Few believe inside or out that a nation in which a single family sits in power and gilded splendour while many of its people languish in voteless poverty is sustainable in the long run.
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Adbul Aziz's death has set the stage for a transition of power at a critical moment as the key US ally in the Middle East struggles with falling oil prices and rising terrorists violence.
A member of the Saudi royal family faces execution after being found guilty of killing a local man, the Saudi crown prince has declared.