Saudi Intellectuals Call for Sweeping Reforms

Summary

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More than 100 leading Saudi academics and activists urged King Abdullah to enact sweeping reforms, including setting up a constitutional monarchy, and he ordered Sunday that government sector workers with temporary contracts be given permanent jobs to pre-empt the unrest that has engulfed other Arab nations.

The activists' statement, seen on several Saudi websites Sunday, reflects the undercurrent of tension that has simmered for years in the world's largest oil producer. While Abdullah is seen as a reformer, the pace of those reforms has been slow as Saudi officials balance the need to push the country forward with the perennial pressure from hard-line clergy in the conservative nation.

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Saudi Intellectuals Call for Sweeping Reforms

"The current situation ... is full of reasons for concern," sa...

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