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| المملكة العربية السعودية Al-Mamlaka al-'Arabiyya as-Sa'ūdiyya Kingdom of Saudi Arabia | ||||
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| Motto: لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله(Arabic) Lā ilāhā illā-llāhu; muhammadun rasūlu-llāhi(transliteration) "There is no god but Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of God" | ||||
| Anthem: Aash Al Maleek ("Long live the King") | ||||
 | ||||
| Capital (andlargestcity) | Riyadh 24°39′N 46°46′E | |||
| Arabic | ||||
| Government | Absolute monarchy | |||
| - King | Abdullah bin Abdulaziz | |||
| - Crown Prince | Sultan bin Abdul Aziz | |||
| - Kingdom declared | January 8, 1926 | |||
| - Recognized | May 20, 1927 | |||
| - Unified | September 23, 1932 | |||
| - Total | 2,149,690 km² (14th) 829,996sqmi | |||
| - Water (%) | negligible | |||
| - 2006 estimate | 27,019,7311 (46th 2) | |||
| - Density | 11/km² (205th) 29/sqmi | |||
| 2006 estimate | ||||
| - Total | $576.4 billion(24th) | |||
| - Per capita | $15,338(46th) | |||
 0.777(medium)(76th) | ||||
| Riyal (SAR) | ||||
| (UTC+3) | ||||
| .sa | ||||
| +966 | ||||
| 1 Population estimate includes 5,576,076 non-nationals 2 Rank is based on 2005 figures. |
[edit] History
[edit] Politics
The central institution of the Saudi Arabian government is the Saudi monarchy. The Basic Law of Government adopted in 1992 declared that Saudi Arabia is a monarchy ruled by the sons and grandsons of the first king, Abd Al Aziz Al Saud, it also claims that the Qur'an is the constitution of the country, which is governed on the basis of Islamic law (Shari'a) [1]. There are no recognized political parties or national elections, except the local elections which were held in the year 2005. The king's powers are theoretically limited within the bounds of Shari'a and other Saudi traditions. He also must retain a consensus of the Saudi royal family, religious leaders (ulema), and other important elements in Saudi society. The Saudi government spreads Islam by funding construction of mosques and Qur'an schools around the world. The leading members of the royal family choose the king from among themselves with the subsequent approval of the ulema. Saudi kings have gradually developed a central government. Since 1953, the Council of Ministers, appointed by the king, has advised on the formulation of general policy and directed the activities of the growing bureaucracy. This council consists of a prime minister, the first prime minister and twenty ministers. Legislation is by resolution of the Council of Ministers, ratified by royal decree, and must be compatible with the Shari'a. As such Saudi Arabia is one of two major states without a legislature (the other being Myanmar). Justice is administered according to the Shari'a by a system of religious courts whose judges are appointed by the king on the recommendation of the Supreme Judicial Council, composed of twelve senior jurists. Independence of the judiciary is protected by law. The king acts as the highest court of appeal and has the power to pardon. Access to high officials (usually at a majlis; a public audience) and the right to petition them directly are well-established traditions. The combination of relatively high oil prices and exports led to a revenues windfall for Saudi Arabia during 2004 and early 2005. For 2004 as a whole, Saudi Arabia earned about $116 billion in net oil export revenues, up 35 percent from 2003 revenue levels. Saudi net oil export revenues are forecast to increase in 2005 and 2006, to $150 billion and $154 billion, respectively, mainly due to higher oil prices. Increased oil prices and consequent revenues since the price collapse of 1998 have significantly improved Saudi Arabia's economic situation, with real GDP growth of 5.2 percent in 2004, and forecasts of 5.7% and 4.8% growth for 2005 and 2006, respectively. For fiscal year 2004, Saudi Arabia originally had been expecting a budget deficit. However, this was based on an extremely conservative price assumption of $19 per barrel for Saudi oil and an assumed production of 7.7 million bbl/d. 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. In spite of the recent surge in its oil income, Saudi Arabia continues to face serious long-term economic challenges, including high rates of unemployment (around 13 percent of Saudi nationals, possibly higher), one of the world's fastest population growth rates, and the consequent need for increased government spending. All of these place pressures on Saudi oil revenues. The Kingdom also is facing serious security threats, including a number of terrorist attacks (on foreign workers, primarily) in 2003 and 2004. In response, the Saudis reportedly have ramped up spending in the security area (reportedly by 50 percent in 2004, from $5.5 billion in 2003). Saudi Arabia's per capita oil export revenues remain far below high levels reached during the 1970s and early 1980s. In 2004, Saudi Arabia earned around $4,564 per person, versus $22,589 in 1980. This 80 percent decline in real per capita oil export revenues since 1980 is in large part due to the fact that Saudi Arabia's young population has nearly tripled since 1980, while oil export revenues in real terms have fallen by over 40 percent (despite recent increases). Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has faced nearly two decades of heavy budget and trade deficits, the expensive 1990-1991 war with Iraq, and total public debt of around $175 billion. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia does have extensive foreign assets (around $110 billion) which provide a substantial fiscal "cushion." Saudi municipal elections took place in 2005 and some commentators saw this a first tentative step towards the introduction of democratic processes in the Kingdom, including the legalization of political parties. Other analysts of the Saudi political scene were more skeptical.[4] [edit] Legal System Saudi Arabia does not have much of a formal criminal code, and thus much of its law is derived from an ultra-conservative form of Sunni Islam commonly known as Wahhabism. To that end judges are free to impose capital punishment or corporal punishment, including amputations of hands and feet for certain crimes such as murder, robbery, rape, drug smuggling and for various forms of sexual behavior such as homosexuality and adultery. The courts may impose less severe punishments, such as floggings, for less serious crimes against public morality such as drunkenness [[5]]. The punishments, especially the executions, are carried out in public in order to add humiliation to the convicted person and also to act as a deterrence. Judges are generally given a tremendous amount of discretion in deciding how to punish a particular individual, and will make such decisions based on the particular school of Islam that they follow. For example; Theft is punishable by the amputation-only if the thief is not poor and the stolen money is not from public sources or a company (must be a private secure money that was stolen by well-off adult)- of the right hand. If the right hand has already been amputated, the left hand is chosen instead. Drinking, selling, or buying alcohol and sniffing drugs or injecting drugs is punished by a sentence of eighty lashes. Smuggling heroin or cocaine into the country is punished by death (beheading with a sword). Fornication - if proven by four righteous witnesses - is normally punished with forty lashes, as is adultery. During flogging, the face, head and vital organs of the person are protected. 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.[6]
[edit] Human Rights
Several international human rights organizations, such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the United Nations Human Rights Committee have issued reports critical of the Saudi legal system and its human rights record in various political, legal, and social areas. The Saudi government typically dismisses such reports as being outright lies or asserts that its actions are based on its adherence to Islamic law. In 2002, the United Nations Committee against Torture criticized Saudi Arabia over the amputations and floggings it carries out under the Shari'a. The Saudi delegation responded defending "legal traditions" held since the inception of Islam in the region 1400 years ago and rejected "interference" in its legal system.[edit] Opposition Movements
The two most prominent opposition groups against the kingdom are: - Movement for Islamic Reform in Arabia- Al-Qaeda
[edit] Provinces
| 1 Al-Bahah 2 Al Hudud ash Shamaliyaha 3 Al Jawf 4 Al Madinahb 5 Al Gassim 6 Ar-Riyad 7 Ash-Sharqiyahc | 8 'Asir 9 Ha'il 10 Jizan 11 Makkahd 12 Najran 13 Tabuk | |
[edit] Cities
| Population over 1 million | |
| Riyadh | capital |
| Jeddah | second largest city; pilgrimage gateway to Mecca; main Red Sea port |
| Dammam | Eastern Province capital; third largest metropolitan area |
| Makkah | Mecca, the holiest city in Islam |
| Madinah | second holiest city in Islam (traditionally spelled Medina in English) |
| Other major cities | |
| Ta'if | mountain resort above Mecca |
| Tabuk | northwestern border city near Jordan |
| Buraydah | city in north central Arabia |
| Hofuf | major urban center of the Al-Hasa oasis |
| Qatif | large coastal oasis city and oilfield |
| Khamis Mushayt | western Arabian mountain city and military base |
[edit] Geography
[edit] 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°C (120°F) are common, while in winter frost or snow can occur in the interior and the higher mountains, although this does not occur annually. The average winter temperature range is 8° to 20°C (47° to 68°F) in January in interior cities such as Riyadh and 19° to 29°C (66° to 83°F) in Jeddah on the Red Sea coast. The average summer 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 mid desert can be famously chilly even in summer, as sand gives up daytime heat rapidly once the sun has set. Annual precipitation is usually sparse (up to 100 millimetres (4inches) in most regions), although sudden downpours can lead to violent flash floods in wadis. Annual rainfall in Riyadh averages 100mm (4inches) and falls almost exclusively between January and May; the average in Jeddah is 54mm (2.1inches) and occurs between November and January. Plants can still survive in Saudi Arabia, mostly in the south-east mountains and lowlands. They bloom mid-March through mid-May. The plants provide food for birds and insects.[edit] Economy
Saudi Arabia's economy is petroleum-based; roughly 75% of budget revenues and 90% of export earnings come from the oil industry. The oil industry comprises about 45% of Saudi Arabia's gross domestic product, compared with 40% from the private sector (see below). Saudi Arabia has claimed to be in possession of 260.1 billion barrels of oil reserves (about 24% of the world's proven total petroleum reserves) as of 2003. Moreover, according to the Saudi government, the proven reserves increase gradually as more oil fields are discovered, unlike most other oil-producing countries. It must be noted, however, that, those figures have been contested and that Saudi Arabia's actual reserves may be notably lower. Saudi Arabia was a key player in the successful efforts of OPEC and other oil producing countries to raise the price of oil in 1999 to its highest level since the Gulf War by reducing production.[7] 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 has fallen from $25,000 in 1980 to $8,000 in 2003, up from about $7,000 in 1999. The decline in inflation-adjusted per-capita income from 1980 to 1999 set a record, being by far the worst such decline suffered by any nation-state in history. In 2003, the price of oil jumped to record high of 40 to 50 dollars, which triggered a second oil boom. Saudi Arabia's budget surplus has crossed $28 billion (110SR billion) in 2005. Tadawul (the Saudi stock market Index) finished 2004 with a massive 76.23% to close at 4437.58 points. Market capitalization was up 110.14% from a year earlier to stand at $157.3 billion (589.93SR billion), which makes it the biggest stock market in the Middle East. OPEC limits its members oil production based on its "proven reserves." The higher their reserves, the more OPEC allows them to produce. Because of this, Saudi Arabia does not allow independent verification of their claimed "proven reserves." Over the past fifteen years, Saudi Arabia's claimed reserves have been flat, with the exception of an increase of about 100 billion barrels between 1987 and 1988. Many experts now believe that Saudi Arabia is greatly exaggerating its reserves and may soon show production declines (see Peak Oil). To diversify the economy, Saudi Arabia launched a new city on the western coast with investments exceeding 26.6 billion dollars. The city which is named "King Abdullah Economic City" will be built near al-Rabegh industrial city north to Jeddah. The new city, where construction work started in December 2005, includes a port which is the largest port of the kingdom. Extending along a coastline of 35km, the city will also include petrochemical, pharmaceutical, tourism, finance and education and research areas. Saudi Arabia officially became a WTO member in December 2005.
[edit] Foreign labour
Saudi Arabia is a country in which many men and women from South, South East, and East Asia, East Africa and the Middle East seek work. There are also some people from North America, South America, and Europe. Hundreds of thousands of low-skilled workers and skilled workers from regions of the developing world migrate to Saudi Arabia, sometimes only for a short period of time, to work. Although exact figures are not known, skilled experts in the banking and services professions seek work in the Kingdom. It is reported that some guest workers present in the country (like in many countries) are sometimes subject to mistreatment, as documented by Human Rights Watch:"Domestic workers face a wide range of grave abuses and labor exploitation, including physical and sexual abuse, forced confinement, non-payment of wages, denial of food and health care and excessive working hours with no rest days, Human Rights Watch said in a new report today." – [3]
[edit] Demographics
Saudi Arabia's population as of July 2006 is estimated to be about 27,019,731, including about 5,576,076 resident foreigners. Until the 1960s, most of the population was nomadic or semi-nomadic; due to rapid economic and urban growth, more than 95% of the population now is settled. The birth rate is 29.56 births per 1,000 people. The death rate is only 2.62 deaths per 1,000 people. Some cities and oases have densities of more than 1,000 people per square kilometre (2,600/sqmi). Around 90% of Saudis are ethnically Arab. In addition, there are some citizens of Asian and sub-Saharan/East African ancestry. There are some 7 million migrants from countries all around the world, including:[8] Indian: 1.4 million, Bangladeshi: 1 million, Filipino: 950,000, Pakistani: 900,000, and Egyptian: 750,000. Many Arabs from nearby countries are employed in the kingdom. There are around 100,000 Westerners in Saudi Arabia, most of whom live in compounds or gated communities. The Saudi government states that all citizens must be Muslim. The majority of the population adheres to a strict theological interpretation within Islam most commonly known as Salafi or Wahhabism. The Shia Population of the country is estimated at around 15%,[9] primarily in the Eastern provinces, and larger cities. The country allows religious minorities such as Christians and Hindus to enter the country as temporary workers, but does not allow them to practice their faiths. The U.S. State departments suggest that there are 500,000 to 1 million people who adhere to the Catholic faith.[10][edit] Education
At the time the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932, education was not accessible to everyone and limited to individualized instruction at religious schools in mosques in urban areas. These schools taught Islamic law and basic literacy skills. By the end of the century, Saudi Arabia had a nationwide educational system providing free training from preschool through university to all citizens. The modern Saudi educational system provides quality instruction in diverse fields of modern and traditional arts and sciences. This diversity helps meet the Kingdom's growing need for highly-educated citizens to build on its rapid progress. Formal primary education began in Saudi Arabia in the 1930s. By 1945, King Abdulaziz bin Abdelrahman Al-Saud, the country's founder, had initiated an extensive program to establish schools in the Kingdom. Six years later, in 1951, the country had 226 schools with 29,887 students. In 1954, the Ministry of Education was established, headed by then Prince Fahd bin Abdulaziz as the first Minister of Education. The first university, now known as King Saud University, was founded in Riyadh in 1957. Today, Saudi Arabia's nationwide public educational system comprises eight universities, more than 24,000 schools, and a large number of colleges and other educational and training institutions. Open to every citizen, the system provides students with free education, books and health services. 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, mainly to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Malaysia and other nations. Over the past couple of years, thousands of students have been sent to higher-educations programs each 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 recent report by Freedom House.[11] The report finds how, 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 madrassas throughout the world.[edit] Sports
Sports are a very popular pastime for the young men. Women rarely participate in sports, usually in indoor stadium where the presence of men is minimal, if not nil. Even though football is the most played game, Saudi Arabia has participated in many world games such as the summer Olympics, volleyball, basketball and other sports. The national football team is most known for qualifying in four consecutive times in the FIFA World Cup and six times at the Asian Cup, which the team won three times and was runner-up two times. Some popular football players include Majed Abdullah, Mohamed Al-Deayea, Sami Al Jaber, Saeed Al-Owairan,and Ahmed Jameel.,.[edit] Culture
 | This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please discuss this issue on the talk page or replace this tag with a more specific message. This article has been tagged since January 2007. |
[edit] International rankings
| Heritage Foundation/The Wall Street Journal | Index of Economic Freedom | 62 out of 157 |
| The Economist | Worldwide Quality-of-life Index, 2005 | 72 out of 111 |
| Reporters Without Borders | Worldwide Press Freedom Index | 161 out of 167 |
| Transparency International | Corruption Perceptions Index | 70 out of 163 |
| United Nations Development Programme | Human Development Index | 76 out of 177 |
| A.T. Kearney/Foreign Policy Magazine | Globalization Index 2005 | 45 out of 62 |
[edit] See also
[edit] Lists
- List of Arabian Houses
- List of cities in Saudi Arabia
- List of Saudi Arabian companies
- List of Saudi Arabian universities
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ http://saudinf.com/main/h814.htm
- ^ http://www.mofa.gov.sa/Detail.asp?InSectionID=1516&InNewsItemID=1746
- ^ http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=164957&Sn=BUSI&IssueID=29274
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4252079.stm
- ^ http://hrw.org/backgrounder/mena/saudi/saudi.pdf
- ^ http://www.jeansasson.com/law_and_government.htm
- ^ https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/sa.html#Econ
- ^ http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2005/51609.htm
- ^ http://www.cfr.org/publication/10903/shiite_muslims_in_the_middle_east.html
- ^ http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2005/51609.htm
- ^ http://www.freedomhouse.org/religion/news/bn2005/bn-2005-2006-05-23.htm
[edit] Bibliography
- Lippman, Thomas W. "Inside the Mirage: America's Fragile Partnership with Saudi Arabia" (Westview 2004) ISBN 0-8133-4052-7
- Mackey, Sandra, The Saudis: Inside the Desert Kingdom (Houghton Mifflin, 1987) ISBN 0-395-41165-3
- Ménoret, Pascal, The Saudi Enigma: A History (Zed Books, 2005) ISBN 1-84277-605-3
- al-Rasheed, Madawi, A History of Saudi Arabia (Cambridge University Press, 2002) ISBN 052164335X
- Matthew R. Simmons, Twilight in the Desert The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy, John Wiley & Sons, 2005, ISBN 0-471-73876-X
- Robert Lacey, THE KINGDOM: Arabia & The House of Sa'ud, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc, 1981 (Hard Cover) and Avon Books, 1981 (Soft Cover. Library of Congress: 81-83741 ISBN 0-380-61762-5
- T R McHale, A Prospect of Saudi Arabia, International Affairs Vol. 56 No 4 Autumn 1980 pp622-647
- Roger Owen, State, Power and Politics in the Making of the Modern Middle East, 3rd Edition (Routledge, 2006) ISBN 10: 0-415-29713-3
[edit] External links
| Dictionary definitions from Wiktionary |
| Textbooks from Wikibooks |
| Quotations from Wikiquote |
| Source texts from Wikisource |
| Images and media from Commons |
| News stories from Wikinews |
| Learning resources from Wikiversity |
- The New York Times "Asterisk Aside, First National Vote for Saudis" February 10, 2005
- BBC "Q&A: Saudi municipal elections"
- BBC "Saudis' first exercise in democracy"
- Hesbah.com site of Authority for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Forum for Saudis to anonymously report "un-Islamic" activities to the Mutaween.
- "Saudi says US human trafficking criticism unfounded"
- "Documentation of Internet Filtering in Saudi Arabia"
- Saudi Arabian Information Resource from the Saudi Ministry of Culture and Information
- http://www.freemuslims.org/blog/index.php?id=1003 (Understanding Saudi Arabia by Kamal Nawash)
- BBC News Country Profile - Saudi Arabia
- CIA World Factbook - Saudi Arabia
- Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports regarding Saudi Arabia
- US State Department - Saudi Arabia includes Background Notes, Country Study and major reports
- Arab Gateway - Saudi Arabia
- Open Directory Project - Saudi Arabia directory category
- Yahoo! - Saudi Arabia directory category
- Saudi Arabia: Historical Demographic Data Factsheet
- Asinah - Saudi Arabia
- British Business Group, Jeddah
- eSaudi.info Information about Saudi arabia Historical
- U.S. Department of Justice: Foreign Agents Registration Act
- Saudi Arabia travel guide from Wikitravel
