Can you please explain the reasons for the abundance of freedoms in Saudi Arabia?

Walid Al-Ibrahim, the brother-in-law of King Fahd, and the owner of MBC and Al-Arabiyyah, maintains that the reasons for the "high ceilings of freedoms" in the Saudi Kingdom--which we all can attest to--is due to directives from the illiterate Saudi King.  I am not making this up and the sleazy website of Al-Arabiyyah carried this "story" as a lead.