Saudi Arabia (officially
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, also called simply
Arabia, ,
), is an ArabArab people or Arabs are an ethnic group whose members identify along linguistic, cultural or genealogical grounds...
country and the largest country of the Arabian PeninsulaThe Arabian Peninsula , Arabia, Arabistan, and the Arabian subcontinent is a peninsula in Southwest Asia at the junction of Africa and Asia...
. It is bordered by JordanJordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in Western Asia spanning the southern part of the Syrian Desert down to the Gulf of Aqaba. Jordan shares borders with Syria to the north, Iraq to the northeast, Saudi Arabia to the east and south, the Gulf of Aqaba to the southwest,...
on the northwest, IraqIraq , officially the Republic of Iraq , also known as Mesopotamia, is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert.Iraq shares borders with Jordan to the west, Syria...
on the north and northeast, KuwaitThe State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab emirate bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south and Iraq to the north and west. The greatest distance from north to south is 200 km and from east to west 170 km . The name is a diminutive of an Arabic word meaning "fortress built near water." It has a...
, QatarQatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally ', is an Arab emirate in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the larger Arabian Peninsula...
, BahrainThe Kingdom of Bahrain is a small island country in the Persian Gulf ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. Saudi Arabia lies to the west and is connected to Bahrain via the King Fahd Causeway, which was officially opened on the 25th of November 1986. Qatar is to the southeast across the Gulf of...
, and the United Arab EmiratesThe United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven emirates situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman and Saudi Arabia. The UAE consists of seven states, termed emirates, which are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain, Ras...
on the east, OmanOman , officially the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab country in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It borders the United Arab Emirates on the northwest, Saudi Arabia on the west and Yemen on the southwest....
on the southeast, and YemenYemen , officially the Republic of Yemen is a country located on the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia...
on the south. The Persian GulfThe Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. Historically and commonly known as the Persian Gulf, this body of water is sometimes controversially referred to as the Arabian Gulf by most Arab states or simply The...
lies to the northeast and the Red SeaThe Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez,...
to its west. It has an estimated population of 27.6 million, and its size is approximately .
The Kingdom is sometimes called "The Land of the Two Holy Mosques" in reference to MeccaMecca , sometimes spelled Makkah is the holiest meeting site of the Islamic religion. The city is modern, cosmopolitan and whilst being closed to non-Muslims is nonetheless ethnically diverse.Islamic tradition attributes the beginning of Mecca to Ishmael's descendants...
and Medinah, the two holiest places in IslamIslam Islam Islam ( al-’islām,
[There are ten pronunciations of Islam in English, differing in whether the first or second syllable has the stress, whether the s is or , and whether the a is pronounced as in father, as in cat, or (when the stress is on the i) as in the a of sofa...]
. In English, it is most commonly referred to as Saudi Arabia ( or ). The current Kingdom was founded by Abdul-Aziz bin Saud*King Saud*King Faisal*Mohammed*King Khaled*Nasr*Saad*King Fahd*Mansur*Bandar*Musa'id*King Abdullah*Mishaal*Sultan*Abdul Mohsin*Abd al-Rahman*Mutaib*Talal*Badr*Nawaf*Nayef*Turki*Fawwaz*Abdulilah*Salman*Ahmed*Mamdouh...
, whose efforts began in 1902 when he captured the Al-Saud’s ancestral home of RiyadhRiyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Nejd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 1,444,500 people, and the urban center of a...
, 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 StateThe First Saudi State was established in the year 1744 when Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab settled in Diriyah and Prince Muhammad ibn Saud agreed to support and espouse Wahhab's cause, with a view of cleansing the Islamic faith from what they considered to be distortions of Islamic practice...
.
Saudi Arabia is the world's leading petroleum exporter. PetroleumPetroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid found in rock formations in the Earth consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, plus other organic compounds.The term "petroleum" was first used in the treatise De Natura Fossilium, published in...
exports fuel the Saudi economySaudi Arabia has an oil-based economy with strong government control over major economic activities. Saudi Arabia possesses 25% of the world's proven petroleum reserves, ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC....
. Oil accounts for more than 90 percent of exports and nearly 75 percent of government revenues, facilitating the creation of a welfare stateThere are two main interpretations of the idea of a welfare state:* A model in which the state assumes primary responsibility for the welfare of its citizens...
, which the government has found difficult to fund during periods of low oil pricesThe price of petroleum as quoted in news generally refers to the spot price of either WTI/Light Crude as traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange for delivery at Cushing, Oklahoma, or of Brent as traded on the Intercontinental Exchange for delivery at Sullom Voe...
. Saudi Arabia is often called, along with RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, an energy superpowerThe term energy superpower has several potential definitions that might be used relating to different contexts. In recent years, however, it has come to be used to refer to a nation that supplies large amounts of energy resources to a significant number of other states, and which therefore has...
. Human rightsHuman rights refer to the "basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled." Examples of rights and freedoms which have come to be commonly thought of as human rights include civil and political rights, such as the right to life and liberty, freedom of expression, and equality before the...
groups such as Amnesty InternationalAmnesty International is an international secular non-governmental organisation which defines its mission as "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated." Founded in London in 1961, AI...
and Human Rights WatchHuman Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo, Toronto,...
have repeatedly expressed concern about the state of human rights in Saudi ArabiaHuman rights in Saudi Arabia are based on sharia religious laws under rule of the Saudi royal family. The government of Saudi Arabia has also been criticised for its alleged oppression of religious and political minorities, homosexuality, and women...
.
History
Although the region in which the country stands today has an ancient historyThe history of Pre-Islamic Arabia before the rise of Islam in the 630s is not known in great detail. Archaeological exploration in the Arabian Peninsula has been sparse; indigenous written sources are limited to the many inscriptions and coins from southern Arabia...
, 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'iyyahAl-Diriyah is a town in Saudi Arabia located on the northwestern outskirts of the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Diriyah was the original home of the Saudi royal family, and served as the capital of the first Saudi dynasty from 1744 to 1818...
near RiyadhRiyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Nejd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 1,444,500 people, and the urban center of a...
, joined forces with a cleric, Muhammad ibn Abd-al-WahhabMuhammad ibn 'Abd Al-Wahhab ibn Sulaiman ibn Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Rashid Al-Tamimi was an Islamic scholar born in Najd, in present-day Saudi Arabia...
, to create a new political entity. This alliance formed in the 18th century and 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 EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia...
, the Ottoman EmpireThe Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299 to November 1, 1922 The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِیَّهِ عُثْمَانِیَّه Dawlet-il ʿAliyyat-il ʿOs̠māniyye, Modern Turkish:...
, and other Arabian families for control on the peninsula (see First Saudi StateThe First Saudi State was established in the year 1744 when Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab settled in Diriyah and Prince Muhammad ibn Saud agreed to support and espouse Wahhab's cause, with a view of cleansing the Islamic faith from what they considered to be distortions of Islamic practice...
and Second Saudi StateThe Second Saudi State refers to the period in the 19th century when the rule of the House of Saud was restored to central and eastern Arabia after having previously been brought down by an Ottoman-Egyptian invasion in 1818...
). The third and current Saudi state was founded in the early 20th century by King Abdul Aziz Al-Saud*King Saud*King Faisal*Mohammed*King Khaled*Nasr*Saad*King Fahd*Mansur*Bandar*Musa'id*King Abdullah*Mishaal*Sultan*Abdul Mohsin*Abd al-Rahman*Mutaib*Talal*Badr*Nawaf*Nayef*Turki*Fawwaz*Abdulilah*Salman*Ahmed*Mamdouh...
(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-WahhabMuhammad ibn 'Abd Al-Wahhab ibn Sulaiman ibn Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Rashid Al-Tamimi was an Islamic scholar born in Najd, in present-day Saudi Arabia...
settled in DiriyahAl-Diriyah is a town in Saudi Arabia located on the northwestern outskirts of the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Diriyah was the original home of the Saudi royal family, and served as the capital of the first Saudi dynasty from 1744 to 1818...
and Prince Muhammed Ibn Saud agreed to support and espouse his cause in the hope of cleansing Islamic practices of heresy. The House of SaudThe House of Saud is the royal family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The modern nation of Saudi Arabia was established in 1932, though the roots and influence for the House of Saud had been planted in the Arabian Peninsula several centuries earlier...
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 OttomanThe Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299 to November 1, 1922 The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِیَّهِ عُثْمَانِیَّه Dawlet-il ʿAliyyat-il ʿOs̠māniyye, Modern Turkish:...
Sultan instructed Mohammed Ali Pasha to reconquer the area. Ali sent his sons Tusun PashaTusun Pasha was the elder son of Muhammad Ali Pasha, wali of Egypt between 1805-1849.Not as well known as Muhammad Ali's stepson and adopted son Ibrahim Pasha, Tusun did nevertheless attain some historical significance having led, in 1811, the successful military campaign of the Egyptian army in...
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 StateThe Second Saudi State refers to the period in the 19th century when the rule of the House of Saud was restored to central and eastern Arabia after having previously been brought down by an Ottoman-Egyptian invasion in 1818...
.
Second Saudi State (1824–1891)
After a rebuilding period following the ending of the First Saudi StateThe First Saudi State was established in the year 1744 when Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab settled in Diriyah and Prince Muhammad ibn Saud agreed to support and espouse Wahhab's cause, with a view of cleansing the Islamic faith from what they considered to be distortions of Islamic practice...
, the House of SaudThe House of Saud is the royal family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The modern nation of Saudi Arabia was established in 1932, though the roots and influence for the House of Saud had been planted in the Arabian Peninsula several centuries earlier...
returned to power in the Second Saudi State in 1824. The state lasted until 1891 when it succumbed to the Al RashidThe House of Rasheed were a historic dynasty of the Arabian Peninsula, and the most formidable enemies of the House of Saud in Nejd...
and Al SabhanThe House of Sabhan were a historic dynasty of the Arabian Peninsula, and supporters of the House of Rashid. Ha'il city was their main center. The Al Sabhan were a part of the Jafaar lineage of the Abde section of the Shammar tribe...
both the dynasty of Ha'ilHa'il is an oasis city in Nejd in northwestern Saudi Arabia. It is the capital of the Ha'il Province. The city has a population of 267,005 according to a 2004 census....
.
1900s to present day
The Third Saudi state was founded by the late King Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia*King Saud*King Faisal*Mohammed*King Khaled*Nasr*Saad*King Fahd*Mansur*Bandar*Musa'id*King Abdullah*Mishaal*Sultan*Abdul Mohsin*Abd al-Rahman*Mutaib*Talal*Badr*Nawaf*Nayef*Turki*Fawwaz*Abdulilah*Salman*Ahmed*Mamdouh...
. In 1902 Ibn Saud captured RiyadhRiyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Nejd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 1,444,500 people, and the urban center of a...
, the Al-Saud dynasty's ancestral capital, from the rival Al-RashidThe House of Rasheed were a historic dynasty of the Arabian Peninsula, and the most formidable enemies of the House of Saud in Nejd...
family. Continuing his conquests, Abdul Aziz subdued Al-HasaAl-Ahsa is the largest governorate in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, named after Al-Ahsa oasis. The name Al-Ahsa is also given to the biggest city in the region, Hofuf. In classic Arabic, Ahsa means the sound of water underground...
, the rest of Nejd, and the Hejazal-Hejaz is a region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia. Defined mostly by the Red Sea, it extends from Haql on the Gulf of Aqaba to Jizan. Its main city is Jeddah, but it is probably better-known for the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina...
between 1913 and 1926.
Boundaries with JordanJordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in Western Asia spanning the southern part of the Syrian Desert down to the Gulf of Aqaba. Jordan shares borders with Syria to the north, Iraq to the northeast, Saudi Arabia to the east and south, the Gulf of Aqaba to the southwest,...
, IraqIraq , officially the Republic of Iraq , also known as Mesopotamia, is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert.Iraq shares borders with Jordan to the west, Syria...
, and KuwaitThe State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab emirate bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south and Iraq to the north and west. The greatest distance from north to south is 200 km and from east to west 170 km . The name is a diminutive of an Arabic word meaning "fortress built near water." It has a...
were established by a series of treaties negotiated in the 1920s, with two "neutral zoneNeutral zone may refer to:In sports:* Neutral zone , the length of the football from one tip to the other in American football* Neutral zone , zone between the blue lines in ice hockey...
s" created, one with IraqIraq , officially the Republic of Iraq , also known as Mesopotamia, is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert.Iraq shares borders with Jordan to the west, Syria...
and the other with KuwaitThe State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab emirate bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south and Iraq to the north and west. The greatest distance from north to south is 200 km and from east to west 170 km . The name is a diminutive of an Arabic word meaning "fortress built near water." It has a...
. On January 8, 1926 Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud became the King of Hejaz. On January 29, 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 KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
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 KingdomThe person who heads a monarchy is called a monarch. It was a common form of government in the world during the ancient and medieval times. A Monarchy is a form of government in which supreme power is absolutely or nominally lodged with an individual, who is the head of state, often for life or...
of Saudi Arabia. The discovery of oilPetroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid found in rock formations in the Earth consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, plus other organic compounds.The term "petroleum" was first used in the treatise De Natura Fossilium, published in...
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 warThe Saudi-Yemeni War was a war between Saudi Arabia and Yemen fought in 1934, in which Saudi Arabia won control of the provinces of Asir and Najran....
between the two states.
Abdul Aziz's military and political successes were not mirrored economically until vast reserves of oilPetroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid found in rock formations in the Earth consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, plus other organic compounds.The term "petroleum" was first used in the treatise De Natura Fossilium, published in...
were discovered in March 1938. Development programmes, which were delayed due to the onset of the Second World WarWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
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 NasserGamal Abdel Nasser was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death in 1970. He led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, which removed King Farouk I and heralded a new period of industrialization in Egypt, together with a profound advancement of Arab nationalism, including a short-lived...
. 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*Bandar bin Khalid*Abdallah bin Khalid*al-Jauhara bint Khalid*Nuf bint Khalid*Mudhi bint Khalid*Fahd bin Khalid*Saud bin Khalid*Hussa bint Khalid*Faysal bin Khalid*Sa'd bin Khalid*al-Bandari bint Khalid*Misha'il bint Khalid*Nura bint Khalid...
until 1982 and then by King FahdKing Fahad bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, was the King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Head of the House of Saud as well as Prime Minister...
. When Fahd died in 2005, his half-brother, Abdullah* Khaled bin Abdullah* Mutaib bin Abdullah* Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah* Faisal bin Abdullah* Sultan bin Abdullah* Turki bin Abdullah* Mish'al bin Abdullah* Saud bin Abdullah* Mansur bin Abdullah* Mashhor bin Abdullah* Bader bin Abdullah* Bandar bin Abdullah...
, ascended to the throne.
Geography
The Kingdom occupies about 80 percent of the Arabian peninsulaThe Arabian Peninsula , Arabia, Arabistan, and the Arabian subcontinent is a peninsula in Southwest Asia at the junction of Africa and Asia...
. In 2000 Saudi Arabia and YemenYemen , officially the Republic of Yemen is a country located on the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia...
signed an agreement to settle their long-running border dispute. A significant length of the country's southern borders with the United Arab EmiratesThe United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven emirates situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman and Saudi Arabia. The UAE consists of seven states, termed emirates, which are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain, Ras...
, and OmanOman , officially the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab country in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It borders the United Arab Emirates on the northwest, Saudi Arabia on the west and Yemen on the southwest....
, are not precisely defined or marked, so the exact size of the country remains unknown. The Saudi government's estimate is 2,217,949 km² (856,356 sq mi). Other reputable estimates vary between 1,960,582 km² (756,934 mi) and 2,240,000 km² (864,869 mi²). The kingdom is commonly listed as the world's 14th largest state.
Saudi Arabia's geography is varied. From the western coastal region (TihamahTihamah or Tihama is a narrow coastal region of Arabia on the Red Sea. It is currently divided between Saudi Arabia and Yemen. In a broad sense, Tihamah refers to the entire coastline from the Gulf of Aqaba to the Bab el Mandeb Strait but it more often refers only to its southern half, starting...
), the land rises from sea level to a peninsula-long mountain range (Jabal al-Hejazal-Hejaz is a region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia. Defined mostly by the Red Sea, it extends from Haql on the Gulf of Aqaba to Jizan. Its main city is Jeddah, but it is probably better-known for the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina...
) beyond which lies the plateau of Nejd in the center. The southwestern 'AsirʿAsīr is a province of Saudi Arabia located in the southwest of the country. It has an area of 81,000 km² and an estimated population of 1,563,000. It shares a short border with Yemen. Its capital is Abha. Other towns include Khamis Mushayt and Qal'at Bishah...
region has mountains as high as 3,000 m (9,840 ft) and is known for having the greenest and freshest climate in all of the country, one that attracts many Saudis to resorts such as AbhaAbha is the capital of Asir province in Saudi Arabia. It is situated at 2,200 metres above sea level in the fertile mountains of south-western Saudi Arabia near the National Park of Asir. Its mild climate makes it a popular tourist destination for Saudis...
in the summer months. The east is primarily rocky or sandy lowland continuing to the shores of the Persian GulfThe Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. Historically and commonly known as the Persian Gulf, this body of water is sometimes controversially referred to as the Arabian Gulf by most Arab states or simply The...
. 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 desertA desert is a landscape or region that receives almost no precipitation. Deserts are defined as areas with an average annual precipitation of less than per year, or as areas where more water is lost by evapotranspiration than falls as precipitation. In the Köppen climate classification system,...
and semi-arid regions, with a dwindling traditional BedouinThe Bedouin, , are a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group found throughout most of the desert belt extending from the Atlantic coast of the Sahara via the Western Desert, Sinai, and Negev to the Arabian Desert...
population. In these parts of the country, vegetation is limited to weeds, xerophyticA xerophyte or xerophytic organism is a plant which is able to survive in an environment with little available water or moisture, usually in environments where potential evapotranspiration exceeds precipitation for all or part of the growing season...
herbs and shrubs. Less than two percent of the kingdom's total area is arable landIn geography, arable land is an agricultural term, meaning land that can be used for growing crops. It is distinct from cultivated land and includes jungles that are not currently used for human purposes. Arable land covers an area of approximately 12 million square miles...
. Population centers are mainly located along the eastern and western coasts and densely populated interior oases such as HofufAl-Hofuf also Hofuf or Al-Hufuf is the major urban center in the huge Al-Ahsa Oasis in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.- Overview :...
and Buraydah. In some extended areas, primarily the Rub' al-Khali and the Arabian DesertThe Arabian Desert is a vast desert wilderness stretching from Yemen to the Persian Gulf and Oman to Jordan and Iraq. It occupies most of the Arabian Peninsula with an area of 2,330,000 square kilometers...
, 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 2,640 km (1,640 mi) and, along the Red SeaThe Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez,...
, harbors world-class coral reefs, including the Gulf of AqabaThe Gulf of Aqaba , in Israel known as the Gulf of Eilat is a large gulf of the Red Sea. It is located to the east of the Sinai peninsula and west of the Arabian mainland. Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia all have coastlines on the Gulf of Aqaba...
.
Native animals include the ibexAn ibex is an individual of any of several species of wild mountain goats , distinguished by the male's large recurved horns, which are transversely ridged in front. Ibex are found in Eurasia, North Africa, and East Africa...
, wildcatWildcat is a small felid native to Europe, the western part of Asia, and Africa.Wildcat may also refer to members of the genus Lynx:...
s, baboonBaboons are African and Asian Old World monkeys belonging to the genus Papio, part of the subfamily Cercopithecinae. There are five species, which are some of the largest non-hominid members of the primate order; only the Mandrill and the Drill are larger...
s, wolvesThe grey wolf or gray wolf , also known as simply wolf, is the largest wild member of the Canidae family. It is an ice age survivor originating during the Late Pleistocene around 300,000 years ago. DNA sequencing and genetic drift studies reaffirm that the gray wolf shares a common ancestry with...
, and hyenaThe Hyaenidae is a mammalian family of order Carnivora. The Hyaenidae family, native to both African and Asian continents, consists of four living species, the Striped Hyena and Brown Hyena , the Spotted Hyena , and the Aardwolf .-Evolution:Hyenas seem to have originated 26 million years ago from...
s in the mountainous highlands. Small birds are found in the oasesIn geography, an oasis or cienega is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source...
. The coastal area on the Red Sea with its coral reefCoral reefs are aragonite structures produced by living organisms, found in marine waters containing few nutrients. In most reefs, the predominant organisms are stony corals, colonial cnidarians that secrete an exoskeleton of calcium carbonate...
s has a rich marine lifeMarine biology is the scientific study of living organisms in the ocean or other marine or brackish bodies of water. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies species based on the environment...
.
Climate
Extreme heat and aridity are characteristic of most of Saudi Arabia. It is one of the few places in the world where summer temperatures above 50 °CCelsius is a temperature scale that is named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius , who developed a similar temperature scale two years before his death...
(122 °FFahrenheit is the temperature scale proposed in 1724 by, and named after, the physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit . Today, the scale has been replaced by the Celsius scale in most countries; it is still in use for non-scientific purposes in the United States and a few other nations, such as...
) 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 −12.0 °C (10.4 °F), recorded at TuraifTuraif is a town in northern Saudi Arabia, close to the border with Jordan. It is located at around ....
. The average winter temperature ranges from 8° to 20 °C (47° to 68 °F) in January in interior cities such as RiyadhRiyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Nejd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 1,444,500 people, and the urban center of a...
and 19° to 29 °C (66° to 83 °F) in JeddahJeddah is a Saudi Arabian city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh...
, on the Red SeaThe Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez,...
coast. The average summer temperature range (in July) is 27° to 43 °C (81° to 109 °F) in Riyadh and 27° to 38 °C (80° to 100 °F) 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 100 mm or 4 in in most regions), although sudden downpours can lead to violent flash floodA flash flood is a rapid flooding of geomorphic low-lying areas - washes, rivers and streams. It is caused by heavy rain associated with a thunderstorm, hurricane, or tropical storm. Flash floods can also occur after the collapse of an ice dam, or a human structure, such as a dam, for example, the...
s in wadiWadi is the Arabic term traditionally referring to a valley; in some cases it may refer to a dry riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain or simply an intermittent stream.-Variant names:...
s. Annual rainfall in Riyadh averages 100 mm (4 inches) and falls almost exclusively between January and May; the average in Jeddah is 54 mm (2.1 in) and occurs between November and January.
Government
The central institution of the Saudi Arabian government is the Saudi monarchyThe House of Saud is the royal family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The modern nation of Saudi Arabia was established in 1932, though the roots and influence for the House of Saud had been planted in the Arabian Peninsula several centuries earlier...
. 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*King Saud*King Faisal*Mohammed*King Khaled*Nasr*Saad*King Fahd*Mansur*Bandar*Musa'id*King Abdullah*Mishaal*Sultan*Abdul Mohsin*Abd al-Rahman*Mutaib*Talal*Badr*Nawaf*Nayef*Turki*Fawwaz*Abdulilah*Salman*Ahmed*Mamdouh...
. It also claims that the Qur'anThe Qur’an is the central religious text of Islam...
is the constitutionA constitution is a set of rules for government—often codified as a written document—that establishes principles of an autonomous political entity. In the case of countries, this term refers specifically to a national constitution defining the fundamental political principles, and establishing the...
of the country, which is governed on the basis of the ShariaSharia is an Arabic word meaning ‘way’ or ‘path’. In Arabic, the collocation ‘Šarīʿat Allāh’ is traditionally used not only by Muslims, but also Christians and Jews, sometimes translating expressions such as Torat Elōhīm [תורת אלוהים] or ‘ho nómos toû theoû' '’...
(Islamic Law). According to The EconomistThe Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in an office in the City of Westminster, London. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843. While The Economist calls itself a...
's Democracy IndexThe Economist has in a study examined the state of democracy in 167 countries and attempted to quantify this with an Economist Intelligence Unit Index of Democracy which focused on five general categories: electoral process and pluralism, civil liberties, functioning of government, political...
, 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 (ulemaUlema refers to the educated class of Muslim legal scholars engaged in the several fields of Islamic studies. They are best known as the arbiters of shari‘a law...
), and other important elements in Saudi society. The Saudi government spreads IslamIslam Islam Islam ( al-’islām,
[There are ten pronunciations of Islam in English, differing in whether the first or second syllable has the stress, whether the s is or , and whether the a is pronounced as in father, as in cat, or (when the stress is on the i) as in the a of sofa...]
by funding construction of mosques and Qur'an schoolsMadrasah is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, whether secular or religious...
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 decreeA decree is a rule of law issued by a head of state , according to certain procedures . It has the force of law...
, and must be compatible with the Shari'a. A 150-member Consultative AssemblyThe Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia also known as Majlis as-Shura or Shura Council is the legislature of the country. It has 150 members that are appointed by the king, six of them are women, and is headed by Abdullah ibn Mohammed Al-Shaikh....
, appointed by the King, has limited legislative rights. JusticeJustice is the concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, fairness, or equity.-Concept of justice:Justice... concerns the proper ordering of things and persons within a society. As a concept it has been subject to philosophical, legal, and theological reflection and...
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. IndependenceIndependence is the self-government of a nation, country, or state by its residents and population, or some portion thereof, generally exercising sovereignty....
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-In the United States:While the prohibition of abridgment of the right to petition originally referred only to the federal legislature and courts, the incorporation doctrine later expanded the protection of the right to its current scope, over all state and federal courts and legislatures and the...
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 deficitA budget deficit occurs when an entity spends more money than it takes in. The opposite of a budget deficit is a budget surplus. Debt is essentially an accumulated flow of deficits. In other words, a deficit is a flow, and debt is a stock....
. 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 LawThe Basic Law of Saudi Arabia is a constitution-like charter divided into nine chapters, consisting of 83 articles...
, in 1992, declared that Saudi Arabia is a monarchy ruled by the progeny of King Abd Al Aziz Al Saud*King Saud*King Faisal*Mohammed*King Khaled*Nasr*Saad*King Fahd*Mansur*Bandar*Musa'id*King Abdullah*Mishaal*Sultan*Abdul Mohsin*Abd al-Rahman*Mutaib*Talal*Badr*Nawaf*Nayef*Turki*Fawwaz*Abdulilah*Salman*Ahmed*Mamdouh...
. It also declared the Qur'anThe Qur’an is the central religious text of Islam...
as the constitution of the country, governed on the basis of Islamic lawSharia is an Arabic word meaning ‘way’ or ‘path’. In Arabic, the collocation ‘Šarīʿat Allāh’ is traditionally used not only by Muslims, but also Christians and Jews, sometimes translating expressions such as Torat Elōhīm [תורת אלוהים] or ‘ho nómos toû theoû' '’...
.
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 HanbaliHanbali is one of the four schools Hanbali is one of the four schools Hanbali is one of the four schools (Madh'habs (rites) of Fiqh or religious law within Sunni Islam (the other three being Hanafi, Maliki and Shafi`i).Salafi creed aqeedah is based on this Madh'hab of Sunni Islam....
fiqhFiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the Sharia Islamic law—based directly on the Quran and Sunnah—that complements Shariah with evolving rulings/interpretations of Islamic jurists....
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 punishmentCapital punishment or the death penalty, is the execution of a person by judicial process as a punishment for an offense. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences....
or corporal punishmentCorporal punishment is the deliberate infliction of pain as retribution for an offence, or for the purpose of disciplining or reforming a wrongdoer, or to change an undesirable attitude or behaviour...
, including amputationAmputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for such problems...
s of hands and feet for certain crimes such as murderMurder, as defined in common law countries, is the unlawful killing of another human being with intent , and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, robberyRobbery is the crime of seizing property through violence or intimidation. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear. Precise definitions of the offence may vary between...
, rape, drug smuggling, homosexual activityHomosexuality is the romantic or sexual attraction or behavior among members of the same sex, situationally or as an enduring disposition. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is considered to lie within the heterosexual-homosexual continuum of human sexuality, and refers to an individual’s...
, and adulteryAdultery is referred to as extramarital sex, philandery, or infidelity, but does not include fornication. The term "adultery" for many people carries a moral or religious association, while the term "extramarital sex" is morally or judgmentally neutral....
. The courts may impose less severe punishments, such as floggingsFlagellation or flogging is the act of methodically beating or whipping the human body. Specialised implements for it include rods, switches, the cat-o-nine-tails and the sjambok...
, for less serious crimes against public moralityPublic morality refers to moral and ethical standards enforced in a society, by law or police work or social pressure, and applied to public life, to the content of the media, and to conduct in public places...
such as drunkennessAlcohol intoxication is a physiological state occurring when an organism has a high level of ethyl alcohol in its bloodstream, or when ethyl alcohol otherwise causes a physiological effect...
.
Murder, accidental death and bodily harm are open to punishment from the victim's family. Retribution may be sought in kind or through blood money. The blood money payable for a woman's accidental death is half as much as that for a man. The main reason for this is that, according to Islamic law, men are expected to be providers for their families and therefore are expected to earn more money in their lifetimes. The blood money from a man would be expected to sustain his family, for at least a short time. Honor killings are also not punished as severely as murder. This generally stems from the fact that honor killings are within a family, and done to compensate for some dishonorable act committed. SlaverySlavery is a form of forced labor in which people are considered to be the property of others. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to receive compensation...
was abolished in 1962.
Human rights
Several international human rightsHuman rights refer to the "basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled." Examples of rights and freedoms which have come to be commonly thought of as human rights include civil and political rights, such as the right to life and liberty, freedom of expression, and equality before the...
organizations, such as Human Rights WatchHuman Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo, Toronto,...
, Amnesty InternationalAmnesty International is an international secular non-governmental organisation which defines its mission as "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated." Founded in London in 1961, AI...
and the United NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and the achieving of world peace...
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 TortureThe United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment is an international human rights instrument, under the review of the United Nations, that aims to prevent torture around the world....
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 1300 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 — some of which extend to many square miles. 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 RightsThe National Society for Human Rights is a non-governmental organization based in Saudi Arabia, and was established on the 10th March 2004. It is the first independent human rights organization in Saudi Arabia, and cooperates with other international human rights organizations...
was established in 2004.
The Saudi Government is an active censor of Internet reception within its borders. A Saudi blogA blog is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order...
ger, Fouad al-FarhanFouad Ahmad al-Farhan is a popular Saudi Arabian blogger and political commentator noted for his advocacy of political reforms on his blog. Farhan is unusual among Saudi Arabian bloggers because he uses his real name rather than blogging under a pseudonym...
, was jailed for five months in solitary confinementSolitary confinement is a punishment or special form of imprisonment in which a prisoner is denied contact with any other persons, excluding members of prison staff. Usually cited as an additional measure of protection from the criminal, it has also been called a form of torture...
in December, 2007, without charges, after criticizing Saudi religious, business and media figures.
Emirates
Saudi Arabia is divided into 13 emirates (manatiq, – singular mintaqahMintaqah is a term for a country subdivision used in Saudi Arabia and several other Arab countries. It is often translated as region or, in Saudi Arabia, as province. The literal meaning is simply "area."-See also:...
). The emirates are further divided into governorates.
| Emirate |
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Al BahahAl-Bahah is a province of Saudi Arabia. Al-Baḥah is located in the south of the country, near Mecca. It has an area of 15,000 km², and a population of 459,200 . Its capital is Al Bahah. The al- Baḥah region includes al-Baḥah city and Baljorashi. Baljorashi has a famous traditional market...
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Al Bahah cityAl Bahah is a city in the southwest of Saudi Arabia. It is the capital of Al Bahah Province nestled between the resorts of Taif and Abha, Al Baha is one of the Kingdom’s prime tourist attractions. It enjoys a pleasant climate and is surrounded by more than forty forests, including Raghdan, al...
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Arar Arar is the capital of Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah province in Saudi Arabia. It has a population of 145,237 ....
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| Al Jawf Al Jawf is a province of Saudi Arabia, located in the north of the country, bordering Jordan. It has an area of 100,212 km² and a population of 361,676 . Its capital is Al Jawf, in the governorate of Sakakah....
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Al Jawf city Skaka is a city in the north of Saudi Arabia. It is the capital of Al Jawf Province....
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| Al Madinah |
MedinaMedina is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province...
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| Al Qasim |
Buraidah Buraydah or Buraidah is the capital of Al-Qassim Province in northcentral Saudi Arabia in the heart of the Arabian peninsula. Buraydah lies equidistant from the Red Sea to the west and the Persian Gulf to the east...
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| Ha'il Haʾil is a province of Saudi Arabia, located in the north of the country. It has an area of 103,887 km² and a population of 527,033 census). Its capital is Haʾil. It is subdivided into four governorates: :#Baqa 38,778...
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Ha'il cityHa'il is an oasis city in Nejd in northwestern Saudi Arabia. It is the capital of the Ha'il Province. The city has a population of 267,005 according to a 2004 census....
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| Asir ʿAsīr is a province of Saudi Arabia located in the southwest of the country. It has an area of 81,000 km² and an estimated population of 1,563,000. It shares a short border with Yemen. Its capital is Abha. Other towns include Khamis Mushayt and Qal'at Bishah...
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AbhaAbha is the capital of Asir province in Saudi Arabia. It is situated at 2,200 metres above sea level in the fertile mountains of south-western Saudi Arabia near the National Park of Asir. Its mild climate makes it a popular tourist destination for Saudis...
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Dammam Dammam is the capital of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Dammam is the largest city in the Eastern Province and third largest in Saudi Arabia after Riyadh and Jeddah. Dammam Port is the largest on the Persian Gulf...
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| Al Riyadh Riyadh Province is a province of Saudi Arabia, Also called , located in the centre of the country. It has an area of 412,000 km² and a population of 5,455,363 , making it the second largest province in terms of both area and population...
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Riyadh cityRiyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Nejd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 1,444,500 people, and the urban center of a...
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| Tabuk Tabuk is a province of Saudi Arabia, located along the north-west coast of the country, facing Egypt across the Red Sea. It has an area of 108,000 km² and a population of 560,200 . Its capital is Tabuk.- History :...
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Tabuk cityTabuk is the capital city of the Tabuk province in north western Saudi Arabia. It has a population of 441,351 .-History:Around Tabuk, the Battle of Tabouk took place in the time of Prophet Muhammad....
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NajranNajran is a province of Saudi Arabia, located in the south of the country along the border with Yemen. It has an area of 119,000 km². Its capital is Najran. Najran is inhabited by the powerful Yam tribe, who have lived in the region for hundreds of years...
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Najran city Najran is a city in southwestern Saudi Arabia near the frontier with Yemen. It is the capital of Najran Province. Designated a New town by the Saudi Government in 1965, Najran is one of the fastest-growing cities in the kingdom, its population having risen from 47,500 in and 90,983 in 1992 to...
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| Makkah |
MeccaMecca , sometimes spelled Makkah is the holiest meeting site of the Islamic religion. The city is modern, cosmopolitan and whilst being closed to non-Muslims is nonetheless ethnically diverse.Islamic tradition attributes the beginning of Mecca to Ishmael's descendants...
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| Jizan Jizan is a province of Saudi Arabia. It stretches some 300km along the southern Red Sea coast, just north of Yemen. It covers an area of 11,671 km² and a population of 1,186,139 . The capital is the city of Jizan. The province includes over 100 islands in the Red Sea...
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Jizan city Jizan is the new name of the capital of the Jizan Province in the far south-west of Saudi Arabia. Jazan city is situated on the Red Sea coast and serves a large agricultural hinterland. It has a population of 100,694 . In the north there are Farasan Islands...
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Cities
Largest Cities by Population
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RiyadhRiyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Nejd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 1,444,500 people, and the urban center of a...
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JeddahJeddah is a Saudi Arabian city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh...
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MeccaMecca , sometimes spelled Makkah is the holiest meeting site of the Islamic religion. The city is modern, cosmopolitan and whilst being closed to non-Muslims is nonetheless ethnically diverse.Islamic tradition attributes the beginning of Mecca to Ishmael's descendants...
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MedinaMedina is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province...
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RiyadhRiyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Nejd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 1,444,500 people, and the urban center of a...
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JeddahJeddah is a Saudi Arabian city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh...
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MeccaMecca , sometimes spelled Makkah is the holiest meeting site of the Islamic religion. The city is modern, cosmopolitan and whilst being closed to non-Muslims is nonetheless ethnically diverse.Islamic tradition attributes the beginning of Mecca to Ishmael's descendants...
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| Dammam Dammam is the capital of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Dammam is the largest city in the Eastern Province and third largest in Saudi Arabia after Riyadh and Jeddah. Dammam Port is the largest on the Persian Gulf...
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| Qatif Qatif or Al-Qatif is a historic, coastal oasis region located on the western shore of the Persian Gulf in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. It extends from Ras Tanura and Jubail in the north to Dammam in the south, and from the Persian Gulf in the east to King Fahd International Airport in the...
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TabukTabuk is the capital city of the Tabuk province in north western Saudi Arabia. It has a population of 441,351 .-History:Around Tabuk, the Battle of Tabouk took place in the time of Prophet Muhammad....
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AbhaAbha is the capital of Asir province in Saudi Arabia. It is situated at 2,200 metres above sea level in the fertile mountains of south-western Saudi Arabia near the National Park of Asir. Its mild climate makes it a popular tourist destination for Saudis...
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Khamis MushaitKhamis Mushait is a city in south-west Saudi Arabia, located 35 minutes east of Abha, the provincial seat of the Asir province in southwest Saudi Arabia. Until the 1970s Khamis Mushait was a small town of less than 50,000 servicing the surrounding mild-climate agricultural region...
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MedinaMedina is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province...
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Dammam Dammam is the capital of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Dammam is the largest city in the Eastern Province and third largest in Saudi Arabia after Riyadh and Jeddah. Dammam Port is the largest on the Persian Gulf...
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TabukTabuk is the capital city of the Tabuk province in north western Saudi Arabia. It has a population of 441,351 .-History:Around Tabuk, the Battle of Tabouk took place in the time of Prophet Muhammad....
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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 productThe gross domestic product or gross domestic income is a basic measure of a country's economic performance and is the market value of all final goods and services made within the borders of a country in a year...
, compared with 40% from the private sector (see below). Saudi Arabia officially has about of
oil reservesOil reserves are the estimated quantities of crude oil that are claimed to be recoverable under existing economic and operating conditions.The total estimated amount of oil in an oil reservoir, including both producible and non-producible oil, is called oil in place...
, 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.
TadawulSaudi Stock Exchange or Tadawul is the only stock exchange in Saudi Arabia. The Capital Market Authority supervises the exchange. The Tadawul All-Share Index reached its highest point at 20,634.86 on 25 February 2006 . It lists 115 publicly traded companies...
(the Saudi stock market index) finished 2004 with a massive 76.23% to close at 4437.58 points.
Market capitalizationMarket capitalization/capitalisation is a measurement of the size of a business enterprise equal to the share price times the number of shares outstanding of a public company...
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 EastThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, southeastern Europe, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East...
.
OPECThe Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is a cartel of twelve countries made up of Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. OPEC has maintained its headquarters in Vienna since 1965, and hosts regular...
(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 SimmonsMatthew Simmons, chairman and CEO of Simmons & Company International, is a prominent oil-industry insider and one of the world's leading experts on the topic of peak oil. Simmons was motivated by the 1973 energy crisis to create an investment banking firm catering to oil companies. In his previous...
has suggested that Saudi Arabia is greatly exaggerating its reserves and may soon show production declines (see
peak oilPeak oil is the point in time when the maximum rate of global petroleum extraction is reached, after which the rate of production enters terminal decline. The concept is based on the observed production rates of individual oil wells, and the combined production rate of a field of related oil wells...
).
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 CityKing Abdullah Economic City is a mega project revealed in 2005 by Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the king of Saudi Arabia.- Overview :...
", 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 OrganizationThe World Trade Organization is an international organization designed by its founders to supervise and liberalize international capital trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakesh Agreement, replacing the General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade , which...
member in December 2005.
Development
Saudi Arabia is one of only a few fast-growing countries in the world with a high
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
of $20,700 (2007). Saudi Arabia will be launching six "economic cities" (e.g.
King Abdullah Economic CityKing Abdullah Economic City is a mega project revealed in 2005 by Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the king of Saudi Arabia.- Overview :...
) 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 areaAn urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
s of
RiyadhRiyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Nejd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 1,444,500 people, and the urban center of a...
and
JeddahJeddah is a Saudi Arabian city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh...
are expected to contribute $287 billion dollars by the year 2020.
Foreign labour
Despite the government's efforts to promote
SaudizationSaudisation refers to the national policy in Saudi Arabia to encourage employment of Saudi nationals in the private sector, which, as of 2006, is largely dominated by expatriate workers from South and Southeast Asia...
, the country draws a significant portion of its labour force from foreign countries, especially from
SouthSouth Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries on the west and the east...
and
Southeast AsiaManila
Bangkok
Ho Chi Minh City
Kuala Lumpur
Singapore
Yangon
Bandung
Hanoi
Surabaya
Taichung
Kaohsiung
Medan|-|}...
(notably
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
,
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located at the crossroads of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia...
,
Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a country in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
,
IndonesiaThe Republic of Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With an estimated population of around 237 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, with the world's largest population of Muslims.Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, the
PhilippinesThe Philippines officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
,
NepalNepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia and the world's youngest republic. It is bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
,
Sri LankaSri Lanka , officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka , is an island country in South Asia, located about off the southern coast of India...
),
East AsiaEast Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms. Geographically and geo-politically, it covers about , or about 28 percent of the Asian continent, about 15 percent bigger than the area of Europe, though some categorize Tibet, Xinjiang,...
,
East AfricaEast Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
and from other
Middle EastThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, southeastern Europe, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East...
ern countries. There are also some people from North America, South America, and Europe. Hundreds of thousands of low-
skilled workerA skilled worker is any worker who has some special skill, knowledge, or ability in his work. A skilled worker may have attended a college, university or technical school...
s and skilled workers from regions of the
developing worldDeveloping country is a term generally used to describe a nation with a low level of material well being. There is no single internationally-recognized definition of developed country, and the levels of development may vary widely within so-called developing countries, with some developing...
migrate to Saudi Arabia, sometimes only for a short period of time, to work. Although exact figures are not known, skilled experts in the
bankA bank is a financial institution licensed by a government. Its primary activities include borrowing and lending money.Many other financial activities were allowed over time. For example banks are important players in financial markets and offer financial services such as investment funds...
ing 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
nomadNomadic people are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but traditional nomadic behavior is increasingly rare in...
ic; 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 AsiaSouth Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries on the west and the east...
n or of South Asian ancestry, including Indians, Pakistanis, and Bangladeshis. In addition, there are some citizens of
AsianAsian people or Asiatic people is a demonym for people from Asia. However, the use of the term varies by country and person, often referring to people from a particular region or subregion of Asia...
,
Northeast AfricanThe Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts for hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea, and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
, and
Sub-SaharanSub-Saharan Africa is a geographical term used to describe the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara, or those African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara...
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):
IndianA non-resident Indian is an Indian citizen who has migrated to another country, a person of Indian origin who is born outside India, or a person of Indian origin who resides outside India. Other terms with the same meaning are overseas Indian and expatriate Indian...
: 1.4 million,
Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a country in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
i: 1 million,
FilipinoThe Filipino people are the nationals of the Republic of the Philippines and to persons having Filipino ancestry. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines and about 11 million outside the Philippines....
: 950,000,
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located at the crossroads of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia...
i: 900,000,
EgyptianEgyptians is the name of the nationality and Mediterranean North African ethnic group native to Egypt....
: 900,000,
YemenYemen , officially the Republic of Yemen is a country located on the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia...
i: 800,000,
IndonesiaThe Republic of Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With an estimated population of around 237 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, with the world's largest population of Muslims.Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n: 500,000,
Sri LankaSri Lanka , officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka , is an island country in South Asia, located about off the southern coast of India...
n: 350,000,
SudanSudan is a country in northeastern Africa. It is the largest country in Africa and in the Arab World, and tenth largest in the world by area...
ese: 250,000,
SyrianThis article is about the demographic features of the population of Syria, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population....
: 100,000 and
TurkishThe Turkish people , also known as the "Turks" are defined mainly as citizens of the Republic of Turkey. An early historic text provided the definition of being a Turk as "any individual within the Republic of Turkey; whatever his/her faith or racial/ethnic background; who speaks Turkish, grows up...
: 80,000. There are around 100,000
WesternersThe Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term that can have multiple meanings depending on its context...
in Saudi Arabia, most of whom live in
compoundsCompound when applied to a human habitat refers to a cluster of buildings in an enclosure, having a shared or associated purpose, such as the houses of an extended family...
or
gated communitiesIn its modern form, a gated community is a form of residential community containing strictly controlled entrances for pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles, and sometimes characterised by a closed perimeter of walls and fences. Gated communities usually consist of small residential streets and...
.
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
YemenYemen , officially the Republic of Yemen is a country located on the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia...
for its opposition to the
Gulf WarThe Persian Gulf War , known also as the Gulf War, the First Gulf War,or often as the Second Gulf War and by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein as The Mother of all Battles, or commonly as Desert Storm, for the military response...
against
IraqIraq , officially the Republic of Iraq , also known as Mesopotamia, is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert.Iraq shares borders with Jordan to the west, Syria...
. An estimated 240,000
PalestiniansThe Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with family origins in Palestine...
are living in Saudi Arabia. They are not allowed to hold or even apply for Saudi citizenship, because of
Arab LeagueThe Arab League , officially called the League of Arab States , is a regional organization of Arab states in Southwest Asia, and North and Northeast Africa. It was formed in Cairo on March 22, 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan , Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria...
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
expatriateAn expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing or legal residence...
s 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:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits ". Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islam is the infinitive. Muslims believe that there is only one God, translated in Arabic as Allah...
.
The majority of the population adheres to a theological interpretation within Islam most commonly known as Salafism or
WahhabismWahhabi or Wahhabism is a sect attributed to Muhammad ibn Abd-al-Wahhab, an 18th century scholar from what is today known as Saudi Arabia, who advocated to purge Islam of what he considered innovations in Islam...
. Writing in 2006 for the
Council on Foreign RelationsThe Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit and nonpartisan membership organization dedicated to improving the understanding of U.S. foreign policy and international affairs...
Lionel Beehner estimated the Shia population of the country at 15 percent. Shia in Saudi Arabia reside primarily in the eastern provinces on the Persian Gulf, southwestern provinces bordering
YemenYemen , officially the Republic of Yemen is a country located on the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia...
, Mecca and particularly, Medina, as well as other larger cities in the kingdom.
Culture
Saudi Arabian culture mainly revolves around the religion of
IslamIslam Islam Islam ( al-’islām,
[There are ten pronunciations of Islam in English, differing in whether the first or second syllable has the stress, whether the s is or , and whether the a is pronounced as in father, as in cat, or (when the stress is on the i) as in the a of sofa...]
. Islam's two holiest sites,
MeccaMecca , sometimes spelled Makkah is the holiest meeting site of the Islamic religion. The city is modern, cosmopolitan and whilst being closed to non-Muslims is nonetheless ethnically diverse.Islamic tradition attributes the beginning of Mecca to Ishmael's descendants...
and
MedinaMedina is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province...
, 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. The public practice of any religion other than Islam, is punishable by death. Saudi Arabia's cultural heritage is celebrated at the annual
JenadriyahAl Jenadriyah is a culture and heritage festival held in Jenadriyah near Riyadh in Saudi Arabia each year, lasting for two weeks. It is organised by the National Guard; the first was held in 1985. During this event, carrot cake, the Saudi national cake, is handed out to visitors...
cultural festival.
Music and dance
One of Saudi Arabia's most compelling folk rituals is the
Al ArdhaArdha is a type of folkloric dance performed by the Bedouin tribes of the Arabian peninsula, especially the Arab states of the Persian Gulf. It was traditionally performed before going to war, but nowadays is performed at celebrations or cultural events, such as the Jenadriyah festival...
, the country's national dance. This
sword danceSword dances are recorded from throughout world history. There are various traditions of solo and mock battle sword dances from Greece, the Middle East, Pakistan, India, China, Korea, Scotland and Japan, of the while all known linked...
is based on ancient
BedouinThe Bedouin, , are a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group found throughout most of the desert belt extending from the Atlantic coast of the Sahara via the Western Desert, Sinai, and Negev to the Arabian Desert...
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
Hejazal-Hejaz is a region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia. Defined mostly by the Red Sea, it extends from Haql on the Gulf of Aqaba to Jizan. Its main city is Jeddah, but it is probably better-known for the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina...
, has its origins in
al-AndalusAl-Andalus was the Arabic name given to the parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Arab and North African Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492....
. In
MeccaMecca , sometimes spelled Makkah is the holiest meeting site of the Islamic religion. The city is modern, cosmopolitan and whilst being closed to non-Muslims is nonetheless ethnically diverse.Islamic tradition attributes the beginning of Mecca to Ishmael's descendants...
,
MedinaMedina is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province...
and
JeddahJeddah is a Saudi Arabian city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh...
, dance and song incorporate the sound of the
mizmarIn Arabic music, a mizmar is any single or double reed wind instrument. In Egypt, the term mizmar usually refers to the conical shawm that is called zurna in Turkey....
, an
oboeThe oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois", "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
-like
woodwind instrumentA woodwind instrument is a musical instrument which produces sound when the player blows air against an edge of, or opening in, the instrument, causing the air to vibrate within a resonator...
in the performance of the
mizmar danceMizmar is the name of a folkloric dance native to the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia. The dance involves moving while twirling a bamboo cane, to the music of drums. The dance and music have strong African influences. In the past, the ritual was associated with spiritual healing practices, similar to...
. The
drumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of music instruments, technically classified as a membranophone.. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with parts of a player's body, or with some sort of...
is also an important instrument according to traditional and tribal customs.
SamriSamri is the name of a folkloric music and dance native to the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, especially Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. It involves singing poetry while the daff drum is being played. Two rows of men, seated on the knees sway to the rhythm....
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.
- Al Ardha
Ardha is a type of folkloric dance performed by the Bedouin tribes of the Arabian peninsula, especially the Arab states of the Persian Gulf. It was traditionally performed before going to war, but nowadays is performed at celebrations or cultural events, such as the Jenadriyah festival...
is a type of folkloric danceDance is a sport and art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
performed by the BedouinThe Bedouin, , are a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group found throughout most of the desert belt extending from the Atlantic coast of the Sahara via the Western Desert, Sinai, and Negev to the Arabian Desert...
tribes of the Arabian peninsulaThe Arabian Peninsula , Arabia, Arabistan, and the Arabian subcontinent is a peninsula in Southwest Asia at the junction of Africa and Asia...
, It was traditionally performed before going to war, but nowadays is performed at celebrations or cultural events, such as the JenadriyahAl Jenadriyah is a culture and heritage festival held in Jenadriyah near Riyadh in Saudi Arabia each year, lasting for two weeks. It is organised by the National Guard; the first was held in 1985. During this event, carrot cake, the Saudi national cake, is handed out to visitors...
festival. The dance, which is performed by men carrying swords or canes, is accompanied by drums and spoken verse.
- Mizmar
In Arabic music, a mizmar is any single or double reed wind instrument. In Egypt, the term mizmar usually refers to the conical shawm that is called zurna in Turkey....
is the name of a folkloric danceDance is a sport and art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
native to the Hejazal-Hejaz is a region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia. Defined mostly by the Red Sea, it extends from Haql on the Gulf of Aqaba to Jizan. Its main city is Jeddah, but it is probably better-known for the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina...
region of Saudi Arabia. The dance involves moving while twirling a bambooThe bamboos are a group of woody perennial evergreen plants in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Some are giant bamboos, the largest members of the grass family. Bamboos are the fastest growing woody plants in the world...
cane, to the music of drums.
- Samri
Samri is the name of a folkloric music and dance native to the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, especially Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. It involves singing poetry while the daff drum is being played. Two rows of men, seated on the knees sway to the rhythm....
is the name of a folkloric musicMusic is an art form whose medium is sound. Common elements of music are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
and danceDance is a sport and art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
. It involves singing poetry while the daffDAFF may refer to:*Danish American Football Federation*Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry...
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
hijabA hijab or ' , as commonly understood in the English-speaking world, is the type of head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women, but can also refer to modest Muslim styles of dress in general. The Arabic word literally means curtain or cover , based on the root حجب meaning "to cover, to veil,...
(the Islamic principle of
modestyStandards of modesty are aspects of the culture of a country or people, at a given point in time, and is a measure against which an individual in society may be judged...
, especially in dress). The predominantly loose and flowing but covering garments are helpful in Saudi Arabia's
desertA desert is a landscape or region that receives almost no precipitation. Deserts are defined as areas with an average annual precipitation of less than per year, or as areas where more water is lost by evapotranspiration than falls as precipitation. In the Köppen climate classification system,...
climate. Traditionally, men usually wear an ankle-length shirt woven from wool or cotton (known as a
thawbA thawb or thobe , dishdasha , kandura khameez or suriyah in Libya, is an ankle-length garment, usually with long sleeves, similar to a robe.-Background:...
), with a
keffiyehThe keffiyeh ), also known as a shmagh , ghutrah , ' , mashadah or shemagh is a traditional headdress typically worn by Arab men made of a square of cloth , usually cotton, folded and wrapped in various styles around the head...
(a large checkered square of cotton held in place by a cord coil) or a
ghutraThe keffiyeh ), also known as a shmagh , ghutrah , ' , mashadah or shemagh is a traditional headdress typically worn by Arab men made of a square of cloth , usually cotton, folded and wrapped in various styles around the head...
(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
camelCamels are even-toed ungulates within the genus Camelus. The dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the Bactrian camel has two humps. They are native to the dry desert areas of western Asia, and central and east Asia, respectively...
-hair cloak (
bishtBisht is a traditional Arabic men’s cloak popular in the Persian Gulf and some Arab countries. It is essentially a flowing outer cloak made of wool, worn over the thobe. Unlike the thobe, the bisht is soft, and it is usually black, brown, beige, cream or grey in colour...
) over the top. Women's clothes are decorated with tribal motifs, coins, sequins, metallic thread, and appliques. Women are required to wear an
abayaThe abaya "cloak" is an overgarment worn by some women in parts of the Islamic world. It is the traditional form of hijab, or Islamic dress, for many countries of the Arabian peninsula such as Saudi Arabia or United Arab Emirates, where it is the national dress...
or modest clothing when in public.
- Ghutrah Is a traditional headdress typically worn by Arab
Arab people or Arabs are an ethnic group whose members identify along linguistic, cultural or genealogical grounds...
men made of a square of cloth (“scarfA scarf is a piece of fabric worn on or near the head or around the neck for warmth, cleanliness, fashion or for religious reasons.-Uses and types:In cold climates, a thick knitted scarf, often of wool, is tied around the neck to keep warm...
”), usually cottonCotton is a soft, staple fiber that grows in a form known as a boll around the seeds of the cotton plant, a shrub native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Americas, India and Africa. The fiber most often is spun into yarn or thread and used to make a soft,...
, folded and wrapped in various styles around the head. It is commonly found in aridA region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available water, to the extent of hindering or even preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life...
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 sandSand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.As the term is used by geologists, sand particles range in diameter from 0.0625 to 2 millimeters. An individual particle in this range size is termed a sand grain...
.
- Agal
The agal , also spelled iqal, egal or igal, is an accessory constructed of cord which is fastened around the Keffiyeh to hold it in place. The agal is usually black in colour....
Is an ArabArab people or Arabs are an ethnic group whose members identify along linguistic, cultural or genealogical grounds...
headdress constructed of cord which is fastened around the Ghutrah to hold it in place. The agal is usually black in colour.
- Thawb
A thawb or thobe , dishdasha , kandura khameez or suriyah in Libya, is an ankle-length garment, usually with long sleeves, similar to a robe.-Background:...
Thawb is the standard Arabic word for garment. Its an ankle-length usually with long sleeves, similar to a robeA robe is a loose-fitting outer garment. A robe is distinguished from a cape or cloak by the fact that it usually has sleeves. The English word robe is borrowed from French...
.
- Bisht
Bisht refers to the title of Rajputs in Kumaon and Garhwal regions of Uttarakhand. Bisht was a title given by Kumaon and Garhwal Kings to nobles. It has come from the word Visishist, a Sanskrit word that means distinguished. Bishts are also in Himachal Pradesh...
Is a traditional Arabic men’s cloakA cloak is a type of loose garment that is worn over indoor clothing and serves the same purpose as an overcoat—it protects the wearer from the cold, rain or wind for example, or it may form part of a fashionable outfit or uniform. Cloaks are as old as human history; there has nearly always...
usually only worn for prestige on special occasions such as weddings
Food
Islamic dietary lawsIslamic dietary laws provide a set of rules as to what Muslims eat in their diet and other areas.-Overview:Islamic jurisprudence specifies which foods are halāl and which are harām . This is based on rules found in the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam...
forbid the eating of
porkPork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig . The word pork often denotes specifically the fresh meat of the pig, but can be used as an all-inclusive term which includes cured, smoked, or processed meats It is one of the most-commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig...
and the drinking of
alcoholAn alcoholic beverage is a drink that contains ethanol . Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits....
, and this law is enforced strictly throughout Saudi Arabia. Arabic unleavened bread, or
khobzKhubz is an Arabic flatbread that is part of the local diet in many countries on the Arabian Peninsula, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Jordan....
, is eaten with almost all meals. Other staples include lamb,
grilled chickenChicken is the meat derived from chicken. It is the most common type of poultry in the world, and is frequently prepared as food in a large number of different ways.- History :...
,
falafelFalafel is a fried ball or patty made from spiced chickpeas and/or fava beans. Originally from Egypt, falafel is a popular form of fast food in the Middle East, where it is also served as a mezze....
(deep-fried
chickpeaThe chickpea is an edible legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. Chickpeas are high in protein and one of the earliest cultivated vegetables...
balls),
shawarmaShawarma , is a Middle Eastern sandwich-like wrap of shaved lamb, goat, chicken, turkey, beef, or a halal mixture of meats. The meat is placed on a spit, and may be grilled for as long as a day. Chunks of fat within the meat ensure that the shawarma stays juicy. Shawarma is a fast-food staple...
(spit-cooked sliced lamb), and
Ful medamesFul medammas also foul medammas is popular in Egypt, Somalia and Sudan, often eaten at breakfast. It consists of brown fava beans, partially or completely mashed, which are slow-cooked and served with olive oil, chopped parsley, onion, garlic, and lemon juice...
(a paste of
fava beansVicia faba, the Broad Bean, Fava Bean, Faba Bean, Field Bean, Bell Bean or Tic Bean is a species of bean native to north Africa and southwest Asia, and extensively cultivated elsewhere. A variety is provisionally recognized:* Vicia faba var...
,
garlicAllium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion family Alliaceae. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, and chive. Garlic has been used throughout recorded history for both culinary and medicinal purposes. It has a characteristic pungent, spicy flavor that...
and
lemonThe lemon is a small evergreen tree originally native to Asia, and is also the name of the tree's oval yellow fruit. The fruit is used for culinary and nonculinary purposes throughout the world – primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind are also used, mainly in cooking and baking...
). Traditional
coffeehouseA coffeehouse or coffee shop is an establishment which primarily serves prepared coffee or other hot beverages...
s used to be ubiquitous, but are now being displaced by food-hall style cafes. Arabic
teaTea is the agricultural product of the leaves, leaf buds, and internodes of the Camellia sinensis plant, prepared and cured by various methods...
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 theatresA theater or theatre is a structure where theatrical works or plays are performed or other performances such as musical concerts may be given...
and
cinemasA movie theater, movie theatre, picture theatre, film theater or cinema is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
are prohibited, as Wahhabi tradition deems 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
IMAXIMAX is a motion picture film format and projection standard created by Canada's IMAX Corporation. The traditional version of IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
theater is available, and in private compounds such as
DhahranSaudi Aramco Residential Camp in Dhahran, casually known by its inhabitants as the Dhahran Camp, is the residential community built by Saudi Aramco for its employees...
and
Ras TanuraRas Tanura is a city in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia located on a peninsula extending into the Persian Gulf...
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
Some Saudi
novelA novel is a long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
ists have had their books published in
BeirutBeirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon with a population of over 2.1 million as of 2007. Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's coastline with the Mediterranean sea, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan Area, which...
,
LebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of Lebanon
[Republic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies...]
, because of
censorshipCensorship is the suppression of speech or deletion of communicative material which may be considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or inconvenient to the government or media organizations as determined by a censor.-Rationale:...
in Saudi Arabia. Despite signs of increasing openness, Saudi novelists and
artistThe definition of an artist is wide-ranging and covers a broad spectrum of activities to do with creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. the worlds best artist is a man named mitchell peter lay who is often loved by the ladies. The common useage in both everyday speech and...
s in
filmFilm encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects....
,
theatreTheatre is a branch of the performing arts. While any performance may be considered theatre, as a performing art, it focuses almost exclusively on live performers creating a self contained drama. A performance qualifies as dramatic by creating a representational illusion...
, and the
visual artsThe visual arts are art forms that focus on the creation of works which are primarily visual in nature, such as traditional plastic arts , modern visual arts , and design and crafts...
face greater restrictions on their freedom of expression than in the West. Contemporary Saudi novelists include:
- Abdul Rahman Munif
Abdul Rahman Munif is one of the most important Arabic novelists of the 20th century. He is most noted for closely reflecting the political surroundings of his day.-Life:...
(exiled, now deceased)
- Yousef Al-Mohaimeed
- Abdu Khal
- Turki al-Hamad
Turki al-Hamad is a Saudi-Arabian political analyst, journalist, and novelist, best known for his trilogy about the coming-of-age of Hisham al-Abir, a Saudi Arabian teenager, the first installment of which, Adama, was published in 1998...
(subject of a fatwāA fatwā , in the Islamic faith is a religious opinion concerning Islamic law issued by an Islamic scholar. In Sunni Islam any fatwa is non-binding, whereas in Shia Islam it could be binding, depending on the status of the scholar...
and death threats)
- Ali al-Domaini (in jail)
- Ahmed Abodehman (now writes in French)
- Raja'a Alem
Raja'a Alem is a Saudi Arabian novelist from Mecca/Hejaz.She received her BA in English Literature and works as a tutor for the Center for Training Kindergarten Teachers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. She is an active writer of prose and her style--a blend of modern style with traditional themes is...
- Abdullah Al-Qasemi
Abdullah Al-Qasemi was a Saudi Arabian intellectual and skeptic. He was one of the most controversial and prominent Arabian intellectuals due to his conversion from being a fundamentalist and a defender of Wahhabism to Atheism. Abdullah Al-Qasemi was born in 1907 in Buraydah in Al Qasim province,...
- Rajaa Al Sanie
Rajaa al-Sanea is a Saudi writer who became famous through her novel Girls of Riyadh, or Banat al-Riyadh. The book was first published in Lebanon in 2005 and in English in 2007. The book was long-listed for in Dublin Literary Award in 2009....
, author of best-selling novel Girls of RiyadhGirls of Riyadh, or Banat al-Riyadh, is a novel by Rajaa Alsanea. The book, written in the form of e-mails, recounts the personal lives of four young Saudi girls, Lamees, Michelle , Gamrah, and Sadeem...
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. Indeed, the Government enforces a strict and conservative version of Sunni 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 ArabiaSaudi Arabia allows Christians to enter the country as temporary workers, but does not allow them to practice their faith. Foreign Christians generally only worship in secret within private homes. Items and articles belonging to religions other than Islam are prohibited...
faces persecution.
Education
When the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932,
educationEducation in its broadest sense is any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind, character or physical ability of an individual...
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 UniversityKing Saud University is Saudi Arabia's oldest and most prestigious university, located in the capital Riyadh. The university was founded by King Saud in 1957 as Riyadh University. The first university not dedicated to religious subjects, it was renamed King Saud University in 1982.It was created...
, was founded in Riyadh in 1957.
Today, Saudi Arabia's nationwide public educational system comprises twenty 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 StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
,
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
, the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
,
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
,
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
,
MalaysiaMalaysia is a country in Southeast Asia that consists of thirteen states and three Federal Territories, with a total landmass of . The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government. The population stands at over 28 million inhabitants...
and other nations. Currently thousands of students are being sent to higher-educations programs every year.
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 HouseFreedom House is a Washington-based international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom and human rights...
. 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
madrasahMadrasah is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, whether secular or religious...
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 GamesThe Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...
and in international competitions in
volleyball Volleyball is an Olympic team sport in which two teams of 6 players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules...
and other sports. The Saudi Arabian national youth baseball team has also participated in the Little League World Series. The
Saudi Arabia national football teamThe Saudi Arabia national football team is the national team of Saudi Arabia and is controlled by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation...
is often most known for being in four consecutive times in the
FIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, occasionally called the Football World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international football competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
and six times in the
AFC Asian CupThe AFC Asian Cup is a football tournament run by the Asian Football Confederation . The winning team becomes the champion of Asia and automatically qualifies for the FIFA Confederations Cup....
, which the team won three times and was runner-up three times. Some popular football players include
Majed AbdullahMajed Ahmed Abdullah Al-Mohammed Majed Ahmed Abdullah Al-Mohammed Majed Ahmed Abdullah Al-Mohammed ( (born November 1, 1959 in Jeddah) is a former Saudi Arabian football (soccer) striker, the all-time goals leader for the Saudi national team. He was nicknamed Arabian Pelé...
,
Mohamed Al-DeayeaMohamed Abdullaziz Al-Deayea is a Saudi Arabian football goalkeeper. He played in four World Cups for the Saudi Arabia national team, and as of November 2008, he is the world record holder for most international appearances by a male footballer, with 181 caps for Saudi Arabia...
,
Sami Al-JaberSami Abdullah Al-Jaber is a retired football striker from Saudi Arabia well known as playing the majority of his career with Al-Hilal...
, Saeed Al-Owairan, and
Yousuf Al-ThunayanYousef Al-Thyniyan is a former soccer midfielder from Saudi Arabia. During his active career he played 94 international matches and scored 26 goals for the national team. At the age of 34 he was selected for his first and only Football World Cup, and appeared in two games...
.
Military
Saudi military was founded as the
IkhwanThe Ikhwan was the Islamic religious militia which formed the main military force of the Arabian ruler Ibn Saud and played a key role in establishing him as ruler of most of the Arabian Peninsula, in his new state of Saudi Arabia. The Ikhwan were made up of Bedouin tribes...
army, the tribal army of
Ibn Saud*King Saud*King Faisal*Mohammed*King Khaled*Nasr*Saad*King Fahd*Mansur*Bandar*Musa'id*King Abdullah*Mishaal*Sultan*Abdul Mohsin*Abd al-Rahman*Mutaib*Talal*Badr*Nawaf*Nayef*Turki*Fawwaz*Abdulilah*Salman*Ahmed*Mamdouh...
. 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:
- Army
Saudi Arabian Army , also called Royal Saudi Land Force . Is a branch of the Saudi Armed Forces. The total number of active troops is around 120,000 and there are another 130,000 land forces personnel in the Saudi Arabian National Guard....
- Air Force
The Royal Saudi Air Force , is the air force branch of Saudi Arabian armed forces. After the Turkish Air Force and the Israeli Air Force, the RSAF has the third largest air combat capability in the Middle East. The RSAF has developed from a largely defensive military force into one with an advanced...
- Navy
- Air Defence
- Independent Military branches:
- National Guard
The Saudi Arabian National Guard is one of five branches of the Saudi Arabian Defence Forces. It serves both as defence force against external threats and as a security force against internal threats...
- Royal Guard
The Saudi Arabian Royal Guard Regiment is one of the more visible units in the Saudi Arabian Army. Originally an independent military force, the Royal Guards were incorporated into the Army in 1964. However, the Royal Guards still retained their unique mission of protecting the House of Saud...
- General Intelligence
The Re'asat Al Istikhbarat Al A'amah , or the General Intelligence Presidency, GIP , is the pre-eminent intelligence agency of the government of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia....
- Military Police
- Saudi Lightning Force
- 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
The Emergency Force is a special operations counter-terrorism unit of the Saudi Arabian General Security. Similar units include the FBI Hostage Rescue Team and the French GIGN. The SEFC was established in 1972; its main job was to control riots and demonstration alongside assisting other police...
Foreign relations
Saudi Arabia is one of the largest contributors of
development aidDevelopment aid or development cooperation is aid given by governments and other agencies to support the economic, social and political development of developing countries.It is distinguished from humanitarian aid as being aimed at alleviating poverty in the...
, both in term of
volume of aidOfficial development assistance is a statistic compiled by the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to measure aid. The DAC first compiled the statistic in 1969. It is widely used by academics and journalists as a convenient indicator of...
and in the ratio of aid volume to
GDPThe gross domestic product or gross domestic income is a basic measure of a country's economic performance and is the market value of all final goods and services made within the borders of a country in a year...
.
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
MinangkabauThe Minangkabau ethnic group is indigenous to the highlands of West Sumatra, in Indonesia. Their culture is matrilineal, with property and land passing down from mother to daughter, while religious and political affairs are the province of men...
and the
AcehAceh is a special territory of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its full name is Nanggröe Aceh Darussalam. Past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin.It is thought to have been in Aceh where Islam was first established in Southeast Asia...
nese in
IndonesiaThe Republic of Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With an estimated population of around 237 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, with the world's largest population of Muslims.Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, as well as among the people of the
MaldivesThe Maldives , or Maldive Islands, officially Republic of Maldives, is an island country in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls stretching along north-south direction off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and Chagos Archipelago...
.
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
| Organization |
Survey |
Ranking |
Heritage FoundationThe Heritage Foundation is an American think tank based in Washington, D.C.The foundation took a leading role in the conservative movement during the presidency of Ronald Reagan, whose policies drew significantly from Heritage's policy study Mandate for Leadership. Heritage has since continued to...
/The Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street Journal is an English-language international daily newspaper published by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, in New York City, with Asian and European editions. As of 2007, it has a worldwide daily circulation of more than 2 million, with approximately 931,000...
|
Index of Economic Freedom |
62 out of 157 |
| The Economist The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in an office in the City of Westminster, London. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843. While The Economist calls itself a...
|
Worldwide Quality-of-life Index, 2005 |
72 out of 111 |
| The Economist The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in an office in the City of Westminster, London. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843. While The Economist calls itself a...
|
Democracy Index The Economist has in a study examined the state of democracy in 167 countries and attempted to quantify this with an Economist Intelligence Unit Index of Democracy which focused on five general categories: electoral process and pluralism, civil liberties, functioning of government, political...
|
159 out of 167 |
Reporters Without BordersReporters Without Borders, or RWB is a Paris-based international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press. It was founded in 1985 by Robert Ménard, Rony Brauman and the journalist Jean-Claude Guillebaud...
|
Worldwide Press Freedom Index |
161 out of 167 |
| Transparency International Transparency International is an international non-governmental organization addressing corruption . This includes, but is not limited to, political corruption. It is widely known for producing its annual Corruptions Perceptions Index , a comparative listing of corruption worldwide. The...
|
Corruption Perceptions Index Since 1995, Transparency International has published an annual Corruption Perceptions Index ordering the countries of the world according to "the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians"...
|
70 out of 163 |
| United Nations Development Programme The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. The UNDP is an executive board within the United Nations General Assembly...
|
Human Development Index |
61 out of 177 |
| A. T. Kearney/Foreign Policy Magazine Foreign Policy is a bimonthly American magazine founded in 1970 by Samuel P. Huntington and Warren Demian Manshel. Under the stewardship of editor-in-chief Moises Naim, Foreign Policy evolved from an academic quarterly in the 1990s to a bimonthly glossy, winning the 2009, 2007, and 2003 National...
|
Globalization Index 2005 |
45 out of 62 |
| Fund for Peace The Fund for Peace is an independent Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit research and educational organization. Since its founding in 1957 by investment banker Randolph Compton, The Fund for Peace has been dedicated to preventing war and alleviating the conditions that cause war...
|
Failed States Index |
84 out of 177 |
See also
Lists
Further reading
External links
Government
General
- Saudi Arabia Teaching Jobs and Information
- Saudi Arabia at UCB Libraries GovPubs
- Understanding Saudi Arabia, Kamal Nawash
Kamal Nawash is an American lawyer working for the Nawash Law Office in Washington, D.C..Kamal was the first Arab American and Muslim to have been nominated to run for the Virginia State Senate ....
- Saudi Arabia from al-Bab
- Country Profile from BBC News
BBC News, formerly BBC News and Current Affairs, is the department within the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the corporation's news-gathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online....
- Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports regarding Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Arabia from the United States Department of State
The United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States government, similar to foreign ministries, foreign offices, ministries of external relations, etc. in other countries...
includes Background Notes, Country Study and major reports
- Country Energy Profile from the United States Energy Information Administration
- Atlas of Saudi Census 2004 (PDF
Portable Document Format is a file format created by Adobe Systems in 1993 for document exchange. PDF is used for representing two-dimensional documents in a manner independent of the application software, hardware, and operating system....
).
Directories
Other links