Saudi Arabia

Arabian peninsula a

huge block of rock, highest in the west and sloping gradually down to the east; mostly covered with the sand of several large deserts

Saudi Arabia  also contains mountain ranges, flat coastal plains, and the rocky remains of hardened lava flows  Boundaries: North: Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait East: Persian Gulf and Qatar Southeast: United Arab Emirates and Oman South: Yemen West: Red sea and Gulf of Aqaba  Area: 2,240,000 km2(about 864,900 mi2)  Capital and Largest city: Riyadh  Second largest city: Jiddah, which is in Al Hijas  Also located in Al Hijas are the two holy cities of Islam – Mecca and Medina

 2005

population=26.4 million  2005 population density=12.3 persons/km2  2005 population growth=2.31 % (one of the world’s fastest) 23% of the population:  Made up of foreign nationals living in Saudi  Play an important role in the country by making up the large portion of the labor force and the consumer base.  However, due to economic downturns, the government has pursued a policy of Saudization to reduce its reliance on expatriates in the workforce.

Arabic  Official language  Used by most of the native population English  An important second language  Used in government, commerce, and among the non-Arab expatriate communities

Islam  The official religion  89% are Sunni Muslims and 5% are Shia Muslims  King – the custodian of the two holy cities Sharia(Islamic Law)  guiding principle of rule the government employs  consequently, Islamic tenets (doctrine or belief) not only govern spirituall and religious practice, but also guide practices of the law, business, taxation, and government

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Arabia has the most developed banking system in the Middle East

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riyal (SR) – the unit of currency; 3. 75 SR=$ 1

Oil and Natural gas fields  Represents the countries most economically important natural resource  Lie beneath Saudi Arabia and its offshore waters Water source  Saudi Arabia lacks permanent lakes and rivers  But, considerable reserves of underground water have been discovered across countries  Desalination- a process of making sea water drinkable  Desalination plants (on the Persian Gulf and Red Sea coasts) provide important, if expensive source of water.

1932  The

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was established  Its economy was fragmented and small  People of Al Hijas derived most of their income from the annual influx of thousands of haji pilgrims Mid-20th century  Oil

revenue transformed the Saudi’s economy

Oil  The most important sector of Saudi Economy  Their petroleum reserves amount to ¼ of the world’s total  Brought tremendous wealth to the royal family and their merchant friends  Also, oil money eventually channeled by government development programs into areas such as: Transportation Housing Health Education Defense

Saudi Arabia  Monarchy Government  Has no separate legislature and no political parties Sharia  The sacred Law of Islam  Is interpreted according to the strict Hanbali rite by the religious elders (known as ulama)  Basis of governmental and legal systems of Saudi

The Basic Law of Government(decrees issued by King) defined Saudi Arabia as: “A sovereign Arab, Islamic state whose constitution is the Qu’ran and the Sunna (traditions) of the prophet Muhammad”  it stipulated that the country would be ruled by the male descendants of Abdul Aziz ibn Saud, the founder of the kingdom  the principles of government were stated to be justice, equality, and consultation, in accordance with the Sharia  it states that the dutied of the state are to protect Islam, to protect human rights, and provide public services and security for all citizens according to Sharia 

King          

he is the chief government and religious official of Saudi he is advised by a cabinet of ministers he serves as prime ministers in theory, his power is absolute in practice, it is modified according to certain factors such as: the king’s personal political skills(or lack of it) actions of the members of the royal family the influencial ulama in 1992, King Fahad decreed that the king could designate or remove the crown prince also, the crown prince would not automatically rise to the throne upon the death of the king; but would serve only as provisional ruler until fully confirmed by religious and government leader.

 REMAINS

FOUND: fossils of elephants, hippopotamous, crocodiles, and other large animals found in parts of the Arabian Peninsula  INDICATION: the climate could support much more vegetation between 11 million and million years ago from today    REMAINS FOUND: prehistoric flint tools and rock drawings in various parts of the peninsula  INDICATION: scattered habitation by Stone Age people

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570 A.D.- Muhammad the prophet of Islam was born in Mecca.

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Quaraysh- the dominant tribe in Mecca.

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Islam means “submission to will of Allah”.

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Quran or Koran- its holy book

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622 A.D.- Muhammad had more success wiyh tribes in nearby Medina, hence he moved there. His emigration , known as Hegira (Hirah in Arabic) marks the first year of the Islamic Calendar.

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630 A.D.- he returned with his followers and conquered Mecca.

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632 A.D.- Muhammad died.

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650 A.D. – organized Islamic state ruled a newly unified Arabian Peninsula as well

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as, the Entire Fertile Crescent (what is now the site of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Israel & Egypt).

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661 A.D.- the Umayad Dynasty of caliphs moved the seat of caliphate to Damascus in

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After 1269- most of Hijas was ruled by the Egyptian Manluks.

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1517- Ottoman empire gained control of Al Hijas when it conquered Egypt.

 Family

is the focal point of identity, loyalty, social status & economic prospects.  Women bear 4 children on average, according to 2005 statistics.  Roles of men and women are sharply divided in many respects, a reflection of conservative Islamic practice and local custom. Men are expected to lead the household and provide for its financial well-being. Women are expected to marry, have children and raised them according to Islamic principles.

Saudi clothing is designed to cover & conceal the body from a hot, dusty climate.

Women:  Veils- traditionally use to cover their hair in public.  Burka or batula- a mask to cover their faces.  At home, they usually wear a caftan (full length, loose robe with long sleeves) which maybe ornamented and embroidery.  Abaya- is out of garnment of women when they going outside, is often made of dark gauzy material that also can help cover the head.

Men:  Thob- most common garment of men, similar to the caftan that reaches the ground and has long sleeves.

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Aba or Bisht- a coarcer robe usually of brown wool, men wear over the thob.

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Men also tend to cover their heads, first with a small skullcap then with a large square kerchief called ghoutra- is often white but also found in red or black checkered patterns.

Typical meal includes: 

mutton (meat of sheep)

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Chicken

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Fish with rice

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bread

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vegetables

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dates( an edible fruit from palm trees) a local delicacy

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Most popular beverages are:

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Coffee

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Tea

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Fruit juices

> Kingdom’s of conservative religious authorities attempt to control cultural expression strictly, forbidding theaters, singing and dancing at religious observances.

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The emergence of the Saudi dynasty began in central Arabia in 1744. That year, Muhammad ibn Saud, the ruler of the town of Ad-Dir'iyyah near Riyadh, joined forces with a cleric, Muhammad ibn Abd-al-Wahhab, to create a new political entity. This alliance formed in the 18th century 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 Egypt, the Ottoman Empire, and other Arabian families for control on the peninsula. The third and current Saudi state was founded in the early 20th century by King Abdul Aziz Al-Saud (known internationally as Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud).

this is Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud

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In 1902, at the age of only 22, Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud recaptured Riyadh, the Al-Saud dynasty's ancestral capital, from the rival Al Rashid family.

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Continuing his conquests, Abdul Aziz subdued Al-Hasa, AlQatif, the rest of Nejd, and Hejaz between 1913 and 1926. On January 8, 1926, Abdul Aziz bin Saud became the King of Hejaz.

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On January 29, 1927, he took the title King of Nejd (his previous Nejdi title was Sultan).

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By the Treaty of Jeddah, signed on May 20, 1927, the U.K. recognized the independence of Abdul Aziz's realm, then known as the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd. In 1932, the principal regions of Al-Hasa, Qatif, Nejd and Hejaz were unified to form the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

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Abdul Aziz's military and political successes were not mirrored economically until vast reserves of oil were discovered in March 1938.

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Development programmes, which were delayed due to the onset of the Second World War in 1939, began in earnest in 1946 and by 1949 production was in full swing.

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Oil has provided Saudi Arabia with economic prosperity and a great deal of leverage in the international community.

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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.

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Saud succeeded to the throne on his father's death in 1953.

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However, by the early 1960s the Kingdom was in jeopardy due to Saud's economic mismanagement and failure to deal effectively with a regional challenge from Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser. As a consequence, Saud was deposed in favour of Faisal in 1964.

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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.

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He was succeeded by King Khalid until 1982 and then by King Fahd. When Fahd died in 2005, his half-brother, Abdullah, ascended to the throne.