"1001 Arabian Nights ...." a Saudi Arabia Travel Page by kenyneo

what makes me come over to this foreign land ? actually its just working like many other expats here. Before i come little did I realise that the culture here is so different from back home Malaysia. Of course its quite difficult to get used to it ...but soon you will ...after all ...its a good experience ....

So after 1 year and 2 months here , I have gathered some info about this country which is veiled from the rest of the world ....I have traveled from Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia to the Paris of Saudi Arabia ( Jiddah ) in the Western Province ...and hope that some info and pics I have gathered might help potential expat who is coming here to work or traveller coming this way ( good news !!! Saudi Arabia is opening up soon for travellers )

And like many have said , the life's journey is usually full of suprise...how true ....I discover many beautiful things here ....many places which are unknown to the outside world ...should I say undiscovered virgin pearl ?

____________________________

SOME BASIC INFO. ABOUT THE COUNTRY

Full country name: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Area: 2 million sq km
Population: 24.2 million
Capital City: Riyadh (pop 3 million)
People: Arabs, Bedouins, Najdis and expats from all over the world
Language: Arabic, English
Religion: Islam
Government: monarchy

GDP: US$186 billion
GDP per capita: US$9,000
Annual Growth: -9%
Inflation: 0%
Major Industries: Oil, steel, cement, wheat
Major Trading Partners: Japan, United States, EU, India

_______________________

Places visited

EASTERN PROVINCE
_______________________

1) Dammam(Most Colorful Cornich)
2) Al Hasa ( Judas Cave,Oasis )
3) Al Khubar ( Shopping,Dining)
4) Jubayl ( City of Lights )
5) Dhahran ( Housing compund )
6) Qatif (the ancient town)

CENTRAL
______________

1) Riyadh

WESTERN PROVINCE
_______________________

1) Jiddah (Paris of Saudi Arabia)
2) Yanbu ( Peaceful country side)

HoPe To ViSiT
_______________________

1) Taif
2) Najran
3) Madain Saleh
4) Wahba Crater
5) Rub Al Khali
6) Tarut Island

______________________

HISTORY
========

Arabia has been inhabited for thousands of years by nomadic Semitic tribes. With the birth (AD 570) of Muhammad, in Mecca, Arabia was briefly the center of Islam, but by the end of the 7th cent. the area was disunited. Modern Saudi Arabia owes its existence to Ibn Saud, an adherent of the Wahhabi Muslim sect. Beginning in 1902 he conquered the Nejd, Al Hasa, and Hejaz regions, and in 1932 he proclaimed himself king of a united Saudi Arabia.

____________________

Oil was discovered in 1936; commercial production began in 1938. Ibn Saud died in 1953 and was succeeded by his eldest son, Saud. In 1964 Saud was deposed by Faisal, who secured (1974) an agreement giving the Saudis a 60% majority ownership of foreign oil concessions in their country. In 1975 Faisal was assassinated; he was replaced by Khalid, who inaugurated a program of industrialization and social welfare. In the conflict with Israel, Saudi Arabia has generally supported the Arab states, although as a friend of the U.S. it is a somewhat moderating force.
____________________

Its moderating influence has also been felt in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), in which it usually has acted to stabilize petroleum prices. Khalid died in 1982 and was succeeded as king by Fahd. Military clashes, oil-policy disputes, and rioting Iranian pilgrims in Mecca led Saudi Arabia to sever diplomatic relations with Iran in 1989. In 1990 the kingdom joined the coalition that opposed Iraq's forcible annexation of Kuwait, and the forces of the coalition were largely based in N Saudi Arabia. In 1992 King Fahd decreed a new constitution; among its features were an appointed national council (est. 1993) with the right to review, but not overrule, government acts.

_____________________

However, the royal family's power was basically undiminished. In the late 1990s, Crown Prince Abdullah, the king's half-brother and heir to the throne, effectively became the country's ruler due to King Fahd's poor health.