Saudi Arabia (officially
Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia, also called simply
Arabia or
Saudi), is an
Arab country and
the largest country of the
Arabian
Peninsula ----.
It is bordered by Jordan
on the
northwest, Iraq
on the north
and northeast, Kuwait
, Qatar
, Bahrain
, and the
United Arab
Emirates
on the east, Oman
on the
southeast, and Yemen
on the
south. The Persian Gulf
lies to the northeast and the Red Sea
to its
west. It has an estimated population of 28.7 million, and
its size is approximately .
The
Kingdom is sometimes called "The Land of the Two Holy Mosques" in
reference to Mecca
and Medinah, the two holiest places in Islam. In English, it is most commonly referred
to as
Saudi Arabia ( or ).
The current Kingdom
was founded by Abdul-Aziz bin
Saud, whose efforts began in 1902 when he captured the
Al-Saud’s ancestral home of Riyadh
, and
culminated in 1932 with the proclamation and recognition of the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, though its national origins go back as far
as 1744 with the establishment of the First Saudi State
.
Saudi Arabia is the world's leading
petroleum exporter.
Petroleum exports fuel the
Saudi economy. Oil accounts for more
than 90 percent of exports and nearly 75 percent of government
revenues, facilitating the creation of a
welfare state, which the government has found
difficult to fund during periods of low
oil prices.
History
Although the region in which the country stands today has an
ancient history, the emergence of
the Saudi dynasty began in central Arabia in 1744.
That year, Muhammad ibn Saud, the ruler of the town
of Ad-Dir'iyyah
near Riyadh, joined
forces with a cleric, Muhammad ibn Abd-al-Wahhab, to
create a new political entity. This alliance formed in the
18th century remains the basis of Saudi Arabian dynastic rule
today.
Over the next 150 years, the fortunes of the
Saud family rose and fell several times as Saudi rulers contended
with Egypt
, the
Ottoman Empire, and other Arabian
families for control on the peninsula (see First Saudi
State and Second Saudi
State). The third and current Saudi state was founded in
the early 20th century by King
Abdul Aziz Al Saud (known
internationally as
Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud).
First Saudi State (1744–1818)
The
first Saudi State was established in 1744 when Muhammad ibn Abd-al-Wahhab
settled in Diriyah and Prince
Muhammed Ibn Saud agreed to
support and espouse his cause in the hope of cleansing Islamic
practices of heresy. The
House of
Saud and its allies rose to become the dominant state in Arabia
controlling most of the
Nejd, but neither
coast. This Saudi state lasted for about seventy-five years.
Concerned at the growing power of the Saudis, the
Ottoman Sultan instructed
Mohammed Ali Pasha to reconquer the area.
Ali sent his sons
Tusun Pasha and
Ibrahim Pasha who were successful in
routing the Saudi forces in 1818. It would only be a few years
before the Sauds would return to power, forming the
Second Saudi State.
Second Saudi State (1824–1891)
After a
rebuilding period following the ending of the First Saudi
State, the House of Saud
returned to power in the Second Saudi State in
1824. The state lasted until 1891 when it succumbed
to the Al Rashid and Al
Sabhan both the dynasty of Ha'il
.
1900s to present day
The Third Saudi state was founded by the late King
Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia.
In 1902
Ibn Saud captured Riyadh, the Al-Saud
dynasty's ancestral capital, from the rival Al-Rashid family. Continuing his
conquests, Abdul Aziz subdued Al-Hasa
, the rest of Nejd, and the
Hejaz between 1913 and 1926.
Boundaries with Jordan, Iraq, andKuwait were
established by a series of treaties negotiated in the 1920s, with
two "neutral zones" created, one with
Iraq and the other with Kuwait. On
January 8, 1926 Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud became the King of Hejaz. On
January 67, 1927 he took the title King of Nejd (his previous Nejdi
title was Sultan).
By the Treaty of
Jeddah, signed on May 20, 1927, the United Kingdom
recognized the independence of Abdul Aziz's realm
(then known as the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd). In 1932,
these regions were unified as the
Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia. The discovery of
oil on
March 3, 1938 transformed the country. The country's southern
boundary with Yemen was partially defined by the 1934
Treaty of Taif, which ended a
brief border war between the two
states.
Abdul Aziz's military and political successes were not mirrored
economically until vast reserves of
oil
were discovered in March 1938. Development programmes, which were
delayed due to the onset of the
Second
World War in 1939, began in earnest in 1946 and by 1949
production was in full swing. Oil has provided Saudi Arabia with
economic prosperity and a great deal of leverage in the
international community.
Prior to his death in 1953, Abdul Aziz, aware of the difficulties
facing other regional absolute rulers reliant on extended family
networks, attempted to regulate the succession.
Saud succeeded to the throne on his father's death in 1953.
However, by the early 1960s the Kingdom was in jeopardy due to
Saud's economic mismanagement and failure to deal effectively with
a regional challenge from Egyptian president
Gamal Abdel Nasser. As a consequence,
Saud was deposed in favour of Faisal in 1964.
Intra-family rivalry was one of the factors that led to the
assassination of Faisal by his nephew,
Prince Faisal bin Musa'id, in 1975. He
was succeeded by
King Khalid
until 1982 and then by
King
Fahd. When Fahd died in 2005, his half-brother,
Abdullah, ascended to the
throne.
Geography
The Kingdom occupies about 80 percent of the
Arabian peninsula.
In 2000 Saudi Arabia
and Yemen signed an
agreement to settle their long-running border dispute.
A
significant length of the country's southern borders with the
United Arab
Emirates, and Oman, are not
precisely defined or marked, so the exact size of the country
remains unknown. The Saudi government's estimate is . Other
reputable estimates vary between 1,960,582 km
2
(756,934 mi) and . The kingdom is commonly listed as the
world's 14th largest state.
Saudi Arabia's geography is varied. From the western coastal region
(
Tihamah), the land rises from sea level to
a peninsula-long mountain range (Jabal al-
Hejaz) beyond which lies the plateau of
Nejd in the center.
The southwestern 'Asir
region has
mountains as high as and is known for having the greenest and
freshest climate in all of the country, one that attracts many
Saudis to resorts such as Abha
in the
summer months. The east is primarily rocky or sandy lowland
continuing to the shores of the Persian Gulf. The geographically hostile Rub' al Khali
("Empty Quarter") desert along the country's
imprecisely defined southern borders contains almost no
life.
Mostly uninhabited, much of the nation's landmass consists of
desert and
semi-arid regions, with a dwindling
traditional
Bedouin population. In these
parts of the country, vegetation is limited to weeds,
xerophytic herbs and shrubs. Less than two percent
of the kingdom's total area is
arable
land.
Population centers are mainly located along
the eastern and western coasts and densely populated interior oases
such as Hofuf
and Buraydah
. In some extended areas, primarily the Rub'
al-Khali and the
Arabian Desert,
there is no population whatsoever, although the petroleum industry
is constructing a few planned communities there.
Saudi Arabia has no
permanent year-round rivers or lakes; however, its coastline
extends for and, along the Red Sea, harbors world-class coral reefs, including the
Gulf of
Aqaba
.
Native animals include the
ibex,
wildcats,
baboons,
wolves, and
hyenas in the
mountainous highlands. Small birds are found in the
oases. The coastal area on the Red Sea with its
coral reefs has a rich
marine life.
Climate
Extreme heat and aridity are characteristic of most of Saudi
Arabia.
It is one of the few places in the world
besides Northern Africa, United States
, and Mexico
where summer
temperatures above 50 °C (122 °F) have been recorded, with being the highest
temperature ever recorded in Saudi Arabia at Dhahran in
1956. In winter, frost or snow can occur in the interior and
the higher mountains, although this only occurs once or twice in a
decade. The lowest recorded temperature is , recorded at
Turaif.
The average winter temperature ranges from
in January in interior cities such as Riyadh and 19°C to
29°C (66°F to 83°F) in Jeddah
, on the
Red
Sea coast. The average summer temperature range
(in July) is in Riyadh and in Jeddah. Nighttime temperatures in the
central deserts can be famously chilly even in summer, as the sand
gives up daytime heat rapidly once the sun has set. Annual
precipitation is usually sparse (up to in most regions), although
sudden downpours can lead to violent
flash
floods in
wadis. Annual rainfall in Riyadh
averages and falls almost exclusively between January and May; the
average in Jeddah is and occurs between November and January.
Government
The central institution of the Saudi Arabian government is the
Saudi monarchy. The
Basic Law of
Government adopted in 1992 declared that Saudi Arabia is a
monarchy ruled by the sons and grandsons of the first king,
Abd Al Aziz Al Saud. It
also claims that the
Qur'an is the
constitution of the country, which is governed
on the basis of the
Sharia (Islamic Law).
According to
The Economist's
Democracy Index, the Saudi government is the
seventh most authoritarian regime from among the 167 countries
rated.
There are no recognized political parties or national elections,
except the local elections which were held in the year 2005 when
participation was reserved for male citizens only. The king's
powers are theoretically limited within the bounds of Shari'a and
other Saudi traditions. He also must retain a consensus of the
Saudi royal family, religious leaders (
ulema), and other important elements in Saudi
society. The Saudi government spreads
Islam by
funding construction of mosques and
Qur'an
schools around the world. The leading members of the royal
family choose the king from among themselves with the subsequent
approval of the ulema.
Saudi kings have gradually developed a central government. Since
1953, the Council of Ministers, appointed by the king, has advised
on the formulation of general policy and directed the activities of
the growing bureaucracy. This council consists of a prime minister,
the first prime minister and twenty ministers.
Legislation is by resolution of the Council of Ministers, ratified
by
royal decree, and must be compatible with
the Shari'a. A 150-member
Consultative Assembly,
appointed by the King, has limited legislative rights.
Justice is administered according to the Shari'a by
a system of religious courts whose judges are appointed by the king
on the recommendation of the Supreme Judicial Council, composed of
twelve senior jurists.
Independence of
the judiciary is protected by law. The king acts as the highest
court of appeal and has the power to pardon. Access to high
officials (usually at a
majlis; a public audience) and the
right to petition them directly
are well-established traditions.
The combination of relatively high oil prices and exports led to a
revenues windfall for Saudi Arabia during 2004 and early 2005. For
2004 as a whole, Saudi Arabia earned about $116 billion in net oil
export revenues, up 35 percent from 2003 revenue levels. Saudi net
oil export revenues are forecast to increase in 2005 and 2006, to
$150 billion and $154 billion, respectively, mainly due to higher
oil prices. Increased oil prices and consequent revenues since the
price collapse of 1998 have significantly improved Saudi Arabia's
economic situation, with real GDP growth of 5.2 percent in 2004,
and forecasts of 5.7% and 4.8% growth for 2005 and 2006,
respectively.
For
fiscal year 2004, Saudi Arabia
originally had been expecting a
budget
deficit. However, this was based on an extremely conservative
price assumption of $19 per barrel for Saudi oil and an assumed
production of . Both of these estimates turned out to be far below
actual levels. As a result, as of mid-December 2004, the Saudi
Finance Ministry was expecting a huge budget surplus of $26.1
billion, on budget revenues of $104.8 billion (nearly double the
country's original estimate) and expenditures of $78.6 billion (28
percent above the approved budget levels). This surplus is being
used for several purposes, including: paying down the Kingdom's
public debt (to $164 billion from $176 billion at the start of
2004); extra spending on education and development projects;
increased security expenditures (possibly an additional $2.5
billion dollars in 2004; see below) due to threats from terrorists;
and higher payments to Saudi citizens through subsidies (for
housing, education, health care, etc.). For 2005, Saudi Arabia is
assuming a balanced budget, with revenues and expenditures of $74.6
billion each.
Law
The
Basic Law, in 1992,
declared that Saudi Arabia is a monarchy ruled by the progeny of
King Abd Al Aziz Al Saud.
It also declared the
Qur'an as the
constitution of the country, governed on the basis of
Islamic law.
Criminal cases are tried under Sharia courts in the country. These
courts exercise authority over the entire population including
foreigners (regardless of religion). Cases involving small
penalties are tried in Shari'a summary courts. More serious crimes
are adjudicated in Shari'a courts of common pleas. Courts of appeal
handle appeals from Shari'a courts.
Civil cases may also be tried under Sharia courts with one
exception: Shia may try such cases in their own courts. Other civil
proceedings, including those involving claims against the
Government and enforcement of foreign judgments, are held before
specialized administrative tribunals, such as the Commission for
the Settlement of Labor Disputes and the Board of Grievances.
Main sources of Saudi law are
Hanbali
fiqh as set out in a number of specified
scholarly treatises by authoritative jurists, other schools of law,
state regulations and royal decrees (where these are relevant), and
custom and practice.
The Saudi legal system prescribes
capital punishment or
corporal punishment, including
amputations of hands and feet for certain crimes
such as
murder,
robbery, and
rape. The courts
may impose less severe punishments, such as
floggings, for less serious crimes against
public morality such as
drunkenness.
Human rights
Several international
human rights
organizations, such as
Human Rights
Watch,
Amnesty
International and the
United
Nations Human Rights Committee have issued reports critical of
the Saudi legal system and its human rights record in various
political, legal, and social areas, especially its severe
limitations on the rights of women. The Saudi government typically
dismisses such reports as being outright lies or asserts that its
actions are based on its adherence to Islamic law.
In 2002, the
United Nations
Committee against Torture criticized Saudi Arabia over the
amputations and floggings it carries out under the Shari'a. The
Saudi delegation responded defending its legal traditions held
since the inception of Islam in the region 1400 years ago and
rejected "interference" in its legal system.
Saudi Arabia is also the only country in the world where women are
banned from driving on public roads. Women may drive off-road and
in private housing compounds. The ban may be lifted soon, although
with certain conditions.
The Government views its interpretation of Islamic law as its sole
source of guidance on human rights. In 2000, the Government
approved the October legislation, which the Government claimed
would address some of its obligations under the Convention Against
Torture or Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment.
The first independent human rights organization, the
National Society for Human
Rights was established in 2004.The Saudi Government is an
active censor of Internet reception within its borders. A Saudi
blogger,
Fouad
al-Farhan, was jailed for five months in
solitary confinement in December, 2007,
without charges, after criticizing Saudi religious, business and
media figures.
Emirates
Saudi Arabia is divided into 13
emirates
(
manatiq, – singular
mintaqah). The emirates are further divided
into governorates.
Cities
Economy
Saudi Arabia's economy is petroleum-based; roughly 75% of budget
revenues and 90% of export earnings come from the oil industry. The
oil industry comprises about 45% of Saudi Arabia's
gross domestic product, compared with
40% from the private sector (see below). Saudi Arabia officially
has about of
oil reserves, comprising
about 24% of the world's proven total petroleum reserves.
The government is attempting to promote growth in the private
sector by privatizing industries such as power and telecom. Saudi
Arabia announced plans to begin privatizing the electricity
companies in 1999, which followed the ongoing privatization of the
telecommunications company. Shortages of water and rapid population
growth may constrain government efforts to increase
self-sufficiency in agricultural products.
In the 1990s, Saudi Arabia experienced a significant contraction of
oil revenues combined with a high rate of population growth. Per
capita income fell from a high of $11,700 at the height of the oil
boom in 1981 to $6,300 in 1998. Recent oil price increases have
helped boost per capita GDP to $17,000 in 2007 dollars, or about
$7,400 adjusted for inflation.
Oil price increases of 2008-2009 have triggered a second oil boom,
pushing Saudi Arabia's budget surplus to $28 billion (110SR
billion) in 2005.
Tadawul (the Saudi stock
market index) finished 2004 with a massive 76.23% to close at
4437.58 points.
Market
capitalization was up 110.14% from a year earlier to stand at
$157.3 billion (589.93SR billion), which makes it the biggest stock
market in the
Middle East.
OPEC (the Organization of Petroleum Exporting
Countries) limits its members' oil production based on their
"proven reserves." The higher their reserves, the more OPEC allows
them to produce. Saudi Arabia's published reserves have shown
little change since 1980, with the main exception being an increase
of about between 1987 and 1988.
Matthew
Simmons has suggested that Saudi Arabia is greatly exaggerating
its reserves and may soon show production declines (see
peak oil).To diversify the economy, Saudi Arabia
launched a new city on the western coast with investments exceeding
$26.6 billion.
The city, which is named "King
Abdullah Economic City
", will be built near al-Rabegh industrial city
north to Jeddah. The new city, where construction work
started in December 2005, includes a port which is the largest port
of the kingdom. Extending along a coastline of 35 km, the city
will also include petrochemical, pharmaceutical, tourism, finance
and education and research areas. Saudi Arabia officially became a
World Trade Organization
member in December 2005.
Development
Saudi Arabia is one of only a few fast-growing countries in the
world with a high
per capita
income of $20,700 (2007). Saudi Arabia will be launching six
"economic cities" (e.g.
King Abdullah Economic City) which are planned to be completed by 2020.
These six new industrialized cities are intended to diversify the
economy of Saudi Arabia, and are expected to increase the per
capita income. The King of Saudi Arabia has announced that the per
capita income is forecast, to rise from $15,000 in 2006 to $33,500
in 2020. The cities will be spread around Saudi Arabia to promote
diversification for each region and their economy, and the cities
are projected to contribute $150 billion to the GDP.
However
the urban areas of Riyadh and Jeddah are expected
to contribute $287 billion dollars by the year 2020.
Foreign labour
Despite
the government's efforts to promote Saudization, the country draws a significant
portion of its labour force from foreign countries, especially from
South and Southeast Asia (notably India
, Pakistan
, Bangladesh
, Indonesia
, the Philippines
, Nepal
, Sri Lanka
), East Asia, East Africa and from other Middle Eastern countries. There are also
some people from North America, South America, and Europe. Hundreds
of thousands of low-
skilled workers
and skilled workers from regions of the
developing world migrate to Saudi Arabia,
sometimes only for a short period of time, to work. Although exact
figures are not known, skilled experts in the
banking and services professions seek work in the
Kingdom.
Demographics
Saudi Arabia's population as of July 2006 is estimated to be about
27,019,731, including an estimated 5.5 million resident foreigners.
Until the 1960s, a majority of the population was
nomadic; but presently more than 95% of the population
is settled, due to rapid economic and urban growth. The birth rate
is 29.56 births per 1,000 people. The death rate is 2.62 deaths per
1,000 people. Some cities and oases have densities of more than
1,000 people per square kilometer (2,600/sq mi).
About 23% of the population is made up of foreign nationals living
in Saudi Arabia, although the actual percentage is not measured in
state censes. Approximately 12% of the population is
South Asian or of South Asian ancestry, including
Indians, Pakistanis, and Bangladeshis. In addition, there are some
citizens of
Asian,
Northeast African, and
Sub-Saharan ancestry. Many Arabs from
nearby countries are employed in the kingdom.
There are over eight
million migrants from countries all around the world (including
non-Muslims): Indian: 1.4
million, Bangladeshi: 1 million, Filipino: 950,000, Pakistani: 900,000, Egyptian:
900,000, Yemeni: 800,000,
Indonesian: 500,000, Sri Lankan: 350,000, Sudanese
: 250,000, Syrian: 100,000 and Turkish: 80,000. There are around
100,000
Westerners in Saudi Arabia,
most of whom live in
compounds
or
gated communities.
In the 1970s and 1980s, there was also a significant
community of South Koreans,
numbering in the hundreds of thousands, but most have since
returned home.
Saudi Arabia expelled 800,000 Yemenis in
1990 and 1991 to punish Yemen for its
opposition to the Gulf War against Iraq. An
estimated 240,000
Palestinians
are living in Saudi Arabia. They are not allowed to hold or even
apply for Saudi citizenship, because of
Arab
League instructions barring the Arab states from granting them
citizenship in order "to avoid dissolution of their identity and
protect their right to return to their homeland". Palestinians are
the sole foreign group that cannot benefit from a 2004 law passed
by Saudi Arabia's Council of Ministers, which entitles
expatriates of all nationalities who have resided
in the kingdom for ten years to apply for citizenship with priority
being given to holders of degrees in various scientific fields. The
Articles 12.4 and 14.1 of the Executive Regulation of Saudi
Citizenship System can be interpreted as requiring applicants to be
Muslim.
The Saudi royal family and official creed of the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia is
Salafism or
Wahhabism, although other branches of Islam, like
mainstream
Sunnism and
Shiism are strongly present in the Kingdom.
Culture
Saudi Arabian culture mainly revolves around the religion of
Islam.
Islam's two holiest sites, Mecca and Medina
, are
located in the country. Five times every day, Muslims are
called to prayer from the minarets of mosques which are scattered
around the country. The weekend begins on Thursday due to Friday
being the holiest day for Muslims. Most Muslim countries have a
Thursday-Friday or Friday-Saturday weekend. Saudi Arabia's cultural
heritage is celebrated at the annual
Jenadriyah cultural festival.
Music and dance
One of Saudi Arabia's most compelling folk rituals is the Ardha|Al
Ardha, the country's national dance. This sword dance is based on
ancient Bedouin traditions: drummers beat out a rhythm and a poet
chants verses while sword-carrying men dance shoulder to shoulder.
Al-sihba folk music, from the Hejaz, has its origins in al-Andalus.
In Mecca, Medina and Jeddah, dance and song incorporate the sound
of the mizmar, an oboe-like woodwind instrument in the performance
of the Mizmar (dance)|mizmar dance. The drum is also an important
instrument according to traditional and tribal customs. Samri is a
popular traditional form of music and dance in which poetry is sung
especially in the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabian
Musical tradition depends heavily on the modern Arabian oud.
- Ardha|Al Ardha ( ) is a type of folkloric dance performed by
the Bedouin tribes of the Arabian peninsula, It was tradition only
performed before going to war, but nowadays is performed at
celebrations or cultural events, such as the Jenadriyah festival. The dance, which is
performed by men carrying swords or canes, is accompanied by drums
and spoken verse.
- Mizmar ( ) is the name of a folkloric dance native to the Hejaz
region of Saudi Arabia. The dance involves moving while twirling a
bamboo cane (tool)cane, to the music of drums.
- Samri ( )is the name of a folkloric music and dance. It
involves singing poetry while the daff drum is being played. Two
rows of men, seated on the knees sway to the rhythm.
Dress
Saudi Arabian dress follows strictly the principles of
hijab (the Islamic principle of
modesty, especially in dress). The predominantly
loose and flowing but covering garments are helpful in Saudi
Arabia's
desert climate. Traditionally, men
usually wear an ankle-length shirt woven from wool or cotton (known
as a
thawb), with a
keffiyeh (a large checkered square of cotton held
in place by a cord coil) or a
ghutra (a
plain white square made of finer cotton, also held in place by a
cord coil) worn on the head. For rare chilly days, Saudi men wear a
camel-hair cloak (
bisht) over the top. Women's clothes are
decorated with tribal motifs, coins, sequins, metallic thread, and
appliques. Women are required to wear an
abaya
or modest clothing when in public.
- Ghutrah ( )Is a traditional headdress typically worn by Arab men made of a square of cloth (“scarf”), usually cotton, folded
and wrapped in various styles around the head. It is commonly found
in arid climate areas to provide protection
from direct sun exposure, as well as
for occasional use in protecting the mouth and eyes from blown dust
and sand.
- Agal ( ) Is an Arab
headdress constructed of cord which is fastened around the Ghutrah to hold it in place. The agal is
usually black in colour.
- Thawb ( ) Thawb is the standard Arabic
word for garment. Its an ankle-length usually with long sleeves,
similar to a robe.
- Bisht ( ) Is a traditional Arabic men’s
cloak usually only worn for prestige on
special occasions such as weddings
Food
Islamic dietary laws forbid the
eating of
pork and the drinking of
alcohol, and this law is enforced
strictly throughout Saudi Arabia. Arabic unleavened bread, or
khobz, is eaten with almost all meals. Other
staples include
lamb,
grilled chicken,
falafel (deep-fried
chickpea
balls),
shawarma (spit-cooked sliced lamb),
and
Ful medames (a paste of
fava beans,
garlic and
lemon). Traditional
coffeehouses used to be ubiquitous, but are now
being displaced by food-hall style cafes. Arabic
tea is also a famous custom, which is used in both
casual and formal meetings between friends, family and even
strangers. The tea is black (without milk) and has herbal flavoring
that comes in many variations.
Film and theatre
Public theatres and
cinemas are prohibited, as some Muslims' views
deem those institutions to be incompatible with Islam. However,
lately, a reform is undergone in the country and several cinemas
and movies had been shown under high tentions from radical Saudi
groups.
Also an IMAX theater is
available, and in private compounds such as Dhahran
and Ras
Tanura
public theaters can be found, but often are more
popular for local music, arts, and theatre productions rather than
the exhibition of motion pictures. DVDs, including American
and British movies, are legal and widely available.
Literature
Religion
Due to the legal framework of the country, which does not provide
legal protection for freedom of religion, the public practice of
non-Muslim religions is prohibited. Though according to a 2009 Pew
Forum report, there are about 25 million people who are
Muslim, or 97 per cent of the total population.
Indeed, the Government enforces a strict and conservative version
of
Salafi/
Wahhabi
Islam. Muslims who do not follow the official interpretation, can
face severe repercussions at the hands of
Mutawwa'in (religious police).
For this reason, Saudi culture lacks the diversity of religious
expression, buildings, annual festivals and public events that is
seen in countries where religious freedom is permitted.
Christianity in Saudi Arabia
faces persecution.
Education
When the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932,
education was not accessible to everyone and
limited to individualized instruction at religious schools in
mosques in urban areas. These schools taught Islamic law and basic
literacy skills. By the end of the century, Saudi Arabia had a
nationwide educational system providing free training from
preschool through university to all citizens.
The primary education system began in Saudi Arabia in the 1930s. By
1945, King Abdulaziz bin Abdelrahman Al-Saud, the country's
founder, had initiated an extensive program to establish schools in
the Kingdom. Six years later, in 1951, the country had 226 schools
with 29,887 students. In 1954, the Ministry of Education was
established, headed by then Prince Fahd bin Abdulaziz as the first
Minister of Education. The first university, now known as
King Saud University, was founded in
Riyadh in 1957.
Today, Saudi Arabia's nationwide public educational system
comprises twenty eight (28) universities, more than 24,000 schools,
and a large number of colleges and other educational and training
institutions. The system provides students with free education,
books and health services and is open to every Saudi. Over 25
percent of the annual State budget is for education including
vocational training.
The Kingdom has also worked on scholarship
programs to send students overseas to the United States, Canada
, France
, the
United
Kingdom, Australia, Japan
, Malaysia
and other nations. Currently thousands of
students are being sent to higher-educations programs every
year.
There is one university only in Mecca, the
Umm Al Qura
University which was founded in 1981.
The study of Islam remains at the core of the Saudi educational
system. The Islamic aspect of the Saudi national curriculum is
examined in a 2006 report by
Freedom
House. The report found that in religious education classes (in
any religious school), children are taught to deprecate other
religions, in addition to other branches of Islam. The Saudi
religious studies curriculum is taught outside the Kingdom in
madrasah throughout the world.
Sports
Men can often be found playing sports. Women rarely participate in
sports, and always away from the presence of men; this often leads
to indoor gyms. Even though
football is the most popular sport,
Saudi Arabia has recently participated in the
Summer Olympic Games and in
international competitions in
volleyball
and other sports. The Saudi Arabian national youth baseball team
has also participated in the Little League World Series. The
Saudi Arabia
national football team is often most known for being in four
consecutive times in the
FIFA World
Cup and six times in the
AFC Asian
Cup, which the team won three times and was runner-up three
times. Some popular football players include
Majed Abdullah,
Mohamed Al-Deayea,
Sami Al-Jaber,
Saeed Al-Owairan, and
Yousuf Al-Thunayan.
Military
Saudi military was founded as the
Ikhwan
army, the tribal army of
Ibn
Saud. The Ikhwan had helped King Ibn Saud conquer the Arabian
peninsula during the First World War. By expanding the military
forces years later, Saudi Arabia today has many military
branches.
- Military branches of Ministry of Defence:
- Independent Military branches:
- Military branches of Ministry of Interior:
- Saudi Arabian Police Force
- Saudi Arabian Border Guard
- Saudi Border Guard
- Saudi Coast Guard
- Al-Mujahidoon
- Saudi Emergency
Force
Foreign relations
Saudi Arabia is one of the largest contributors of
development aid, both in term of
volume of aid and in the
ratio of aid volume to
GDP.
Much of Saudi Arabia's aid has gone to poorer Islamic countries or
Islamic communities in non-Islamic countries. This aid has
contributed to the spreading of Islam of the sort found in Saudi
Arabia, rather than fostering the traditions of the receiving
ethnic groups. The effect has been the erosion of regional Islamic
cultures through standardization.
Examples of the acculturizing effect of
Saudi aid can be seen among the Minangkabau and the Acehnese
in Indonesia, as well as among the people of the Maldives
.
On the 18 December 2008, the
William J.
Clinton
Foundation released a list of all contributors. It included The
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which gave between US$10–25 million.
International rankings
See also
Lists
Notes and references
- U.S. Energy Information Administration - Saudi
Arabia Country Energy Profile
- Social Services 2
- Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia-London: The Kingdom
Of Saudi Arabia - A Welfare State
- Yemen, Saudi Arabia sign border deal, BBC
News, June 12, 2000. Accessed June 25, 2008.
- CIA World Factbook - Rank Order: Area
-
http://books.google.com/books?q=Aramco+Dhahran+highest+temperature&btnG=Search+Books
- Saudi women barred from voting, BBC
News, October 11, 2004. Accessed June 25, 2008.
- Saudi Arabia. JURIST
- Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of
- [1]
- Saudi 'torture' condemned by UN, BBC
News, May 16, 2002. Accessed June 25, 2008.
- Hassan, Ibtihal; Hammond, Andrew. Car makers target Saudi women despite driving
ban, Reuters, December 10, 2007. Accessed June 25,
2008.
- "Saudi Arabia to Allow Women to Drive — With
Conditions" by Assyrian International News
Agency, March 17, 2008
- "Documentation of Internet Filtering in Saudi
Arabia"
- Robertson, Nic; Drash, Wayne. "No freedom for 'dean of Saudi bloggers'",
CNN, February 28, 2008. Accessed June 25, 2008.
- World Proved Reserves of Oil and Natural Gas, Most Recent
Estimates
- Country Profile Study on Poverty: Saudi Arabia
(archived from the original on 2008-02-26)
- List of countries by
GDP per capita
- CPI Inflation Calculator
- Crude Oil Reserves
- Six New Economic cities in Saudi Arabia
- Construction boom of Saudi Arabia and the
UAE
- Riyadh's Urban area will contribute $ 167 B and
Jeddah's will contribute $ 111 Billion
- http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3584.htm
- Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Arabia: International Religious Freedom
Report 2008
- Arab versus Asian migrant workers in the GCC
countries
- Expatriates Can Apply for Saudi Citizenship in
Two-to-Three Months
- 1954 Saudi Arabian Citizenship System
- Sulaiman, Tosin. Bahrain changes the weekend in efficiency
drive, The Times, August 2, 2006. Accessed June 25,
2008. Turkey has a weekend on Saturday and Sunday
- IMAX Arabic
- Mapping the World Muslim Population Pew Forum
on Religion & Public Life. Retrieved on 2009-10-21.
- Press Release:
- Saudi Aid to the Developing World
- Arab Aid
- Ricklefs, M.C. A history of modern Indonesia since
c.1200. Stanford. 2001 Stanford University Press.
- Abdullah, Taufik. Adat and Islam: An Examination of
Conflict in Minangkabau. 1966.
- Indonesia's Population: Ethnicity and Religion in a Changing
Political Landscape. 2003. Institute of Southeast Asian
Studies.
- Xavier Romero-Frias, The Maldive Islanders, A Study of the
Popular Culture of an Ancient Ocean Kingdom. 1999, ISBN
847254801 5
- Contributor Information to the William J. Clinton
Foundation
Bibliography
- Jones, John Paul. If Olaya Street Could Talk: Saudi Arabia-
The Heartland of Oil and Islam. The Taza Press (2007). ISBN
0-9790436-0-3
- Lippman, Thomas W. "Inside the Mirage: America's Fragile
Partnership with Saudi Arabia" (Westview 2004) ISBN
0-8133-4052-7
- Mackey, Sandra, The Saudis: Inside the Desert Kingdom
(Houghton Mifflin, 1987) ISBN 0-395-41165-3
- Matthew R. Simmons, Twilight in the Desert The Coming Saudi
Oil Shock and the World Economy, John Wiley & Sons, 2005, ISBN
0-471-73876-X
- Ménoret, Pascal, The Saudi Enigma: A History (Zed
Books, 2005) ISBN 1-84277-605-3
- al-Rasheed, Madawi, A History of Saudi Arabia
(Cambridge University Press, 2002) ISBN 0-521-64335-X
- Robert Lacey, THE KINGDOM:
Arabia & The House of Sa'ud, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich,
Inc, 1981 (Hard Cover) and Avon
Books, 1981 (Soft Cover). Library of Congress: 81-83741 ISBN
0-380-61762-5
- Roger Owen, State, Power and Politics in the Making of the
Modern Middle East, 3rd Edition (Routledge, 2006) ISBN
0-415-29713-3
- T R McHale, A Prospect of Saudi Arabia, International Affairs
Vol. 56 No 4 Autumn 1980 pp622–647
- Turchin, P. 2007. Scientific Prediction in Historical
Sociology: Ibn Khaldun meets Al Saud. History & Mathematics: Historical Dynamics and
Development of Complex Societies. Moscow: KomKniga, 2007. ISBN
5-484-01002-0
Further reading
External links
- Government
- Education
- General
- Directories
- Other links
blah
includes Background Notes, Country Study and major
reports
Top topics
Wikis
Quiz
Facts
Map
Misc
Timeline
Search
