Language: Arabic
Currency: Saudi Riyal (SAR)
Calling Code: 966
Saudi Arabia or Saudi Arabia, officially called
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is a sovereign country of Western Asia
located in the Arabian peninsula, whose form of government is the
absolute monarchy.
It borders Jordan to the northwest, to Iraq to the northeast, to
Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and the Persian Gulf to the
east, to the Red Sea to the west, and to Oman and Yemen to the
south, as well as being connected with Bahrain, through the road of
King Fahd. The country has a surface area of 2 149 690 km2, and
had a population of more than 29 million inhabitants in 2012. Its
leadership in the global export of oil has made it one of the twenty
largest economies on the planet. It is also called "the land of the
sacred mosques" in reference to the Great Mosque in Mecca and the
Prophet's Mosque in Medina, the two most sacred places in Islam,
which are strictly forbidden access to non-Muslims .
The House of Saud saw the first Saudi state, the Emirate of Diriyah,
which collapsed in the Ottoman-wahhabi war between 1811 and 1818 and
the second Saudi state, the Emirate of Nechd, which lasted between
1824 and 1891. The modern monarchy It was founded by Abdelaziz bin
Saud, who initiated his conquests that began the unification in 1902
with the taking of Riyadh, current capital of the country. The
modern Saudi state began in 1932 and the government has been an
absolute monarchy and a theocracy since its inception, based on an
extremist application of the principles of Islam. Today it
represents one of the last six absolute monarchies in the world. The
Wahhabism religious movement has been called, within Sunnism, "the
predominant feature of Saudi culture." The kingdom and its official
line adhere fully to Islamic precepts, with one of the most rigorous
interpretations of the sharia of the planet.
Mecca is situated in Saudi Arabia and it is the holiest city for the Muslims. In fact pilgrimage here or hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam.
After the unification of Nede, Hijaz, El Has and
Catifa to a single state under the guidance of the charismatic leader of
Abdul-Aziza by the royal decree of September 23, 1932, the new state was
given the name al-Mamlyakya al -'arabia as-Su'iyiy (ٱلail.Ru ٱللbed ).
In other languages, the name is usually translated as "Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia", although it literally means "Saudi Arab Kingdom" or "Arab
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia".
The word "Saudi" in the name of the
country comes from the element As-Saudiya, which is nisboi, formed from
the surname of the ruling dynasty of Saudi Arabia - Al Saud, Saudis
(arab. آل سعود). The inclusion of this element in the name of the
country demonstrates that the country is the personal domain of the
royal family.
Al Saud is an Arabic name formed by adding the
component "Al", which means "family" or "house", to the personal name of
an ancestor. In relation to the Saudis, this is the founder and first
ruler of the first Saudi state, the Diri emirate, Muhammad ibn Saud (c.
1710-1765).
Saudi Arabia occupies about 80% of the territory of
the Arabian Peninsula. Due to the fact that the national borders of the
state are not clearly defined, the exact area of Saudi Arabia is
unknown. According to official data, it is 2,217,949 km², according to
others - from 1,960,582 km² to 2,240,000 km². One way or another, Saudi
Arabia is the 13th largest state in the world.
In the west of the
country, along the coast of the Red Sea, the Al-Hijaz mountain range
stretches. In the southwest, the height of the mountains reaches 2500
meters. The highest peak in Saudi Arabia is Jabal al-Lawz. The Asir
resort area is also located there, attracting tourists with its greenery
and mild climate. The east is occupied mainly by deserts. The south and
southeast of Saudi Arabia is almost completely occupied by the Rub
al-Khali desert, through which the border with Yemen and Oman passes.
Most of the territory of Saudi Arabia is occupied by deserts and
semi-deserts, which are inhabited by nomadic Bedouin tribes. The
population is concentrated around a few large cities, usually in the
west or east near the coast.
According to the structure of the surface, most of the country is a vast desert plateau (height from 300-600 m in the east to 1520 m in the west), slightly dissected by dry riverbeds (wadis). In the west, parallel to the coast of the Red Sea, the Hijaz (Arab. "barrier") and Asir (Arab. "difficult") mountains stretch 2500-3000 m high (with the highest point - Mount An-Nabi-Shuaib, 3353 m), passing into coastal lowland Tihama (5 to 70 km wide). In the mountains of Asir, the relief varies from mountain peaks to large valleys. There are few passes through the Hijaz mountains; communication between the hinterland of Saudi Arabia and the shores of the Red Sea is limited. In the north, along the borders of Jordan, the rocky desert of El Hamad stretches. The largest sandy deserts are located in the northern and central part of the country: Big Nefud and Small Nefud (Dehna), known for their red sands; in the south and southeast - Rub al-Khali (Arabic "empty quarter") with dunes and ridges in the northern part up to 200 m. Undefined borders with Yemen, Oman and the United Arab Emirates run through the deserts. The total area of deserts reaches approximately 1 million km², including Rub al-Khali - 777 thousand km². Along the coast of the Persian Gulf stretches in places swampy or saline lowland El-Khasa (up to 150 km wide). Seashores are predominantly low, sandy, and slightly indented.
The climate in Saudi Arabia is extremely dry. The
Arabian Peninsula is one of the few places on Earth where temperatures
consistently exceed 50°C in summer. Snow falls only in the Jizan
mountains in the west of the country, and not every year. The average
temperature in January is between 8°C and 20°C in desert towns and
between 20°C and 30°C along the Red Sea coast. In summer, temperatures
in the shade range from 35°C to 43°C. At night in the desert, you can
sometimes encounter temperatures close to 0 ° C, as the sand quickly
gives off the heat accumulated during the day.
The average annual
rainfall is 100 mm. In the center and east of Saudi Arabia, it rains
exclusively in late winter and spring, while in the west it rains only
in winter.
Saudi Arabia is a virtually drainless region, temporary streams are formed after intense rains. The largest wadis are Er-Rumma, Es-Sirkhan, Ed-Dawasir, Bisha, Najran. After rare showers, wadis sometimes turn into powerful mud flows. Oases are confined to the wadi.
White saxaul, camel thorn grow in places on the sands, lichens grow on hamads, wormwood, astragalus grow on lava fields, solitary poplars, acacias grow along the wadi channels, and tamarisk in more saline places; along the coasts and solonchaks - halophytic shrubs. A significant part of the sandy and rocky deserts is almost completely devoid of vegetation. In spring and in wet years, the role of ephemera in the composition of vegetation increases. In the mountains of Asir - areas of savannas, where acacias, wild olives, almonds grow. In the oases there are groves of date palms, citrus fruits, bananas, cereals and horticultural crops.
The animal world is quite diverse: antelope, gazelle, hyrax, wolf, jackal, hyena, fennec fox, caracal, onager, hare. There are many rodents (gerbils, ground squirrels, jerboas, etc.) and reptiles (snakes, lizards, turtles). Among the birds - eagles, kites, vultures, peregrine falcons, bustards, larks, sandgrouse, quail, doves. Coastal lowlands serve as breeding grounds for locusts. There are more than 2,000 species of corals in the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf (black coral is especially valued). 39.64% of the country's area is occupied by 128 protected areas. In the mid-1980s, the government established the Asir National Park, which preserves nearly extinct wildlife species such as the oryx (oryx) and the Nubian ibex.
ancient history
The territory of present-day Saudi
Arabia is the historical homeland of the Arab tribes, which originally
lived in the northeast, and in the II millennium BC. e. occupied the
entire Arabian Peninsula. At the same time, the Arabs assimilated the
Negroid population of the southern part of the peninsula.
From
the beginning of the 1st millennium BC. e. in the south of the
peninsula, the Minean and Sabaean kingdoms existed, and the most ancient
cities of the Hijaz - Mecca and Medina - arose as their transit trade
centers. In the middle of the VI century, Mecca united the surrounding
tribes and repelled the Ethiopian invasion.
At the beginning of
the 7th century in Mecca, the prophet Muhammad began to preach Islam. In
622, he moved to the oasis of Yathrib (the future Medina), which became
the center of the emerging Arab state. From 632 to 661, Medina was the
residence of the Caliphs and the capital of the Arab Caliphate.
Spread of Islam
After the resettlement of the Prophet Muhammad in
Yathrib, later called Medina (Arabic المدينة النبي - the city of the
Prophet) in 622, an agreement was signed between the Muslims, led by the
Prophet Muhammad, and the local Arab and Jewish tribes. During the
attack of the Quraysh and their allies in the battle of the ditch, the
Jewish tribe of the Banu Qurayza violated the treaty, relations between
Muslims and Jews took on an openly hostile character.
In 632,
with the capital in Medina, the Arab Caliphate was founded, covering
almost the entire territory of the Arabian Peninsula. By the time the
reign of the second caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab (634) began, all Jews
were expelled from the Hijaz. By the same time, there is a rule
according to which non-Muslims do not have the right to live in Hijaz,
and today in Medina and Mecca. As a result of the conquests, by the 9th
century the Arab state spread over the territory of the entire Middle
East, Iran, Central Asia, Transcaucasia, North Africa, and also Southern
Europe (the Iberian Peninsula, the islands of the Mediterranean Sea).
Arabia in the Middle Ages
In the 16th century, Turkish rule began
to be established in Arabia. By 1574, the Ottoman Empire, led by Sultan
Selim II, finally conquered the Arabian Peninsula. Taking advantage of
the weak political will of Sultan Mahmud I (1730-1754), the Arabs began
to make their first attempts to build their own statehood. The most
influential Arab families in the Hejaz at that time were Sauds and
Rashidis.
First Saudi state
The emergence of the Saudi state
began in 1744 in the central region of the Arabian Peninsula. The ruler
of the city of Ad-Diriya Muhammad ibn Saud and the Islamic preacher
Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab united to create a single powerful state.
This union, concluded in the 18th century, marked the beginning of the
ruling Saudi dynasty to this day. After some time, the young state with
its capital in Ad-Diriya came under pressure from the Ottoman Empire,
concerned about the strengthening of the Arabs at its southern borders
and their conquest of Mecca and Medina. In 1817, the Ottoman Sultan sent
troops under the command of Muhammad Ali Pasha to the Arabian Peninsula,
who defeated the relatively weak army of Imam Abdullah. Thus, the First
Saudi State lasted 73 years.
Second Saudi State
Despite the
fact that the Turks managed to destroy the beginnings of Arab statehood,
just 7 years later (in 1824) the Second Saudi State was founded with its
capital in Riyadh. This state existed for 67 years and was destroyed by
the old enemies of the Saudis - the Rashidi dynasty, originally from
Hail. The Saudi family was forced to flee to Kuwait.
Third Saudi
State
In 1902, 22-year-old Abdul-Aziz from the Saud family captured
Riyadh, cracking down on the governor from the Rashidi family. In 1904,
the Rashidis turned to the Ottoman Empire for help. They brought in
their troops, but this time they were defeated and withdrew. In 1912,
Abdulaziz captured the entire region of Najd. In 1920, using the
material support of the British, Abdul-Aziz finally defeated Rashidi.
Mecca was occupied in 1925. On January 10, 1926, Abdulaziz Al Saud was
proclaimed king of the Hejaz. In 1927, Great Britain recognized the
independence of the kingdom. A few years later, Abdul-Aziz captured
almost the entire Arabian Peninsula. On September 23, 1932, Nejd and
Hijaz were merged into one state, called Saudi Arabia. Abdulaziz himself
became the king of Saudi Arabia.
In March 1938, colossal oil
fields were discovered in Saudi Arabia. Due to the outbreak of World War
II, their development began only in 1946, and by 1949 the country
already had a well-established oil industry. Oil has become a source of
wealth and prosperity for the state.
In the Second World War, Saudi Arabia remained neutral
for a long time, however, benevolent for the anti-Hitler coalition: in
1941, it broke off diplomatic relations with Germany, in 1942 with
Italy. In 1943, the United States extended the Lend-Lease Act to Saudi
Arabia. In February 1945, the kingdom declared war on Germany, but its
troops did not participate in the hostilities.
The first king of
Saudi Arabia pursued a rather isolationist policy. Under him, the
country never became a member of the League of Nations. Before his death
in 1953, he left the country only 3 times. However, in 1945 Saudi Arabia
was a founding member of the UN and the Arab League.
Abdulaziz
was succeeded by his son Saud. His ill-conceived domestic policy led to
a coup d'état in the country, Saud fled to Europe, power passed into the
hands of his brother Faisal. Faisal made a huge contribution to the
development of the country. Under him, the volume of oil production
increased many times, which made it possible to carry out a number of
social reforms in the country and create a modern infrastructure. In
1973, by demanding the return of Jerusalem, and removing Saudi oil from
all trading floors, Faisal provoked an energy crisis in the West. His
radicalism did not find understanding among everyone, and two years
later Faisal was shot dead by his own nephew. After his death, Saudi
Arabia's foreign policy became more moderate under King Khalid. After
Khalid, his brother Fahd inherited the throne, in 2005 - Abdullah, and
in 2015 - Salman.
The US House of Representatives accuses the
Saudi Arabian government of involvement in the September 11, 2001
attacks. The first lawsuit against Saudi Arabia was filed by Stephanie
Ross DeSimone, whose husband died in a collision of a plane hijacked by
militants with the Pentagon building.
Unrest 2011-2013
On
March 10, 2011, in the city of El Katif, the police opened fire on the
Shiites who held a rally, who demanded the release of their
co-religionists from prisons. Three people were injured during the
riots.
Rallies in Saudi Arabia have been banned by the Ministry
of the Interior since early March 2011 on the grounds that
demonstrations and marches are contrary to Sharia. At the same time, the
police received the right to use any means to suppress illegal
assemblies.
On October 4, 2011, riots took place in the Eastern
Province, which is populated mainly by Shiites. The Saudi authorities
believe that tensions are being fueled from abroad, mainly by Iran.
As a result of the unrest, Shia Ayatollah An-Nimr was arrested on
suspicion of terrorism. On January 2, 2016, he was executed.
The population of Saudi Arabia in 2021 was 34,783,757.
As of 2019, according to the UN, immigrants make up 38.3% of the total
population of the country. Urban population - 84.5% (2021). The total
fertility rate for 2021 is 1.95 births per woman. Literacy - 95.3%; men
- 97.1%, women - 92.7% (2017). About 12.84% of the population is under
the age of 15, 83.53% - from 15 to 65 years old, 3.63% - over 65 years
old. In 2021, the birth rate was estimated at 14.56 per 1000 of the
population, the death rate was 3.39 per 1000, immigration was 5.04 per
1000, and the population growth was 1.62%. Infant mortality - 12.58 per
1000 newborns. The life expectancy of the population as of 2021 is 76.4
years, for men it is 74.81 years, and for women it is 78.07 years. The
average age of the population as of 2020 is 30.8 years (men - 35 years,
women - 27.9 years).
Major cities
81% of Saudi Arabia's
population is concentrated in cities. The largest city, the capital of
the kingdom, its political, cultural (in addition to places of worship)
and scientific center is Riyadh with a population of over 7 million
people. Jeddah is the second largest city in the country, its "economic
capital", the most important port on the Red Sea. Mecca and Medina,
being one of the largest cities in the country, are the symbols of Saudi
Arabia and the holy cities of Islam. As a rule, during the period of the
Hajj, due to pilgrims from all over the Muslim world, the population of
Mecca can double, in connection with which the world's largest tent
cities, parking lots and a high-carrying metro system, the first in the
country, were built in it. The most important role in the country's
economy is played by ports on the Persian Gulf: Dammam (the world's
largest oil tanker), Jubail and Khafji. The main oil refining capacities
are concentrated in these cities.
Administrative division
Saudi Arabia is divided into 13 administrative districts (Arabic:
المناطق الإدارية almnat aladarih), previously also known as provinces,
emirates or mintaqas (mintaqat, in singular - mintaqah).
The government of Saudi Arabia is determined by the
Basic Law of the Kingdom, called the Basic Law of Government of Saudi
Arabia, which was adopted in 1992. According to him, Saudi Arabia is an
absolute theocratic monarchy ruled by the sons and grandsons of the
first king, Abdulaziz. The law is based on Islamic law. Theoretically,
the power of the king is limited only by Sharia law.
The head of
state is the king. Currently, Saudi Arabia is led by the son of the
founder of the country, King Salman ibn Abdulaziz Al Saud of the Saudi
dynasty. The most important state decrees are signed after consultation
with the ulema (a group of religious leaders of the state) and other
important members of Saudi society. All branches of government are
subordinate to the king. The heir to the throne is appointed by the king
after his election by the "Council of Devotion", established in
accordance with the law of 2006, while the succession to the throne
occurs from brother to brother (among the sons of King Abdulaziz), and
only after there is not one of them left , to the eldest of the next
generation. The female line of succession does not count.
The
executive power in the form of the Council of Ministers consists of the
prime minister, the first deputy prime minister and twenty ministers.
All ministerial portfolios are distributed among the king's relatives
and appointed by him.
Legislative power is represented in the
form of a kind of parliament - the Consultative Assembly (Majlis
al-Shura). All 150 members of the Consultative Assembly are appointed by
the king for a four-year term. Political parties are banned, some
operate underground [source not specified 2595 days]. In 2011, a
decision was made to allow the appointment of women to the Council.
The judiciary is a system of religious courts where judges are
appointed by the king on the recommendation of the Supreme Judicial
Council. The Supreme Judicial Council, in turn, consists of 12 people,
also appointed by the king. The independence of the judiciary is
guaranteed by law. The king acts as the highest court with the right of
amnesty.
local elections
Until 2005, even local authorities in
the country were not elected, but appointed. In 2005, the authorities
decided to hold the first municipal elections in more than 30 years.
Women, as well as military personnel, are excluded from voting. In
addition, not all of the local councils were elected, but only half. The
other half is still appointed by the government. On February 10, 2005,
the first round of municipal elections took place in Riyadh. Only men
aged 21 and over were allowed to participate. The second stage was held
on March 3 in five regions in the east and south-west of the country,
the third - on April 21 in seven regions in the north and west of the
country. In the first round, all seven seats on the Riyadh council were
won by candidates who were either imams of local mosques, or teachers of
traditional Islamic schools, or employees of Islamic charitable
organizations. The same alignment of forces was repeated in other
regions.
Judicial system
King Abdullah, who took the throne in
2005, sought to reform the country's judicial system. He even signed a
corresponding decree in October 2007. But the king did not enter into
direct confrontation with the most influential Saudi institution of
judges, which interprets Sharia norms and is a stronghold of
conservative forces in the country. In addition, he understood the need
for a very careful reform of the Islamic system of the country, because
it is the rules of this system that legitimize the right of the Saudi
dynasty to the throne of the country. In saving Saudi Arabia's image in
the international arena, King Abdullah used the practice of royal
pardons in particularly controversial situations, as in the case of the
rape of a girl from al-Qatif.
Criminal law is based on Sharia law. The country has
an extremely low official crime rate, which is explained by the
country's closed nature, as well as the fact that Sharia does not
encourage reporting offenses to the police. Oral or written discussion
of the existing political system is prohibited by law.
The
country strictly prohibits the use and circulation of alcohol and drugs,
as well as gambling.
For theft, cutting off the brush is due.
Extramarital sexual relations are punishable by punishment from
whips to the death penalty.
Homosexuality is punishable by death.
For murder, blasphemy and "witchcraft" (forecasting the future,
divination, inducing damage, love spells, and the like), the death
penalty is due.
In March 2013, a Riyadh court sentenced Abdullah
al-Hamid and Mohammed al-Qahtan, employees of the NGO Saudi Association
for Civil and Political Rights, to 11 and 10 years in prison,
respectively, for “disturbing public order” and “establishing an
unlicensed organization.” .
In May 2014, it was reported that
blogger Raif Badawi had been sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000
lashes for "insulting Islam".
Torture is widespread, with courts
trusting "confessions" even if obtained under torture or duress.
According to the human rights organization "Amnesty International", the
policy of Saudi Arabia in the field of human rights should be subjected
to greater criticism of the United States.
State efforts to
prevent and eradicate human trafficking are insufficient: Saudi Arabia
is a popular destination for trafficking people into labor and sexual
slavery.
Saudi Arabia's foreign policy is focused on
maintaining the kingdom's key positions in the Arabian Peninsula, among
Islamic states and oil exporting states. Saudi diplomacy protects and
promotes the interests of Islam around the world. Despite allied
relations with the West, Saudi Arabia is often criticized for financing
Islamic extremists. It is known that Saudi Arabia was one of the three
states that recognized the first rule of the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin
Laden. Difficult relations are also developing with Iran, since both
Saudi Arabia and Iran, being the centers of the two main branches of
Islam, claim informal leadership in the Islamic world.
Saudi
Arabia is a key member in such organizations as the League of Arab
States, the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, the
Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Organization of the Petroleum
Exporting Countries.
As a member of the Arab League, Saudi Arabia
supports the boycott of Israel, including the passport boycott, along
with 14 countries not recognizing the passport of an Israeli citizen as
an official document and banning the entry of Israeli citizens.
The USSR was the first non-Arab country to recognize the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia in 1926. In 1990, diplomatic relations were established
with the PRC at the consular level. In 2007, diplomatic relations were
established between Saudi Arabia and the Holy See.
In 2017, the
Qatari diplomatic crisis erupted.
In February 2021, the Agreement
between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on military cooperation was published.
Saudi Arabia's economy is based on the oil industry,
which accounts for 45% of the country's gross domestic product. 75% of
budget revenues and 90% of exports are exports of petroleum products.
The proven oil reserves are 260 billion barrels (24% of the proven oil
reserves on Earth). Saudi Arabia plays a key role as a "stabilizing
producer" in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC), through which it regulates world oil prices.
During 2021,
Saudi Arabia's $833.5 billion economy rose to 16th place among the G20
economies in terms of GDP, driven by a 51.6 percent growth in the oil
sector and 4.7 percent in the non-oil sector.
Strengths: Huge oil
and gas reserves and an excellent associated processing industry.
Tourism: big revenues from 2 million pilgrims to Mecca a year.
Weaknesses: Vocational education is not developed. High subventions for
food. Imports of most consumer goods and industrial raw materials. High
youth unemployment. The dependence of the country's welfare on the
ruling family. The credibility of the reserves has been called into
question by WikiLeaks publications.
In the 1990s, the country
experienced an economic recession associated with falling oil prices
and, at the same time, a huge population growth. Because of this, GDP
per capita fell from $25,000 to $7,000 in a few years. In 1999, OPEC
decided to drastically cut oil production, which led to a jump in prices
and helped to correct the situation. In 1999, extensive privatization of
electricity and telecommunications enterprises began.
In December
2005, Saudi Arabia joined the World Trade Organization.
International trade
Export - oil (65%) and oil products (8.3%), as
well as various chemical compounds (polymers, alcohols, ethers,
medicines and fertilizers - up to 19.5%): $ 170 billion (2017). The main
buyers are China (17%), Japan (15%), India (11%), USA (10%), South Korea
(10%), Singapore (5%).
Imports - industrial equipment, food,
chemicals, automobiles, textiles: $96.2 billion (2017) The main
suppliers are China (19%), USA (8%), Germany (7.5%), South Korea (5.4%),
India (5.2%).
In the 2000s, the role of China in the kingdom's
foreign trade increased dramatically: in 2002, the trade turnover
between Beijing and Riyadh amounted to $5.1 billion, and in 2008 it was
already $41.8 billion.
Car roads
The total length of highways is 221,372
km[48]. Of them:
with hard surface - 47,530 km.
without hard
coating - 173,843 km.
In Saudi Arabia, women (of any nationality)
were prohibited from driving until 2006. This rule was adopted in 1932
as a result of a conservative interpretation of the provisions of the
Koran[49]. Today, until the age of 30, a woman can drive a car only in
the presence of her husband, father or brother.
Railways
Rail
transport consists of several hundred kilometers of 1435 mm standard
gauge railways linking Riyadh with major ports in the Persian Gulf. The
country's railways are managed by two state-owned companies: the Saudi
Railways Organization and the Saudi Railway Company.
In 2005, the
North-South project was launched, which provides for the construction of
a 2,400 km long railway line at a cost of over $2 billion. km and cost
800 million dollars[50], but already in May 2008 the results of the
tender were canceled, and the President of Russian Railways V. Yakunin
called this decision political[51].
In October 2018, the opening
of the 450-kilometer Al-Haramain branch connecting Mecca and Medina took
place[52].
Air Transport
Passenger airlines of Saudi Arabia:
Al-Maha Airlines - domestic airlines. Airbus A 320 fleet.
Flynas is a
low cost airline, domestic and international.
Saudi Arabian Airlines
is the flagship airline of Saudi Arabia, domestic and international
airlines.
Saudi Gulf Airlines - domestic airlines. Airbus A 320 and
Bombardier CS300 fleet.
Mid East Jet is a charter airline.
The
number of airports is 208, of which 73 have concrete runways, 6 have
international status:
King Fahd International Airport (DMM), Ad
Dammam.
King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED), Jeddah.
King
Khalid International Airport (RUH), Riyadh.
Prince Mohammad Bin
Abdulaziz International Airport (MED), Medina.
Al-Ahsa International
Airport (HOF), Al-Hofuf.
Prince Abdul Mohsin bin Abdulaziz
International Airport (YNB), Yanbu El Bahr
Metropolitan
As of
March 2014, the Mecca Metro is in operation; Jeddah Metro and Riyadh
Metro are scheduled to open.
Ports
Red sea
Jeddah
King
Abdullah
Yanbu al-Bahr
Duba
Rabih
Jizan
Farasan
Persian Gulf
Dammam
Jubail
Khafji
Al Khobar
Pipelines
The total length of pipe lines is 7067 km. Of these, oil pipelines -
5062 km, gas pipelines - 837 km, as well as 1187 km of pipes for the
transportation of liquefied gas (NGL), 212 km - for gas condensate and
69 km - for the transportation of petroleum products.
In clothing, the inhabitants of Saudi Arabia adhere to
national traditions and the canons of Islam, avoiding excessive
frankness. Men wear long shirts (sawb) made of wool or cotton. The
traditional headdress is the gutra (keffiyeh). In cold weather, a bisht
is worn over the dishdashi - a cape made of camel hair, most often in
dark colors. Women's traditional clothes are richly decorated with
tribal signs, coins, beads, threads. When leaving home, a Saudi woman is
required to cover her body with an abaya and her head with a hijab.
Foreign women are also required to wear an abaya (with trousers or a
long dress underneath).
Islam forbids the consumption of pork and
alcohol. Traditional food includes grilled chicken, falafel, shawarma,
kebab, kussa mahshi (stuffed zucchini), as well as unleavened bread -
khubz. In almost all dishes, various spices and spices are abundantly
added. Among the favorite drinks of the Arabs are coffee and tea. Their
drinking is often ceremonial. Arabs drink black tea with the addition of
various herbs. Arabic coffee is famous for its traditional strength. It
is drunk in small cups (often with the addition of cardamom) and
consumed very often.
The culture of Saudi Arabia is strongly
associated with Islam. Every day, five times a day, the muezzin calls
devout Muslims to prayer (prayer). Serving another religion,
distributing other religious literature, building churches, Buddhist
temples, synagogues is prohibited.
Public theaters and cinemas
have been banned since the 1980s. However, in communities where
predominantly western workers live (eg Dhahran), there are such
establishments. Home video is very popular. Western-made films are
practically uncensored.
Public cinemas reopened in Saudi Arabia
in 2018; for the first time in 35 years, a public film show was held;
the audience was shown a full-length American cartoon "The Emoji Movie".
The days off in the country are Friday and Saturday.
In the initial period of its existence, the Saudi
state could not give guarantees of education to all its citizens. Only
the ministers of mosques and Islamic schools were educated. In such
schools, people learned to read and write, and also studied Islamic law.
The Saudi Ministry of Education was founded in 1954. It was headed by
the son of the first king, Fahd. In 1957, the first university in the
kingdom, named after King Saud, was founded in Riyadh. By the end of the
20th century, a system was established in Saudi Arabia that provided all
citizens with free education - from pre-school to higher education.
Today, the education system in the kingdom consists of 8
universities, over 24,000 schools and a large number of colleges and
other educational institutions. More than a quarter of the state annual
budget is spent on education. In addition to free education, the
government provides students with everything they need to study:
literature and even medical care. The state also sponsors the education
of its citizens in foreign universities - mainly in the USA, Great
Britain, Canada, Australia, Malaysia.
SBC State Television and Roaded (Saudi BroadCasting Corporation, المorable The Saudi News Agency broadcasts in various languages, including Russian.
The country has developed special legislation that
regulates the operation of the Internet in the country. In January 2008,
16 articles of a new technology application law came into force in Saudi
Arabia. According to the law, the creation of sites that protect or
support terrorism is prohibited, the punishment is up to 10 years or a
fine; fraud and interference with privacy are also prohibited, the
punishment is restriction of liberty for up to three years and a fine;
it is forbidden to distribute pornographic materials and other others
that violate state law, religious values and norms of public life,
punishment - up to 5 years and a fine; complicity in a crime or even
intent to commit an unlawful act in the field of information technology
can amount to up to half of the maximum term.
In October 2019,
Middle East operator Zain launched a commercial 5G network in 20 cities
in Saudi Arabia.
Sport
Sports are popular among young people.
Women rarely play sports; if they do it, then in enclosed spaces where
there are no men. The most popular game is football, although the
national team of the kingdom also takes part in championships in
volleyball, basketball, and the Summer Olympics. The Saudi Arabia
national football team is considered one of the strongest teams in Asia.
Saudi Arabia has won the Asian Cup three times - in 1984, 1988 and 1996.
Drift is extremely popular among young people - the technique of
driving a car in a controlled skid. Such competitions are prohibited by
law. Often they are not without victims, but they invariably gather
crowds of motorists, spectators and onlookers.
Saudi companies
are actively investing in a number of popular foreign sports leagues,
events, clubs in sports such as football, motorsport, boxing and others.
One of the goals of such investments, experts call the desire to improve
the country's image in the world.
Ministry of Culture
In the
summer of 2018, the Ministry of Culture appeared in Saudi Arabia.
The official religion is Sunni Islam. The majority of
the population professes Salafi. Shiites make up approximately 10-15% of
the country's population and live mainly in the eastern provinces of the
country (see Shiites in Saudi Arabia). The Saudi authorities allow
people of other religions to enter the country, but they are forbidden
to worship. For non-Muslim foreigners entering Saudi Arabia, there is a
ban on visiting the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. To determine
religious affiliation, a Saudi visa contains a foreigner's religion box,
which allows the religious police to deploy non-Muslim foreign nationals
at the entrances to holy cities.
The religious police (muttawa)
operate in the country. Soldiers of the Sharia Guard constantly patrol
the streets and public institutions in order to suppress attempts to
violate the canons of Islam. If a violation is found, the perpetrator
bears the appropriate punishment (from a fine to beheading).
Representatives of other religions also live in the country -
Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Bahais. The number of Christians
is estimated at 1.2 million; the largest denominations are represented
by Catholics (1.05 million) and Pentecostals (83 thousand). Among the
immigrants from Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Lebanon there are
supporters of the ancient Eastern Orthodox churches (about 50 thousand)
- Coptic, Ethiopian, Eritrean and Syro-Jacobite.
Every adult woman should have a close male relative as
her "guardian". The guardian makes many important decisions on behalf of
the woman, such as allowing the woman to travel, holding certain types
of business licenses, studying at a university or college, working (if
the type of employment "seems acceptable to the woman"). Some
authorities still ask for the guardian's permission even where it is not
required by law. A woman cannot receive medical care without the
permission of her husband or "guardian". After the case of a woman
"escape" from the country, a special electronic system was developed so
that a man / guardian could track the location of the woman.
Women are also discriminated against in the courts: in the Saudi Arabian
legal system, the testimony of a man is equal to that of two women.[67]
Men are allowed polygamy and enjoy the unilateral rule of divorce from
their wives (talaq) without the need for any legal basis. A woman can
only get a divorce with her husband's consent or if it is legally proven
that her husband is harming her. In fact, getting a legal divorce for a
Saudi woman is very difficult. As for the right of inheritance,
according to the Qur'an, a certain part of the estate of the deceased
must be given to the heirs. Compared to a male heir, a woman can receive
only half of the property. Sunni Muslims can bequeath a third of
property to non-Quranic heirs. The part of the inheritance not
determined by the will is divided among the male heirs.
Cultural
norms restrict a woman's behavior in public. Their observance is
monitored by the religious police (mutawa). In restaurants, women are
required to sit in separate, family-friendly sections. Women must wear
an abaya (a long, loose-fitting dress that hides the entire figure) and
cover their hair. Women have been allowed to drive since September 2017.
In December 2011, Saudi Arabia's Supreme Religious Council, Majelis
al-Ifta el-Aala, upheld the ban on issuing driver's licenses to women.
In 2013, women were allowed to ride motorcycles and bicycles, but
accompanied by a man/guardian and away from the male crowd, so as not to
"cause aggression" in the latter.
Men can marry girls who have
reached the age of ten. It is believed that marriage at an early age
hinders women's education. With the advent of puberty, the dropout of
girls in educational institutions increases as they get married. About
25% of girls who have reached college age do not attend college; in
2005-2006, the dropout rate for women was 60%. It is estimated that
female literacy is approximately 70% (male - 85%).
Many citizens
of Saudi Arabia want more freedom in the country, while, according to
Khatoon al-Fassi[en], there is no way to establish how many women want
changes in the social structure. Saudi conservatives dismiss foreign
critics as "they fail to understand the uniqueness of Saudi society."
Some Saudi women have been able to rise to the top of the profession
or become famous (for example, Dr. Ghada al-Mutari, head of a medical
research center in California, and Dr. Salwa al-Khazaa, head of the
ophthalmology department at the King Faisal Hospital in Riyadh, who was
the personal ophthalmologist of the deceased King Fahd). On June 24,
2011, Saudi athletes were allowed to compete in the Olympic Games.
On September 25, 2011, after another round of municipal elections,
King Abdullah announced that Saudi women should be given the right to
vote and stand in municipal elections. However, in order to vote, you
must obtain the permission of the guardian.
The 2010 World
Economic Forum International Gender Report ranked Saudi Arabia 129th out
of 134 countries for gender equality. The US State Department considers
discrimination against women in Saudi Arabia to be a "substantial issue"
and wants women to have some political or social rights.
In 2017,
King Salman issued a decree allowing women in the country to obtain
driver's licenses and drive as of 2018. In June 2018, the first driver's
license in the name of a woman was issued in Saudi Arabia.
According to the Thomson Reuters Foundation, which published the ranking
of the most dangerous countries for women in the world in 2018, Saudi
Arabia ranks fifth in the list of countries with the highest number of
risks for women in terms of health care, access to economic resources,
ordinary life, sexual violence and human trafficking.
Consist of ground forces, naval forces, air forces,
air defense forces, strategic missile forces and the national guard. The
country is divided into 6 military regions.
224,500 people
(including the national guard) serve in the ranks of the armed forces of
the kingdom. The service is contractual. Foreign mercenaries are also
involved in military service. The number of armed forces is constantly
growing, so in 1990 they numbered only 90 thousand people. The main
supplier of weapons for the kingdom is traditionally the United States
(85% of all weapons). The country produces armored personnel carriers of
its own design.
Saudi Arabia is among the top ten countries in
terms of funding for the armed forces: the military budget takes 10-11%
of GDP (the highest figure among the countries of the Persian Gulf).
Structure
Ground troops
Number: 80 thousand people in 10
brigades (including: armored, mechanized, airborne; artillery, army
aviation, infantry brigade of the royal guard). Armament: 1055 tanks,
170 self-propelled guns, 238 towed guns, 60 MLRS, 2400 anti-tank
systems, 9700 infantry fighting vehicles, 300 BA, 1900 air defense
systems.
Saudi Arabian Navy
Number: 15.5 thousand people. It
consists of the Western (in the Red Sea) and Eastern (in the Persian
Gulf) fleets. It consists of 18 ships and 75 boats. There are 31
helicopters in naval aviation, including 21 combat ones. Marines.
Coastal Defense Troops.
Royal Air Force
The number of 19 thousand
people; armed with 293 combat aircraft, 78 helicopters.
Air Defense
Forces
Number: 16 thousand people. Merged into a single system with
the United States. The air defense forces consist of anti-aircraft
missile systems, anti-aircraft artillery, and parts of the radio
engineering troops. Air Force fighters are under the operational control
of the Air Defense Forces.
Royal Saudi Strategic Missile Force
Number: more than 1000 people. About 40 Chinese medium-range ballistic
missiles (2000-2800 km, with a warhead weighing up to 2 tons) Dongfeng-3
(CSS-2), purchased from China in 1987, are in service, first placed at
the Al Sulayul base, then also at Al-Jufair base about 90 km south of
the capital.
Paramilitaries
National Guard (75 thousand people in
3 mechanized and 5 infantry brigades, as well as a ceremonial cavalry
squadron; armed with artillery and infantry fighting vehicles, no
tanks); The Border Guard Corps (1050 people) in peacetime is under the
jurisdiction of the Ministry of Internal Affairs); Coast Guard (4.5
thousand people; has 50 patrol boats, 350 motor boats, a royal yacht);
Security forces (500 people).