The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia Essay Research

The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia Essay, Research Paper

Adam Krieger

Global II

51897

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a nation that rests on the strength of its faith. To understand Saudi Arabia it is necessary to understand Islam as the driving force in Saudi life. These ideals are best displayed in the nation.s official emblem, the date palm, symbolizing vitality and growth, and the two crossed swords, representing justice and strength rooted in faith.

The importance of the Al-Saud family dates back to the late 18th century when they first met a man named Sheik Muhammed Bin Abdul Wahhab. Wahhab led a call for Muslims to return to the roots of their faith and was persecuted as a result. He found a supporter in Muhammad Bin Saud, of the town of Diriyah. The partnership between the two men allowed the Al-Saud family to prosper until the Ottoman Empire, alarmed at the power the family had amassed, captured Diriyah and ended the Saudi power in 1818. The Sauds regained power in 1824 when they captured Riyadh, only to lose it to the Al-Rashid family in 1891 when they were forced into exile in Kuwait.

In 1902, Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman Al-Saud recaptured Riyadh and went on to unite the tribes on September 23, 1932 when the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was proclaimed. Under the rule of Abdul Aziz, Saudi Arabia was a founding member of the United Nations and the King paved the way for modernization in the nation.

Upon the death of Abdul Aziz, King Saud came to power in 1953. Saud was the first Saudi ruler to make a trip to the United states and also sponsored an international Islamic conference, headed by World Muslim League.

In 1964, King Faisal, arguably the country.s strongest ruler, came to power. He instituted the first of the 5-year plans, designed to stimulate economic growth, and was a driving force behind the establishment of the Organization for the Islamic Conference in 1971. This group is designed to promote stability, unity and cooperation among Islamic countries. Faisal openly supported Egypt in its Sinai Campaign on 1973. In 1975, Time magazine named King Faisal its .Man of the Year., for his governing ability.

In 1975, King Khalid came to power after the death of Faisal. A rather unimportant ruler, his main accomplishment was that of forming the Gulf Cooperation Council to promote stability among the neighbors of Saudi Arabia

Occupying four-fifths of the Arabian Peninsula, the Kingdom is home to over 17 million people in just about 865,000 square miles. With only approximately 21 people per square mile, the nation.s inhabitants are also fairly spread out. Saudi Arabia is home to the world.s largest sand desert – the Empty Quarter – in the east, and has no permanent rivers which flow directly into oceans. Except for the fertile and mountainous Asir province in the southwest, the country has almost no arable land and even where there is such arable land, irrigation is necessary to water the crops. The capital city of Riyadh is located almost directly in the center of the country, where temperatures frequently soar above 100 degrees and little or no rainfall is received. On the whole, Saudi Arabia is a barren and harsh nation but obviously not inhospitable. Due to the harsh climate, the citizens are largely concentrated In the west with the exception of Riyadh.

Oil is very important to Saudi.s relations with oil-needing nations. As a result of controlling over a fourth of the world.s known oil, the kingdom sets oil prices as it pleases. Basically, this puts oil-dependent nations in the palm of Saudi Arabia.s hand. This gives Saudi Arabia a great bargaining tool for aid and support, for dependent nations want to stay on the country.s good side to keep oil prices favorable.

As Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud wields virtually supreme power in the absolute monarchy of Saudi Arabia. Second in command is Crown Prince Abdullah, First Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of National Guard. Third is Prince Sultan, Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense and Aviation. Currently, Crown Prince Abdullah stands to inherit the throne upon the death of Fahd.

The government is divided into 21 ministries much like the departments of the United States. There are no known opposing political parties in Saudi Arabia for none is allowed by law. The most recent is the Committee for Defense of Legitimate Rights, led by Mohammed Al-Massari, now operates in exile out of London via the internet. It seeks equal rights for all citizens and non-citizens of Saudi Arabia. Another very prominent dissident group, the Committee Against Corruption in Saudi Arabia (C.A.C.S.A.) aims .to point to the corruption, human rights abuses, and lack of freedom of expression under the rule of the Sudeiri Seven.. The Sudeiri Seven are the seven closest relatives to Fahd, including his own son, whom the C.A.C.S.A. has gone so far as to call .a pimp.

The King practices nepotism and cronyism when appointing government officials, no matter how incompetent his family and friends may be. The only citizen representation is in the form of weekly meetings, called majlis. At the majlis, citizens may voice their opinions about issues that affect their lives. Petitions are sent to the 60-man Consultative Council where advice on the issues are