Editing Saudi Arabia (section)

=== 21st century ===
Signs of discontent included, in 2003 and 2004, a series of bombings and armed violence in Riyadh, Jeddah, Yanbu and Khobar.<ref name="Cordesman 2009">{{cite book |title=Saudi Arabia: National Security in a Troubled Region |first=Anthony H. |last=Cordesman |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-313-38076-1 |pages=50–52|publisher=Abc-Clio }}</ref> In February–April 2005, [[2005 Saudi Arabian municipal elections|the first-ever nationwide municipal elections]] were held in Saudi Arabia. Women were not allowed to take part.<ref name="Britannica history" />

In 2005, King Fahd died and was succeeded by Abdullah, who continued the policy of minimum reform and clamping down on protests. The king introduced economic reforms aimed at reducing the country's reliance on oil revenue: limited [[deregulation]], encouragement of foreign investment, and [[privatization]]. In February 2009, Abdullah announced a series of governmental changes to the judiciary, armed forces, and various ministries to modernize these institutions including the replacement of senior appointees in the judiciary and the [[Islamic religious police|Mutaween]] (religious police) with more moderate individuals and the appointment of the country's first female deputy minister.<ref name="Britannica history" />

On 29 January 2011, hundreds of protesters gathered in [[Jeddah]] in a rare display of criticism against the city's poor infrastructure after flooding killed 11 people.<ref name="Montreal">{{cite news|url=https://montrealgazette.com/news/Flood+sparks+rare+action/4189873/story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110201053307/http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Flood%2Bsparks%2Brare%2Baction/4189873/story.html |archive-date= 1 February 2011 |title=Flood sparks rare action |date=29 January 2011 |work=Reuters via [[The Gazette (Montreal)|Montreal Gazette]] |url-status=dead }}</ref> Police stopped the demonstration after about 15 minutes and arrested 30 to 50 people.<ref name="Reuters_Dozens_detained">{{cite news|title=Dozens detained in Saudi over flood protests |date=29 January 2011 |work=[[The Peninsula (newspaper)|The Peninsula]] (Qatar)/[[Thomson-Reuters]] |url=http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/middle-east/140720-dozens-detained-in-saudi-over-flood-protests.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110302150701/http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/middle-east/140720-dozens-detained-in-saudi-over-flood-protests.html |archive-date=2 March 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Since 2011, Saudi Arabia has been affected by its own [[2011–13 Saudi Arabian protests|Arab Spring protests]].<ref name="Fisk_troops">{{cite news|first=Robert |last=Fisk |title=Saudis mobilise thousands of troops to quell growing revolt |date=5 May 2011 |work=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/saudis-mobilise-thousands-of-troops-to-quell-growing-revolt-2232928.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110306080218/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/saudis-mobilise-thousands-of-troops-to-quell-growing-revolt-2232928.html |archive-date= 6 March 2011 |url-status=live |place=London }}</ref> In response, King Abdullah announced on 22 February 2011 a series of benefits for citizens amounting to $36 billion, of which $10.7 billion was earmarked for housing.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/oilprices/8344421/Saudi-ruler-offers-36bn-to-stave-off-uprising-amid-warning-oil-price-could-double.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/oilprices/8344421/Saudi-ruler-offers-36bn-to-stave-off-uprising-amid-warning-oil-price-could-double.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Saudi ruler offers $36bn to stave off uprising amid warning oil price could double |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=24 February 2011 |place=London }}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.arabianbusiness.com/saudi-king-gives-billion-dollar-cash-boost-housing-jobs--382623.html |title=Saudi king gives billion-dollar cash boost to housing, jobs – Politics & Economics |newspaper=Arabian Business |publisher=Bloomberg via ArabianBusiness.com |date=23 February 2011 |access-date=24 September 2013 |archive-date=2 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702061357/http://www.arabianbusiness.com/saudi-king-gives-billion-dollar-cash-boost-housing-jobs--382623.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.us-sabc.org/custom/news/details.cfm?id=957 |title=King Abdullah Returns to Kingdom, Enacts Measures to Boost the Economy |publisher=U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council |date=23 February 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928024630/http://www.us-sabc.org/custom/news/details.cfm?id=957 |archive-date=28 September 2013 }}</ref> No political reforms were included, though some prisoners indicted for financial crimes were pardoned.<ref name="AlJazeeraEnglishBenefits">{{cite news |title=Saudi king announces new benefits |url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/2011223105328424268.html |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=23 February 2011 |access-date=15 March 2011 |archive-date=6 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110806003657/http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/2011223105328424268.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Abdullah also announced a package of $93 billion, which included 500,000 new homes to a cost of $67 billion, in addition to creating {{gaps|60|000}} new security jobs.<ref name="theguardian1">{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/mar/18/saudi-arabia-job-housing-package |title=Saudi Arabia's king announces huge jobs and housing package |work=The Guardian |date=18 March 2011 |access-date=13 December 2016 |archive-date=18 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018122601/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/mar/18/saudi-arabia-job-housing-package |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Donna |last=Abu |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-18/saudi-arabian-king-abdullah-boosts-spending-as-protests-sweep-arab-world.html |title=Saudi King to Spend $67 Billion on Housing, Jobs in Bid to Pacify Citizens |publisher=Bloomberg |date=18 March 2011 |access-date=28 March 2024 |archive-date=26 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150126050910/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-18/saudi-arabian-king-abdullah-boosts-spending-as-protests-sweep-arab-world.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Although male-only [[Saudi Arabian municipal elections, 2011|municipal elections were held on 29 September 2011]],<ref name="alawsat_details">{{cite news |first=Abeed |last=al-Suhaimy |title=Saudi Arabia announces municipal elections |date=23 March 2011 |publisher=[[Asharq al-Awsat]] |url=http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=24616 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501185625/http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1 |archive-date=1 May 2011 |url-status=dead |access-date=14 December 2012 }}</ref><ref name="bloom_women">{{cite news|first=Donna |last=Abu-Nasr |title=Saudi Women Inspired by Fall of Mubarak Step Up Equality Demand |date=28 March 2011 |publisher=Bloomberg |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-28/saudi-women-inspired-by-revolt-against-mubarak-go-online-to-seek-equality.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110402043759/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-28/saudi-women-inspired-by-revolt-against-mubarak-go-online-to-seek-equality.html |archive-date= 2 April 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> Abdullah allowed women to vote and be elected in the [[Saudi Arabian municipal elections, 2015|2015 municipal elections]], and also to be nominated to the [[Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia|Shura Council]].<ref name="oman_observer_electionday">{{cite news|title=Saudis vote in municipal elections, results on Sunday |date=30 September 2011 |work=[[Oman Observer]] |agency=Agence France-Presse |url=http://main.omanobserver.om/node/66706 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119050656/http://main.omanobserver.om/node/66706 |archive-date=19 January 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>