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 PRIVATE GUIDES OF Saudi Arabia
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PRIVATE TOURS IN Saudi Arabia
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GENERAL DETAILS - Saudi Arabia
CAPITAL CITY OF Saudi Arabia: Riyadh
LANGUAGE OF Saudi Arabia: Arabic
CURRENCY OF Saudi Arabia: Saudi riyal (SAR)
CLIMATE OF Saudi Arabia: harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes
ECONOMY OVERVIEW OF Saudi Arabia: 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 (25% 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, 45% of GDP, and 90% of export earnings. About 40% of GDP comes from the private sector. Roughly five and a half million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, for example, in the oil and service sectors. The government in 1999 announced plans to begin privatizing the electricity companies, which follows the ongoing privatization of the telecommunications company. The government is encouraging private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population. Priorities for government spending in the short term include additional funds for education and for the water and sewage systems. Economic reforms proceed cautiously because of deep-rooted political and social conservatism.
POPULATION OF Saudi Arabia: 25,795,938 note: includes 5,576,076 non-nationals (July 2004 est.)
RELIGION OF Saudi Arabia: Muslim 100%
COMMENTS ABOUT Saudi Arabia:
Saudi Arabia is a Middle Eastern country in Asia
Cities : Riyadh (capital), Abha, Dhahran, Jeddah, Al Jubail, Ha'il, Mecca, Medina, Najran, Taif
Electricity : 110 Volts
Calling Code : 966
Time Zone : GMT+3
In 1902, ABD AL-AZIZ bin Abd al-Rahman Al Saud captured Riyadh and set out on a 30-year campaign to unify the Arabian Peninsula. Today, the monarchy is ruled by a son of ABD AL-AZIZ, and the country's Basic Law stipulates that the throne shall remain in the hands of the aging sons and grandsons of the kingdom's founder. 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. The continuing presence of foreign troops on Saudi soil after Operation Desert Storm remained a source of tension between the royal family and the public until the US military's near-complete withdrawal to neighboring Qatar in 2003. The first major terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia in several years, which occurred in May and November 2003, prompted renewed efforts on the part of the Saudi government to counter domestic terrorism and extremism, which also coincided with a slight upsurge in media freedom and announcement of government plans to phase in partial political representation. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all ongoing governmental concerns.
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