SAUDI ARABIA
In western Asia the largest Arab state is the kingdom of Saudi Arabia or as it is known in less official terms Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia covers the largest territory in the Arab peninsula. The country is about 2150000 square kilometers or 830000 square miles in area. This makes it one of the largest Arab nations not only in the Arab peninsula but also in the entire world coming second to only Algeria. The country has a population of three million with 90% composing of Arabs and 10% composing of afroo-asians.in the 1930s the population of the country was primarily nomadic but as of present times more than 95% of the nation’s population is completely urbanized. The exact size of Saudi Arabia however remains unknown. This is because the southern borders of the country with Oman and the United Arab Emirates are not exactly defined on any geographical map. None the less the kingdom of Saudi Arabia ranks thirteen among the largest states in the entire world. The capital city of Saudi Arabia is the city of Riyadh which also happens to be the largest city in the state. In the north, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia is bordered by Iraq and Jordan. The country also shares a north east border with Kuwait and an eastern border with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar. The country is bordered to the south east by Oman and also bordered to the south by Yemen. The country is especially unique in the Arab peninsula because it has a Persian Gulf coast as well as a red sea coast making it the only country in the region with such strategic geographical positioning and advantage.
Abdul-Aziz bin abd al-rahman al Saudi more popularly known as ibn Saudi is the man credited with the founding of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia back in 1932. Ibn Saudi founded the kingdom of Saudi Arabia through a series of conquests. The first region which he conquered was Riyadh which was also the ancestral home of his entire lineage known as the house of Saud in 1902. After the conquest of Riyadh, ibn Saud proceeded to conquer other regions of Asir, Nejd, Hejaz and Al-hasa. After the conquests he would proceed to unify these regions into a single administrative area known as the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Arabian Desert dominates the geography of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As a result, shrub land and semi desert conditions are prevalent in the country. In fact, the country boosts of possession of the largest continuous desert in the world which lies to the south of the country known as rub al khali and covers an astonishing area of 647500 square kilometers. There are a large number of wadis in the country perhaps acting as consolation for the fact that there are absolutely no rivers in the country as well as any lakes at all. The most outstanding topographical feature in the country is the central plateau. The central plateau covers an area form the red sea descending steadily into Nejd headed toward the Persian Gulf. The largest point in the entire country is mount swada. This mountain lies in the province of Asir in the southwestern part of the country and rises to a height of 3133 meters. Due to the desert conditions in the country, Saudi Arabia experiences extremely high temperatures during the day and very low temperatures at night. Temperatures can be as high as 54 degrees Celsius during the summer and as low as zero degrees Celsius during the winter. Precipitation is also minimal in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia averaging about 300 mm of rainfall annually.
The administrative structure of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia is very ingesting to say the least. The country is primarily an absolute monarchy ruled by the king and the royal family. The basic law of Saudi Arabia which was adopted in the year 1992, however, clearly outlines certain paradigms which the monarchy has to strictly adhere to. First of all the king must strictly observe the sharia law or the Islamic law. Secondly the king must also strictly comply with the Quran. To this effect the Quran as well as the Sunnah, which are the traditions of Mohammad, are considered to be the constitution of the country. The government of Saudi Arabia is very authoritarian. This is because no national elections or the formation of political parties are permitted in the country. In fact the democracy index carried out in the year 2010 by the economist ranks Saudi Arabia as the seventh among the most authoritarian nations in the world. The royal family is the most powerful political outfit in the country. Political power in the country is closely related to tribal affiliations. As a result, tribal sheikhs are very influential in both local as well as national issues due to their vast influence over their tribes which translates into political mileage. The only avenue through which the nationals can petition the king directly is through the majis which are traditional tribal meetings. These meetings are, however, privilege of only males who are of full age with women having no such privileges at all.
Saudi Arabia is a high income economy and has 19th highest GDP in the entire world. Saudi Arabia attributes its economic growth primarily to its petroleum base. Approximately ninety percent of the country’s export earnings as well as seventy five percent of revenues in the country which contribute to the national budget are from the oil industry. The country possesses about 260 billion barrels of oil which form a fifth of the world's known oil reserves. The private sector in the country is also a major player as far as the economy of the country is concerned. The private sector has in recent years received major incentives form the national government all aimed at promoting the growth of the private sector. Among the initiatives is the privatization of major industries in the country such as the telecommunications industry as well as the power industry. Saudi Arabia ii soon of the fastest growing countries in the world with a per capita income of 24200 United States dollars which is rather high by any standards. The exact figures on poverty and living conditions in the country are hard to come by. This is because the Saudi government does not issue such information to the public and any journalists researching the matter are arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law of the land. The country was approved to join the world trade organization in the year 2005 and the country also formed the Saudi Arabian general investment authority with the aim of enticing and encouraging foreign investment in the country. There are, however, sectors of the economy where foreign investment is strictly prohibited for example insurance and telecommunications.
With the exception of foreign workers the Saudi population is 100% Muslim. The country also possesses two of the holiest places in the religion of Islam, the al masjid al haram in mecca and the al masjid an Nabawi in medina. Due to the presence of these two holy places, Saudi Arabia is commonly referred to as the land of the two holy mosques. Conversion from Islam into any other religion is a grave crime that carries the death penalty. The advocacy of other religions in the country is also strictly prohibited. Arabic is the official language in the country with Saudi sign language being the official language assigned to the deaf community in the country.
Culture in the country is dominated by the Islamic religion. Practices such as prayer five times a day are normal cultural practice in the country. Due to Friday being the holiest day in Islam, the weekend I strictly Thursday and Friday. Only two religious holidays are observed in the country, id al-fitr and id al-adha. The observation of non-Muslim holidays is strictly prohibited. Saudi Arabia is the only nation in the world with a driving ban imposed on women. As a result women are prohibited from driving motor vehicles in the country. Dressing follows the principles of hijab which includes loose flowing but covering garments. Music and dance are a part of Saudi culture with soccer being recognized as the national sport. The cuisine is also dictated by the Islamic religion with khuzi which consists of stuffed lamb being recognized as the national dish. The country lags behind in globalization. This is because the culture of the country is strictly closed and dominated by religion.
