Ever since January the Arab world has enjoyed a single season: spring. On paper, at least. Folks in Oslo are seriously considering giving the Nobel Peace Prize to the young bloggers who helped oust Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Hosni Mubarak and Moammar Gadhafi. They are doing so despite the realization by much of the world that Egypt, Tunisia and Libya's spring may in fact be cloud-covered and rainy. Either way, the irony is that while Saudi King Abdullah obstructs the Arab Spring in the Gulf region and stands opposed to openness and social change in the region, he has in fact given the Arab Spring its greatest tangible gift. Not money, for a change. Abdullah has given women the right to vote. Saudi Arabia was displeased, to put it mildly, with the mass demonstrations in the Arab street. The conservative kingdom watched the collapse of Arab regimes closely and with great worry. As the dominos fell closer, the king was forced to react. He told his American allies not to touch his backyard. This allowed him to physically suppress the Shiite rebellion in Bahrain (Saudi forces took part in dispersing demonstrations) and to give refuge to Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh (who has since returned home). He also extinguished the sparks of a Shiite rebellion in eastern Saudi Arabia without anyone so much as lifting an eyebrow. This occurred in March, at the same time that he distributed a slew of economic favors to his citizens. At the time, America and the West were more concerned with events in north Africa -- in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya -- leaving the Saudis with greater freedom of action in their direct sphere of influence. Beyond Saudi oil and a constructive relationship, the reason they did so was because the West did not want to weaken Iran's great rival in the Muslim world. Here is the paradox: Of all the events in the Arab world since January, the Saudi decision to allow women to vote and run for office at the municipal level is the most significant. Keep in mind that women in the conservative kingdom are not allowed to drive, work or leave the country without their husbands. Suddenly the king announces that starting in 2015 they will be able to participate in municipal elections. The king explained that he is not overstepping religious boundaries. As sharia law prohibits women from holding leadership positions in the government, he decided, in consultation with religious leaders, to include them as partners on the municipal level. In effect, women are, for the first time in history, entering the political arena in Saudi Arabia. The White House, obviously, applauded the decision. The move is significant in the context of the debate over the nature of the Arab Spring. Those concerned about changes in the Arab world have cast doubt on the ability of those societies to switch gears and become democracies in the near- to medium-term. Saudi Arabia's move, however, proves that social change is coming, even if it takes many years.
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