Saudi Arabia, 2015–2024
Autocracy · Monarchy · Middle East · Present Day era
Saudi Arabia under Mohammed bin Salman, an absolute monarchy centralizing power around the crown prince while pursuing economic diversification and repression.
Under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia concentrated power more tightly around a single figure than in the kingdom’s traditional consensual monarchy, detaining rivals, clerics and activists while easing some social restrictions. The Vision 2030 program sought to diversify the oil economy. The period included the war in Yemen and the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Dominant patterns
- Authoritarian Shift
- Militarization
- Regime Stabilization
- External Expansion
- Great-Power Rivalry
Political-science factor profile
Each factor 0–100; higher = stronger authoritarian / crisis pole (except institutional stability, where higher = stronger institutions).
| Centralization of Power | 82 |
| Media Control | 78 |
| Repression | 80 |
| Nationalism | 68 |
| Militarization | 68 |
| Economic Stress | 40 |
| External Conflict | 62 |
| Cult of Personality | 72 |
| Elite Fragmentation | 35 |
| Institutions | 60 |
| Social Polarization | 48 |
| Corruption & Patrimonialism | 60 |
| Ideological Mobilization | 65 |
| External Sovereignty | 90 |
Economy & society
| GDP per capita | $49k (intl-$) |
| GDP growth | +2%/yr |
| Population | 35.0M people |
| Share of world population | 0.44% |
| Urban share | 84% |
| Life expectancy | 78 years |
Closest historical twins
The country-eras whose structural profile most resembles Saudi Arabia 2015–2024, by similarity score (0–100).
- Russia, 1825–1855 – similarity 95/100 · shared: Authoritarian Shift, Militarization, Regime Stabilization, External Expansion, Great-Power Rivalry
- Qing Dynasty, 1735–1796 CE – similarity 93/100 · shared: Authoritarian Shift, Militarization, Regime Stabilization, External Expansion, Great-Power Rivalry
- Neo-Assyrian Empire, 883–824 BCE – similarity 88/100 · shared: Authoritarian Shift, Militarization, Regime Stabilization, External Expansion
- Portugal, 1933–1974 – similarity 87/100 · shared: Authoritarian Shift, Militarization, Regime Stabilization, External Expansion
- Indonesia, 1966–1998 – similarity 87/100 · shared: Authoritarian Shift, Militarization, Regime Stabilization, Great-Power Rivalry
- Inca Empire, 1438–1533 CE – similarity 87/100 · shared: Authoritarian Shift, Militarization, Regime Stabilization, External Expansion, Great-Power Rivalry
- China, 1993–2004 – similarity 86/100 · shared: Authoritarian Shift, Militarization, Regime Stabilization, Great-Power Rivalry
- USSR, 1929–1953 – similarity 85/100 · shared: Authoritarian Shift, Militarization, Regime Stabilization, External Expansion
What followed
- Concentration of power around the crown prince.
- Top-down economic and social change under Vision 2030.