Therule of lawbasically means government according to established laws and principles which are not applied in arbitrary ways. Several specific problems impede the rule of law in Arab countries:

• There is a tendency in most Arab countries to apply laws selectively and officials often exercise a wide measure of discretion in their application.

• The powerful and wealthy can often influence the law to their own advantage – over-riding the principle that no one should be above the law.

• Corruption andwasta(use of "connections", especially family ties) often lead to the law being circumvented.

• There is a considerable degree of political control over the judiciary.

• In some countries, such as Saudi Arabia, the law is not fully codified, resulting in inconsistent decisions by individual judges.

See also pages oncorruptionandwasta.