OUTLINE
- Introduction
- Effects of forces on the present day well-being of Saudi Arabia
- European colonialism
- Saudi Arabia civil war
- Arab revolt (1853-1975)
- SWOT ANALYSIS
- Strengths
- Weaknesses
- Opportunities
- threats
- Conclusion
- References
Introduction
Saudi Arabia is one of middle east strong hold nations and therefore the following essay critically looks into the country by focusing on how international activities, treaties, colonization, economic systems and wars have shaped the way it is today and in addition its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that it poses.
Effects of forces on the present-day well-being of Saudi Arabia
European colonialism
The Europeans conquered and colonized Asia from the years 1863-1970 when most Muslims states got independence. The Europeans ruled over the Arabs and brought about tribal warfare’s by promising various tribesmen control over the whole territory. The Al-Rashid and Al-Saud became enemies since the Al-Rashid sent the al-Saud to exile in neighboring Kuwait. These tribal enmities continue up to today with one side seeing themselves as superior to the other in a way. Colonialism also explains the unity and diversity of different experiments while also explaining the points of divergence and convergence in the Muslim world. The European colonization also led to emergence of Arab Christians in Saudi Arabia, which has continued up to today.
Saudi Arabia civil war
It happened in the 1920s 1994 and it seems like history is going to repeat itself. Saudi Arabia was supporting Yemen’s secessionists indirectly by then in 1994. Saudi leadership considers Yemen’s unity strategic for its kingdom since it will ensure important interests and maintain stability and security in the particular world region. Funding for the war comes from Saudi business men but generally all the pressure on such actions in all the cases over time has been from the western world.so the western world has influenced wars in the country for over 50 years.
Arab revolt (1853-1975)
This colonization led to uprisings in Saudi Arabia. The uprisings were as a result of an Islamic movements like for example from the one led by Umar Mukhtar, 1858-1931.ythis led to things like the holy wars, Jihads.in this stages of the colonial era, Islamic thinkers , forces, and political leaders play a crucial part that shapes Muslim politics. These thinkers and movements were the first ones in organizing local anticolonial movements. They did this through the jihad language that relates struggles for freedom to Islam- that is an influential paradigm that is continuing even up to today relating to Muslims struggling against the imperialists. The Muslim sharia law has been incorporated into their constitution and thus is part of their daily lives
SWOT ANALYSIS
Strengths
Large oil supply-the country has a large supply of oil and in fact the second country in the world in terms of oil production. Estimates are that it has about 267 billion barrels of oil. Oil is the most precious commodity in the world currently and is being used in almost all industries. Therefore, the Saudi Arabia government exports a lot of oil to other countries earning it a lot of money. This makes it a wealthy nation that can fully support itself.
Tourism- Saudi Arabia is known for having the best tourism destinations in the world. They boast of sites such as the Al-ula, which is an ancient place that once was a commerce and trade hub. There are also sites like Jabal al-Lawz, Jamarat Bridge, and Jawatha Mosque, which are a few of a few of the many tourist sites in the country. It also boasts of five star hotels that have gotten world star recognition like the Al Faisaliah hotel.
The Riyal currency-the currency is reliable and discipline. Its reliability is because it can be used almost anywhere in the world just like other international currencies like the American dollar or the Euro. The Riyal is discipline in a way that it does not fluctuate and is mostly stable as compared to the other currencies, which are unstable and fluctuate over time.
Excellent infrastructure-Saudi Arabia has invested a lot of money in infrastructure that attracts investors into the country. The infrastructure includes five star hotels, roads, railways, and business premises.
Weaknesses
Religious restrictions on foreigners- Saudi Arabia being an Islam religious oriented country to some extent follow Sharia law. Therefore, the country is biased to those foreigners from countries that do not follow Islam. This in a way discourages investors or potential business people from exploring their market that in turn makes them lose revenues.
Problems of discrimination-the country is known for violating human rights.as a result people fear going to the country since they fear for their lives. This discourages tourists from visiting the country leading to lose of foreign exchange from tourism. This also scares workers from coming into the country leading to lose of a work force that would be used to build the country.
History of war- Saudi Arabia has had a long history of war especially in the 20th century where rulers fought for power and overthrew governments. This scares of potential investors since they assume it is an unstable nation.
Opportunities
Pharmaceutical-Saudi Arabia is mainly an oil-producing nation and as a result they do not concentrate on other fields and mainly pharmaceutical. This therefore creates opportunities for people to venture in this sector and certainly get good profits.
Supply of oil is peak-the International Energy Agency forecasts that a peak of gradual oil supply will happen at around 2020 to 2030.as a result a demand for companies that extract oil and outlying technology will increase since they will be able to find in difficult sites some oil. Countries like Saudi Arabia and Brazil that have lots of unexploited oil will benefit from the peak in oil demand.
Threats
Instability due to succession-it is unclear who will ascend to become king in Saudi Arabia since it has over 5,000 members who are in the royal family. This may result to a power struggle in a nation with the world’s largest oil supply. If the country becomes volatile, global economies will be disrupted since oil is disrupted. This might also cause tension and violence within regional populations.
Shale gas of USA-Shale gas is increasingly being used as a natural gas source. The gas has revolutionized energy and it use by prompting companies and countries to invest in domestic self-sufficient energy. This wave is spreading in Canada, Europe, Australia, and Asia. This reduces the dependency of energy from Saudi Arabia hence threatening their economy.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Saudi Arabia can be one of the best countries for anyone to settle and invest in if only they overcome their social, political, and economic huddles now and in the future.
References
David, M. (2008). The Arab Revolt 1916-18 Lawrence Sets Arabia Ablaze. Osprey Publishing.
John, L. (2009). European Colonialism and the Emergence of Modern Muslim States. Oxford University Press.
Karen, E. (2010). On Saudi Arabia: Its People, Past, Religion, Fault, Lines- and Future. London: Oxford UP.
http://travelling-around-the-earth.blogspot.com/2011/01/top-tourist-attraction-places-in-saudi.html
http://www.wikiwealth.com/country:saudi-arabiawikiwealth.com/country:saudi-arabia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Saudi_Arabia
