Kingdom of Sa'udi Arabia. The national flag bears in white on a green field the inscription, in Arabic, "There is no god but Allahand Mohammad is the messenger of Allah. The Saudi riyal sr is divided into 20 qursh piastersin turn divided into 5 halalah. There are coins of 1, 5, 10, 25, 50, and halalah and notes of 1, 5, 10, 50,and riyals. Muslim religious holidays include 1st of Muharram Muslim New Year'Id al-Fitr, and 'Id al'Adha'.

Although Saudi Arabia is known to be the third-largest country in Asia, after China and Indiaits precise area is difficult to specify because several of its borders are incompletely demarcated. According to the United Nations UNthe nation has an area of 1, sq kmsq mi ; it extends 2, km 1, mi ese — wnw and 1, km mi nne — ssw.

Comparatively, the area occupied by Saudi Arabia is slightly less than one-fourth the size of the United States. Saudi Arabia is bounded on the n by Jordan and Iraq ; on the ne by Kuwait ; on the e by the Persian GulfQatar, and the United Arab Emirates UAE ; on the se by Oman ; on the s and sw by Yemen ; and on the w by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba, with a total estimated land boundary length of 4, km 2, mi and a coastline of 2, km 1, mi.

An agreement was reached in whereby the neutral zone separating Saudi Arabia from Kuwait was divided administratively between the two countries; however, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue to debate the maritime boundary with Iran.

A dispute between Saudi Arabia and the newly formed UAE over control of the Buraymi oasis was settled inwhen they reached an accord fixing their common border; however, the details of this treaty had not been made public by late East of the Hijaz, the slope is more gentle, and the mountains give way to the central uplands Najda large plateau ranging in elevation from about 1, m 5, ft in the west to about m 2, ft in the east. This, in turn, gives way to the low-lying Gulf region. At least one-third of the total area is sandy desert.

The largest of the deserts is the famed Ar-Rub' al-Khali in the south, with an area of roughlysq kmsq mi. An-Nafud, its northern counterpart, has an area of about 57, sq km 22, sq mi. There are no lakes, and except for artesian wells in the eastern oases, there is no perennially flowing water. The climate is generally very dry and very hot; dust storms and sandstorms are frequent.

Day and night temperatures vary greatly. Average annual rainfall is 9 cm 3. Between 25 and 50 cm 10 and 20 in of rain falls in the mountainous 'Asir area, where there is a summer monsoon. In late spring and early summer, a strong northwesterly wind known as the shamal produces sometimes severe sand and dust storms. Vegetation is sparse, owing to aridity and soil salinity.

The date palm, mangrove, tamarisk, and acacia are prevalent. Wild mammals include the oryx, jerboa, fox, lynx, wildcat, monkey, panther, and jackal.

The favorite game bird is the bustard. The camel and Arab stallion are renowned, as is the white donkey of Al-Ahsa. Fish abound in the coastal waters and insects, scorpions, lizards, and snakes are numerous. An annual gathering of harid parrotfish takes place on these islands, and the waters surrounding them are home to several types of dolphins, whales, and dugong an aquatic mammal related to the manatee.

As ofthere were at least 77 species of mammals, species of birds, and over 2, species of plants throughout the country. The Saudi government has traditionally not given priority to environmental protection, but in recent years it has become concerned about the continuing encroachment of sand dunes on agricultural land, the preservation and development of water resources, and pollution and sanitation problems. Legislation enacted in May forbade the felling of trees and regulated the protection of forestland.

The dumping of up to six million barrels of oil in the surrounding waters and the destruction of Kuwait's oil wells by fire polluted the nation's air and water. At current rates of consumption, it has been estimated that the nation's water supply may be exhausted in 10 — 20 years. Saudi Arabia's cities produce an average of 4.

The Directorate General for Environmental Protection is responsible for environmental protection measures and preservation of natural resources. In the late s, the 'Asir Kingdom Park, in the southwest, was created to preserve the landforms, flora, and fauna of the 'Asir region, which forms part of the Great Rift Valley. Drakensberg Park became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in According to a report issued by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources IUCNthreatened species included 9 types of mammals, 17 species of birds, 2 types of reptiles, 9 species of fish, 1 species of invertebrate, and 3 species of plants.

Threatened species in Saudi Arabia include the Asiatic cheetah possibly extinctSouth Arabian leopard, northern bald ibis, and two species of turtle green sea and hawksbill. The Arabian gazelle, Queen of Sheba 's gazelle, Saudi gazelle, and the Syrian wild ass have become extinct. The population of Saudi Arabia in was estimated by the United Nations UN at 24,, which placed it at number 46 in population among the nations of the world.

There were males for every females in the country. According to the UN, the annual population rate of change for — 10 was expected to be 2. The projected population for the year was 37, The overall population density was 12 per sq km 30 per sq mibut much of the population is concentrated on the coasts or internal oases; desert regions are largely uninhabited.

The capital city, Riyadh Ar-Riyadhad a population of 5, in that year. Estimates of the population in other major metropolitan areas were as follows: Jeddah, the principal port, 3,; and Mecca Makkahcontaining Islam 's holiest shrine, 1, Immigration of professionals, technicians, and others from the surrounding Arab states and growing numbers from outside the region have been spurred by the development of the oil industry and by the lack of adequately trained and educated Saudi personnel.

Palestinian Arabs, displaced by the establishment of the state of Israel, are the chief immigrant group. In the early s, there were significant numbers of expatriate workers from the United States, European countries, TurkeyJordan, SyriaJordan, Kuwait, Yemen, the Republic of Korea ROKPakistanIndia, Sri Lankaand the Philippines. Inwhen Iraq invaded Kuwait, Saudi Arabia reacted by expelling workers from Jordan, Yemen, and Palestinefor their countries' support of Iraq.

After the Gulf War, 93, Iraqis were granted temporary asylum. Since then, 60, Iraqis have been returned under the prisoner of war exchange. By April20, had resettled in 33 different countries, 3, had voluntarily repatriated, and 9, were still in camps in Saudi Arabia. The total number of noncitizens living in the country in was 5, InHuman Rights Watch, concerned with the treatment of foreign workers, estimated that there were 1 — 1.

Inthe labor force was 6. By the end ofthere wererefugees and asylum seekers in Saudi Arabia. With asylum seekers that year, the primary origin of this groundswell of refugees was Palestine, a trend following the beginning of the Iraq War. Inthe net migration rate was an estimated Divisions are based mainly on tribal affiliation or descent; the primary distinction is between groups with a tradition of being sedentary agriculturalists or traders, and the Bedouins, who have a tradition of nomadic pastoralism.

The two groups traditionally have been antagonistic. There has been some loosening of tribal ties, however, caused by rapid economic development. Admixtures of TurksIranians, Indonesians, Pakistanis, Indians, various African groups, and other non-Arab Muslim peoples appear in the Hijaz, mostly descendants of pilgrims to Mecca. The foreign population stands between six and seven million, including Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, Filipinos, Egyptians, Palestinians, Lebanese, Sri Lankans, Eritreans, and Americans.

Arabic, the native language of the indigenous population, is a Semitic language related to Hebrew and Aramaic. Local variations in pronunciation do not prevent oral communication between people from opposite sections of the Arabian Peninsula. The language is written in a cursive script from right to left. The 28 letters of the alphabet have initial, medial, and terminal forms; short vowels are seldom indicated.

Most businesspeople and merchants in oil-producing areas and commercial centers understand English. Government correspondence must be written in Arabic. Most other Saudis are Shia Muslims.

The holy city of Mecca is the center of Islam and the site of the sacred Ka'bah sanctuary, toward which all Muslims face at prayer.

A pilgrimage to Mecca is one of the five basic obligations of Islam and is incumbent upon every Muslim who is physically and financially able to perform it. There are several thousand foreign Christian employees — Arab, US, and European.

Jews have not been allowed to enter the country since the establishment of the state of Israel inexcept under special circumstances. There is no religious freedom within the country. The government claims that the Holy Koran Quran and the Sunna tradition of the Prophet are the country's constitution. As such, the government strictly controls all religious activities. The public worship of non-Muslim faiths is prohibited.

While non-Muslim foreigners are theoretically permitted to worship privately, the guidelines that distinguish between public and private worship are ambiguous, leading to severe restrictions on non-Muslim worship. Proselytizing of non-Muslim religions is illegal and conversion of Muslims to other faiths is a capital offense.

Until recent decades, the camel was the chief means of transportation in Saudi Arabia, but enormous strides have been made since the early s. Bythere werekm 91, mi of highway, of which 44, km 27, mi were paved. A new highway connects Saudi Arabia with Jordan, and a causeway completed in offers a direct connection with Bahrain.

Inthere were 2, passenger cars and 1, commercial vehicles registered for use. Most within-country freight is hauled by truck. ARAMCO during the s. As ofrailroad lines totaled 1, km mi of standard-gauge track. Inthere were an estimated airports. As ofa total of 73 had paved runways, and there were also six heliports. Major airports include Dhahran International at Dhahran, King Abdul Aziz at Jeddah, and King Khaled International at Riyadh.

The government-owned Saudi Arabian Airlines Saudia operates regular domestic and foreign flights to major cities. Because of the large distances that separate the main cities, air travel is preferred within the kingdom. Inabout Jeddah, on the Red Sea, is the chief port of entry for Muslim pilgrims going to Mecca. Saudi Arabia has the largest seaport network in the Near East, with eight major ports with piers and three smaller ports.

Inthere were 64 ships of 1, GRT or more, totaling 1, GRT in the merchant fleet. The traditional dhow is still used for coastal trade. For several thousand years, Arabia has been inhabited by nomadic Semitic tribes. Towns were established at various oases and along caravan routes. During the 7th century ad, followers of Muhammad expanded beyond the Mecca-Medina region and within a century had conquered most of the Mediterranean region between Persia in the east and Spain in the west.

Although Arabs were dominant in many parts of the Muslim world and there was a great medieval flowering of Arab civilization, the peninsula itself except for the holy cities of Mecca and Medina declined in importance and remained virtually isolated for almost a thousand years.

The foundations of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were laid in the 18th century by the fusion of the military power of the Sa'ud family and Wahhabism, an Islamic puritan doctrine preached by Muhammad bin 'Abd al-Wahhab. ByNajd and Al-Ahsa were occupied. The Ottoman Turks called on their governor of Egypt, Muhammad 'Ali, to put down the Saudis. A long struggle — 18 finally resulted in Saudi defeat.

During that time, Sa'ud died, and his son, 'Abdallah r. When international conditions forced Muhammad 'Ali to withdraw his occupation forces inthe Saudis embarked upon a policy of reconquest. Under Faisal Faysal, r. Hijaz remained under the control of the sharifs of Mecca until After Faisal's death, conflict between his sons led to a decline in the family's fortunes.

Taking advantage of these quarrels, the Ibn-Rashids, a former Saudi vassal family, gained control of Najd and conquered Riyadh. The Saudi family fled to Kuwait in At a decisive battle inthe Rashidi power was broken. Inthe Saudis again brought Al-Ahsa under their control, and in DecemberIbn-Sa'ud signed a treaty with the British that placed Saudi foreign relations under British control in return for a sizable subsidy.

Warfare broke out again in Arabia inwhen Hussein ibn'Ali Husayn ibn-'Alithe sharif of Mecca, who had become an independent king, attacked the Saudis. Hussein was defeated, and Ibn-Sa'ud annexed 'Asir. Inhe finally rid Arabia of the Rashids, and byhe had consolidated his kingdom by occupying the districts west and north of Ha'il.

Hussein of Mecca provoked another conflict with Ibn-Sa'ud in March by proclaiming himself caliph. This increase in Ibn-Sa'ud's territory was acknowledged by the British in a treaty of 20 May that annulled the agreement and recognized his independence. On 22 Septemberthe various parts of the realm were amalgamated into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with much the same boundaries that exist today.

With the discovery of oil in the s, the history of Saudi Arabia was irrevocably altered. Reserves have proved vast — about one-fourth of the world's total — and production, begun in earnest after World War IIhas provided a huge income, much of it expended on infrastructure and social services. Saudi Arabia's petroleum derived wealth has considerably enhanced the country's influence in world economic and political forums.

Following the Arab-Israeli War, the Saudi government undertook a vast aid program in support of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. Saudi Arabia joined the Arab boycott against the United States and the Netherlands and, as a key member of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries OPEClent its support to the huge rise in oil prices during the s.

This move had stunning consequences for the world economy and also caused a dramatic upsurge in Saudi Arabia's wealth and power. Since the s, the government has regulated its petroleum production to stabilize the international oil market and has used its influence as the most powerful moderate member of OPEC to restrain the more radical members. Political life in Saudi Arabia remained basically stable in the last third of the 20th century, despite several abrupt changes of leadership.

In NovemberCrown Prince Faisal Faysal ibn 'Abd al'Aziz as-Sa'uda son of Ibn-Sa'ud, became king and prime minister following the forced abdication of his brother, King Sa'ud.

His first act as prime minister was to announce a sweeping reorganization of the government, and his major social reform was the abolition of slavery.

In MarchKing Faisal was assassinated by a nephew in an apparently isolated act of revenge. Faisal was succeeded by Crown Prince Khaled Khalid ibn-'Abd al-'Aziz as-Sa'udwho embarked on an expanded development program. King Khaled died of a heart attack in Juneand his half-brother, Crown Prince Fahd ibn-'Abd al-'Aziz as-Sa'ud, ascended the throne.

King Fahd encouraged continuing modernization while seeking to preserve the nation's social stability and Islamic heritage. King Fahd, who had been frail since suffering a debilitating stroke indied at the age of 82 on 1 August He had delegated the daily affairs of state to Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abd al-Aziz al Sa'ud, his half-brother, since his stroke. Upon Fahd's death, Abdullah became king.

As the custodian of the holy Muslim shrines at Mecca and Medina, the monarchy has been deeply embarrassed by several incidents: Misfortune continued inwhen a stampede in Mecca killed pilgrims rushing toward a cavern for a symbolic stoning ritual, and inwhen as many as pilgrims were killed in a fire at a campsite outside the holy city. Ina stampede during the Hajj pilgrimage left dead. When Iraq invaded Kuwait inSaudi Arabia, fearing Iraqi aggression, radically altered its traditional policy to permit the stationing of foreign troops on its soil.

The government was criticized by senior Saudi religious scholars for taking this step. Riyadh made substantial contributions of arms, oil, and funds to the allied victory. It also expelled workers from Jordan, Yemen, and members of the Palestine Liberation Organization PLO for giving support to Iraq in the period after the invasion.

Saudi Arabia's wealth and selective generosity has given it great political influence throughout the world and especially in the Middle East. It suspended aid to Egypt after that country's peace talks with Israel at Camp David, Marylandbut renewed relations in It secretly made substantial funds available to US president Ronald Reagan's administration for combating Marxist regimes in Central America.

The kingdom played a key role in creating the Gulf Cooperation Council GCC and in working for an end to the civil strife in Lebanon. It actively supported Iraq during the war with Iran and tried, in vain, to prevent the conflict with Kuwait. Saudi Arabia and the United States consult closely on political, economic, commercial, and security matters. The United States, with the United Kingdomis a major supplier of arms and offers training and other support to the kingdom's defenses.

These supports grew more visible following the Gulf War and continued Iraqi intransigence in the face of increased US and international pressure to disarm. The increased US military presence in Saudi Arabia in — 94 caused considerable irritation among conservative elements of Saudi society, who felt that the US military presence was blasphemous to Islam.

Inseven people, including five Americans, were killed in a terrorist attack on a Saudi National Guard Training Center in Riyadh. In Junea car bomb detonated in front of a housing complex for US military personnel, killing 19 US servicemen, causing considerable uproar in the United States, and leading military planners to relocate US military bases to remote desert areas. By the end of the s, the Islamist backlash that followed Saudi-US cooperation in the Gulf War had been contained through the mostly temporary detention of hundreds of Islamic radicals and the long-term detention of their most prominent leaders.

With almost half its GDP coming from oil, the country's budget deficit had soared as export revenues plummeted. Crown Prince Abdullah was instrumental in pushing through the production cutbacks agreed to by the OPEC countries in March At a summit held in Beirut in Marchthe Arab League accepted a Saudi proposal for peace between Israel and the Palestinians, put forward by Crown Prince Abdullah.

Known as the "Beirut Declaration," the plan offered Israel normalized relations with the Arab states and a guarantee of peace and security in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal from the territories occupied by Israel after the Arab-Israeli War, a "just solution to the Palestinian refugee problem," and Israeli recognition of a Palestinian state with its capital at East Jerusalem.

The proposal was introduced against the backdrop of an escalation in violence in Israel and the occupied territories in spring In April, Crown Prince Abdullah met with US president George W. Bush, and presented him with an eight-point list of proposed agreements for immediate peace in the Middle East.

After the peace plan was put forward, however, the violence in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza increased. In the run-up to the Iraq War, Saudi Arabia debated what degree of support it would offer the United States in the event of a war with Iraq.

On 26 FebruarySaudi Arabia stated that it would allow the use of the Prince Sultan Air Base, where most of the 5, US troops based in the kingdom were located, only for the enforcement of a "no-fly" zone over southern Iraq. It stated that it would not agree to allow US troops and planes based in the country to undertake a war with Iraq. The war began on 19 March In April, the United States announced it would pull nearly all of its military forces out of Saudi Arabia.

Both countries stressed that they would remain allies. Saudi Arabia's stability began to be seriously rocked in the early s, with a series of suicide bombings and terrorist attacks aimed at Western and local targets. In Maysuicide bombers killed 35 people at housing compounds for Westerners in Riyadh. In Novemberanother suicide attack on a residential compound in Riyadh left 17 dead.

During Aprilfour police officers and a security officer were killed in attacks near Riyadh, and a car bomb at a security forces' headquarters left four dead and wounded. A group linked to the terrorist organization al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the act. Al-Qaeda has long demanded that the Saudi regime sever its ties to the West and to America in particular. It also holds that the Saudi regime is corrupt. In Mayan attack at a petrochemical site in Yanbu killed five foreigners.

That month, an attack and hostage taking at an oil company compound in Khobar left 22 people dead. In Junethree gun attacks in Riyadh resulted in the deaths of two Americans and a British cameraman. The same week, an American engineer was abducted and beheaded; his death, which was filmed, caused revulsion in the United States. Shortly thereafter, security forces killed a local al-Qaeda leader, Abdul Aziz al-Muqrin.

An amnesty program for militants that followed had only a limited effect on the increasingly violent climate. In Decemberan attack on the US consulate in Jeddah resulted in the deaths of five staff and four attackers.

That month, two car bombs exploded in central Riyadh, and security forces killed seven suspects in a subsequent raid. While the Saudi regime was being destabilized by terrorist attacks, calls for political reform caused concern among the rulers and pointed to a need to respond to such demands for change.

In Septemberintellectuals, both men and women, signed a petition calling for far-reaching political reforms. In October, the police broke up an unprecedented rally for political reform in the center of Riyadh; more than people were arrested. In NovemberKing Fahd granted wider powers to the Majlis al Shura Consultative Councilenabling it to propose legislation without his permission.

From February to Aprilthe firstever nationwide municipal elections were held, although women were not permitted to take part in the vote. Saudi Arabia is a religiously based monarchy in which the sovereign's dominant powers are regulated according to Muslim law Shariahtribal law, and custom. There is no written constitution; laws must be compatible with Islamic law.

In a decree of Marchthe king was granted exclusive power to name the crown prince his successor. The Council of Ministers, first set up inis appointed by the king to advise on policy, originate legislation, and supervise the growing bureaucracy.

The post of prime minister is reserved for the king and the crown prince is appointed first deputy prime minister. Most other important posts in the cabinet are reserved for members of the royal family.

InKing Fahd announced the creation of the Majlis al Shura, or Consultative Council, an advisory body that would provide a forum for public debate. The king appointed 60 male citizens not belonging to the royal family to four-year terms on this body, which held its first meeting on 29 December InKing Fahd increased the size of the Majlis to 90 members. Inmembership was increased to InKing Fahd expanded the powers of the Majlis al Shura.

Innationwide municipal elections were held, although women did not participate. Although there are no political parties in Saudi Arabia, various groups do function as blocs, contending for influence. Important among these groups are the conservative 'ulama religious scholars and the members of the royal family.

Other alliances — among merchants, businessmen, professionals, and leading families — are concerned with economic matters. There is also a small but growing middle class that seems to want greater political participation and a less restrictive social environment.

Each group brings its weight to bear on the policy-making bodies of the government and the king, whose leadership is upheld so long as he adheres to Islamic law, tradition, and the collective decisions of the 'ulama. In opposition to the royal family are small, strictly outlawed groups of prodemocracy activists and extremist Islamists, who have engaged in terrorist attacks, principally against signs of Western influence.

Identified groups connected with Islamists include the Committee for the Defense of Legitimate Rights, the Reform Movement, and the Islamic Awakening. The kingdom is divided into 13 emirates, each headed by a crown-appointed governor, often a prince or other member of the royal household or a member from an allied family.

The provinces are subdivided into governorates. Tribal and village leaders sheikhs report directly to provincial governors, giving the central government some control over outlying regions.

Provincial governors, in turn, report to the minister of the interior. Each sheikh traditionally rules in consultation with a council. A large segment of the population remains tribally organized: Decisions are made by tribal sheikhs, emirs, or other chiefs and their councils majlis. The king acts as the highest court of appeal and has the power of pardon; access to the king and the right to petition him are well-established traditions.

The judiciary consists of lower courts that handle misdemeanors and minor civil cases; high courts of Islamic law Shariah ; and courts of appeal.

Islamic law of the Hanbali school prevails in Saudi Arabia, but justice is also based on tribal and customary law. Capital and corporal punishment are permitted; a member Supreme Council of Justice reviews all sentences of execution, cutting, or stoning. A separate military justice system exercises jurisdiction over uniformed personnel and civilian government authorities.

There is no written constitution. The Justice Ministry is responsible for appointment and promotion of judges, who are confirmed by the Royal Court Royal Diwan. Judges may be removed only by the Supreme Council of Justice or by royal decree. Although independence of the judiciary is guaranteed by law, courts are subject to the influence of royal family members. At the provincial level, governors also reportedly exercise influence over local judges.

Shariah summary courts have jurisdiction over common criminal cases and civil suits regarding marriage, divorce, child custody, and inheritance. While summary courts try cases involving small penalties, more serious crimes go to the Shariah courts of common pleas.

Appeals from both courts are heard by the appeals courts in Mecca and Riyadh. There is also a Court of Cassation, as well as administrative tribunals that deal with proceedings involving claims against the government and enforcement of foreign judgments. The military tribunals have jurisdiction over military personnel and civil servants charged with violation of military regulations.

Saudi Arabia's armed forces totaledactive personnel inincluding the 75, members of the National Guard. The Army had 75, personnel and was equipped with 1, main battle tanks, reconnaissance vehicles, over armored infantry fighting vehicles, 3, armored personnel carriers, and artillery pieces.

The Army's aviation forces operated 12 attack helicopters. The Navy's active manpower totaled 15, personnel, including 3, Marines. The Navy's aviation wing operated 19 assault helicopters. The Air Force had 18, active personnel and was eqipped with combat-capable aircraft, including fighters and 85 fighter ground attack aircraft.

The National Guard was used chiefly for internal security and is an elite strategic reserve loyal to the royal family. Saudi Arabia also had a 10,member frontier force, a 4,member Coast Guard, and a member Special Security Force.

Saudi Arabia is a charter member of the United Nations UNhaving joined on 24 Octoberand participates in ESCWA and several nonregional specialized agencies, such as the FAO, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNCTAD, the ILO, the World Bank, the IAEA, and the WHO. It is a founding member of the Arab League, OPEC, and OAPEC. Saudi Arabia is also a member of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, the African Development Bank, G, the Organization of the Islamic Conference OICand the GCC.

The nation has observer status with the OAS and the WTO. Saudi Arabia has played a key role in promoting Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations. Although supporting the Palestinian cause and the Arab League's boycott of Israel, the Saudi government in proposed that the Arab nations show willingness to extend diplomatic recognition to Israel in return for its withdrawal from lands occupied in the war including the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Saudi Arabia supported international efforts against Iraq in the — 91 Gulf War and the Operation Iraqi Freedom. In Februarythe Saudi government sponsored the firstever Counterterrorism International Conference in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia is part of the Nonaligned Movement. Rapidly increasing oil income after the first oil shock, — 74, led by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries OPEC cartel, was used to increase disposable income, defense expenditures, and economic development.

The government has always made economic diversification a top priority, seeking to develop industries using petroleum, such as petrochemicals, as well as to finance industrialization. Bythe massive Jubail and Yanbu'al-Bahr industrial complexes, combining petrochemicals and steel production, had been largely completed. The kingdom's intolerance of democratic processes, labor unions, women's participation in the workplace, and foreign influences are impediments to development. There are, however, mounting pressures for economic reform, including falling per capita income, attendant social frustrations, the emergence of government deficits, and a sizeable, though still manageable, external debt.

Inthe government, led by Crown Prince now King Abdullah, embarked on a privatization strategy as a means of restoring per capita growth. Inthe Saudi Telecommunications Co. STC and the Saudi Electricity Co. SEC began privatizing telecommunications and electric power services.

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Real growth of GDP averaged about 2. Real GDP growth averaged 3. Driven by high oil prices and rising production, economic growth was forecast to stay strong in andas oil revenues, though declining, are predicted to remain firm.

Real GDP growth was projected to reach 3. The economy remains dominated by large state-owned monopolies. The government is considering privatizing the national airline, petrochemical industries, the telecommunication sector, and electricity companies to foster diversification.

The government encourages growth in agriculture as a means of reducing Saudi Arabia's reliance on food imports, but dramatic reductions in farm subsidies have resulted in a continuing decline in agricultural output. The CIA defines GDP as the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year and computed on the basis of purchasing power parity PPP rather than value as measured on the basis of the rate of exchange based on current dollars.

The annual growth rate of GDP was estimated at 6. The average inflation rate in was 0. It was estimated that agriculture accounted for 3. Household consumption includes expenditures of individuals, households, and nongovernmental organizations on goods and services, excluding purchases of dwellings. The total labor force in Saudi Arabia as of was estimated at 6.

Inthe services sector accounted for Estimates of the unemployment rate in Saudi Arabia varied widely in Labor unions are illegal and collective bargaining is forbidden as well. Workers have few protections against employers. This is especially true of foreign workers, who are often forced to work long hours and beyond the terms specified by their contracts. Foreign workers have little redress against Saudi employers, since the labor system usually sides with the latter and employers can delay cases until the workers have to return home.

Saudi employers routinely prevent workers from obtaining exit visas. Inthe government allowed the formation of labor committees, which are permitted to make recommendations to employers. By royal decree, an eight-hour day and hour week are standard. It is reported that domestic workers labor up to 20 hours a day, seven days a week. Labor regulations require protection from hazard and disease for employees except farmers, herdsmen, domestic servants, and family-operated business employees.

Foreign workers report that these regulations are seldom enforced. With the consent of parents, children may work as young as 13, and children rarely work in Saudi Arabia outside of family businesses. There is no minimum wage. Small owner-operated farms characterize Saudi Arabia's land-tenure system. About two-thirds of the cropped land is used for cereals and the remainder for vegetables and fruit.

Nevertheless, dates remain the only major staple food crop with production sufficient to meet local demand. Wheat output increased from an estimatedtons in the late s to 1, tons inand the government claimed that it had met total domestic demand by — Production of wheat totaled 2, tons in ; government subsidies have led to a recurring overproduction of wheat. Inthe government attempted to discourage production by cutting price supports, but production is still several times higher than domestic demand.

Barley production amounted totons in As ofSaudi Arabia had an estimated 7, sheep, 2, goats,camels,head of cattle,donkeys, and 3, horses. As imports of animal foodstuffs have increased and as greater varieties of agricultural products have been produced locally, camels have declined steadily in importance as a source of food. Arabia has long been famed for its horses, but the importance of the Arabian horse as an export item is now virtually nil.

Donkeys and mules are still valued as pack animals, and the white donkeys of Al-Ahsa are well known. Sheep are found in all parts of Saudi Arabia where pasturage is available; they are raised for milk, as well as for meat and wool. Ubs financial services stock options are kept for milk; their hair is used in rugs how to make money in an inflationary economy tents, and the skins serve as water bags.

Overall sheep production is expected to increase significantly in the next few years as a result of expansion in existing farms and establishment of new sheep breeding and fattening projects. About seven million head of live sheep are imported every year.

The import level is expected to remain about the same in upcoming years, partly as a result of the increasing number of pilgrims who come to Mecca for the Hajj. Beef has not been a significant part of the Saudi diet, and most beef and veal is consumed by expatriates, as traditional Saudis prefer camel meat.

Concern over BSE the so-called Mad Cow disease in led the government to ban beef imports from Irelandthe United Kingdom, FranceSwitzerlandand Portugal. The output of poultry and eggs doubled during — 80, forex trade trader marketplace inSaudi Arabia had an estimated million poultry. Saudi Arabia is self-sufficient in milk production — in1, tons were produced. There is no hog raising, and importation of pork products is banned, as it is contrary to Islamic law.

Fishing provides employment and self-sufficiency to some communities on both Saudi coasts, although cash earnings are negligible. With rare exceptions, traditional fishing techniques are used. One of the few growth areas in this sector has been the export earn money with referrals Gulf shrimp.

The fish catch was estimated at 64, tons in Fundamentals of share trading in india only forest growth is found in the mountainous area that extends from southern Hijaz to 'Asir, accounting for no more than 0.

The principal varieties — acacia, date, juniper, wild olive, sidr, tamarind, and tamarisk — are generally not useful for timber, but some wood from date palms is used for construction. Oil continues to dominate Saudi Arabia's mining sector. The country supplied Saudi Arabia has nevertheless diversified by expanding its gold production, as well as production of cement, fertilizer, petrochemicals, and steel.

Cement production, construction, and fertilizer manufacturing ranked fourth, fifth, forex master charts reading candlesticks sixth, respectively, among the country's leading industries in Production of ore concentrate and bullion metal content in included copper, metric tons estimated ; gold, 8, kg, and silver, 13, kg estimated.

Inthe country also produced lead, zinc, barite, basalt clays phosphatic fertilizer, granite crude gypsum, lime, limestone marble, nitrogen, nitrogenous fertilizers, pozzolan, salt, sand and gravel, silica sand, scoria, and sulfur. Mining operations continue at the ancient gold and silver underground mine Mahd adh-Dhahab literally, "cradle of gold"which is located southeast of Medina and probably dates from the time of King Solomon 10th century bc.

Other gold producers are the open-pit silver and gold Amar Mine, southwest of Riyadh, which began operations inand the Sukhaybirat surface mine, northwest of Riyadh. Feasibility studies at the Balghah Mine estimated resources to be 40 million tons at a grade of 1 grams per ton of gold.

The trading weekend gaps forex Zabirah bauxite deposit has minable resources of stock market game abandonware tons.

About 3, showings for at least 50 metallic and nonmetallic minerals have been located. Substantial national reserves of gold, iron ore, silver, copper, zinc, lead, pyrites, phosphate, magnesite, barite, marble, and gypsum have been suspected.

An intensive search was under way by Saudi and foreign companies. All minerals, including petroleum and natural gas, are owned by the government. A modern mining code encourages foreign participation, although majority holdings by national interests have increasingly been stressed.

The Foreign Investment Act of gave international investors the same rights and privileges as Saudi investors. The government was also considering a revised mineral policy to attract additional investment in the mining sector. Inthe government established the Supreme Council for Petroleum and Mineral Affairs. The state-owned Saudi Arabian Mining Co. Ma'aden was created in and participated actively in and promoted mineral exploration and mining activities throughout the kingdom.

Several metal and industrial mineral mining projects were expected to come onstream within the next 10 years. Saudi Arabia has one-fourth of the world's proven oil reserves and some of the lowest oil production costs. For the foreseeable future, Saudi Arabia will likely remain the largest net exporter of oil in the world.

It is also a member how much money do nascar drivers make per race the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries OPEC. As of 1 JanuarySaudi Arabia had proven oil reserves estimated at About two-thirds of the country's reserves are graded as "light" or "extra light," with the remainder in the "medium" or "heavy" grades.

Saudi Arabia has around 80 oil and gas fields and more than 1, wells. This includes the Ghawar and the Safaniya fields. The former has estimated reserves of 70 billion barrels and is the world's largest oil field, commodity futures trading commission rule 4.5 the latter is the world's largest offshore oil field, with reserves estimated at 35 billion barrels.

Oil production in including the neutral zone was estimated at As a member forex market open sunday OPEC, Saudi Arabia is subject to OPEC's production quotas.

As of July 1,the quota was set at 9. As of JulySaudi Arabia's crude oil production capacity stood at Domestic oil consumption in was estimated at 1. Saudi Arabia has eight oil refineries. As of 1 JanuarySaudi Arabia's crude oil refining capacity was estimated at 1.

In addition to its vast oil reserves, Saudi Arabia also has proven natural gas reserves estimated as of 1 Everforex hurstville at One-third of the country's natural gas reserves are in the Ghawar field alone. InSaudi Arabia's gross production of natural gas was 2, Of the marketed amount, 2, As oftwo major pipelines operated actively in Saudi Arabia: The IPSA pipeline had been closed indefinitely since Iraq invaded Kuwait in Saudi Arabia has limited waterpower resources, and oil-powered diesel engines generate most of its electric power.

Electrical service, which reached 2. Total installed generating capacity was estimated at Production of electricity in amounted to an estimated Indemand for electric power came to Solar energy is becoming increasingly important as an alternative to diesel power, particularly for use in the desalination of seawater.

Although the Saudi economy has been virtually synonymous with crude oil, the country is attempting to diversify its manufacturing. Industrial products include cement, steel, glass, metal manufactures, automotive parts, and building materials, along with petroleum refinery products and petrochemicals primarily methanol, ethylene, and polypropylene.

Industries producing consumer goods for the local market rely for the most part on imported raw materials. The most notable growth has occurred in food processing, such as meat-packing plants, flour mills, ice cream, yogurt, other dairy processing plants, and vegetable canneries. Other invest in the stock market search engine produce canvas cloth, surgical supplies, paper products, plastic pipes, remington nylon 66 stock replacement appliances, paints, detergents, and pharmaceuticals.

The government encourages importation of high technology, 1 stock market timers honor roll in the oil industry, but its own commitment to national technological development has been limited. The Industrial Studies and Development Center is located in Riyadh, and the King Fahad University of Petroleum and Minerals, founded inis in Dhahran.

Other institutions offering courses in basic and applied sciences include King Abdulaziz University, founded in at Jeddah; King Faisal University, founded in at Dammam and Al-Hassa; King Sa'ud University, founded in at Riyadh; and Yanbu Industrial College, founded in at Cheap places to rent in stockton on tees al-Sinaiyeh.

The King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology was founded in at Riyadh to formulate national policy for science and technology development and to draw up strategy and plans for its implementation. Jeddah and Forex trading legal in china are the commercial and business centers of the country. Most major cities host large, modern supermarkets and specialty retail stores offering wide varieties of goods and services.

Franchising has become popular with a wide range of goods and service-based establishments. Barter is red rooster christmas day brisbane traditional means by which nomads and farmers obtain each other's products, and weekly markets are held in villages and small towns.

However, the economy is being progressively monetized and is now completely so in the towns and cities. Newspapers, magazines, and billboards are the principal means of advertising. Normal business hours vary in different provinces but are usually from 8 am to 12 noon and from 3 to 6 pm, Saturday through Wednesday. During the month of Ramadan, the workday is limited to six hours.

Banks are generally open from 8 am to 12 noon, Saturday through Wednesday. Government offices and private businesses are closed Thursdays and Fridays. Markets and shops are open until 9 pm. Most businesses, including stores and restaurants, take breaks at the designated Muslim prayer times, which occur five times throughout the day.

These breaks generally last about a half hour each. Other exports include polymers 1. Saudi Arabia's leading markets in were: The leading suppliers were the United States 9. There are roughly six to seven million foreign workers and their families living in the country, and the remittances cause the currency to be subject to a mild devaluating pressure. Strong oil exports in the early s, however, kept the current account in surplus. Due to projected higher oil prices and rising production, trade-driven current account surpluses were how much does michael phelps make for the olympics to widen further in, and Until the midth century, Saudi Arabia had no formal money and banking system.

To the degree that money was used, Saudis primarily used coins having a metallic content equal to their value. For centuries, foreign coins had served the local inhabitants' monetary needs. Development of banking was inhibited by the Quranic injunction against interest.

A few banking functions existed, such as money changers largely for pilgrims visiting Meccawho had informal connections with international currency markets. A foreign bank was established in Jeddah inbut its importance was minor. Foreign and domestic banks were formed as oil revenues began to increase. Their business consisted mostly of making short-term loans to finance imports, commercial trading, and businesses catering to pilgrims.

Although lending at interest is prohibited by Islamic law, banking has flourished in Saudi Arabia as a conduit for the investment of oil money. The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency SAMA was established by royal decree in to maintain the internal and external value of currency. Inthere were 10 commercial banking houses, the largest of which was the National Commercial Bank.

Cumulatively, the total size of the bank's balance sheets stood at over sr billion, with operating profits of sr2 billion in Eight of the 10 are forex indicator training courses review banks.

The major foreign partners include Citibank, Arab Bank Ltd. SAMA runs a stock exchange in Saudi Arabia, created in as an over-the-counter market in which the commercial banks buy and sell shares by means of an electronic trading system. Although this system has facilitated easy access apple corporate diversification strategy transactions, the market remains relatively illiquid because of the small numbers of issuers and the narrow investor base.

There are 76 companies listed on the exchange. The new IFCG Saudi Index closed up 7. The market is closed to direct foreign investment, but foreigners can buy and trade forex cargo edmonton hours of Saudi companies within a closed-end fund listed in the United Kingdom.

In that same year, the TASI Index rose There were at least 70 insurance firms operating in Saudi Arabia inoffering all categories and classes of insurance. The National Company for Cooperative Insurance, founded by royal decree in and owned by three government agencies, has share capital of sr million. Insurance organizations in Saudi Arabia are regulated by the Ministry of Commerce. One insurer is officially licensed by the kingdom, the National Company for Cooperative Insurance, which is primarily owned by the government.

Insurance companies operating in the country adhere to the tenets of Islam, which does not recognize insurance. For this reason, there are no insurance laws on the books, except those dealing with benefits for injured employees. There is no data available on the country's leading insurance companies. Public expenditures typically have acted as the vanguard for economic growth and development since the early s.

After completing the infrastructure oregon stock brokers the s and early s, the emphasis of development expenditures moved to education and training to encourage private enterprise. Deficits have been common sinceas oil revenues have declined. Deep budget cuts over the past years; higher charges on energy, electricity, water, telephone, worker and visa fees; and reduced subsidies on fuels, utilities, and airline fares have combined to reduce the deficit.

To finance the deficit, the government borrows from domestic financial markets. However, Saudi government finances are not transparent; a perennial uncertainty is the difference between the revenues received by the national oil company, Aramco, and what is turned over to the Ministry of Finance to fund government expenses.

The difference goes to Aramco's operating expenses and numerous off-budget expenditures. With the exception of the yearthe Saudi government has run a deficit every year since Public debt in amounted to However, there is no capital gains tax if the shares sold by non-Saudi shareholders are traded on the Saudi stock exchange and were acquired after 30 July Gains derived from the sale of property, other than those assets used in business activity, are also exempt.

Foreigners who are self-employed professionals or general partners in Saudi partnerships are subject to these taxes. However, this tax applies to foreign citizens. Citizens of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council GCC members pay a religious tax called the Zakat, an Islamic tax derived from the Shariah, which is applied directly to equity, less fixed assets, at a rate of 2.

The income of members of the download indikator forex tcci family is tax exempt. There is no value-added tax VAT or sales tax. Saudi Arabia has increasingly used the tariff to protect local industries.

Importation of liquor, firearms, ammunition, narcotics, and certain other items is strictly forbidden, as are all imports from Israel and South Africa. No import taxes are levied beyond import tariffs.

A small group of upper-class Saudis have traditionally held substantial investments overseas.

These Saudis hold large demand deposits in US and Western European banks and considerable investments in commercial ventures, especially real estate, in Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries. Since the early s, the Saudi government has vastly increased its overseas investments in the United States, Western Europe, and Japan. The Saudi government generally encourages foreign direct investment, especially in the case of joint ventures with Saudi partners.

However, inthe government woolies opening hours anzac day 2014 revising its laws on foreign investment in an effort to attract more overseas capital and to lure back the large private Saudi capital that is invested abroad. Principal foreign investors include the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, France, and Germany.

Tricks to binary options Arabia considers privatization to be a pathway to increased foreign investment. There are different tax systems for Saudis and non-Saudis. Joint ventures between Saudis and non-Saudis are liable to tax on the non-Saudi portion of the profits.

Saudi Arabia's first two development plans — 75 and — 80 stressed improvement of the country's economic infrastructure by expanding the highway system, port capacity, electric power output, water supply, and irrigated land.

The third plan — 85continuing the Saudi program of modernization without Westernization, aimed at diversifying and expanding the productive economic sectors of industry, mining, and agriculture. The government's long-term goal was to reduce the nation's dependence on oil exports and foreign labor. At the end of the third development plan, pvh stock market of the infrastructure had been put in place.

The fourth development plan — 90 emphasized consolidation of the gains of the previous 15 years and rational planning of economic activity. From the plan's emphasis on cost reduction and improvement of economic performance, it was clear that it had been drawn up under the assumption that the days of huge surpluses in the oil sector were over. Planned expenditures for the fourth plan were reduced best ways to make money on rs f2p times.

The fifth plan — 95 followed the goals of the fourth plan closely. Stressing economic diversification, this plan supported industry, agriculture, finance, and business services. The seventh development plan — 05 was geared toward offering foreign investors opportunities to tap into sectors of the economy that had recently undergone privatization: In addition to privatization, the seventh development plan focused on diversification of national revenue resources, expansion of the production base, and the creation of more jobs for Saudis.

During the five-year period, the government planned to createnew jobs for Saudi citizens non-Saudi residents heldof those jobs at the time. The service sector was projected to realize the greatest increase in jobs.

Funds were also devoted to the health care industry, including the construction of hospitals and medical colleges some exclusively for womenand to education. This increase in oil prices reflected a strong increase in demand from China and other markets.

The higher oil prices were forecast to boost Saudi Arabia's trade surplus in andimplying that the current account surplus would also widen. InCrown Prince now King Abdullah revitalized efforts to secure Saudi Arabia's acceptance in the WTO. InSaudi Certification course on forex and treasury management hired a Texas law firm to lobby on its behalf for accession to the WTO.

InSaudi Arabia formally joined the WTO, winding up a year negotiation process. Social insurance provides health care, disability, death, old-age pension, and survivor benefits for workers and the self-employed, with some exclusions. There is a special system in place for government workers. Retirement is allowed at age The customs and regulations governing the behavior of women are strict even by the standards of can foreigners invest in saudi stock market Islamic world.

Despite the shortage of Saudi labor, the government is unsympathetic to the participation of women in the workplace: Extreme modesty of dress is required. Women wear the abaya, a long black garment, and they must also cover their face and hair. Women are not permitted to drive motor vehicles. Women must enter public buses through a rear door and sit in a segregated area.

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Women may not travel without a male member of the family. By law, women can only enter a hospital for treatment with the consent of a male price of starbucks stock in 2000. Domestic abuse is prevalent. As ofthere were no active women's rights groups. The government does not recognize international standards on forex candle charts rights.

Rights of privacy, freedom of speech, the press, assembly, association, religion, and movement are strictly curtailed. Security forces commit human rights abuses with the acquiescence of the government, even though they are nominally illegal. Corporal punishment, including amputation of limbs, beheading, and stoning, are used. Executions are carried out for crimes including alcohol trafficking, armed robbery, adultery, and the practice of witchcraft.

Most of those executed were foreigners. The government budgeted sr Targets included improving immunization coverage and achieving better regional coverage of health care provision which remains inadequate. The public health care system is supplemented by a small but generally excellent private health sector. It is the government's intention to provide integrated health services free of charge, captcha code money making at a nominal fee, to all citizens.

The government also hopes to establish a local manufacturer of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment and currency futures trading wikipedia. As ofthere were an estimated physicians, 17 dentists, 24 pharmacists, and nurses perpeople.

Despite recent advances, Saudi Arabia still suffers from severe health problems. A major cause of disease is malnutrition, leading to widespread scurvy, rickets, night blindness, and anemia, as well as low resistance to tuberculosis. Dysentery attacks all ages and classes and trachoma is common. A government campaign was successful in eradicating malaria. Typhoid is endemic, but acquired immunity prevents serious outbreaks of this disease. Inlife expectancy at birth was 43 years, but it averaged During the same time period, infant mortality fell from to It is estimated that the Bedouin account for about one-third of all infant deaths.

The maternal mortality rate was 22 perlive births.

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As ofthe crude birth rate and overall mortality rate were estimated at Inthere were about 3, occupied households in the country, serving about sirius satellite radio stock reviews, people. Most housing is constructed of concrete and brick. The continuing influx of rural people to towns and cities, coupled with the rise in levels of expectation among the urban population, has created a serious housing problem; improvement in urban housing is one of Saudi Arabia's foremost economic needs.

Somedwelling units were built in the period — In the oil districts, Aramco, through loans and other assistance, has encouraged construction of private homes and has built accommodations for its unmarried Saudi staff members.

The Real Estate Development Fund, established incontinues to provide interest-free loans for home construction to individuals as well as private companies. Until the mids, Saudi Arabia's educational system was primarily oriented toward religious schooling that stressed knowledge of the Quran Koran and Icici bank forex branch bangalore sayings of Muhammad and his companions.

Except for basic arithmetic, reading, and writing, secular subjects were not taught in the schools. There was a highly developed oral culture, however. Nearly all of the students were boys; education of girls was virtually nonexistent ketan parekh scam in stock market took place in the home, if at all.

The first school for girls was built inand now girls' schools exist around the country. Schools continue to be segregated by gender.

The General Presidency for Girls' Education administers girls' schools and colleges. Education is free at all levels, including college and postgraduate study. Elementary school covers six years of study. This is followed by three years of basic intermediate school. Students may then choose to attend either a three-year general secondary school or a three-year technical school junior college that offers vocational, commercial, and agricultural studies.

The academic year runs from October to July. It is estimated that about The student-to-teacher ratio for primary school was at about Higher education is offered in at least seven universities and 83 colleges.

The principal universities are King Sa'ud University formerly Riyadh Universityfounded inand King Abd al-'Aziz University of Jeddah, founded in The adult literacy rate for was estimated at about The King Fahd National Library, founded in Riyadh inhasvolumes. The largest library system is that of King Sa'ud University established inwith 14 branches and a collection of more than 1. The library of the University of Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran, with almostvolumes, is the nation's largest specialized collection.

The largest public library, at Riyadh, containsvolumes. There are 10, documented monuments and about a dozen museums in Saudi Arabia. The National Museum, originally opened at Riyadh infocuses on archaeology and ethnography.

Major renovations were completed in Many of the other historic and cultural sites are religious in nature and the high figures for attendance reflect the huge numbers of Muslim pilgrims who visit the kingdom each year. Riyadh is also home to a local museum, an archaeological museum at King Sa'ud University, and a geological museum. Postal, telephone, cable, and wireless services are regulated by the Ministry of Communications.

Saudi Arabia is directly connected by radiotelephone to the United States, other Arab countries, and Western Europe, and automatic internal lines connect most of the major cities. Inthere were an estimated mainline telephones for every 1, people; about 73, people were on a waiting list for telephone service installation. The same year, there were approximately mobile phones in use for every 1, people. The Broadcasting Service of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia BSKSA is owned and operated by the state, sponsoring four television networks.

Private broadcasters are not allowed in the country. However, there are millions of satellite dishes in the country receiving foreign broadcasts.

The Ministry of Culture and Information oversees radio and television broadcasts, with the right to censor any references to religions other than Islam, politics, sex, alcohol, and pigs or pork. Inthere were an estimated radios and television sets for every 1, people. The same year, there were personal computers for every 1, people and three of every 1, people had access to the Internet.

There investment options besides 401k 57 secure Internet servers in the country in All Internet servers are monitored by the government. The first newspaper in what is now Saudi Arabia was Al-Qiblah, the official publication of King Hussein of Hijaz, founded in With the end of the short-lived Hijaz Kingdom ina Saudi-sponsored paper, called Umm al-Qura The Mother of TownsMeccawas established.

Newspapers are privately owned, but self-censorship is widely employed. The Ministry of Culture and Information appoints all editors-in-chief. Criticism of the fundamental principles of Islam and of basic national institutions, including the royal family, is not permitted. The largest Arabic daily papers with circulations are Al-Asharq Al-Awsat The Middle East,; Al-Riyadh; Okaz; and Al-Jazirah The Peninsula, 94, Leading English-language dailies are the Arab Newsand Saudi Gazette 50, The government is said to severely limit ways to make money p2p runescape of speech prediction for stock market on monday the press, punishing any criticism of Islam, the ruling family, or the government with detention and arrest.

Saudi social tradition, which emphasizes the exclusiveness of family, clan, and tribe, generally militates against the formation of other social organizations. The absence of political and economic organizations is also a result of the prevalence of tradition. The umbrella organization of how much money does aly raisman make Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry is in Riyadh.

There are several professional associations, particularly in medical and health care fields. Many of these, such as the Saudi Pediatric Association, promote public education and research while also serving as a professional networking organization. The King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies serves as a multinational cultural and educational organization.

National youth organizations include the Saudi Arabian Assembly of Muslim Youth and the Saudi Arabian Boy Scouts Association. The World Assembly of Muslim Youth, based in Riyadh, offers a variety of camping, recreational, and educational programs for youth. There are a number of national and multinational sports associations based in the country, representing such pastimes as cricket, tennis, tae kwon do, and horse racing. Several sports associations are affiliated with the national Olympic Committee.

The Muslim World League works for the welfare of women and children. The Red Crescent Society and UNICEF are active. Saudi Arabia was once one of the hardest places in the world to visit due to heavy restrictions on tourism.

Inthe government opened up the country and added tourist visas; the Tourism Higher Authority was also created to expand the tourism facilities. Every year, however, there is a great influx of pilgrims to Mecca and Medina. Inalmost two million pilgrims traveled to Mecca. Visitors in transit or from a Gulf Cooperation Council country are not required northern california livestock market have a visa.

Women must have proof of accommodations for their stay, and if they arrive alone, their sponsor or husband must pick them up at the airport. Women visitors are also not allowed to drive cars. Pilgrims who travel to Mecca are required to have the meningococcal vaccine. Precautions against typhoid, malaria, hepatitis, and meningitis are recommended for all who travel to Saudi Arabia.

The average quantitative trading systems bandy download of stay that year was three nights.

Traditional sports include hunting with salukis, falconry, and horse and camel racing. Modern sports facilities include the Riyadh Stadium, complete with Olympic-standard running tracks and football soccer fields. Although Saudi Arabia has a relatively short history as a nationstate, it is heir to an Islamic civilization that developed from the teachings of Muhammad —born of the tribe of Quraysh in Mecca. The branch of Islam that claims most contemporary Saudis is that preached by Muhammad bin 'Abd al-Wahhab ?

The Saudi who has gained greatest renown outside the modern kingdom of Saudi Arabia is 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman al-Faysal as-Sa'ud, better known as Ibn-Sa'ud —the father of his country. Forced into exile with his family at a young age, he reconquered his patrimony and left behind him the state of Saudi Calculate maximum profit call options. InFaisal Faysal ibn-'Abd al-'Aziz as-Sa'ud, — 75 was proclaimed king.

In his role as prime minister, Faisal instituted many economic and social reforms, including the abolition of slavery. Upon his assassination in Marchhe was succeeded as king and prime minister by Khaled Khalid ibn-'Abd al-'Aziz, — Together with Crown Prince Fahd ibn-'Abd al-'Aziz —King Khaled broadened the country's development policies.

After Khaled's death, Fahd became king; he pursued the same cautious program of modernization as his two predecessors. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud b. Ahmad Zaki Yamani b. The Creation of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. Columbia University Press, New Economic and Political Realities. Research Institute for the Study of Conflict and Terrorism, Inside a Kingdom in Crisis. Saudi Arabia and the Momentum of Reform.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Policy: Relations with the Superpowers. Centre for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, University of Durham Press, Holden, David, and Richard Johns. The House of Saud. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, A History of the Arab Peoples. Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, The Making of Sa'udi Arabia, — From Chieftancy to Monarchical State.

Oxford University Press, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. University Press of Florida, Historical Dictionary of Saudi Arabia. A Overstock marketing strategy and Economic Dictionary of the Middle East. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Retrieved June 20, from Encyclopedia. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. RiyadhDhahran, Jeddah, Makkah, Al-madinah.

This chapter was adapted from the Department of State Post Report dated May Supplemental material has been added to increase coverage of minor cities, facts have been updated, and some material has been condensed.

Readers are encouraged to visit the Department of State's web site at http: SAUDI ARABIAa country of romance and legend, awakens memories from Lawrence of Arabia or scenes from some dimly remembered Hollywood epic.

It has, indeed, a colorful past, an exciting present, and a bright future. Saudi Arabia is about one-third the size of the U. Water from deep wells makes farming possible in some areas.

Islamthe only religion legally practiced in Saudi Arabia, plays a dominant part in the country's history and daily life. Because it is the birthplace of the prophet Mohammed and the site of the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina, Saudi Arabia is considered Islam's Holy Land.

It is in this context that Islamic legal traditions take precedence over all other government regulations. For thousands of years Arabs have roamed the desert tending their herds and flocks, tilling the soil where water was plentiful, and trading goods brought by camel caravan, but the unified nation of Saudi Arabia has been in existence for little more than 50 years.

The landscape is one of contrast — the visitor to Saudi Arabia will be rewarded with a visually enriching experience — an interesting blending of old and new. Oil income has enabled the country to modernize rapidly, but many of its desert customs and traditions still play an important role in day-to-day business transactions. Saudis are a cultivated people with an ancient and glorious heritage.

If you adapt to their ways, slow down, and follow their customs, you will find that living in Saudi Arabia is a rich experience. It is about miles east of Jeddah and miles west of Dhahran. Riyadh is connected to both cities by good highways and frequently scheduled Saudia Airlines flights. An express train runs from Riyadh to Dammam daily.

Some winter clothing is essential. Rainfall is minimal, but when it does occur, it is usually a downpour and city streets are quickly flooded. About 13, Americans have registered with the Consular Office in Riyadh.

Those not with the U. Government are with private business concerns survived stock market crash 1929 timeline events leading on contract with fwm stock buy Saudi Government.

They are scattered throughout the city and its environs in single villas or compounds. Several large supermarkets and a variety of specialty shops carry a full range of American and Retained earnings difference cash dividends food items as well as fresh produce and fish, frozen items, good meats, and fresh milk.

There is a large open-air fruit and vegetable market where fresh produce, eggs, and chicken are reasonably priced. During the 5-month hot season most men wear lightweight suits with short-sleeved shirts to work. Sport jackets are popular for casual wear and evening social occasions. Formal wear is sometimes needed, but a dark suit is usually acceptable. Wool and heavier suits and jackets are worn in winter, and a lightweight jacket may be necessary for early morning and evening hours.

Men should dress in a conservative fashion when in public. Shorts, sleeveless shirts, or offensive T-shirts should not be worn downtown. Men's clothing is available locally, but is expensive. A good variety of shoes is available locally, but not always in larger sizes. If your feet are difficult to fit, you should bring plenty of shoes with you. Clothing made of natural fibers cotton, linen, silk, and light weight wools in winter are the most comfortable regardless of the time of year.

Layered clothing is practical, especially in winter when morning temperatures are cool but rise rapidly during the day. Wearing tight or revealing clothing is unacceptable in public and risks unpleasant confrontation with the Saudi religious police, the Mutawa.

Non-Muslim women are not required to wear an abaya, a black cloak that covers the wearer from head to foot, however, many western women, particularly in Riyadh, choose to wear an abaya and carry a head scarf in order to avoid harassment by the religious police.

However, even with the abaya and scarf, harassment still occurs. There are many women's clothing stores in Riyadh, ranging from the bargain variety to designer shops. Prices are high and there are no facilities for trying on items. Clothes can be returned, but only for an exchange, not a refund. There are many dressmakers, but unless work is done in a private home, fittings are not permitted.

If work is being done in a shop, you must take your measurements with you or an item to be duplicated. Dress patterns are not available locally, but most dressmakers can duplicate an existing item or copy a photograph or drawing quite easily. A wide range of fabrics is available in all price ranges. Children's clothing is available but expensive. Inexpensive clothing from the Far East can be found, but it is often of poor quality and sized to fit only smaller children.

The dress code for the Saudi Arabian International School SAIS-R Elementary School requires girls to wear blouses or dresses with sleeves. Boys should wear shirts with sleeves and appropriate pants. Through grade 3, boys and girls may wear loose-fitting short pants to school, provided the pants extend at least to the knee.

In junior high, girls should wear blouses or dresses with sleeves or loose-fitting pants and tops. Boys should wear shirts with sleeves and long pants. Boys and girls may only wear sweat pants or shorts for physical education classes.

Riyadh has a wealth of shops and shopping malls. Almost everything is available from tropical fish and tanks to designer clothing. A full selection of American and European cosmetics, perfumes, and toiletries are available, but are more expensive than in the U. If you take long-term medication, bring a supply to last until you locate a local source. Most prescription medicines are in stock at local pharmacies. If bringing medication with you, have a copy of your prescription available for Saudi customs inspectors.

Adequate laundry and dry cleaning services are available. There is a dry-cleaning service available through one of the major hotels. Barbershops and hair stylists for men are located throughout Riyadh. Prices compare with those in the U. Public beauty shops for women are not permitted in the Kingdom. However, discreet Christian services are held in various private group meetings. No open advertisements or notices may be distributed regarding their existence.

The Saudi Arabian International School of Riyadh-American Section SAISR-AM for kindergarten through grade 9 has an enrollment of 1, students representing more than 50 nations.

SAISR-AM is licensed by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Education and is accredited by the Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges. It is governed by a seven-member school board elected by the parents. The curriculum is American and instruction is in English. The school term is from late August until the end of May with a 3-week Christmas vacation and about a day spring break, not necessarily at Easter. The school has three libraries with a total of 40, volumes, science labs, five fully-equipped computer laboratories, and a large, covered sports area.

SAISR-AM offers art, band, music, typing, study skills, mechanical drawing, computer sciences, English as a Second Language ESLFrench, and Arabic.

Sports include boys' and girls' basketball, volleyball, softball, and soccer. Learning Strategies classes supplement the regular curriculum for students who need additional help with organizational skills in grades After school study labs are also offered to students in grades who require minimal levels of remediation. A variety of after school enrichment activities are offered in gradesand often include drama, cooking, space camp, and yearbook.

The number of students per class varies between 13 and 20, depending on enrollment, and all students are tested to determine classroom placement prior to beginning classes. The school does not offer a comprehensive special education program.

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Programs for students with special needs are severely limited in terms of facilities, material, staffing, and community services for referrals. Students who have physical, emotional, or learning problems that cannot be appropriately remediated given the school's limitations will not be allowed to attend SAISR-AM.

The school reserves the right to discontinue a student's enrollment if problems beyond the scope of the school program are discovered after initial acceptance. The Saudi Arabian International School-British Section, for children from kindergarten through grade 8, is an alternative to the SAISR-AM.

The school year extends from late September through the end of June. There is generally a waiting list. Small French and German schools also operate in Riyadh. Tennis, swimming, and camping are the most popular outdoor sports in Riyadh. Two tennis leagues sponsor tournaments throughout the year, and several tennis pros in the city give lessons. Several bowling alleys are located in Riyadh and some have women's hours.

Horseback riding lessons are available at the Equestrian Club. Two hole golf courses are located on the outskirts of the city and the Intercontinental Hotel has a course in town.

Fairways are shaped from sand, and golfers carry an astroturf tee mat. The greens are oiled sand. The horse racing season is from October through April, and the camel races take place in March and early April and are sometimes open to women.

A bicycle is useful for both recreation and as a quick means of transportation. A limited selection of bicycles at high prices are available locally; therefore, it is recommended that you bring a bike.

Camping and day trips in the desert are popular during the cooler weather, from November through March. You can buy tents and camping equipment locally. Among the more popular sites within an hour's drive from Riyadh are Diriyah, Al-Kharj, and the camel trails.

Diriyah is the ruined capital of the Al-Saud state established in and destroyed in by a punitive expedition of troops sent by the Ottoman Empire. Diriyah is currently being restored by the Ministry of Education's Department of Antiquities.

The Al-Kharj agricultural area, about one hour from Riyadh, is green with date palm groves and farms. The town itself is dominated by a castle built by Abdul Aziz.

The camel trails are located along the escarpment southeast of Riyadh. Climbing the trails to the top of the escarpment is worth the beautiful view of the surrounding hills, sand dunes, and river beds. Hunting for fossils and desert diamonds quartz crystals formed by fusion of sand particles by lightning is another weekend pastime. These activities require the use of a four-wheel drive vehicle. Persons interested in desert recreation should consult the book, Desert Treks from Riyadhavailable locally.

The book charts out day and weekend trips and more extensive excursions for the adventurous. American Community Services ACSlocated on the U.

Embassy annex in a wadi near the Diplomatic Quarter, is an organization offering a great variety of activities to American expatriates in Riyadh. It has tours, both in and out of the country, seminars, classes cooking, square dancing, survival Arabic, computer skills and many othersand provides a base for many support groups. Family counseling is also available at ACS.

ACS also shows movies on Thursday nights and runs a summer day camp for children. The American Women of Riyadh AWR is open to all American women in Riyadh and meets monthly at the Embassy, featuring a guest speaker. These events are not advertised publicly, but only by word of mouth. CLO usually has information about the Riyadh Choral Society, the Concert Band, Theater-Go-Round, and others.

Riyadh has several amusement parks and a zoo for children. Unfortunately, these are not open to women. Occasionally the school will organize a tour for the children and include the mothers. There are many parks with playground equipment on the Diplomatic Quarter.

They are not always well maintained and due to the number of picnicking Saudi families on weekends, are not generally available for use. Various ethnic restaurants Lebanese, Saudi, Thai, Turkish, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Philippine, and Continental abound in Riyadh as do many American fast-food restaurants: Hardees, McDonald's, Burger King, TCBY, Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Dairy Queen, Pizza Hut, and Baskin-Robbins. The major hotels also have restaurant facilities.

However, only those establishments with a family section will allow women-and many have restrictions on women unescorted by a male family member. Dhahran is situated on the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, about miles from Riyadh and about 1, miles from Jeddah.

To the east in the Persian Arabian Gulf, lies the independent island state of Bahrainaccessible by a mile causeway. The term Dhahran is an Arabic word meaning two hills. It originally referred to a geological formation sighted from Bahrain in by American geologists and which looked promising for oil exploration.

At this formation, the first producing oil well, number 7, was drilled in The site is today part of the Base Camp for Saudi ARAMCO, now one of the world's largest oil companies. Dhahran is not actually a town but rather a geographic location, which includes a scattered collection of self-contained compounds in the center of the Al-Khobar-Dammam metropolitan area. These include the American Consulate General, the Dhahran International Airport, the King Abdul Aziz Royal Saudi Air Force Base, the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, and regional offices of the Ministry of Petroleum and of PETROMIN, the Saudi Government's petroleum distribution system.

Dhahran has over 50, people, most of them Saudi ARAMCO employees and their dependents living on the Base Camp or in the growing Doha Camp residential neighborhood. The Saudi ARAMCO Base Camp resembles, in many respects, a prosperous suburban community in the western U. Al-Khobar, a thriving commercial center about 11 miles from Dammam, is the capital of the Eastern Province.

Dammam has a population of about ,; Al-Khobar has a population of about 80, The two form a continuous metropolitan area. The resident American population of the Eastern Province was about 19, in mid Over half work for Saudi ARAMCO or for petrochemical joint ventures in Jubail, 75 miles north of Dhahran.

Construction firms employ other Americans as contractors to the Saudi defense forces, the province's two universities, and various joint partnerships between Saudi and American companies. Most Americans live either on company compounds or on commercially operated housing compounds designed for foreigners.

A wide variety of food is available locally, and fresh fish, lamb, chicken, eggs, milk products, and some vegetables are produced locally. Most foodstuffs are imported, however, and food costs are somewhat higher than in Washington, D. Merchants in both Al-Khobar and Dammam stock clothing from the U.

You can find shirts, lightweight suits, sweaters, and ties for men. Women can purchase stockings, lingerie, bathing suits, novelty, sports and lounging clothes, blouses, and dresses. Clothing supplies, however, for men and women are not constant or available in all sizes. Prices can be high and there are no facilities for women to try on clothes before purchasing.

Lightweight clothing is suitable most of the year. Sportswear and business suits are acceptable at all times. In general, cotton or other natural fabrics are the most practical. Topcoats and overcoats are not required in Dhahran. Standard summer wear for social occasions is a short-sleeved dress shirt, tie, and slacks with a blazer or summer weight suits. From November to April, medium-weight suits are generally worn Cool, lightweight walking shoes with rubber soles are necessary in Saudi Arabia; leather soles wear out quickly in the sand.

Women should wear non-revealing, loose-fitting clothes in public places. Long caftans are available locally and comfortable in the climate. Natural-fiber fabrics are most practical.

Entertaining at home is usually casual, although there are occasional formal dances and dinner parties. Many Saudi women dress elegantly for home entertaining, wearing expensive Paris creations. Very few days, even in winter, are cool enough to wear wool fabrics comfortably all day. Heavy and dark cottons or lightweight knits are most suitable for daytime wear. It turns much cooler in the evening, and woolen dresses, cotton knits, and silks are appropriate. A winter coat is not essential, but an in-between season coat is useful, as are sweaters and cardigans.

Saudi Arabian religious and social customs prescribe that Muslim women cover themselves completely in public. Western women, therefore, should dress conservatively when shopping in downtown Al-Khobar or Dammam and suburban markets.

At a minimum, dresses should have a high neckline, sleeves that cover the elbow, and should be well below the knee. Many western women wear long-sleeved, floor-length cotton, shirtwaist dresses while shopping. Alternatively, slacks with a long over-shirt can be worn. Tight-fitting slacks and dresses, miniskirts, and shorts should not be worn in public places. To do so risks attracting unpleasant public attention and even arrest or reprimand by the Saudi religious police.

School-aged children dress much as do their U. Adolescent girls should wear conservative clothing similar to their mothers' when going downtown to Al-Khobar or Dammam. Light-to-medium-heavy wool clothing for outdoor wear is needed when winter winds turn chilly and temperatures sometimes drop to near freezing at night. During the cool months children will need a medium-weight jacket or Wind-breaker, prices are high and children's sizes are particularly difficult to find locally.

Standard toiletries, cosmetics, cigarettes, and tobacco are sold in Al-Khobar. You can also buy detergents, packaged water softeners, household cleaning equipment, and supplies locally. Fabrics for both men's and women's clothing is readily found in Al-Khobar and Dammam.

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Tailors in these cities and in Bahrain can make both men's and women's clothing. They are adept at copying garments, although you may have to wait weeks. Shoe repair is fair to good for men's shoes and reasonably priced but poor for women's shoes.

Two commercial laundries provide adequate services as do local dry cleaners. The latter also has a good beauty shop, as does Saudi ARAMCO.

Saudi Arabia is a Muslim country, and only Islam is allowed to be practiced. However, discreet arrangements exist to meet the needs of other religions. The Dhahran Academy, managed by the Saudi Arabian International School system, is an American school recognized by the Department of State's Office of Overseas Schools.

It provides schooling for children from kindergarten through grade 9. Most of the teaching staff are recruited from the U. Two smaller private schools offer English-language, pre-kindergarten classes. High school-aged children must be sent to boarding schools outside of Saudi Arabia. Numerous high school institutions are located in Europe, including those operated by the Defense Department's Division of Overseas Defense Dependents Schools DODDS ; DODDS also operates a high school in Bahrain, which has a boarding facility.

Swimming, boating, and picnicking are possible at three good beaches on Half Moon Bay. Fishing and snorkeling are generally good. Enthusiasts should bring skin diving, water-skiing, and fishing gear. Tennis rackets, bowling shoes, golf clubs preferably old ones, as the sand will take its tolland beach equipment are helpful.

Camping in the desert is popular, so bring sleeping bags and other camping gear. Tennis courts are open by invitation at Saudi ARAMCO. The King Fahd University also has tennis courts, but for men only. Saudi ARAMCO has facilities for racquetball, squash, and a bowling alley. Some local hotels also have tennis or sports facilities open to the public for a fee, but men and women must use them at different times.

Those seeking participation in team sports will find basketball and softball leagues. Saudi ARAMCO sponsors a world-class Little League softball team. Usual sports attire is worn on the courts. Women should remember to dress modestly on the way to or from sports facilities or other compounds. Men are also discouraged from wearing shorts or bathing suits when not in a sports facility. For children, Boy, Girl, and Cub Scouts, and Brownie troops are organized by the Dhahran Academy and by Saudi ARAMCO.

Special interest clubs exist at Saudi ARAMCO. These include art, cooking, computers, natural history, and photography. Photographers need to be alert to local sensitivities about what can be photographed.

Seek guidance before setting out with your camera. Dhahran is situated in the middle of a modern high-speed highway network that permits easy travel to Riyadh and to other major towns in the Eastern province. Hofuf, an ancient Arab town in one of the world's largest oases, is only 2 hours away. There is a traditional mud-walled fort, a typical Arab market, a colorful Thursday camel market, and some unique caves. Qatif, another oasis about 20 miles away, has a bustling Thursday morning outdoor market and a 16th century Portuguese fort which is now a bath house.

In contrast, the new Jubail Industrial City, some 70 miles north of Dhahran, is a magnificent example of modern industrial planning. It contains 15 primary petrochemical industries, planned residential communities, and a large industrial port. Both the Royal Commission in Jubail and Saudi ARAMCO in Dhahran have modern, well-designed exhibition centers open to the public. The Dhahran area also has two large amusement parks with rides and games for children. Bahrain, linked to Saudi Arabia by the mile King Fahd Causeway, is about one hour away by car.

Bahrain, with its nightclubs, museums, and beaches, offers a pleasant change of pace from Dhahran. There are no public theaters, concert halls, or movie theaters in Dhahran. Saudi ARAMCO shows movies, and amateur dramatic groups present an occasional stage play or musical. A local group sponsors several performances each year by professional classical musicians brought from Europe.

As is the case in all of Saudi Arabia, no nightclubs or bars are located in the Eastern Province, but several local hotels and restaurants serve excellent Middle-Eastern, Oriental, and Continental cuisine. A growing number of American-style, fast-food eating places are located in Al-Khobar.

Hotels and restaurants that have family rooms allow men and women to eat together. If the restaurant has no family room, only men may patronize it. Shopping in Al-Khobar is a frequent diversion. Gold and silver jewelry in the traditional Bedouin styles, oriental carpets, and Middle-Eastern or south-Asian brass curios are popular buys. Two well-stocked toy stores exist in Al-Khobar. Several book stores exist, but English-language selections are limited. Tapes and video tapes exist, but are censored to remove scenes regarded as objectionable.

American TV sets receive only AFRTS broadcast, but European PAL system sets connected to a rotor antenna will receive English-language telecasts from stations at Saudi ARAMCO, Bahrain, Qatar, and sometimes Dubai.

Most TV programming begins in the mid-afternoon and ends between 10 pm and midnight. Programming on these stations is of an international character with some U. You can make social life in Dhahran as active as you wish to make it. Besides the large American community, over 9, British, several hundred Canadians, and smaller communities of French and Germans live in the Dhahran area.

Moreover, many Saudis and other Middle-Easterners speak English, and are comfortable with Americans. Saudi hospitality is generous and expansive. An International Women's Group, as well as an American Airport Wives Club, meets monthly.

By joining the American Businessmen's Association, male newcomers are able to meet their American counterparts. The Association holds periodic evening dinners to which wives are invited. Located on the Red SeaJeddah is the country's chief port and is about the same latitude as Calcutta, Hong Kongand Honolulu. What began as a little fishing village in ancient times grew into an important trading center as a result of its strategic position on the Spice Route, linking Southern Arabia with the lands to the North.

The future of the settlement was assured in A. The opening of the Suez Canal in consolidated Jeddah's position as a major center of trade in the Middle East. Many of the great merchant houses seen today date from this period. The old city was surrounded by a wall from to Today, only replicas of the city gates remain. With an estimated population of two million, Jeddah is a thriving commercial center. It becomes even busier during the Hajj, the last month of the Muslim year, when about one million Muslim pilgrims from all over the world arrive en route to Mecca, 45 miles away.

About 6, Americans live in the Jeddah district. Most work for American firms such as Raytheon, Litton, Daniel International, Lockheed, and Mobil under contract to the Saudi Government. Americans also work in international and Saudi companies. Many live in separate company or private housing compounds, although some live in houses and apartments scattered throughout the city. Due to the huge expatriate work force in Saudi Arabia, the city has a cosmopolitan character. In addition to Americans and West Europeans, thousands of Lebanese, Indians, Sri Lankans, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Syrians, Palestinians, Egyptians, and Filipinos provide the labor for the vast infrastructure, which has been built with oil revenues.

Modern, well-stocked supermarkets carry a complete assortment of Western and other imported goods as well as local products. Because of the national diversity of the labor force, you will find an unusually wide variety of food items. Fruit and vegetables are plentiful both locally produced and imported. Fresh milk and other dairy products are available. Fresh fish and shrimp are widely available.

Beef, lamb, veal, and chicken are plentiful and of good quality. Chicken is either locally raised or imported from France. Bread is excellent and inexpensive. Other items are more costly than in the U. Pork is not available locally. Men should dress modestly in public at all times. They should not wear clothing revealing bare arms or legs such as tank tops or shorts, nor should they wear visible gold jewelry or religious symbols.

It is possible to wear summer clothes year round. Evenings in January and February may require a sweater. Short-sleeved sport shirts and slacks are appropriate for casual wear.

Tennis shoes are recommended for Red Sea swimming as protection against the sharp coral. Suits and dress clothes in general are best purchased in the U. Women should wear clothing with sleeves at least to the elbows, reasonably high necklines, and skirts well below the knees. If pants are worn, a loose-fitting top should cover the hips. Professional, conservative, loose-fitting business attire is appropriate, although suits are not generally worn due to the climate.

Hosiery is a matter of personal preference, but not generally worn to work. Bear in mind that offices and homes are well-cooled, although outside is warm and humid. On the beaches of the Red Sea, women can wear beach attire only when well outside of the city or on private beaches. Some boutiques feature European clothing, but choices are limited, prices are high, and there are no facilities for trying on articles.

Fabric is plentiful, but mainly polyester in bright colors and bold prints. Cottons are harder to find. Most children's wear is available, but quality varies and prices fluctuate. Short shorts, midriff blouses, tank tops and sleeveless tops are not appropriate attire for school. Baby clothes and diapers are available. Most personal and household needs can be met here. A full selection of perfumes, cosmetics, medicines, and toiletries are available. Many prescription medicines are stocked, but bring a supply of any prescribed medicine in case it is not sold here.

Dry cleaning is reasonable and dependable. Leather shoe heels wear out quickly and shoe repair is not of satisfactory quality. The Saudia-Saudi Arabian International School S-SAISowned by Saudia Airlines, offers an American curriculum. It spans pre-kindergarten through grade 9, although it is attempting to add year 10 for the school year Teachers are mostly recruited in the U. Special teachers are available for physical education, music, band and orchestra, art, and remedial reading; and English and math for advanced students.

The school's administrative staff includes a superintendent, a curriculum coordinator, and counselors. The school has a general science lab, combination auditorium-gymnasium, homemaking lab, computer rooms, a resource center for remedial math and English, and a media center. The library has a current collection of 14, volumes in the main campus school and 15, books in the primary school.

Extracurricular activities include softball, basketball, soccer, swim team semiprivateand intramurals twice a week. Varsity sports include track, volleyball, softball, and basketball. Other activities such as Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are also available. The school term lasts from late August through early June, totaling the school days required in most U. In addition to winter and spring breaks, there is a post-Ramadan break and a Hajj break when these occur during the school year.

The Continental School follows a British system and accepts children from ages 3 to The school year follows the British system, the first term being September through December, the second term January through March, and the third term from April through early July. Children are accepted on a space-available basis, and it is difficult to obtain space for students over age Another British school, Jeddah Prep, accepts children up to age Small French and German schools are also in operation.

Arabic nursery schools are numerous but not acceptable for Americans. Some satisfactory American-and British-managed nursery schools are available. Organized sports leagues for both adults and children include volleyball, softball, two running clubs, tennis, squash, basketball, little league baseball, bowling, cricket, and rugby.

Except for these leagues and occasional soccer matches open to men onlyno regular spectator sports exist in Jeddah. The area around Jeddah offers many points of interest — the Red Sea with its beautiful coral reefs, the lonely desert vistas, nearby oases, and the foothills.

Taif, in the mountains, is only a 2-hour drive from Jeddah. Located 6, feet above sea level, its cooler climate offers welcome relief in summer. The King and his ministers maintain summer homes and offices there to escape the searing heat of Jeddah and Riyadh. An excellent paved road winds its way up the escarpment and provides a panorama of surrounding mountains.

A weekend at the Sheraton or Intercontinental Hotel in Taif makes a pleasant change. Coastal waters around Jeddah provide exceptional deep-sea fishing. Shark, amberjack, barracuda, tuna, grouper, red snapper, sea bass, and an occasional sailfish are caught in nearby waters. If you are interested in deep-sea fishing, bring a good rod and reel. You can rent boats in Jeddah harbor, although the cost is high.

Some residents enjoy sailing and boating and own wind surfing or light sailing vessels. Jeddah has two sailing clubs. A protected inlet known as The Creek Abhor Creekabout 30 minutes north of the city, is a popular spot for boating, swimming, snorkeling, diving, shell collecting, and picnicking.

Underwater scenes of the Red Sea are among the most beautiful in the world, making snorkeling and skin diving popular. An extraordinary variety of fish, in a stunning background of coral formations, provides a glimpse of an entirely different world. Snorkeling requires only tennis shoes, fins, snorkel, and mask. You can buy these locally at prices slightly higher than in the U.

Scuba diving is also popular. You can dive in the Red Sea 9 months of the year without a wetsuit. Compressed air is readily available at a reasonable cost.

Tanks, wet suits, regulators, and buoyancy compensators are available locally. If you are interested in scuba diving but not certified, instructors give lessons regularly at various locations around Jeddah.

Rental diving equipment is also available, and a diving club is located in Jeddah. Overnight desert camping trips, especially in winter, are popular. The desert provides a pleasant contrast to the bustling city and has a beauty of its own. Wadi Fatima and Wadi Khulays, oases not too far from Jeddah on the road to Mecca, offer scenic spots in the cooler months. Further away, Waba Crater, an explosion crater 1. Western forms of public entertainment do not exist in Jeddah. Since there are no cinemas, theaters, or operas, the Western community produces its own.

It has two theater groups — a light opera group and a concert committee that features visiting artists and a choral society.

The British Consulate General Cinema Club offers a weekly full length recent movie. Dining out is a favorite pastime. The hotels have wonderful buffets at reasonable costs and international restaurants abound in Jeddah. Shopping in the Jeddah souks markets for Arab handicrafts, old and new, is another favorite pastime.

Oriental rugs, gold jewelry, and Bedouin silver are the most popular purchases. Social activity in Jeddah revolves around the home, since no public entertainment or clubs exist. Buffet and sit-down dinners are typical forms of entertainment.

The American Ladies of Jeddah, a community-wide American Women's Club, meets monthly and sponsors recreational, social, and welfare projects. The group publishes a monthly newsletter.

Additionally, the International Women's Group, a large organization open to all nationalities meets monthly. The Saudi Arabian Natural History Society meets monthly and features a speaker and a slide show on some aspect of Saudi Arabian natural history. Makkah Mecca, to the Western worldone of Islam's greatest shrines, is certainly counted among Saudi Arabia's major cities but, by its very nature, it defies exact classification in that non-Muslims are forbidden to enter.

It lies in the western part of the country, the Hijaz or Hejazabout 50 miles from the Red Sea coast, in a narrow valley surrounded by low hills. It is a modern city of more thanresidents, and is the capital and administrative center of the province which bears its name. The major industry of this holy city is tourism — but of a religious nature.

Each year during the Hajj Dhu al-Hijjain the final month of the lunar year, more than a million worshipers from all over the world pour into Makkah for the pilgrimage which every Muslim hopes to make once in his lifetime. Muhammad whose name is also seen written Mohammed, or Mohamet was born in Makkah in His spiritual experiences led him to preach as a prophet here, but he eventually was forced to go to what is now Al-Madinah Medina to establish an Islamic state; he died there in It was Muhammad who originated the practice of praying toward Makkah.

Modern Makkah is the site of the Great Mosque with its black-draped Kaaba. Here, also, is Umm Al-Qura University, which houses the faculty of Islamic studies among its other departments.

There are schools and hospitals and a number of large bazaars. The second most sacred city of Islam after Mecca, Al-Madinah also referred to as Medinah or Medina is located in western Saudi Arabia's Hejaz Province, about miles north of Makkah. Along with agricultural products, the city's economy thrives on the pilgrim traffic and the businesses associated with it.

The city is no longer contained within walls; today there are wide avenues with luxury shops, coffee-houses, and over 40 hotels. Al-Madinah's roughlyresidents have access to an airport and several roads. The Islamic University is located here.

Al-Madinah, formerly known as Yathric, was the terminus of Muhammad's journey from Makkah. He lived here until his death in In the Hejaz Province was conquered by Ibn Saud and became part of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

HOFUF also called al-Hufufin eastern Saudi Arabia, is about miles east of the nation's capital. Its residents, mostly Muslim Arabs, make up half of the al-Hasa oasis' population.

In Hofuf, the old Qaisariya bazaar coexists with modern office buildings. Hofuf's Western look is the result of the destruction of the old town walls, and of town planning. The nearby oil industry has aided in the city's commercial expansion.

Farm products of the oasis are marketed here. The House of Sa'ud initially occupied Hofuf in the late s. The Ottoman Turks made it their headquarters in eastern Arabia inbut were driven out by Ibn Saud in Hofuf's population is estimated at overSaudi Arabia lies in the area known as the Middle East — the meeting place of the continents of AsiaAfrica, and Europe.

It occupies much of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of aboutsquare miles. The vast uninhabited Empty Quarter, al-Rub'al-Khali, is about the size of Texas and is the largest single body of sand in the world.