Saudis see how well the UAE are doing and want to jump on the bus. It's still going to be a medieval legal and political system, just with a shinier glossy exterior.
The problem with the ME was always been the fundamentalists. The Saudis cut a deal with them to finance them and look the other way, so long as they left the Saudi government alone. Problem is, fundamentalists of any religion are often insane and will happily bite the hand that feeds them, because on some random Tuesday, apparently God wills it.
The Saudis think they'll be able to slowly draw down the power of the fundamentalists. We'll see. The economic prosperity generally is more stabilizing. The power that a healthy economy gives the Saudis a lot more options. I'll be happy if Saudi Arabia becomes a civilized country, but I suspect it will take a long time.
