GUWonder

The rate of US visa denials and the amount of visa delays increased for Saudi Arabia in the most recent ten calendar year period over what they were in the prior ten calendar year period. And that's with people being dissuaded from applying, including for reasons related to the US increasing the costs in time and money to apply for a visa. [For example, at this time in 2001, people in Saudi Arabia were able to routinely get US visas issued without the passport bearer having to personally spend time and money to visit a US embassy/consulate facility to get a US visa themselves; and the chances of being asked to return with more information has increased substantially too.]

With regard to Saudi Arabia and where things are headed, things are now such that Turkey is more likely to get approved sooner for the US VWP than Saudi Arabia. At this time in 2000 or 2001, the idea of Turkey getting into the VWP before Saudi Arabia would have been considered a joke by many -- its consideration is not that kind of joke any longer (in part due to Turkey's economic growth rates in recent years).

The US and Canada are far worse in pestering "dark-skinned" ethnic minority foreigners with questions on arrival (questions that often have nothing to do with the contents of their belongings) than any OECD country (English-speaking or not) or any English-speaking non-OECD country. [The UK, Australia and New Zealand try, but the US and Canada "lead" the way in being worse.] The runner up for harassment of such foreigners: Poland. Poland even as it's poorer per capita than the countries whose minorities Poland passport control types hassle rather often (even when exiting the EU Schengen zone from there to go directly to richer or poorer countries than Poland).

Trying to measure the (un)civilized nature of a state? Then try to figure out how badly the state's agents treats the targets of popular hatred. One place to look: at embassies/consulates and airports that are ports of entry, both being places where some people get (mis)treated by agents of the state.