Country profile: Saudi Arabia

Jun 02, 2024 News

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Kaieteur News – Saudi Arabia, arid, sparsely populated kingdom of the Middle East.

It is ruled by the Saud family, which in the 18th century entered an alliance with the austere and conservative Wahhābī Islamic movement. Mohammed bin Salman, the forceful crown prince, is the de facto ruler, acting on behalf of his elderly father King Salman.

Extending across most of the northern and central Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia is a young country that is heir to a rich history.

In its western highlands, along the Red Sea, lies the Hejaz, which is the cradle of Islam and the site of that religion’s holiest cities, Mecca and Medina.

In the country’s geographic heartland is a region known as Najd (“Highland”), a vast arid zone that until recent times was populated by nomadic tribes. To the east, along the Persian Gulf, are the country’s abundant oil fields that, since the 1960s, have made Saudi Arabia synonymous with petroleum wealth. Those three elements—religion, tribalism, and untold wealth—have fueled the country’s subsequent history.

Visual arts are dominated by geometric, floral, and abstract designs and by calligraphy, the latter a sophisticated and learned enterprise. Not much diversity is seen in traditional architecture; typical features are decorative designs on doors and windows and wide use of crenellated walls. The wave of change starting in the 1960s influenced architectural styles, and stark linear motifs became common in office and residential buildings. The spectacular airport terminals at Jeddah and Riyadh, however, are testimony to the persistence and worth of traditional styles.

Cultural institutions

The King Fahd National Library (founded 1968) is located in Riyadh, as is the National Museum (1978). There are a number of smaller libraries and museums throughout the country, mostly in the larger towns and cities. The Society for Arts and Cultures was founded in 1972 to coordinate and support traditional Arabian art forms. The King Fayṣal Foundation (1976) supports literary, educational, and cultural programs. The annual Jinādiriyyah Heritage and Cultural Festival brings together thousands near Riyadh to partake in traditional pastimes such as camel racing, arts and crafts, and traditional song and dance. Al-Ḥijr (Madāʾin Ṣāliḥ), an archaeological site inhabited until the 1st century CE by the Nabataeans, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008.

Sports and recreation

Saudis value a number of traditional and modern pastimes. Football (soccer) is extremely popular. Many Saudis also participate in activities such as scuba diving, windsurfing, and sailing. The time-honoured pursuit of camel racing developed a new following in the 1970s. During the winter—the coolest part of the year—races are held weekly at the Riyadh stadium. The annual King’s Camel Race, begun in 1974, is one of the sport’s most important contests and attracts animals and riders from throughout the region. Falconry, another traditional pursuit, is still practiced, although it has come under increasingly strict regulation because several species on which the falcon preys have become endangered.

The government of Saudi Arabia has encouraged sports and athletics by constructing sports and recreation facilities in all major urban areas. The Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee was organized in 1964 and was recognized internationally the following year. It has sent athletes to the Summer Games since 1972 but has not fielded a team for the Winter Games. The country also sends athletes to the Asian Games.

History

This discussion focuses on Saudi Arabia since the 18th century. For a treatment of earlier periods and of the country in its regional context, see Arabia.

The coastal parts of the territory that was to become Saudi Arabia participated in the broad trends of Arabian Peninsula history in the Islamic period—the rise of Islam in western Arabia in the 7th century, the creation and expansion of the various Islamic empires to the 10th century, the establishment of separate and usually small Muslim states in the period leading to the 15th century, and the ordering of the Arab Middle East conducted by the Ottoman Empire starting in the 16th century. Central Arabia was linked commercially and intellectually with western Arabia and the Fertile Crescent but was often isolated from general political and military trends because of its remoteness and relative poverty. In the middle of the 18th century in central Arabia, an alliance of Muslim Wahhābī religious reformers and the Saud dynasty formed a new state and society that resulted in the creation of three successive Saudi kingdoms, including the modern country of Saudi Arabia, officially proclaimed in 1932.

 

 

 

 

 

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