The Saudi Majlis Ash-Shura: Its National & International Roles.

• Author: O'Brien, Gary W.
• Position: Book review

The Saudi Majlis Ash-Shura: Its National & International Roles by Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Muhanna, Riyadh, 2009, 212 pages.

With the increased attention being given to the Middle East and their insurgent revolutions demanding more open and democratic societies, it is extremely beneficial to have up-to-date scholarly books pulling back the curtain on the legislative institutions within these autocratic regimes so we can learn more about their formal powers, how they are structured and operate, and how they relate to the broader civil society. Dr. Al-Muhanna, was born and still lives in Riyadh and has graduate degrees from George Washington University (U.S.A) and Durham University (U.K.). He has given us an excellent overview of one of the world's most intriguing parliamentary chambers, Saudi Arabia's Shura Council.

Anyone who visits the Shura Council is immediately overwhelmed not only by its state-of- the art architectural design combining the originality of Islamic and Western styles but by its modem technological infrastructure which includes computer screens at members' desks, electronic voting with fingerprint identification, televised plenary and committee proceedings, and large press rooms and public galleries. And anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know the members of the Shura Council cannot but be impressed with their intelligence, their training and their commitment to improving the economic and social conditions of their people.

Over 65 per cent of the 150 Council members hold doctoral degrees, many from top Western universities and about 20 per cent hold masters degrees. In terms of occupational backgrounds, about 40 per cent are in the academic and educational fields and over 30 per cent have worked in government ministries and institutions. They are by and large an impressive group of knowledgeable legislators.

In keeping with his Western-ased social science education, Dr. Al-Muhanna has taken a functional approach to his study of the Shura Council, focusing on its legislative and oversight functions. He also spends considerable time placing the chamber's roots within the country's Islamic heritage and cultural tradition. "Ash-hura" means consultation. Al-Muhanna writes that the Saudi ruler "should consult his people, because Allah ordered His Prophet ... to consult the Muslims by saying: 'and consult them in the affairs.' This order is directed to the Prophet, who was supported by revelations from...