In recent years, however, citizens of the Gulf have increasingly enjoyed access to alternative news and information via satellite television and the Internet, making rigid state controls over information seem increasingly obsolete. Saudi Arabia, the largest and most influential member of the GCC, is one of the most politically closed societies in the world. Dissent is not tolerated, and there are no political parties or democratic elections. Not surprisingly, the press is uncritically supportive of the regime and its policies. In order to keep close watch over the press, the Saudi Ministry of Information approves the hiring of editors and can dismiss them at will.
Papers receive generous government subsidies, increasing their dependence on the state.
The authorities monitor foreign publications entering the kingdom, censoring news deemed to offend Islam or cast the kingdom in a negative light. Foreign journalists continue to face difficulty getting into the country, let alone conducting investigative work. These limitations help explain the dearth of general knowledge about domestic Saudi affairs. The Internet made its Saudi debut in 1999 and has continued to grow. However, the government filters all Web content through a proxy server that is supposed to weed out information deemed by authorities to be socially or politically undesirable.