A Comparative Study of the Role of the Nation-State Building Process in the Middle East Crises; a Case Study of the Crisis in Bahrain, Iraq and Yemen

Abstract

Political stability has always been the most important concern of the states. Political stability is equal with lack of serious threats and challenges that can put country in danger. Due to multiple reasons like; the lack of democratic governments, revolutionary movements, globalization and expansion of communications, rentier states, improper nation-state building and other factors, Gulf countries are experiencing instability in the region and also inside their countries. As one of the Gulf countries, Saudi Arabia has a closed political-social system. Despite all Saudi leaders strive for advancing reforms, Wahhabi leaders started to expand the Wahhabi principles and conservatism. Still, reforms continued to its execution with Bin-Salman's leadership in King Salman's era and later when Bin-Salman himself seized the power in 2017, continued with much more intensity and enthusiasm. These reforms were including; curbing Wahhabi leaders, concentrating on generational changes, cultural and social reforms for women, enhancing the civil freedoms, economic reforms using document of future perspective, setting limits for members of the royal family, and strive for proper nation-state building. Consequently, in this essay we attend to investigate the political reforms of Bin-Salman in Saudi Arabia and its impacts on country's political stability.