sands of time

The Middle East is a culturally and historically rich region. Its' most pervasive characteristics are tied to the nomadic tribal tradition from which it emerged. A statistical analysis of development patterns highlights that nomadic ties are the most significant variable in determining the democratic tendency of states. In this case nomadism is statistically linked with authoritarianism. An examination of Middle Eastern nomadic practices shows that there are numerous cultural norms derived from nomadism that continue to permeate the political landscape of the Modern Middle East. The state of Saudi Arabia has been, and continues to be, the subject of continued academic misinterpretation as one model after another fails to understand the state. A simple reality is that the political culture of Saudi Arabia is crafted from its nomadic precursors, and the state is predisposed towards, from what has been labeled to be authoritarianism.