Saudi Arabia occupies four-fifths of the Arabian peninsula. Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, the Gulf of Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yemen border it. To the west lies the Red Sea. Riyadh (Ryad), the royal capital, is a modern city built on the site of the original town. Apart from the fort and a few traditional Najdi palaces near Deera Square, little trace of the old town remains. The west coast is a centre for trade, but of equal importance is the concentration of Islamic holy cities, including Mecca and Medina. The region also includes the city of Jeddah, until recently Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic capital, which remains the most important commercial and cultural gateway to the country. Mecca is the spiritual centre of the Islamic world. Places of significance to Muslims include the Kaabah Enclosure and the House of Abdullah Bin Abdul Muttalib, where Muhammad was born. Priority has been given to the preservation of the ancient city of Jeddah, but leisure facilities have increased and the corniche has a ‘Brighton’ feel about it. The main meat meal of the day is lunch, usually either kultra (meat on skewers) or kebabs served with soup and vegetables.

Middle East.

GMT + 3.

2,240,000 sq km (864,869 sq miles).

25.6 million (UN, 2005).

11.4 per sq km.

Riyadh (royal). Population: 4.7 million (UN estimate 2005). Jeddah (administrative). Population: 3,192,000 (UN estimate 2001; including suburbs).

Saudi Arabia occupies four-fifths of the Arabian peninsula. It is bordered to the northwest by Jordan, to the north by Iraq and Kuwait, to the east by the Gulf of Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, and to the south by Yemen. To the west lies the Red Sea. Along the Red Sea coast is a narrow coastal strip (Tihama) which becomes relatively hotter and more humid towards the south and has areas of extensive tidal flats and lava fields. Behind this coastal plain is a series of plateaux reaching up to 2000m (6560ft). The southern part of this range, Asir, has some peaks of over 3000m (9840ft). North of these mountains, in the far north, is An Nafud, a sand sea, and further south the landscape rises to Najd, a semi-desert area scattered with oases. Still further south the land falls away, levelling out to unremitting desert, the uninhabited ‘Empty Quarter’ or Rub al Khali. Along the Gulf coast is a low fertile plain giving way to limestone ridges inland.

Absolute monarchy since 1932. Head of State and Government: King Abdullah since the death of King Fahd Ibn Abd al-Aziz Al-Sa'ud on 1 August 2005. Recent history: In 2002, as the American Government geared up to launch operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Saudis made it clear that they would prefer the Americans to move elsewhere from their military base in Saudi Arabia. They did, and Qatar became the main command and control centre for these recent US military operations. The change in the Saudi position followed from a major shift in the country’s domestic politics. Several factors were at work but the most important was the effective replacement of King Fahd, who after prolonged illness was effectively an invalid (and has since died, in August 2005), by Crown Prince Abdullah. The Crown Prince is generally less pro-American than Fahd. Abdullah belongs to the generation of leaders who have governed Saudi Arabia since the death of Abdul Aziz, all of whom are now in their 70s: there is no clear line of succession and there may be a debilitating power struggle among the 6000 male descendants who make up the House of Saud. The most likely victors are the branch of the family descended from one of Ibn Saud’s wives, bint Sudairi, who form a powerful clan within the group (commonly known as the ‘Sudairi Seven’). Abdullah is not among them but all – and a number of their immediate relatives – occupy key ministerial, administrative and diplomatic posts. Abdullah has also taken some tentative steps towards relaxing the royal family’s political stranglehold, mainly to appease international opinion and increasingly vocal domestic reformers.
Plans for municipal council elections were announced in October 2003. These elections were the first elections to a Government body in Saudi Arabia. Polling took place between February and April 2005.
Saudi Arabia is an absolute Monarchy with no political parties. The King appoints a Council of Ministers to run day-to-day affairs. A consultative council (Majlis as-Shura), numbering about 60, has been established to advise the Monarch; it has no formal powers.

Arabic. English is spoken in business circles.

The majority of Saudi Arabians follow Islam; around 90 per cent are Sunni Muslim, but Shia Muslims predominate in the Eastern Province.

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Saudi culture is based on Islam and the perfection of the Arabic language. The Saudi form of Islam is conservative and fundamentalist, based on the 18th-century revivalist movement of the Najdi leader Sheikh Muhammad Ibn Abdel-Wahhab. This still has a great effect on Saudi society, especially on the position of women, who are required by law only to leave the home totally covered in black robes (abaya) and masks, although there are regional variations of dress. The Najd and other remote areas remain true to Wahhabi tradition, but throughout the country this way of life is being altered by modernisation and rapid development. For more information, see the World of Islam appendix. Shaking hands is the customary form of greeting. Invitations to private homes are unusual. Entertaining is usually in hotels or restaurants and although the custom of eating with the right hand persists, it is more likely that knives and forks will be used. A small gift either promoting the company or representing your country will generally be well received. Women are expected to dress modestly and it is best to do so to avoid offence. Men should not wear shorts in public or go without a shirt. The norms for public behaviour are extremely conservative and religious police, known as Mutawwa’in, are charged with enforcing these standards. Customs regarding smoking are the same as in Europe and non-smoking areas are indicated. During Ramadan, Muslims are not allowed to eat, smoke or drink during the day and it is illegal for a foreign visitor to do so in public. Photography: Strictly speaking, photography is not permitted. However, many people do still take photos, but are careful to ask permission of the relevant authority before photographing people or any building.