In 1902 Abdul al-Aziz Ibn SAUD
captured Riyadh and set out on a 30-year campaign to
unify the Arabian peninsula. In the 1930s, the discovery
of oil transformed the country. Following Iraq's
invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia accepted the
Kuwaiti royal family and 400,000 refugees while allowing
Western and Arab troops to deploy on its soil for the
liberation of Kuwait the following year. A burgeoning
population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely
dependent on petroleum output and prices are all major
governmental concerns.
local long form:
Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Suudiyah
local short form:
Al Arabiyah as Suudiyah
Government type:
monarchy
Capital:
Riyadh
Administrative
divisions:
13 provinces (mintaqat, singular -
mintaqah); Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah, Al Jawf,
Al Madinah, Al Qasim, Ar Riyad, Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern
Province), 'Asir, Ha'il, Jizan, Makkah, Najran, Tabuk
Independence:
23 September 1932 (Unification of
the Kingdom)
Public holidays:
Fixed holidays
Unification of the
Kingdom
24 September
Movable holidays
2001
2002
Eid Al Fitr
16 Dec
6 Dec
Eid Al Adha
Feb 23
Constitution:
governed according to Shari'a
(Islamic law); the Basic Law that articulates the
government's rights and responsibilities was introduced
in 1993
Legal system:
based on Islamic law, several
secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes
handled by special committees; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
none
Executive branch:
chief of state:
King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud
(since 13 June 1982); Crown Prince and First Deputy
Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud
(half-brother to the monarch, heir to the throne since
13 June 1982, regent from 1 January to 22 February
1996); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and
head of government
head of government:
King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud
(since 13 June 1982); Crown Prince and First Deputy
Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud
(half-brother to the monarch, heir to the throne since
13 June 1982, regent from 1 January to 22 February
1996); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and
head of government
cabinet:
Council of Ministers is appointed by the monarch and
includes many royal family members
elections:
none; the monarch is hereditary
Legislative branch:
a consultative council (90 members
and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year
terms)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Council of Justice
Flag description:
green with large white Arabic
script (that may be translated as There is no God but
God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God) above a white
horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side);
green is the traditional color of Islam
This is an oil-based economy with
strong government controls over major economic
activities. Saudi Arabia has the largest reserves of
petroleum in the world (26% of the proved reserves),
ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, and plays a
leading role in OPEC. The petroleum sector accounts for
roughly 75% of budget revenues, 40% of GDP, and 90% of
export earnings. About 35% of GDP comes from the private
sector. Roughly 5 million foreign workers play an
important role in the Saudi economy, for example, in the
oil and service sectors. Saudi Arabia was a key player
in the successful efforts of OPEC and other oil
producing countries to raise the price of oil in
1999-2000 to its highest level since the Gulf war by
reducing production. Riyadh expects to have a moderate
budget deficit in 2001, in part because of increased
spending for education and other social programs. The
government in 1999 announced plans to begin privatizing
the electricity companies, which follows the ongoing
privatization of the telecommunications company. The
government is expected to continue calling for private
sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil
and increase employment opportunities for the swelling
Saudi population. Shortages of water and rapid
population growth will constrain government efforts to
increase self-sufficiency in agricultural products.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $232
billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth
rate:
4% (2000 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
$66 billion
expenditures:
$66 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000
est.)
note: in
1998, the government contracted for the installation of
575,000 additional Group Speciale Mobile (GSM) cellular
telephone lines over 15 months to raise the total number
of subscribers to more than one million; Riyadh planned
to further expand the GSM system in 1999 by adding an
additional one million lines (1998)
Telephone system:
general assessment:
modern system
domestic:
extensive microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and
fiber-optic cable systems
international:
microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar,
UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait and
Jordan; submarine cable to Djibouti, Egypt and Bahrain;
satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean
and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian
Ocean region)
