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The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia means different things to different people. For millions of followers of Islam across the world it is the ultimate Holy Land and pilgrimage destination. For a large number of expatriates from Asia, Europe and the United States, it is a land of opportunities. For the rest of the world, Saudi Arabia means oil – the lifeline of present and future economies. Saudi Arabia has so far lived up to all these definitions, and is now entering a new phase of its development.

On September 23, 1932, King Abdulaziz Al-Saud laid the foundation of the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Large reserves of oil were discovered soon after, and within a span of six years, commercial production of oil began. The fortune of Saudi Arabia changed forever and the Kingdom rapidly moved on the path of a modern industrial state. Today Saudi Arabia holds a 25% share of the total Arab GDP and is the world’s 25th exporter/importer, with a foreign trade of US $78 billion. In all these years, the Kingdom has displayed remarkable political and economic stability.


Land and People
Saudi Land and people will take you through information on the historical background of the Kingdom, its political system, its main cities, its geography, its people, their culture, their language and their recreation.

Country History
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), ,went through some political disturbances between 1927 and 1932, accompanied by local conflicts between tribes and the influence of external forces. Nonetheless, Al-Saud managed to build a strong foundation from which to rule.

 
 
The Rise of Saudi Arabia
The history of Saudi Arabia may be divided into three periods:
Period One (1744-1818). During the early part of the 18th century, the country faced stiff political conflict which resumed until the first country was established by the efforts of Al-Imam Mohammad Bin Saud. However, the attacks of the Otmani nation, and the Egyptian ruler, Mohammad Ali Basha, led to its fall.
Period Two (1824-1891). In addition to internal conflict between rival tribes, the Egyptian military made moves to remove the Saudi ruling family. Despite this, the country progressed through stable guidance and systems.
Period Three (1902-present). Saudi Arabia becomes firmly established as the first new country in the region. King Abd Al-Aziz Bin Abd Al-Rahman bin Faisal Al Saud managed to establish a country which experienced unique commercial growth through the discovery of vast oil reserves.
On September 19th, 1932, a royal decree declared the unity of the nation and called it the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
Before exploring oil, the economy was dependent on commercial exporting, agriculture, and tourism (pilgrims who came to Mecca and Madina).
The Saudi government gave “Standard Oil of California” an area of 495,900 square miles to extract oil. A few months after signing the contract, encouraging results came out in the “jabal thahran” area. In 1938, enough oil was extracted to start a business. The first exports took place in May 1939 from the “Ras tanora” coast.
The increase in oil prices in the mid 1970s propelled the KSA into one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. However, its basic social codes, cultural principles, and religious aspects remain the same to this day.
 
 


Geography
Saudi Arabia, about one-fourth the size of United States, is spread over 2,150,000 square kilometers(830,000 square miles), occupying almost 80 percent of the Arabian Peninsula. Located in the southwestcorner of Asia, the Kingdom is at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa. It is surrounded by the RedSea on the West, by Yemen and Oman on the South, the Arabian Gulf and the United Arab Emirates and Qatar on the East, and Jordan, Iraq and Kuwait on the North. Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coastline stretches about 1,760 kilometers (1,100 miles) while its Arabian Gulf coastline roughly 560 kilometers (350 miles).

Desert covers more than half the total area of Saudi Arabia. A narrow coastal plain runs through the Kingdom’s western coast while a range of mountains run parallel to the coastal plain along the Red Sea. Along the Arabian Gulf in the east is a low-lying region called Al-Hasa. The mountains in the west of the Kingdom are very rich in minerals with large deposits of limestone, gypsum and sand. The eastern region has the richest reservoirs of oil in the world.

Population
The total Saudi population as of September 2004 increased to 22.7 million, compared with 13 million in 1985 and 21 million in 1999. The population growth rate in the KSA stands at 3.24%, which ranks somewhere between the lowest growth in Kuwait (2%), and the highest growth rate in the UAE (5.84%). However, growth rates in the KSA figure rank above the general average of 2.37%, registered across the Arab world. The high birth rate and the low mortality rate are the result of dedicated and intensive efforts towards health care issues.

Inhabitants from Saudi origins form 72.9% of the population, which comprises 50.1% males and 49.9% females. Foreigners form 27.1% of the population (6 million people), of whom 69.5% are males, and the remaining are females.

This rising number of foreign inhabitants is an outcome of the growing interest of foreigners in the Saudi investment sectors. Furthermore, this came as a result of Saudi government policy of using its oil revenues to expand general services and build a solid infrastructure. Egyptian workforce makes up the largest number of expatriates, reaching 16% of foreign workers, followed by India, Pakistan, Yemen and the Philippines.


Political System in KSA, Shoura Council
The political system in the KSA abides by Arabic and Islamic laws as a basic legislative branch. A reading for this system, which was established by King Fahd Bin Abdul Al Aziz Al Saud in 27-8-1412, shows that the true identity of the Kingdom lies in its Arabic and Islamic roots (including the Arabic language). Thus, these are the basic rules that any investor must understand.



The political system rules that the Saudi flag must never be dipped because of the words “La illah illa Allah” (There is no true God but Allah) that appear on it. It also indicates that the system in the KSA is a monarchy, where the king is the premier authority in the ruling system.

However, the inheritance of the throne is not absolute; it enforces a very important factor, which is to go with the best for the country according to Islamic principles. The crown prince represents one of the fundamental factors of this system, which states that the king chooses the crown prince, or discharges him, by a royal order.

Main Cities
Makkah and Madinah, Islam’s two holiest cities, are located in Saudi Arabia. Makkah is the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and the focal point of Hajj, the Islamic pilgrimage in which almost two million Muslims from all parts of the world participate every year. Madinah is the city where Prophet Muhammad emigrated and lived. Riyadh, located in the central province, is the capital city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the high-tech center of modern Saudi Arabia and houses the headquarters of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Jeddah, located along the eastern coast of the Red Sea, is the commercial capital of Saudi Arabia, and serves as an entrance to the rest of the peninsula. Jeddah’s ports hence become the main thoroughfares for trade.

The twin cities of Jubail and Yanbu are a symbol of the government’s vision of Saudi Arabia’s future development. Jubail lies on the Arabian Gulf in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom. It is located 80 kilometers north of Dammam, and is an ancient center and caravan junction famous for pearling. It has the world’s largest petrochemical complex. Yanbu is located on the East Coast of the Red Sea about 350 kilometers north-west of Jeddah. It houses the Directorate General of the Royal Commission for Jubail & Yanbu. It is a typical industrial fortress and a work of art in architectural engineering.

  
 


Business Hours
Saudi Arabia's time zone is three hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.

Working Week and Working Hours
Government:
Official working days are Saturday thru Wednesday
Weekly days off areThursday and Friday

  
 

Banks, Currency and Credit cards
The Kingdom’s banking sector has developed excellent IT bases. Plenty of ATMs across the Kingdom offer wide-ranging services from cash withdrawal to utility bill payment. Saudi Riyals can be easily converted to any foreign currency (dollars, euro, etc.) at local banks. The most readily accepted credit cards are American Express, Visa and MasterCard. The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) is the Central Bank of Saudi Arabia.

Entertainment
Several Arabic and English dailies are published in the Kingdom. The two English language newspapers are Arab News,and Saudi Gazette. A wide range of American and European newspapers, magazines and books are also available in bookshops and newsstands.

The overseas broadcasting services of different countries are available on short and medium wave radios in Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom’s broadcasting service provides programs in English, French and other languages

French and other languages
There are four Saudi television channels available across the Kingdom. Channel One is an Arabic language station and Channel Two is in English. The English Channel provides full-length films, short features and programs from European and American television sources. Channel Three is a sports channel. Saudi Channel Four is an all-news satellite channel which was inaugurated in January 2004.

 
 

Measurements and Units in the KSA
A Royal script sets the kingdom's measuring units, based on the decimal system, to be as follows:
Length: meter and its transcendences
Weight:kilo and its transcendences
Volume: liter and its transcendences
Area: Square meter and its transcendences
 
 

Weather
Almost the entire Kingdom is arid, although there is rainfall in the north and along the mountain range to the west, especially in the far southwest, which receives the monsoon rains in summer.

Sporadic rain can also occur elsewhere, sometimes very heavily, causing serious flooding, including in Riyadh, where the air and prevailing winds tend usually to be very dry.

As a result of the general aridity and cloudless skies, temperatures can vary considerably from a mid-summer maximum of 50°C (122°F) in the shade to winter lows close to or below freezing in the mountainous areas and, sometimes, at night in the heart of the desert.

Hail and snow may also be experienced in some parts of the country during the winter months.

Humidity is a major feature of the coastal areas, although this is usually tempered by slightly lower and less variable temperatures and a steady breeze, especially in the east.

For climatic conditions in various Saudi cities, please click here

For 5 days forecast, please click here.

Infrastructure
This section provides information on the different available means of transport including Airlines, Railways, Roads and Seaports. You can also find here information relating to Telecommunications, Healthcare and Educational services.
Accomodation
Transportation
Telecommunications
Healthcare
Education

Accommodation
The cities and towns across the Kingdom offer good housing facilities including apartments, private villas and compounds. Companies employing large numbers of expatriates normally have private facilities for their employees.

Expatriates have a marked preference for residing in compounds, although many independent villas and apartments are available.

Compounds usually offer a high level of recreational facilities and group transportation – for example for wives to visit the shopping centers and malls.

Transportation
Air travel is the preferred method of travel within the Kingdom because of the distances separating the main cities. Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA) is the national carrier and has recently added 60 new Boeing aircraft to its fleet. As part of the privatization drive in the aviation industry , two new companies SAMA AIR and NAS AIR have started operations with flights operating to all major destinations in the kingdom with the most acclaimed budget airlines concept. In 2000, the award-winning SAUDIA carried 13 million passengers on 117,291 flights. All major airlines in the world offer services in and out of the Kingdom.

Riyadh's King Khalid International airport is 35 kilometers outside of Riyadh. The airport has facilities such as a hotel, a buffet, a bank, a post office, shops and many rental car agencies. Jeddah's King Abdulaziz International airport is 18 kilometers North of Jeddah, also with a hotel, restaurants, a bank, a post office, shops, car hiring agencies and special pilgrimage facilities. Dammam's King Fahd International airport is 50 kilometers Northwest of Dammam with facilities including a mosque, a cargo terminal, a restaurant and a duty free shop.

The Kingdom has multi-track highways and daily train service between Riyadh and Dammam. At the end of 2000, the Kingdom had 155,237 kilometers of paved roads, and in the last few years has been adding to that at a pace of about 2,500 kilometers per year.

The Kingdom owns the largest marine network in the Middle East consisting of eight ports, or six commercial ports and two industrial ports. They are Dammam Seaport, Jeddah Islamic Port, Jubail Commercial Port, Riyadh Dry Port, Jizan Port, Dhiba Port, and Yanbu Port and King Fahd Industrial Port in Jubail.

Car rental facilities are available in all major cities.

Telecommunications
The Kingdom has witnessed rapid advancements in the field of telecommunications. There are 1,000 telephone circuits with direct access to 152 countries. At the end of March 2003, the Saudi Telecom Company (STC) operated 3.96 million fixed lines and 7.5 million mobile lines. Although mobile phone penetration is at less than 10 percent of the population, rapid expansion and upgrading of the network is under way. International telephone calls can be made to almost anywhere in the world. Internet services are freely available and the main cities have several Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Internet café's. High speed DSL Internet is also available.

The cost of mobile phone service in Saudi Arabia varies on the type of plan chosen. The basic service will cost SR 300 (US $80) for installation plus SR 60 (US $16) per month. Local and nationwide calls cost SR 0.50 (US $0.13) per minute at peak hours and SR 0.40 (US $0.11) at off-peak hours. An additional one-time SR 100 (US $27) installation charge gives access to international calls, the fees for which vary depending upon duration and location of the call. We advice you to visit the Saudi Telecom Company (STC) website for detailed information.

Healthcare
Medical technology is continuously being upgraded in Saudi Arabia. TheKingdom has its own facilities to train doctors, nurses and other medical personnel, and Saudi Arabians rarely travel abroad to get specialized medical treatment. These services now extend to the most remote communities in the country. The private sector, which makes a vital contribution to health services, has expanded over the past decade. It operates a number of hospitals and clinics in the country. Major hospitals provide all sorts of sophisticated treatments including open-heart surgery, kidney transplants and cancer therapy. Saudi Arabia has one of the World's largest and best-equipped eye hospitals, the King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, and one of the largest medical facilities in the Middle East, the King Fahd Medical City in Riyadh. The complex includes various medical departments and provides housing for approximately 3000 employees.

Approximately 11,350 doctors, nurses and other medical personnel, including the Saudi Red Crescent Society, provide medical service to the millions of people who visit the Kingdom for the annual pilgrimage of Hajj. Immunization against TB, polio, hepatitis and tetanus isfreely available. Medical insurance schemes are available at reasonable cost.


Education
Saudi Arabia's nationwide educational system comprises eight universities, more than 24,000 schools and a large number of colleges and other educational and training institutions. The system is open to every citizen and provides students with free education, books and health services. The government allocates over 25% of the total budget to education including vocational training, and spends around 13.17 billion U.S. dollars on primary education and research.



All levels of education are free for Saudi nationals, andprivate schools are available for children of foreigners working in Saudi Arabia. These international schools offer good education for children up to 14 years. Some foreign schools offer education up to 16 years.

For more information, you may visit www.mofa.gov.sa

  
     
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