Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
himself a moderate and reliable friend of the West, while in 1986 proclaiming himself the
'Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques'.
The First Iraq War
When Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, Saudi Arabia's decision to allow foreign mil-
itary forces to operate from Saudi soil would prove one of the catalysts for propelling
Osama bin Laden, a Saudi, and his Al-Qaeda movement onto the world stage.
In 1991 a petition calling for reforms and greater openness was sent to King Fahd by
liberal intellectuals. It was quickly followed by a contrary petition by conservative Islamic
scholars - a struggle within Saudi politics that continues to this day.
After a great deal of fanfare, the feeble Consultative Council (Majlis ash-Shoura) was
opened on 20 August 1993. When Fahd died in August 2005, his half-brother Abdullah
ascended to the throne and Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz al-Saud became crown prince.
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People & Society
Saudi society is still strictly segregated between the public (male) and private (female) do-
main. Family and Islam form the twin pillars of Saudi society and family members leave
home once married.
Population
Around 80% of Saudi Arabia's population is concentrated in urban areas - with more than
one-third of the population living in the megacities sprawling around Riyadh, Jeddah and
Mecca. But overall population density is low: there are 13 people per square kilometre
and the truly desert regions have less than one person per square kilometre.
Saudi's population is very young (almost 49% of the population is under 25 years old),
with an annual population growth rate of 1.5% - meaning the population doubles around
every 30 years. Saudi authorities are confronted with the dilemma of providing for a disaf-
fected, young, Islamicised population with not enough jobs to go around. King Abdullah
is said to be a keen student of history and very conscious of the circumstances of the Shah
of Iran's downfall in 1979.
 
 
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