Project: Saudi Arabia/Country

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Location

Saudi Arabia is a country in West Asia, occupying most of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the Red Sea to the west and the Persian Gulf to the east. It shares land borders with Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen. Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Middle East.

See Also: Geography of Saudi Arabia

Administrative Divisions

Saudi Arabia is divided into 13 regions or provinces, each governed by an emir or provincial governor. The provinces are further divided into 118 governorates, which are the second-level administrative divisions.

See Also: Administrative Divisions of Saudi Arabia

Riyadh is the capital city of Saudi Arabia. Jeddah is the country's second-largest city and a major port. Two other important cities include Mecca, the holiest city of Islam and a pilgrimage destination, and Medina, Islam's second holiest city and the burial place of the Prophet Muhammad.

History

The territory that is now Saudi Arabia was home to several ancient cultures and civilizations, such as the Thamud, the Nabataeans, and the Himyarites. Later, it was also part of the Roman and Persian Empires. Throughout its early history, the region was influenced by various religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism, before the emergence of Islam in the 7th century CE.

In the early 7th century, the Islamic prophet Muhammad united the tribes of Arabia under the banner of Islam and created a single religious polity. After his death in 632 CE, his successors, known as the caliphs, expanded the Islamic state to include most of the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Asia and Europe. The first four caliphs, known as the Rashidun, were followed by the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties, which ruled from Damascus and Baghdad respectively. From the 10th century onwards, the rulers of Mecca, known as the sharifs, claimed descent from Muhammad and exercised authority over the Hejaz region, which includes Mecca and Medina. The sharifs were often in conflict with the rulers of Egypt, Syria, and Iraq, who also claimed legitimacy over the holy cities.

In the 16th century, the Ottoman Empire, which controlled most of the Middle East, extended its influence over the Hejaz and appointed the sharifs as its vassals. In the 18th century CE, the Al Saud family, based in Diriyah (near Riyadh), formed an alliance with the Wahhabi movement, a puritanical and reformist branch of Islam and launched a series of campaigns to unify most of Arabia under their rule and to purge it of what they considered to be idolatrous and heretical practices. They also clashed with the Ottomans and the sharifs of Mecca, who opposed their expansion and ideology. The first Saudi state, known as the Emirate of Diriyah, was founded in 1744 by Muhammad bin Saud and lasted until 1818, when it was destroyed by an Ottoman-Egyptian invasion. The second Saudi state, known as the Emirate of Nejd, was founded in 1824 by Turki bin Abdallah and lasted until 1891, when it was defeated by the Al Rashid family, who ruled the Emirate of Jabal Shammar. Meanwhile, the sharifs of Mecca declared their independence from the Ottomans in 1916, with the support of the British, and established the Kingdom of Hejaz, which included Mecca, Medina, and Jeddah.

The third and current Saudi state, known as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was founded in 1932 by Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman, also known as Ibn Saud in Western countries. He united the four regions of Hejaz, Najd, Al-Ahsa, and Asir into a single state through a series of conquests and treaties. He also consolidated his power by establishing a monarchy based on the Al Saud family and a religious system based on Wahhabism. In 1938, oil was discovered in Saudi Arabia, which transformed its economy and international relations. Saudi Arabia became a founding member of the Arab League, the United Nations, and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Since the death of Ibn Saud in 1953, Saudi Arabia has been ruled by six of his sons in succession: Saud, Faisal, Khalid, Fahd, Abdullah, and Salman.

See also: History of Saudi Arabia

Religion

Islam is the official religion of Saudi Arabia and the nation's constitution is based on the Quran and Sunna (traditions and practices of the Prophet Muhammad). Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam and the custodian of the two holiest cities of Islam, Mecca and Medina. Non-Muslims are barred from entering these cities and from proselytizing or displaying their faith publicly.

The official form of Islam practiced in Saudi Arabia is Sunni of the Hanbali school in its Salafi version. This is a strict interpretation of Islamic jurisprudence and is associated with the Wahhabi movement, which originated in the 18th century. There are also Shia Muslims, who form about 10% of the Saudi citizenry. They mostly live in the eastern part of the country and follow the Twelver or Ismaili branches of Shia Islam. They frequently face discrimination and persecution from the government and the Sunni majority. There are also various non-Muslim religions practiced by the country's large expatriate community, such as Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and others. These religions reflect the diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds of the immigrants and workers who come from different countries. However, they are not allowed to practice their faith openly or to convert Muslims to their religion.

See Also: Religion in Saudi Arabia

Language

Arabic is the official language of Saudi Arabia and the primary language used in all dealings and public transactions. Arabic has three main regional dialects: Najdi Arabic, Hejazi Arabic, and Gulf Arabic. Arabic is also the primary language of Islam and the liturgical language of over a billion Muslims worldwide.

English serves as an informal second language in the Kingdom and is spoken by a large section of its society. All road signs are bilingual, showing information in both Arabic and English.

Besides Arabic and English, many other languages are spoken in Saudi Arabia by its large foreign population, reflecting the diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds of the immigrants and workers who come from countries across the globe.

See also:' Arabic

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Culture

Saudi Arabia’s rich heritage and traditions have been shaped by its position as a historic trade hub and the birthplace of Islam. In recent years, the Kingdom has undergone a significant cultural transformation, evolving century-old customs to fit the contemporary world we live in today.

Currency

Saudi Arabia’s national currency is the Saudi riyal (ر.س SAR), which is subdivided into 100 halala. Notes are produced in denominations of five riyals, ten riyals, 50 riyals, 100 riyals and 500 riyals; and coins in one riyal, two riyals, 50 halala, 25 halala, 10 halala, 5 halala and 1 halala.

All banks in the kingdom offer currency exchange. Exchange bureaus are located at airports, some shopping centers, and various other locations throughout the country. Credit cards, such as Visa, MasterCard, and American Express are accepted throughout the kingdom. ATMs are widely available.

Ethnicities

About 60% of Saudi Arbia's native-born population are ethnically Arabs. However, there are also many immigrants and foreign workers from different countries, such as Syrians (10%), Indians (8%), Pakistanis (5%), Filipinos (3%), Bangladeshis (2%), Egyptians (2%), and others. Some of these groups have mixed ethnic origins and are descended from Turks, Iranians, Indians, Indonesians, Africans, and others.

See Also: Saudis

Arabic Naming Conventions

Arabic language names have historically been based on a long naming system. Many people from the Arabic-speaking and also non-Arab Muslim countries do not have given/middle/family names but rather a chain of names. This system remains in use throughout the Arabic and Muslim worlds. According to the Chicago Manual of Style, Arabic names are indexed by their surnames. Names may be alphabetized under Abu, Abd and ibn, while names are not alphabetized under al- and el- and are instead alphabetized under the subsequent element.

  • An ism is the given name, first name, or personal name
  • A nasab is a patronymic or matronymic, or a series thereof. It indicates the person's heritage by the word ibn/bin ("son of") or ibnat/bint ("daughter of")
  • A laqab can be a nickname, honorific, or family name.
  • A nisbah is a surname which follows a family through several generations.
  • A kunya is a teknonym, the practice of referring to parents by the names of their children.

See Also: Arabic Names



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