evidence: Saudi Arabia is a monarchy ruled by the Saud dynasty (Āl Saʿūd), a family whose status was established by its close ties with and support for the Wahhābī religious establishment. Islamic law, the Sharia, is the primary source of legislation, but the actual promulgation of legislation and implementation of policy is often mitigated by more mundane factors, such as political expediency, the inner politics of the ruling family, and the influence of intertribal politics, which remain strong in the modern kingdom.