Monarchies are by definition not democratic. They are, however, more stable than anything else in the Middle East and North Africa at the moment… Hosni Mubarak noted, “The Iraqis were incapable of democracy; you don’t understand them like I do; they need a general to rule them.”
But now the “big men” in the “fake republics” have almost all been overthrown while the monarchs remain. The kings on their thrones have staying power and they are not come-latelies. They have tradition on their side, at least.