He invited the Kuwaiti government and many of its citizens to stay in Saudi Arabia, but expelled citizens of Yemen and Jordan because of their governments' support of Iraq. [220], Saudi Arabia joined the UN in 1945[43][221] and is a founding member of the Arab League, Gulf Cooperation Council, Muslim World League, and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (now the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation). [459][460], Its population is also quite young with over half the population under 25 years old. [108] Although the Arab Revolt of 1916 to 1918 failed in its objective, the Allied victory in World War I resulted in the end of Ottoman suzerainty and control in Arabia and Hussein bin Ali became King of Hejaz. [53] The culture is characterized as being one of the world's first to involve the widespread domestication of animals, particularly the horse, during the Neolithic period. [465] Slavery was officially abolished in 1962. [23][24][25] The ultraconservative Wahhabi religious movement within Sunni Islam was described as a "predominant feature of Saudi culture" until the 2000s. [73] The second stage of the kingdom saw the transformation of Dedan from a mere city-state of which only influence they exerted was inside their city walls, to a kingdom that encompasses much wider domain that marked the pinnacle of Lihyan civilization. For 68 years, only the sons of Saudi Arabia's founder, King Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman al-Saud, have ruled the country. Women's clothes are often decorated with tribal motifs, coins, sequins, metallic thread, and appliques. [513] Saudi Arabia was ranked 66th in the Global Innovation Index in 2021, up from 68th in 2019. [603][619] The restrictions include forcing women to sit in separate specially designated family sections in restaurants, to wear an abaya and to cover their hair. [370] Lava fields in Hejaz, known locally by their Arabic name of harrat (the singular is harrah), form one of Earth's largest alkali basalt regions, covering some 180,000 square kilometres (69,000sqmi), an area greater than the state of Missouri. The statue was locally made under the strong Mesopotamian influence on the artistic principle of Dilmun. [109], Ibn Saud avoided involvement in the Arab Revolt, and instead continued his struggle with the Al Rashid. More than a billion Sunnis have simply had enough of them. In response, a number of limited reforms were initiated by King Fahd. [519][526], In 2021, the Washington Post newspaper published a report on the measures taken by Saudi Arabia to clean textbooks from paragraphs considered antisemitic and sexist. King The Land is one of the hottest K-Dramas right now, but it has come under fire for the disrespectful and problematic representation of Arabs during the recent episode. [559][f], Islam is the state religion of Saudi Arabia. 15 of the 19 terrorists involved in September 11 attacks in New York City, Washington, D.C., and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania were Saudi nationals. Abd al-Aziz ibn Saud declares himself king and gives his name to the country: Saudi Arabia. [422] According to a report published by Bloomberg Economics in 2018, the government needs to produce 700,000 jobs by 2020 to meet its 9% unemployment target. 2004 law passed by Saudi Arabia's Council of Ministers. Al-Magar statues were made from local stone, and it seems that the statues were fixed in a central building that might have had a significant role in the social and religious life of the inhabitants. [674], Most of the early newspapers in the Persian Gulf region were established in Saudi Arabia. [88] Usfurid rule was weakened after Persian rulers of Hormuz captured Bahrain and Qatif in 1320. ", "An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm", "Status of the Arabian leopard in Saudi Arabia", "The Leopard in the Arabian Peninsula Distribution and Subspecies Status", "Rare and endangered mammals of Saudi Arabia", "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2022", "OPEC Decides Not To Increase Oil Production", "Saudi Arabia's first step towards clean energy technologies", "10 Countries With The Most Natural Resources", "Saudi Arabia Sees Higher Oil Revenue as OPEC Cuts Boost Prices", "OEC Saudi Arabia (SAU) Exports, Imports, and Trade Partners", "Online Education Targets Saudi Arabia's Labor Problem, Starting With Women", "Saudi Arabia doubles private sector jobs in 30-month period", "World Proved Reserves of Oil and Natural Gas, Most Recent Estimates", "Country Profile Study on Poverty: Saudi Arabia", "Saudi Stock Exchange, Annual Statistical Report 2013", "Saudi Arabia's Four New Economic Cities", "Construction boom of Saudi Arabia and the UAE", "Ancient silk road port found in Saudi Arabia", "How Saudi Arabia revived the ancient Silk Road", "China to Boost Belt and Road Links with Saudi Arabia", "Poverty Hides Amid Saudi Arabia's Oil Wealth", "Mal3ob 3alena: Poverty in Saudi Arabia English Version", "Saudi dissidents turn to YouTube to air their frustrations", "Saudi film-makers enter second week of detention", "A foreign Saudi plot to expose foreign poverty in foreign Saudi", "Poverty exists in Saudi Arabia too | The Observers", "Saudi Arabia's Sovereign Wealth Fund Raises $11 Billion Loan", "Saudi Businesses Are Struggling to Hire Saudi Workers", "Fate of Journalist Heightens Saudi Debt Worries", "Saudi Prince's Year of Prestige Is Unraveling in Front of Him", "Saudi Arabia Looks at 'Painful' Measures, Deep Spending Cuts", "Saudi Arabia ends domestic wheat production program", "Largest olive tree farm in Saudi Arabia enters Guinness World Records", "Inside the Saudi olive farm, the largest in the world", "Saudi Arabia Stakes a Claim on the Nile Water Grabbers National Geographic", "Desalination in Saudi Arabia: An attractive investment opportunity", "What California can learn from Saudi Arabia's water mystery", "Saudi Farmers Buy Up US Land After Drying Out Theirs", "Saudi dairy giant Almarai buys agricultural land in USA", "Saudi firm buys farmland in Argentina to secure animal feed", "Why is Saudi Arabia buying up African farmland? Salman is a son of King Abdulaziz and Hassa bint Ahmed Al Sudairi, making him one of the Sudairi Seven. With the advent of the oil-wealth in the 20th century came exposure to outside influences, such as Western housing styles, furnishings, and clothes. It is strongly dependent on foreign workers with about 80% of those employed in the private sector being non-Saudi. [191] Saudi Arabia has undergone a process of political and social reform, such as to increase public transparency and good governance, but nepotism and patronage are widespread when doing business in the country; the enforcement of the anti-corruption laws is selective and public officials engage in corruption with impunity. However, in August 2019, the kingdom's strategy received criticism for appearing as a method of sportswashing soon after Saudi's US-based 2018 lobbying campaign foreign registration documentations got published online. The culturally important Asiatic lion occurred in Saudi Arabia until the late 19th century before it was hunted to extinction in the wild. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - A Brief Introduction/Key Facts [660] Since 2020, the progress of women's integration into the Saudi sport scene began to develop rapidly. Falconry, another traditional pursuit, is still practised. The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs retaliated with an equal statement saying, "it will respond with greater action," indicating the kingdom's "influential and vital role in the global economy." Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman named PM In 1972, Saudi Arabia gained a 20 per cent control in Aramco, thereby decreasing US control over Saudi oil. In 2018, Saudi Arabia ranked 28th worldwide in terms of high-quality research output according to the scientific journal Nature. [152][584] For many years only two religious holidays were publicly recognized d al-Fir and d al-A. [45], The word "Saudi" is derived from the element as-Sadyah in the Arabic name of the country, which is a type of adjective known as a nisba, formed from the dynastic name of the Saudi royal family, the Al Saud (Arabic: ). During the 1970s, cinemas were numerous in the kingdom although they were seen as contrary to Wahhabi norms. [388][389] It also has the fifth-largest proven natural gas reserves. Average summer temperatures are around 45C (113F), but can be as high as 54C (129F) at its most extreme. Saudi Arabia names Crown Prince Salman prime minister, too [621], Saudi Wahhabism is hostile to any reverence given to historical or religious places of significance for fear that it may give rise to 'shirk' (idolatry), and the most significant historic Muslim sites (in Mecca and Medina) are located in the western Saudi region of the Hejaz. [552], Foreigners cannot apply for permanent residency, though a specialized Premium Residency visa became available in 2019. Domesticated animals include the legendary Arabian horse, Arabian camel, sheep, goats, cows, donkeys, chickens, etc. Location and geography: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the largest country in the Middle East, with an area of 2.24 million sq. [42] In addition to being a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Saudi Arabia is an active and founding member of the United Nations, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Arab League, Arab Air Carriers Organization and OPEC. A number of scholars have suggested that Dilmun originally designated the eastern province of Saudi Arabia, notably linked with the major Dilmunite settlements of Umm an-Nussi and Umm ar-Ramadh in the interior and Tarout on the coast. "[519], The religious sector of the Saudi national curriculum was examined in a 2006 report by Freedom House which concluded that "the Saudi public school religious curriculum continues to propagate an ideology of hate toward the 'unbeliever', that is, Christians, Jews, Shiites, Sufis, Sunni Muslims who do not follow Wahhabi doctrine, Hindus, atheists and others". These rock engravings date back more than 8,000 years, making them the earliest depictions of dogs in the world. In 2006, Wajeha al-Huwaider, a leading Saudi feminist and journalist said "Saudi women are weak, no matter how high their status, even the 'pampered' ones among them, because they have no law to protect them from attack by anyone. The city takes its name (which means "ancestress" or "grandmother") from the location there of the reputed tomb of Eve, which was destroyed in 1928 by the Saudi government whose Wahhb leanings taught that it encouraged shirk (idolatry). Saudi Arabia is a major exporter of fruits and vegetables to its neighbours. [372] The United Nations Statistics Division estimates 2,149,690km2 (830,000sqmi) and lists Saudi Arabia as the world's 12th largest state. ; markaz). [676] All of the newspapers published in Saudi Arabia are privately owned. [236][237], According to Sir William Patey, former British ambassador to Saudi Arabia, the kingdom funds mosques throughout Europe that have become hotbeds of extremism. [523], The approach taken in the Saudi education system has been accused of encouraging Islamic terrorism, leading to reform efforts. In 2018, the Al Jouf Agricultural Development Company received a certificate of merit from The Guinness World Records for the largest modern olive plantation in the world. There were divisions within the family over who should succeed to the throne after the accession or earlier death of Prince Sultan. ET | Published Jan. 22, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. The fertile areas are to be found in the alluvial deposits in wadis, basins, and oases. Statistics on poverty in the kingdom are not available through the UN resources because the Saudi government does not issue any. Arabia soon became a more politically peripheral region of the Muslim world as the focus shifted to the vast and newly conquered lands. As a result, they turned against Ibn Saud and, after a two-year struggle, were defeated in 1929 at the Battle of Sabilla, where their leaders were massacred. [138], Since 2001, Saudi Arabia has engaged in widespread internet censorship. [638] In July 2019, UNESCO signed a letter with the Saudi Minister of Culture in which Saudi Arabia contributed US$25 million to UNESCO for the preservation of heritage.[639]. A joint statement was issued by the UK, France, and Germany also demanding a "credible investigation to establish the truth about what happened, and if relevant to identify those bearing responsibility for the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi, and ensure that they are held to account. [588] Public support for the traditional political/religious structure of the kingdom is so strong that one researcher interviewing Saudis found virtually no support for reforms to secularize the state. [82] Ibn Saud gained the support of the Ikhwan, a tribal army inspired by Wahhabism and led by Faisal Al-Dawish, and which had grown quickly after its foundation in 1912. [290], In September 2020, Showtime announced that it will premiere its original documentary, Kingdom of Silence, on 2 October that year. This number includes the 13 regional capitals, which have a different status as municipalities (Arabic: ; amanah) headed by mayors (Arabic: ; amin). The Bani Khalid tribe later revolted against them in the 17th century and took control. Riyadh, Arabic Al-Riy, city and capital of Saudi Arabia.The city's name is derived from the plural of the Arabic rawah, meaning gardens or meadows, so named for a natural fertility provided by its location at the juncture of Wadis anfah and Al-Ba.The spectacular sight of Riyadh from the air, illuminated in the evening by city lights, is reminiscent of its eponymous . [252] As a result, Saudi Arabia has, to some extent, distanced itself from the US and, for example, refused to support or to participate in the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. [483], Virtually all Saudi citizens are Muslim[484] (officially, all are), and almost all Saudi residents are Muslim. 1964 November - King Saud is deposed by his brother Faisal. History of Saudi Arabia - Wikipedia The "sharek" visa process started on 15 December 2018 when the Saudi Ad Diriyah E Prix race started. [121], In the 1980s, Saudi Arabia spent $25 billion in support of Saddam Hussein in the IranIraq War;[122] however, Saudi Arabia condemned the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and asked the US to intervene. These include Ghazi Algosaibi, Mansour al-Nogaidan, Abdelrahman Munif, Turki al-Hamad and Rajaa al-Sanea. Oil provided Saudi Arabia with economic prosperity and substantial political leverage internationally. In 2007, the Allegiance Council was created to regulate the succession. Although there was a dramatic change in the social and economic life of the country, political power continued to be monopolized by the royal family[82] leading to discontent among many Saudis who began to look for wider participation in government. [185] Although corruption allegations have often been limited to broad undocumented accusations,[186] specific allegations were made in 2007, when it was claimed that the British defence contractor BAE Systems had paid Prince Bandar US$2 billion in bribes relating to the Al-Yamamah arms deal. [431], Water supply and sanitation in Saudi Arabia is characterized by challenges and achievements. [675] The first newspaper founded in the country and in the Persian Gulf area is Al Fallah, which was launched in 1920,[675] and the first English-language newspaper is Arab News, which was launched in 1975. The four main regional variants spoken by Saudis are Najdi Arabic (about 14.6 million speakers[478]), Hejazi Arabic (about 10.3 million speakers[479]), Gulf Arabic (about 0.96 million speakers[480]), and Bahrani Arabic. [422], The unexpected impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the economy, along with Saudi Arabia's poor human rights records, laid unforeseen challenges before the development plans of the kingdom, where some of the programs under 'Vision 2030' were also expected to be affected. [379] Princess Norah University, the largest women's university in the world, was founded in 1970. Saudi Arabia profile - Timeline - BBC News [369], Saudi Arabia occupies about 80 per cent of the Arabian Peninsula (the world's largest peninsula),[372] lying between latitudes 16 and 33 N, and longitudes 34 and 56 E. Because the country's southern borders with the United Arab Emirates and Oman are not precisely marked, the exact size of the country is undefined. [63], By 2200 BC, the centre of Dilmun shifted for unknown reasons from Tarout and the Saudi Arabian mainland to the island of Bahrain, and a highly developed settlement emerged there, where a laborious temple complex and thousands of burial mounds dating to this period were discovered. [529] Abdullah bin Faisal Al Saud was the first health minister and served in the position for three years, with his main role to set up the newly formed Ministry. ", "The foreign policy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia", "Arab leaders issue resolutions, emphasize Gaza reconstruction efforts", Saudis and Extremism: 'Both the Arsonists and the Firefighters', "Old friends US and Saudi Arabia feel the rift growing, seek new partners", Rights group blasts U.S. "hypocrisy" in "vast flood of weapons" to Saudi Arabia, despite war crimes, "Obama: Congress veto override of 9/11 lawsuits bill 'a mistake', "We finally know what Hillary Clinton knew all along US allies Saudi Arabia and Qatar are funding Isis", "Saudi Arabia launces air attacks in Yemen", "Yemen conflict: US 'could be implicated in war crimes', "CIA using Saudi base for drone assassinations in Yemen", "The bizarre alliance between the US and Saudi Arabia is finally fraying", "The U.S. Might Be Better Off Cutting Ties With Saudi Arabia", "US-Saudi Arabia ink historic 10-year weapons deal worth $350 billion as Trump begins visit", "The truth about President Trump's $110 billion Saudi arms deal", "Analysis | Congress failed to block the sale of missiles to Saudi Arabia. [247], In the Arab and Muslim worlds, Saudi Arabia is considered to be pro-Western and pro-American,[249] and it is certainly a long-term ally of the United States. Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ( Arabic: Sud ibn Abd al Azz l Sud, Najdi Arabic pronunciation: [saud ben abd alaziz al saud]; 15 January 1902 - 23 February 1969) was King of Saudi Arabia from 9 November 1953 until his abdication on 2 November 1964. [385] This also includes 42 species of deepwater fish. Its capital and largest city is Riyadh. [155] In 2009, the king made significant personnel changes to the government by appointing reformers to key positions and the first woman to a ministerial post;[193][194] however, these changes have been criticized as being too slow or merely cosmetic. Institutions of higher education include the country's first university, King Saud University founded in 1957, the Islamic University at Medina founded in 1961, and the King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah founded in 1967. However, there is evidence that the vast majority was, in fact, spent on propagating and extending the influence of Wahhabism at the expense of other forms of Islam. [557], Saudi Arabia has centuries-old attitudes and traditions, often derived from Arab civilization. Saudi Arabia's published reserves have shown little change since 1980, with the main exception being an increase of about 100 billion barrels (1.61010m3) between 1987 and 1988. [72] The earliest attestation of state regality, King of Lihyan, was in the mid-sixth century BC. By the 1950s this had led to large governmental deficits and excessive foreign borrowing. [345] Saudi Arabia abstained from the United Nations vote adopting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, saying it contradicted sharia law. [96][97] These changes contributed to later uncertainties, such as the dispute with Transjordan over the inclusion of the sanjak of Ma'an, including the cities of Ma'an and Aqaba. ET For nearly nine decades since the founding of the modern kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932,. [646] [84] In 10771078, an Arab Sheikh named Abdullah bin Ali Al Uyuni defeated the Qarmatians in Bahrain and al-Hasa with the help of the Great Seljuq Empire and founded the Uyunid dynasty. In 2019, this law was partially amended to exclude women over 21 years old from the requirement of a male guardian. [604][605] Previously, girls and women were forbidden from traveling, conducting official business, or undergoing certain medical procedures without permission from their male guardians. In the 1994 FIFA World Cup under the leadership of Jorge Solari, Saudi Arabia beat both Belgium and Morocco in the group stage before falling to defeat Sweden in the round of 16. Saudi king names son as new crown prince, upending the royal succession [343] The authoritarian regime ruling the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is consistently ranked among the "worst of the worst" in Freedom House's annual survey of political and civil rights. [641] During the Islamic revival movement in the 1980s, and as a political response to an increase in Islamist activism including the 1979 seizure of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, the government closed all cinemas and theatres. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, SIPRI, in 201014 Saudi Arabia became the world's second-largest arms importer, receiving four times more major arms than in 20052009. [570] Neither Saudi citizens nor guest workers have the right of freedom of religion. [376], In the spring and autumn the heat is temperate, temperatures average around 29C (84F). The treatment of women had been referred to as "sex segregation",[361][362] and "gender apartheid". [189] In 2010, investigations by both US and UK authorities resulted in plea bargain agreements with the company, by which it paid $447 million in fines but did not admit to bribery. [457] Hejaz is the most populated region in Saudi Arabia. [citation needed], The emergence of what was to become the Saudi royal family, known as the Al Saud, began in Nejd in central Arabia in February 1727,[98][99] when Muhammad bin Saud, founder of the dynasty, joined forces with the religious leader Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab,[100] founder of the Wahhabi movement, a strict puritanical form of Sunni Islam. [27] The Hejaz region, where the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina are located, is the destination of the ajj pilgrimage, and often deemed to be the cradle of Islam. The MOH has been awarded "Healthy City" certificates by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the cities of Unayzah and Riyadh Al Khabra as 4th and 5th Healthy Cities in Saudi Arabia. [356] In April 2020, Saudi Supreme Court issued a directive to eliminate the punishment of flogging from the Saudi court system, and it is to be replaced by imprisonment or fines. [297] On 19 August 2020, Congressional Democrats asked the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, to provide information about China's alleged role in building a uranium processing facility in Saudi Arabia. [366], In November 2022, human rights organizations said Saudi Arabia resumed secret executions for drug offences. [363][364], As of June 2023, the Kingdom has reportedly reversed its ban on women "becoming lawyers, engineers, or geologists" and established "aggressive affirmative action programs", doubling the female labor force participation rate.
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