Until 1979 they were. As quick as it changed it could change back if the poltical pressures change. All it would take would be Iran/Israel making peace which would push the Saudis into the bad guys role.
A worthwhile watch is the music video for Khruangbin's Maria También. It takes pre-revolutionary video of female pop stars and systematically erases them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hlGqj3ImQI