1. Saudi Arabia: Brief history of Saudi Arabia and its society
The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of the largest countries in the Middle East. It occupies the Arabian Peninsula in the southwest of Asia. It is bounded by the Arabian Gulf, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates to the East; Yemen and Oman on the South; Red Sea and Gulf of Al-Aqaba to the West; and Jordan, Iraq, and Kuwait to the North. Its area is about 2,240,000 square kilometers and has a population of seventeen million people according to the last census performed in 1993. Saudi Arabia is considered a developing country. It has been developing at a relatively fast rate since it was established as modern state in 1932. Its population increases about 3.8% per year. Saudi Arabia remains a very conservative society combining strong traditions with a strict interpretation of Islam (Al- Rasheed pp6). However, the discovery of oil in the Saudi desert territories has made it necessary for the country to quickly modernize in order to fully benefit from the resource. Large oil deposits were discovered in 1938 making Saudi Arabia the first oil-exporting country in the world. Oil revenues resulted in drastic changes in the society, especially during the past 30 years. Oil provided the Saudi state with extraordinary wealth to build the economic and material infrastructure of the country, transforming the state into a rapidly modernizing landscape. These changes have influenced the social and economic aspects of life, including the field of education. (Al-Gahtany, 2001, p.14). Oil wealth has enabled the state to make great achievements in the fields of education, technology, health, and material affluence, benefitting the people of Saudi Arabia (Al- Rasheed p.12). In celebratin...
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The place of women in Saudi society is determined by a deeply conservative culture, vindicated by a narrow interpretation of religion, and enforced by law. That place it would appear is at home, subservient to and legally dependant on their male guardian. Saudi society suffers from pervasive segregation along gender lines and women's freedom of movement is impeded, forcing them to rely on male chaperons.
Saudi Arabia is commonly known for its strict moral values and customs regarding religion and women. Gender discrimination is a global conflict but it is prevalently seen in Saudi Arabia. Gender discrimination is so poignant in Saudi Arabia because there are strict sets of moral guidelines and ideologies that Saudi Arabian culture implements on its people. Although Saudi Arabian men impose restrictions on women for the sake of upholding their cultural beliefs and family’s honor, there is no doubt that Saudi Arabian culture is male dominated and holds misogynistic views on women, but progress is being made.
‘‘Utterances can be found, satisfying these conditions, yet such that, they do not ‘describe’ or
Although the United Sates and Saudi Arabia present the United States and Saudi Arabia’s relationship as excellent, there are actually two nations who have bitter disagreements but who allies through oil. The only thing that has held this alliance together is the US dependence on Saudi oil. The United States has felt and still fells that it is a necessity to have bases present in the Middle East to protect oil, and silently to protect Israel. The relationship began in 1933 when Standard Oil of California signed an agreement with the Saudi government. In 1943 FDR affirmed that the defense of Saudi Arabia was a vital interest to the United States and moved troops into the region. Future presidents would emulate this declaration and mobilization of troops to Saudi Arabia. Again in 1945 Abd al Aziz, the Saudi king, and FDR would cement this alliance, on a US warship in the Suez Canal. Soon after, airfields were constructed at Dhahran and other spots over Saudi Arabia; beginning a long tradition of US military facilities in Saudi Arabia. Abd al Aziz was the first of his line of successors to meet with US presidents. The relationship was only strengthened with the onset on the Cold war, as the US used the bases in Saudi Arabia as potential air force launch sites to the USSR and constructed more military facilities. In 1941 Harry S. Truman made another assertion of Americas protection and alliance with Saudi Arabia to Abd Al Aziz. Truman stated that “support for Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity and political independence was a primary objective of the United States.” (Countrystudies.com) Another stipulation of this pact was that the US established a permanent military training mission in the Saudi Arabia. That mission lasted until 1992. Soon after the pact between Truman and Aziz was agreed upon the US-Saudi relationship would endure its first major disagreement. On May 14th, 1948 Israel was declared an independent state in the former Arab dominated Palestine. Israel’s independence was backed the United States. Saudi Arabia refused to acknowledge the country of Israel and to engage in any relations with them. The Saudis concerns of the Israel-US relationship were reinforced in the 1970’s and 1980’s when the US sold arms to Israel, but refused to sell arms to Saudi Arabia. In some cases congressional leaders refused to sell arms to Saudi Arabia on the grounds that Saudi Arabia might use them against Israel.
They increase the spending on connectivity and human resources (Saudi Arabia Emergence Innovation Kingdom, 2014). Saudi Arabia is the largest economy in the Middle East and the richest Arab country. The economy of Saudi Arabia is entirely based on oil (Smetoolkit.org, 2014). Saudi Arabia is the 19th largest exporter and the 20th largest import market in the world (Saudiembassy.net, 2014). Exports now in the kingdom include all economic sectors.
Within Islam, there are sects, namely Sunni and Shi’a, and within those sects are different schools of thought. Salafism (from the word salaf, meaning to “follow” or “precede”) is a movement, rooted in Sunni Islam, based on a literalist, fundamentalist interpretation of Islam. These Muslims rely solely on the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad and his companions as guides for correct Islamic practice. Everything else, they deem impure innovation. Following the same ideology, but specific to Saudi Arabia, is Wahhabism. Wahhabism has a fairly negative connotation within the Western world; however, this sect was highly influential and continues to be esteemed by the royal Saudi family.
By the 15th century C.E., most of the world was still in recovery mode from natural disasters all across the globe. Things became worse soon after thanks to devastating pandemic known as the Black Death. The plague killed millions across China, Mongolia, Central Asia to the Middle East, Egypt, North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, the Mediterranean, Western Europe, and finally to Scandinavia and Ireland. Although the plague (Black Death) and starvation due to a slow recovery from the natural disasters diminished travelers, missionaries, and trader’s numbers, it didn’t stop the communication between regions.
...gely by religious values: Conservative dress, conservative literature, and conservative behavior. Freedom of political and religious expression is not allowed, and diversions like dancing, or movies, activities are almost nonexistence in Saudi Arabia. As it has been for centuries, the cultural and political life of Saudi Arabia continues to be expressed in terms of Islamic principles.
By looking to the United States government structure, there are three kinds of government, the Federal government, the State government, and the Local government. The Constitution of the United States divides the part of federal government into three distinct branches, the Executive, the Legislature, and the Judiciary. Article 1 of the Constitution sets that the United State Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government. This branch consists of the Senate and House of Representatives, where the laws of the country are made. Besides that, the Constitution sets explicitly powers to each house and the structure to create its own house, the process for creating laws, some powers that Congress does not have. In addition, there are more
Both countries have nearly identical scores in the dimension of masculinity. This exhibits the driving cultural forces of competition and achievement, with success held in high regard over other values. With Uncertainty Avoidance, the country is once again polarized. With the USA's relatively low score, the culture exhibits acceptance for new ideas with an emphasis on innovation and toleration. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Saudi Arabia maintains rigidity in belief systems and acceptable behaviors and ideas, valuing security over uncertainty.
Saudi Arabia, the leader of OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Companies), maintains a powerful position in negotiations with the U.S. and other countries. Its vast supply of oil directly effects per barrel pricing and is a unique bargaining tool in international politics. But Saudi Arabia is no ordinary country in today's world. Its borders are governed by a royal family of nearly 30,000 individuals, all of which share most of the wealth and almost all of the power. Its people, with foreign exceptions, are wholly Islamic and many practice the faith with a frightening sense of devotion. And despite the immense revenue generated by its oil reserves, part of its population still lives in absolute poverty. Although recently it has seen immense change, it is still a country fair behind the progressive world.
The largest world supplier oil company is Saudi Aramco. It is the most profitable company on the earth. Since it is the most powerful oil company, it has a great impact on the world economy. As a result, a strong international relationship was built with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In addition, the strong developing of international relationship with other industrial countries resulted in massive contributions to the politics, economy, and many different aspects. In 1933, Saudi government bestowed oil concession to California Arabian Standard Oil Company (Chevron). The main factor for this grant was to explore the oil in the eastern region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. After discovering a huge amount of oil, part of the grant was sold to other American oil companies in order to cooperate with each other to do more exploration and to deal with such a big job. In 1948, all these American companies were incorporated into Arabian American Oil Company (Aramco) shared 50% of its profits with Saudi government. Furthermore, the company’s shares had been acquiring by Saudi government to gain 100% of its ownership. In 1988, the name changed to Saudi Aramco. The Headquarter of Saudi Aramoc is located in Dhahran, a city in eastern region of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Aramco produces 10 million barrels of oil each day. The history of Saudi Aramco went through three major periods: exploring oil, interconnecting with the USA, and contributing to other many universal events.
Saudi Arabia’s capital market is considered to be young compared to other financial markets in the region. Saudi financial markets have been developing slowly because most enterprises in the country are either government owned or family-owned, most of which was funded through state budget, and as a result reduced the need for financing. In the recent past, Saudi Arabia has focused on a careful measurement for structural developments and regulatory changes. However, different phases of historical development of the capital market which can be classified into three phases; pre-industrialization phase, post industrialization phase and growth phase that sparked changes and shaped the kingdom 's capital market on
1899 – Fearing direct rule from Turkey, Sheikh Mubarak strikes a deal with Britain and Kuwait becomes a protectorate. Britain provides naval protection in return for Kuwait allowing London to control its foreign issues.
...Arabia is a petrostate. Oil dominates the national economy, international exports, and the nation’s politics. It has greatly shaped what the kingdom is today. Having started out as somewhat of a tourist economy, the kingdom has become a world, monetary power. From their massive amounts of oil and extremely cheap production, the country has been able to gain large amounts of affluence and political power. With its large abundance of oil, the country has been able to profit immensely on sales and spur diplomatic outcomes to their benefit due to the great need of the resource. Without the discovery oil, Saudi Arabia would be of little importance in the modern world, having the Grand Mosque be the extent of its importance. But because of its discovery of oil, Saudi Arabia became of international importance, coming to be one of the greatest assets to world superpowers.