Saudi Arabia: Cradle of Islam and Al-Qaeda terror
Last Updated 2005-08-01 11:49:07
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=14160
Oil-rich kingdom, the birthplace of Islam, founded in 1932 by King
Abdul Aziz al-Saud.
RIYADH - Saudi Arabia, whose ruler King Fahd died on Monday, takes its
name from the Al-Saud dynasty that rules the birthplace of Islam, a
kingdom about four times the size of France with only one third of the
population.
AREA: 2,240,350 square kilometres (865,000 square miles)
GEOGRAPHY: Covers most of the Arabian peninsula, running to the Red Sea
in the west and the Gulf in the east. The kingdom also borders Jordan,
Kuwait, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
POPULATION: 22.6 million people, including about six million
expatriates, according to a 2004 census, nearly all residing in the north and
centre. The Empty Quarter in the south is one of the world's most arid
deserts.
CAPITAL: Riyadh
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Arabic
RELIGION: Birthplace of Islam. The majority are Sunni Muslims. Shiites
make up about 10 percent of the indigenous population, and up to 60
percent of residents of the oil-rich Eastern Province, according to
unofficial estimates. Islam's two holiest sites, Mecca and Medina, are in the
west of the kingdom.
HISTORY: Founded in 1932 by King Abdul Aziz al-Saud, who ruled until
his death in 1953. His son and successor, Saud bin Abdul Aziz, was
deposed in 1964 and replaced by Faisal bin Abdul Aziz. King Faisal modernised
Saudi Arabia before being assassinated in 1975 by a nephew. Crown
Prince Khaled was proclaimed sovereign, and his brother Prince Fahd crown
prince.
King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz reigned after the 1982 death of Khaled but due
to Fahd's ill health, Crown Prince Abdullah ran the country on a
day-to-day basis from 1995 onwards. After Fahd's death on August 1, Abdullah
was anointed his successor, with Defence Minister Prince Sultan named
Crown Prince.
Osama bin Laden, mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the
United States which killed nearly 3,000 people, is the scion of one of
the wealthiest families in Saudi Arabia, whose system is based on the
rigorous Wahhabi doctrine of Islam.
With 15 of the 19 suicide hijackers from Saudi Arabia, the Riyadh
government and population struggled to come to terms with the scale of the
scourge until bombs started going off inside the kingdom. Since the
first suicide bombing on May 12, 2003, when 35 people died, the government
has been galvanised into launching its own war on terror.
The wave of violence across the kingdom has killed 90 civilians and
more than 40 security personnel, in addition to 110 militants. Hundreds
more have been wounded in the campaign of shootings and bombings, many of
which targeted Westerners.
POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS: Hereditary monarchy. Former King Fahd announced
political reforms in March 1992 that included a basic statute of
government, based on Islamic law or sharia, which serves as a constitution,
and the 1993 establishment of a consultative council.
The council gradually grew from 60 to 150 members in 2005, by which
time Saudi Arabia held landmark municipal elections as part of cautious
reforms spearheaded by King Abdullah during his de facto rule. Women
remained excluded from both the council and the local polls.
NATURAL RESOURCES: The world's largest proven oil reserves -- 261.2
billion barrels or more than a quarter of the global total. Number one
producer of crude oil at around 9.5 million barrels per day. Viable
production capacity of 11 million bpd. Oil Minister Ali al-Nuaimi said since
early 2005 that output capacity would be raised to 12.5 million bpd
within four years and that further hikes had been considered. He has also
said the OPEC kingpin could nearly double its crude reserves with an
additional 200 billion barrels.
Gas reserves estimated at 235 trillion cubic feet. Current gas
production is seven billion cubic feet a day.
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT: Saudi Arabia posted a budget surplus of 26.14
billion dollars in 2004 thanks to high oil prices, after posting a
9.6-billion-dollar surplus in 2003. GDP reached 249 billion dollars in 2004,
up from around 215 billion dollars the previous year. Public debt of
660 billion riyals (176 billion dollars). Oil accounts for about 70
percent of government revenue.
ARMED FORCES: 140,000 men, according to the International Institute for
Strategic Studies. Another 75,000 serve in the National Guard, which
was commanded by Crown Prince Abdullah before his succession to the
throne.
MEMBERSHIPS: Arab League, United Nations, Organisation of the Islamic
Conference and Gulf Cooperation Council.
So even within the royal family there's a history of overthrow, assassination (an Arabic word, by the way), and general lack of reason, all in less than 100 years. The next few months could be very interesting.