Arab world. . . (Nyrop, 1984, 4).
Nyrop also notes that although Saudi Arabia was founded in this century, it has a heritage that is 1,300 years old and customs that are even more ancient. In the eighteenth century two rulers joined together to revive the spirit and practices of Islam as they were known in the seventh century. This heritage endured and was incorporated into the new Kingdom. Western powers have had economic interest in Saudi Arabia since the 1930s. To the Muslims of the world, the area has long been important because their two holiest cities are located there--Mecca, the city that holds Islam's most important shrine, and Medina, the city where the Prophet established his first community and laid the foundation of the Islamic nation. In spite of this, the area long remained isolated and seldom visited (Nyrop, 1984, pp. 3-4).
Abd al Aziz knew that his rule depended on the Wahhabi interpretation of Islam. His role, as perceived by the ulama, or religious scholars, was to preserve a divine nomocracy (rule by law) in Arabia. However, he wanted to improve relations with the great powers of the time, and he knew that a continuation of extremist religious policies would hinder this and the introduction of modern technology. From the first, then, Saudi Arabia has had to face the tensions between the religious underpinnings of the Saudi state and the desire and need for modernization (Nyrop, 1984, p. 30). The reign of Saud was regressive in some ways, for he lacked the personal qualities of his father but had to address the same problems. Saud did not have the understanding needed to be a strong ruler, and he secluded himself from the people and relied heavily on his advisers, many of w...