The King of Saudi Arabia is Saudi Arabia's head of state and absolute monarch. He serves as the head of the Saudi monarchy — House of Saud. The King is called the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (خادم الحرمين الشريفين). The title, which signifies Saudi Arabia's jurisdiction over the mosques of Masjid al Haram in Mecca and Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina, replaced His Majesty (صاحب الجلالة) in 1986.
Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, (Arabic: عبد الله بن عبد العزيز آل سعود) (born August 1, 1923) is the current King of Saudi Arabia.
On August 1, 2005, he succeeded to the throne upon the death of his half-brother, King Fahd. Previously, as Crown Prince, he governed Saudi Arabia as regent from 1996 to 2005. He has been Commander of the Saudi Arabian National Guard from 1962 to November 2010. He is one of the world's wealthiest royals.
Mecca or Makkah (Arabic: مكة المكرمة Makkah al-Mukarramah), located in western Saudi Arabia, is the holiest city in Islam. It is strictly forbidden for Non-Muslims to enter the city and this is strongly enforced.
Saudi Arabia is a country that boasts of a wonderful heritage and a magnificent culture. The excellent range of Arts and Crafts of Saudi Arabia is evidence of the inherent artistic bent of mind of the inhabitants. When one leafs through the pages of the History of Saudi Arabia one will definitely be engrossed in the stories of the Bedouin. It was the Bedouins whose skill made Saudi Arabian Arts and Crafts a name to reckon with.
A passport valid for at least six months at time a visa is issued is required by all nationals referred to in the chart above.
Saudi Arabia is a Middle Eastern country in Asia that is flanked by Kuwait and Qatar to the east, Oman and Yemen to the south, Iraq to the northeast, Jordan to the northwest and the United Arab Emirates to the southeast.
Saudi Arabia is the world's most important oil producer. Given its relatively high production levels, accounting for nearly 13 percent of world output and 35 percent of total OPEC output in 1991, and, more significantly, its small domestic needs, the kingdom's dominance of international crude oil markets is unchallenged. Although reluctant to play the role, Saudi Arabia has become the "swing producer," balancing international oil demand and supply.
In addition to its vast oil and gas reserves, the Kingdom is rich in mineral deposits. Gold mining began in Saudi Arabia some 5,000 years ago. Since then, there have been periods when gold mining has been pursued vigorously (e.g. in the Islamic Abbasid period between the 8th and 13th centuries CE). Three thousand years ago, the mine known as the Cradle of Gold (Mahad Al-Dhahab), some 180 miles north of Jiddah, was a rich source of gold, silver and copper.
During the 1980s, the government established, virtually from scratch, a modern industrial sector. The industrialization process had two goals: first, the use of the kingdom's enormous gas production as industrial inputs to produce chemicals and petrochemicals for export and, second, the construction of energy-intensive industries, some for import-substitution purposes and others to meet infrastructural needs.
Food staples in Saudi Arabian cuisine include lamb, grilled chicken, falafel (deep-fried chickpea balls), shawarma (spit-cooked sliced lamb), mutabbaq and Ful medames.Arabic unleavened bread, or khobz (خبز), is eaten with almost all meals, and is often used as an edible utensil to scoop foods.Kabsa, rice with chicken and lamb, is very popular and is considered iconic.
