While Saudi Arabia is a monarchy, it is also a theocracy, arguably a more strict theocracy than the semi-democratic Shi’ite theocracy in Iran. The royal family and the extremist Sunni clerics who have carte blanche to impose absurd decrees with royal patronage have a symbiotic relationship. How long can the system last? Cats and Dogs in Riyadh The latest news on this front is ban on the sales of dogs and cats as pets, and a related ban on walking them in public, because men use them to attrac