KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA Official name: Al Mamlakah al-Arabiyah as-Saudiyah (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) Location: Middle East International organisations: The Arab League, The Non-Aligned Movement, The Organisation of Islamic Conference, The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, The United Nations, Borders: Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Yemen Coastline: Persian Gulf, Red Sea Land area: 1,900,000 Population: 23,500,000 Ethnicity: About 90% of the population are Arabs, although this includes many guests workers from other Arab countries. There is a long-resident minority of Black Africans, descendents of slaves. Minorities of workers from the Indian subcontinent and the Philippines are increasing.

Languages: Arabic is the official language and is universally used.
Religion: Islam is the state religion and the royal family take seriously their role as guardians of the Islamic foundational sites of Mecca and Medina. Other religions are barely tolerated among guest workers but not among Saudi nationals.
Form of government: Absolute monarchy. Saudi Arabia is divided into 13 provinces.
Capital: Riyadh
Constitution: The Basic Law of Government, a quasi-constitutional document, was issued by the King in 1993.
Head of state: King Fahd bin Abd-al-Aziz al-Saud succeeded to the throne on 13 June 1982.
Head of government: The King, who appoints all ministers. In practice, Crown Prince Abdallah bin Abd-al-Aziz al-Saud heads the government.
Legislature: None
Electoral authority: None
Freedom House rating: Political Rights 7, Civil Liberties 7
(Freedom House lists Saudi Arabia as one of the world's nine worst regimes for both political rights and civil rights.)

Political history

Before the First World War the Arabian peninsula consisted of a group of emirates owing nominal alliegance to the Ottoman Sultan but in practice independent. The most important of these was Hejaz on the Red Sea coast, which controlled the religious and commercial centres of Mecca and Medina. The Emir of Hejaz, Hussein al-Hashemi, was Britain's main ally in the area and led the Arab revolt against Ottoman rule.

In the conflicts which followed the war and the departure of the Ottomans, however, Hussein was defeated by Abd-al-Aziz al-Saud (generally known as Ibn Saud), head of the al-Saud family and Emir of Nejd, a desert emirate in the centre of the peninsula. Abd-al-Aziz declared himself King of Nejd and Hejaz in 1926, and in 1932 he united the two kingdoms and became King of Saudi Arabia.

The discovery of the world's largest reserves of oil transformed Saudi Arabia from a poor desert kingdom into one of the world's greatest economic powers, and led to a rapid growth of population, including millions of imported workers. But the al-Sauds refused to allow any change in the country's political system, and it has remained an absolute monarchy. As followers of the Wahhabi sect, the al-Sauds also enforced rigid Islamic orthodoxy.

Since Abd-al-Aziz's death in 1953 the Kingdom has been ruled by four of his many sons in succession. King Fahd succeeded in 1982 and in theory exercises absolute civil and religious authority. He may take advice from an appointed Majlis. Fahd has been ill for some time and Crown Prince Abdullah, Fahd's half-brother, effectively governs the country.

The al-Sauds are now a priviliged clan with thousands of members, monopolising political and economic power. The rule that the succession must pass to one of the remaining sons of Abd-al-Aziz (he had 44 sons), excluding younger members of the enormous royal family, is a source of great tension. As the remaining sons of Abd-al-Aziz grow elderly, the monarchy has become increasingly feeble and unpopular.

Since the 1980s Saudi Arabia's population has doubled but its oil revenues have fallen sharply in real terms, leading to a burgeoning economic and social crisis, since oil wealth has always provided a cushion against political dissent. The close alignment of the royal family with the United States has also fuelled opposition.

Amnesty International's 2002 report on Saudi Arabia noted:

"Grave and widespread human rights violations continued to be reported. They were perpetuated by the strictly secretive criminal justice system and the government policy of barring political parties, trade unions and independent human rights organizations; international non-governmental human rights organizations were not allowed access to the country. The government failed to respond to any of the concerns raised by AI during the year. Hundreds of teenagers were flogged. Women continued to face severe discrimination. Arrests of suspected political and religious activists continued and the legal status of those held from previous years remained shrouded in secrecy. New information came to light on the torture of detainees in previous years. At least 79 people were executed."

The Arab Gateway website offers a useful collection of links relevant to Saudi Arabia.