Curious... why now?

Saudi king shakes up religious establishment
By DONNA ABU-NASR, Associated Press
14 Feb 2009
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – The Saudi king on Saturday dismissed the chief of the religious police and a cleric who condoned killing the owners of TV networks that broadcast "immoral" content, signaling an effort to weaken the country's hard-line Sunni establishment.

The shake-up — King Abdullah's first since coming to power in August 2005 — included the appointment of a female deputy minister, the highest government position a Saudi woman has attained.

The article notes that the Saudi King is not absolute, so had to get some consensus from the family & other key players...
BUT: did it take 3 years?

What I'm asking is: Why wasn't this move made while W reigned?

Why now?

In the best of all possible worlds, this will be the first of many liberalizing actions taken by the new monarch.