in 2005, king fahd died and was succeeded by abdullah, who continued the policy of minimum reform and clamping down on protests. the king introduced a number of economic reforms aimed at reducing the country's reliance on oil revenue: limited deregulation, encouragement of foreign investment, and privatization. in february 2009, abdullah announced a series of governmental changes to the judiciary, armed forces, and various ministries to modernize these institutions including the replacement of senior appointees in the judiciary and the mutaween (religious police) with more moderate individuals and the appointment of the country's first female deputy minister.