Saudi Arabia is a brief history of the state. History and geography of Saudi Arabia, the specifics of the country. Beginning of the war for the unification of Arabia

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Some of the most obvious human rights violations in Saudi Arabia include: mistreatment of prisoners; prohibitions and restrictions in the field of freedom of speech, press, meetings and organizations, religion; systematic discrimination against women, ethnic and
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Saudi Arabia is one of the few countries that has refused to recognize some articles of the International Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN in 1948. According to the human rights organization Freedom House, Saudi Arabia is one of the nine countries with the worst regime in the field of political and civil rights.

The country retains the death penalty; since the war in the zone Persian Gulf in 1991, Saudi Arabia experienced a steady increase in the number of executions. In addition to public executions, arrests and imprisonments of dissidents are widely practiced in the kingdom.

Based on the results of 2003, the influential American public organization Freedom House ranked Saudi Arabia among the eight “worst of the worst” countries and territories where human rights are most violated and civil liberties are minimal.

Attempts to criticize the royal family are immediately stopped - the critics disappear, their fate remains a mystery to those close to them. The system used in Saudi Arabia cruel punishments for the most minor crimes.

For example, talking on a cell phone on board an airplane is punishable by 20 lashes. Similar executions are carried out in shopping centers and in the squares. Women do not have the right to drive a car, appear on the street without an escort, etc. If a woman violates these prohibitions, she risks being beaten and imprisoned. In March 2002, an event occurred in Saudi Arabia that caused horror among the world community. A fire killed 15 girls studying at a school in Mecca. They could have been saved, but the religious police did not give them the opportunity to jump out into the street because they were not wearing burqas. For the same reason, male rescuers were not allowed into the burning building.

Kingdom Saudi Arabia- a state on the Arabian Peninsula in South-West Asia. In the north, Saudi Arabia borders Jordan, Iraq and Kuwait; in the east it is washed by the Persian Gulf and borders Qatar and the United States United Arab Emirates, borders Oman in the southeast, Yemen in the south, and is washed by the Red Sea in the west.

In 1975 and 1981, agreements were signed between Saudi Arabia and Iraq to divide a small neutral zone on the border of the two states, which was implemented in 1987. Another agreement was signed with Qatar to demarcate the border until 1998. In 1996, the division of the neutral zone was carried out borders with Kuwait, but both countries continue to share oil and other natural resources in this district. Border issues with Yemen have not yet been resolved.

Saudi Arabia is divided into Hijaz on the Red Sea coast, Najd in the central part of the peninsula, Al Hasa on the Persian Gulf coast and the small Asir region in the southwest. total area countries 2.15 million sq. km, population - 18.8 million people (1997). The capital Riyadh is located in Najd.

Saudi Arabia occupies almost 80% of the Arabian Peninsula.

Population

According to the first census conducted in 1974, the population of Saudi Arabia was 7.013 million. Most of the population lived in rural areas and small towns Hijaz and Asir, as well as in the oases and cities of Najd and Al-Hasa. Only a small part of the country's population belongs to the true nomads, the Bedouins.

Arab nomads inhabiting desert areas roam between pastures and oases in search of food and water. Their traditional home is tents woven from black sheep and goat wool. Sedentary Arabs are characterized by dwellings made of sun-dried bricks, whitewashed or painted with ocher. Slums, once quite common, have now become rare thanks to government housing policies.

The staple foods of the Arabs are mutton, lamb, chicken and game, seasoned with rice and raisins. Common dishes include soups and stews cooked with onions and lentils. A lot of fruits are eaten, especially dates and figs, as well as nuts and vegetables. A popular drink is coffee. Camel, sheep and goat milk is consumed. Sheep's milk ghee (dahn) is commonly used for cooking.

Bedouins inhabit mainly the northern and eastern regions of the country. The overwhelming majority of the population are Arabs, most of whom have retained their tribal organization.

Saudi Arabia is home to several thousand Americans and Europeans, most of them employed in the oil industry. Saudi Arabia also employs more than 5 million foreign workers, mostly from Arab countries, such as Egypt and Yemen.

The population of the country's capital, Riyadh (since 1984, the seat of diplomatic missions), amounted to almost 2.5 million inhabitants in 1998, mainly Saudis, as well as Egyptians, Palestinians, citizens of other Arab, Asian and Western countries. The population of Mecca is about 1 million inhabitants and is distinguished by its colorful national composition. The population of Medina has the same composition (750 thousand people).

Jeddah, the main port of the Hijaz, has a population of 2 million. Jeddah is the most important business center of Saudi Arabia. Until 1984, diplomatic missions of foreign countries were located here. On east coast On the Arabian Peninsula, on the shores of the Persian Gulf, there are ports such as Dammam, Dhahran (Ez-Zahran), Al-Khobar and Al-Jubail. Their population consists of representatives of various Arab countries, including the Gulf countries, Indians, as well as people from North America and Europe.

State and religion

Saudi Arabia is the center of the Islamic world. Here are the two holy cities of Muslims - Mecca and Medina, respectively the birthplace and burial place of the Prophet Muhammad.

The majority of Saudis (85%) are Sunni. Shiites, living mainly in the east, in Al Hasa, make up about 15% of the population.

Saudi Arabia, especially the area around Riyadh, is the center of Wahhabism, a puritanical religious and political movement in Islam that rose to prominence in the second half of the 18th century. Wahhabis are the guardians of sacred places, under their control the pilgrimage to Mecca takes place.

State structure Saudi Arabia is an absolute theocratic monarchy. The head of state is the king (malik), who is also the religious leader of the country (imam), is the head of the ruling Saudi dynasty and bears the ancient honorary title of “guardian of the two holy mosques.”

The Royal Decree of 1992 introduced the “Fundamentals of the System of Government”, based on the provisions of Islamic law. The basis of the country's government is Sharia.

The king rules the country through decrees. He has an Advisory Council consisting of scientists, writers, businessmen and prominent members of the royal family. This Council, first assembled in 1993 and representing the first public forum in the history of Saudi Arabia, consists of a chairman and 60 members appointed by the king for a term of four years. In 1997, the number of the Council was increased to 90 people. The reports and recommendations of the Council are presented directly to the king.

The Council of Ministers is appointed by the king, who heads it. This body combines both executive and legislative functions. All its decisions are made by a majority vote and are subject to final approval by the king. The most important ministries are usually headed by representatives of the royal family.

The actual structure of monarchical power in Saudi Arabia is somewhat different from how it is presented in theory. To a large extent, the king's power rests on the Al Saud family, which consists of more than 5 thousand people and forms the basis of the monarchical system in the country. The king rules based on the advice of leading members of the family, in particular his brothers. His relations with religious leaders are built on the same basis.

Army

Since the 1970s, Saudi Arabia has spent enormous amounts of money expanding and modernizing its military. After the Gulf War in 1991, Saudi Arabia's armed forces were further expanded and equipped with the latest weapons, much of which came from the United States. In the mid-1990s, they numbered about 70 thousand military personnel. About 40,000 more are part of the highly trained National Guard, which has its own command and separate budget.

In 1997, the armed forces of Saudi Arabia numbered 105.5 thousand people, including 70 thousand in ground forces, 13.5 thousand in navy, 18 thousand in the air force and 4 thousand in the air defense forces. The total strength of the National Guard was about 77 thousand people. The share of defense and security expenditures in the 1997 budget was 37.5%.

The meaning of oil

The start of oil production completely changed the country's economy and ensured its rapid growth. The impetus for the country's rapid development was the creation of a network of roads, ports and communications, as well as demographic changes due to the development of medical care and education. For example, a road network was built to connect vast arid areas located in remote parts of the country.

The communications networks in Saudi Arabia are considered the most advanced in the entire region.

The largest holder of oil concessions and the main oil producer is the Arabian American Oil Company (ARAMCO). Since the early 1970s, it has been under the control of the Saudi Arabian government, and before that it was entirely owned by a consortium of American companies.

The company received a concession in 1933 and began exporting oil in 1938. Second World War interrupted the development of the oil industry, which resumed in 1943 with the start of construction of an oil refinery at the oil port of Ras Tannura.

Other smaller companies also produce oil, such as the Japanese Arabian Oil Company, which operates offshore near the Kuwait border, and the Getty Oil Company, which produces onshore near the Kuwait border. In 1996, Saudi Arabia's quota, determined by OPEC, was about 1.17 million tons per day. The largest oil fields are located in the eastern part of the country, on the coast of the Persian Gulf or on the shelf.

The most important factor in the development of the oil industry is the close and mutually beneficial relationship that has developed between ARAMCO and Saudi Arabia. ARAMCO's activities contributed to the influx of qualified personnel into the country and the creation of new jobs for Saudis.

Significant changes in the relationship between oil companies and the government of Saudi Arabia began in 1972. In accordance with the agreement signed by the parties, the government received 25% of ARAMCO's assets. It was established that Saudi Arabia's share would gradually increase to 51% by 1982. However, in 1974 the government accelerated this process and acquired ownership of 60% of ARAMCO shares.

In 1976, oil companies promised to transfer all ARAMCO properties to Saudi Arabia. In 1980, all ARAMCO property was transferred to the Saudi Arabian government. In 1984, a citizen of Saudi Arabia became the president of the company for the first time. Since 1980, the government of Saudi Arabia began to determine oil prices and production volumes itself, and oil companies received rights to develop oil fields as government subcontractors.

The growth in oil production was accompanied by a significant increase in revenues from its sales.

How did this state appear?

The roots of the state structure of the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia lie in the religious reform movement of the mid-10th-3rd centuries, called Wahhabism.

It was founded by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1703-1792) and supported by Muhammad ibn Saud, the leader of the Anaiza tribe, who inhabited the Diriyyah region in Central Najd. Ibn Saud and Ibn Abd al-Wahhab managed to unite the tribes of Najd into a religious and political confederation, the purpose of which was to spread the Wahhabi teachings and the power of the Saudis throughout the entire Arabian Peninsula. Muhammad ibn Saud's son, Abd al-Aziz (r. 1765-1803), took the title of imam, which meant the unification in his hands of both secular and spiritual power.

Under his leadership, and under his son Saud (ruled 1803-1814), the Wahhabis conquered Central and Eastern Arabia, invaded Iraq, Syria and Oman, and devastated the Hijaz. In the second decade of the 19th century. they were defeated by the Pasha of Egypt Muhammad Ali, and in 1818 Ibrahim Pasha, the son of Muhammad Ali, destroyed Ed-Diriya. However, over the next few years, the Wahhabis, under the leadership of Imam Turki (ruled 1824-1834), managed to recover from defeat, found a new capital, Riyadh, near Diriyah, and restore Saudi rule over Najd and Al-Hasa.

In 1837-1840, the Wahhabis were again defeated by Muhammad Ali, but they managed to regain their position under the leadership of Turki's son, Faisal (ruled 1834-1838, 1843-1865). Over the next three decades they played a leading role in the political life of Central and Eastern Arabia. The power struggle between the Saudis allowed the Turks to capture Al-Hasa in 1871, and over the next few years the Saudis were overshadowed by the rival Rashidid dynasty from the independent emirate of Shammar.

In 1890, the Rashidids captured Riyadh and forced the Saudis to flee to remote areas and leave the country.

The power of the Saudi dynasty was restored by Abd al-Aziz ibn Saud (reigned 1902-1953), later known as Ibn Saud, who returned from exile in 1901-1902 and restored his power in Riyadh. Later he managed to expel the Rashidids from Najd. In 1913 he drove the Turks out of Al-Hasa.

During the First World War, he managed to further strengthen his position by concluding an agreement with the government of British India in December 1915, according to which he was recognized as the ruler of Najd, Al-Hasa and the annexed territories. After the war, Ibn Saud defeated the Rashidids and annexed Shammar in 1921. A year later, he concluded a series of agreements with Great Britain that established borders with Kuwait and Iraq.

In 1924 after liquidation Ottoman Empire and the proclamation of the Turkish Republic, Hussein accepted the title of Caliph of all Muslims. Accusing him of unbelief, the Ikhwan invaded the Hejaz in August of the same year and captured Mecca in October, and Hussein was forced to abdicate in favor of his son Ali. A year later, after the surrender of Medina and Jeddah to Ibn Saud, Ali also abdicated the throne. With the help of the Ikhwans, Asir, a territory located between the Hijaz and North Yemen, was brought under the control of Ibn Saud. In 1927, under a new treaty with Great Britain, in which, unlike the previous treaty of 1915, provisions limiting the independence of the state of Ibn Saud were omitted, he was recognized as the king of the Hejaz and the Sultan of Najd.

Five years later in 1932, Ibn Saud changed the name of his state to a new one - the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which was recognized by world powers as an independent state.

Throughout the subsequent period of Ibn Saud's reign, internal problems did not present any particular difficulties for him. At the same time, the kingdom's external relations developed ambiguously. The excesses of the Ikhwan led to the alienation of Saudi Arabia from the majority Muslim government, which considered the Saudi regime hostile and resented the complete control established by the Wahhabis over holy cities and hajj. There was mutual hostility between Ibn Saud and the Hashemite rulers of Iraq and Transjordan - the sons of Hussein, whom he overthrew. Ibn Saud’s relationship with the king of Egypt, whom he suspected of wanting to revive the caliphate and declare himself caliph, could hardly be called warm. In February 1934, Ibn Saud went to war with the Imam of Yemen over the demarcation of the Yemeni-Saudi border. Hostilities ceased after the signing of an agreement in May 1934.

Border problems also occurred in the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula after Ibn Saud granted an oil concession to Standard Oil of California in 1933. Negotiations with Great Britain over the demarcation of borders with neighboring British protectorates and possessions - Qatar, Trucial Oman, Muscat and Oman and the Eastern Protectorate of Aden - ended in failure. Meanwhile, the California Arabian Standard Oil Company, a subsidiary of Standard Oil of California, discovered oil in Al-Hasa.

During the war, Saudi Arabia remained neutral. Subsequently, the United States received the right to build a military air base in Dhahran, in Al-Has, where the headquarters of the ARAMCO company, the former CASOKOLO, was located. At the end of the war, oil production increased significantly, and its exploration continued.

Ibn Saud died in November 1953. All subsequent rulers of Saudi Arabia were the sons of Ibn Saud.

The full scale of the changes caused by the huge revenues from oil exports appeared already during the reign of Ibn Saud's successor, his second son Saud (b. 1902). Mismanagement of the kingdom's finances and inconsistent domestic and foreign policies led to a crisis of governance in 1958, as a result of which Saud was forced to hand over the entire executive power to his brother Faisal.

Faisal was appointed prime minister. Under him, a permanent cabinet was formed, which was the most important innovation in the structure of power. In 1960-1962, Saud regained direct control of the government, once again taking the post of prime minister. But already in October 1964 he was removed by members of the royal family, whose decision was confirmed by a fatwa, a decree of the Council of Ulema. Faisal was proclaimed king. The new king retained the post of prime minister. This practice continued under his successors.

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Saudi Arabia's relations with its Arab neighbors improved somewhat, which was a consequence of the creation of the state of Israel and the growing hostility towards it from Arab countries.

The determination of Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser to remove from power any government that stood in the way of the unification of Arab countries made Saudi Arabia after 1960 his main target of attacks. Beginning in 1962, for five years, Saudi Arabia provided assistance to the deposed imam of North Yemen, while Egypt sent troops there and provided assistance to the republicans. Although the threat from Abdel Nasser diminished after the withdrawal of Egyptian troops from South Yemen in 1967 as a consequence of Egypt's defeat in the Arab-Israeli War, Saudi Arabia faced another challenge, the revolutionary regime in the People's Republic of South Yemen.

On the Arabian Peninsula, Faisal faced a threat from subversive organizations supported by the People's Democratic Republic Yemen (South Yemen). Saudi Arabia's problems worsened after the end of British protectorate over the Gulf principalities in 1971. Before leaving the area, the British government tried to persuade the local rulers to unite into a federation and reach an agreement with Saudi Arabia on the issue of a common border.

The Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation concluded between the Soviet Union and Iraq in 1972 increased Faisal's fears and pushed him to attempt unification neighboring countries into the anti-revolutionary coalition. Like the government of North Yemen (Yemen Arab Republic, YAR), where moderate Republicans came to power after 1967, Faisal supported thousands of southern Yemenis who fled after 1967 to YAR and Saudi Arabia.

After the Arab-Israeli war in October 1973, Faisal initiated the Arab oil embargo against Western countries, incl. The United States, in order to force them to pursue a more balanced policy regarding the Arab-Israeli conflict. Arab solidarity contributed to a fourfold increase in oil prices and an increase in the prosperity of Arab oil-producing states.

On March 25, 1975, King Faisal was assassinated by one of his nephews during a reception. His brother Khaled (1913-1982) ascended the throne. Due to Khaled's poor health, much of the power was transferred to Crown Prince Fahd (b. 1922).

The new government continued Faisal's conservative policies, increasing spending on the development of transport, industry and education. After 1974, Saudi Arabia made efforts to reduce the rise in world oil prices. The Saudi government opposed the Egyptian-Israeli peace accords concluded in 1978-1979, adhering to the common Arab position that they represented a separate peace that destroyed hope for a comprehensive resolution of the Arab-Israeli differences. Saudi Arabia could not stay away from the rising tide of Islamic fundamentalism that followed the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1978-1979.

Tensions in Saudi society were exposed in November 1979 when armed Muslim opposition fighters seized Mecca's main mosque. The mosque was liberated by Saudi troops after two weeks of fighting in which more than 200 people were killed. The armed rebellion led by Juhayman al-Otaiba represented the first open rebellion against the monarchy in the country since the founding of the third Saudi state in 1932.

Unrest also occurred among Shiites living in the eastern regions (Al-Hasa). In response to these speeches, Crown Prince Fahd announced plans in early 1980 to create an Advisory Council, which, however, was not formed until 1993.

King Khaled died in 1982 and was succeeded by his brother Fahd. In August 1990, shortly after Iraq's occupation of neighboring Kuwait, Fahd authorized the deployment of significant US military forces to Saudi Arabia to defend the country against the increased military threat from Iraq. A multinational force consisting of Saudi Arabia, the United States, and other Western, Arab and Muslim countries managed to oust Iraqi troops from Kuwait in early 1991 and thereby eliminate the immediate threat to Saudi Arabia. After the Gulf War, the Saudi Arabian government came under intense pressure from fundamentalists who demanded political reforms, strict adherence to Sharia law, and the withdrawal of Western, especially American, troops from the sacred land of Arabia.

Petitions were sent to King Fahd calling for greater government powers, greater public participation in political life, and greater economic justice.

These actions were followed by the creation in May 1993 of the Committee for the Protection of Legal Rights. However, the government soon banned this organization, and King Fahd demanded that the fundamentalists stop anti-government agitation.

It is believed that Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda was formed precisely from the meringue of these fundamentalist organizations.

The roots of the state structure of the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia lie in the religious reform movement of the mid-10th-3rd centuries, called Wahhabism.

In 1890, the Rashidids captured Riyadh and forced the Saudis to flee to remote areas and leave the country.

In 1924, after the liquidation of the Ottoman Empire and the proclamation of the Turkish Republic, Hussein accepted the title of Caliph of all Muslims. Accusing him of unbelief, the Ikhwan invaded the Hejaz in August of the same year and captured Mecca in October, and Hussein was forced to abdicate in favor of his son Ali. A year later, after the surrender of Medina and Jeddah to Ibn Saud, Ali also abdicated the throne. With the help of the Ikhwans, Asir, a territory located between the Hijaz and North Yemen, was brought under the control of Ibn Saud. In 1927, under a new treaty with Great Britain, in which, unlike the previous treaty of 1915, provisions limiting the independence of the state of Ibn Saud were omitted, he was recognized as the king of the Hejaz and the Sultan of Najd.

Five years later in 1932, Ibn Saud changed the name of his state to a new one - the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which was recognized by world powers as an independent state.

Throughout the subsequent period of Ibn Saud's reign, internal problems did not present any particular difficulties for him. At the same time, the kingdom's external relations developed ambiguously. The excesses of the Ikhwan led to the alienation of Saudi Arabia from the majority Muslim government, which considered the Saudi regime hostile and resented the complete control the Wahhabis established over the holy cities and the hajj. There was mutual hostility between Ibn Saud and the Hashemite rulers of Iraq and Transjordan - the sons of Hussein, whom he overthrew. Ibn Saud’s relationship with the king of Egypt, whom he suspected of wanting to revive the caliphate and declare himself caliph, could hardly be called warm. In February 1934, Ibn Saud went to war with the Imam of Yemen over the demarcation of the Yemeni-Saudi border. Hostilities ceased after the signing of an agreement in May 1934.

Ibn Saud died in November 1953. All subsequent rulers of Saudi Arabia were the sons of Ibn Saud.

The full scale of the changes caused by the huge revenues from oil exports appeared already during the reign of Ibn Saud's successor, his second son Saud (b. 1902). Mismanagement of the kingdom's finances and inconsistent domestic and foreign policies led to a crisis of governance in 1958, as a result of which Saud was forced to transfer full executive power to his brother Faisal.

In the Arabian Peninsula, Faisal faced a threat from subversive organizations supported by the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (South Yemen). Saudi Arabia's problems worsened after the end of British protectorate over the Gulf principalities in 1971. Before leaving the area, the British government tried to persuade the local rulers to unite into a federation and reach an agreement with Saudi Arabia on the issue of a common border.

The Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation concluded between the Soviet Union and Iraq in 1972 increased Faisal's fears and pushed him to try to unite neighboring countries into an anti-revolutionary coalition. Like the government of North Yemen (Yemen Arab Republic, YAR), where moderate Republicans came to power after 1967, Faisal supported thousands of southern Yemenis who fled after 1967 to YAR and Saudi Arabia.

Petitions were sent to King Fahd calling for greater government powers, greater public participation in political life, and greater economic justice.

It is believed that Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda was formed precisely from the meringue of these fundamentalist organizations.

The eastern parts of what is now Saudi Arabia were settled in the fourth and fifth millennium by people from southern Iraq. The Nabattine Empire was the greatest of the early empires, stretching to Damascus in the first century BC.

In the early 18th century, the Al Sauds, the current ruling dynasty of Saudi Arabia, became sheikhs in the Dirayah oasis, near modern Riyadh. In the mid-18th century, they teamed up with Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab to create Wahhabism, a religious movement harkening back to the origins of Islam, which is now the main religion of Saudi Arabia. By 1806, Wahhabi armies had captured most present-day Saudi Arabia and southern parts of Iraq.

This situation was not supported in Constantinople, since in theory West Side Arabia was part of the Ottoman Empire. In 1812, the empire regained western Arabia, but by the end of the 19th century the Al Sauds retreated to Kuwait, where they received refuge. From here, one of the great leaders of the Al-Sauds, Ibn Saud, using all imaginable and unimaginable means, was able to return Riyadh, and in 1925, Jeddah.

In 1939, Chevron discovered oil fields in Saudi Arabia, but when World War II began, oil production fell significantly. By the 1950s rulers earned up to $1,000,000 weekly from oil production, and by the 1960s. The country received 80% of its income from oil sales. Due to the Arab oil embargo of 1973-74. oil prices quadrupled and Saudi Arabia became something of a world leader. While the government was raking in money, Saudi Arabia began a construction boom. But oil attracted many interested countries, and Saudi Arabia's relations with its neighbors began to deteriorate sharply. The massacre of 400 Iranian hajj pilgrims in 1987 led Iran to boycott the Mecca pilgrimage for several years.

When Iraq occupied Kuwait in 1990, the Arabians became nervous and asked the United States to send troops to protect Saudi Arabia. Although Arabia was not invaded, the crisis led to political changes and in 1993 the king established an advisory council whose members were appointed by the king and could comment on proposed laws.

The days of easy oil money are over, the country's population is rapidly increasing (the average Saudi woman gives birth to six children) and the kingdom is ruled by an aging King Fahd, who faces these intractable problems. In 1999, this inaccessible country hosted its first expensive tour. But still, for an ordinary traveler, getting into the country is almost impossible. Only Muslims making pilgrimages to Mecca or Medina and those lucky ones who can receive an invitation from a citizen of Saudi Arabia can count on obtaining a visa.

Plan
Introduction
1 Founding of the Arab Caliphate
2 Conquest by the Ottoman Empire
3 First Saudi State
4 Second Saudi State
5 Third Saudi State
Bibliography

Introduction

History of Saudi Arabia

First King of Saudi Arabia Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud

Historical region The Arabian Peninsula, which today is occupied by western Saudi Arabia, is generally called the Hijaz. From the 1st century, Jewish settlements were founded on these lands. Some information indicates the possibility of the existence in part of the Hijaz already at the end of the 4th century of a kingdom inhabited by Jews and Arabs who converted to Judaism. The Arab tribes were essentially vassals of the largest Jewish tribes, Banu Nadir and Banu Quraiza. At the beginning of the 7th century, an agreement was signed between Jews and Arabs led by Muhammad, which enabled Muhammad to move to Yathrib, later named Medinat an-Nabi (Medina). He failed to convert local Jews to Islam, and after some time relations between Arabs and Jews became openly hostile.

1. Founding of the Arab Caliphate

In 632, the Arab Caliphate was founded with its capital in Mecca, covering almost the entire territory of the Arabian Peninsula. By the time of the reign of the second caliph Omar ibn Khattab (634), all Jews were expelled from the Hijaz. The rule dates back to this time according to which non-Muslims do not have the right to live in the Hijaz, and today in Medina and Mecca. As a result of conquests by the 9th century, the Arab state spread over the entire Middle East, Persia, Central Asia, Transcaucasia, North Africa, as well as Southern Europe.

2. Conquest by the Ottoman Empire

In the 15th century, Turkish rule began to establish itself in Arabia. By 1574, the Ottoman Empire, led by Sultan Selim II, finally conquered the Arabian Peninsula. Taking advantage of the weak political will of Sultan Mahmud I (1730-1754), the Arabs began to make their first attempts to build their own statehood. The most influential Arab families in the Hejaz at that time were the Sauds and the Rashidis.

3. First Saudi State

The origins of the Saudi state began in 1744 in the central region of the Arabian Peninsula. The local ruler, Muhammad ibn Saud, and the founder of Wahhabism, Muhammad Abdel-Wahhab, united against the Ottoman Empire with the goal of creating a single powerful state. This alliance, concluded in the 18th century, marked the beginning of the Saudi dynasty that still rules today. After some time, the young state came under pressure from the Ottoman Empire, concerned about the strengthening of the Arabs on its southern borders. In 1817, the Ottoman Sultan sent troops under the command of Muhammad Ali Pasha to the Arabian Peninsula, which defeated the relatively weak army of Imam Abdullah. Thus, the First Saudi State lasted 73 years.

4. Second Saudi State

Despite the fact that the Turks managed to destroy the beginnings of Arab statehood, just 7 years later (in 1824) the Second Saudi State was founded with its capital in Riyadh. This state existed for 67 years and was destroyed by the long-time enemies of the Saudis - the Rashidi dynasty, originally from Ha'il. The Saud family was forced to flee to Kuwait.

5. Third Saudi State

In 1902, 22-year-old Abdel Aziz from the Saud family captured Riyadh, killing the governor from the Rashidi family. In 1904, the Rashidis turned to the Ottoman Empire for help. They brought in their troops, but this time they were defeated and left. In 1912, Abdel Aziz captured the entire Najd region. In 1920, using the material support of the British, Abdel Aziz finally defeated Rashidi. In 1925 Mecca was captured. On January 10, 1926, Abdul Aziz al-Saud was declared king of the Kingdom of Hejaz. A few years later, Abdel Aziz captured almost the entire Arabian Peninsula, and the kingdom of Nejd and Hejaz was formed. On September 23, 1932, Najd and Hejaz were united into one state, called Saudi Arabia. Abdulaziz himself became the king of Saudi Arabia.

In March 1938, colossal oil fields were discovered in Saudi Arabia. Due to the outbreak of World War II, their development began only in 1946, and by 1949 the country already had a well-established oil industry. Oil became the source of wealth and prosperity for the state.

The first king of Saudi Arabia pursued a rather isolationist policy. Under him, the country never became a member of the League of Nations. Before his death in 1953, he left the country only 3 times. However, in 1945 Saudi Arabia was among the founders of the UN and the Arab League.

Abdel Aziz was succeeded by his son Saud. His ill-conceived domestic policies led to a coup d'etat in the country, Saud fled to Europe, and power passed into the hands of his brother Faisal. Faisal made a huge contribution to the development of the country. Under him, the volume of oil production increased many times over, which made it possible to carry out a number of social reforms in the country and create a modern infrastructure. In 1973, by removing Saudi oil from all trading platforms, Faisal provoked an energy crisis in the West. His radicalism was not understood by everyone, and 2 years later Faisal was shot and killed by his own nephew. After his death, under King Khalid, Saudi Arabia's foreign policy became more moderate. After Khalid, the throne was inherited by his brother Fahd, and in 2005 by Abdullah.

Notes

Saudi Arabia in topics

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Portal "Saudi Arabia"

“The land of two mosques” (Mecca and Medina) is another name for Saudi Arabia. The form of government of this state is an absolute monarchy. Geographical information, Short story and information about the political structure of Saudi Arabia will help to get a general idea of this country.

General information

Saudi Arabia is the largest state on the Arabian Peninsula. In the north it borders with Iraq, Kuwait and Jordan, in the east with the UAE and Qatar, in the southeast with Oman, and in the south with Yemen. It owns more than 80 percent of the peninsula's territory, as well as several islands in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea.

More than half of the country's territory is occupied by the Rub al-Khali desert. In addition, in the north there is part of the Syrian Desert, and in the south there is An-Nafud - another big desert. The plateau in the center of the country is crossed by several rivers, which usually dry up during the hot season.

Saudi Arabia is exceptionally rich in oil. The government partly invests profits from the sale of “black gold” in the development of the country, partly invests in industrialized countries and uses it to provide loans to other Arab powers.

The form of government of Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy. Islam is recognized as the state religion. Arabic is the official language.

The name of the country was given by the ruling dynasty - the Saudis. Its capital is the city of Riyadh. The country's population is 22.7 million, predominantly Arab.

Early history of Arabia

In the first millennium BC, the Minaan kingdom was located on the shores of the Red Sea. On the east coast was Dilmun, which was considered a political-cultural federation in the region.

In 570, an event occurred that determined the future fate of the Arabian Peninsula - Muhammad, the future prophet, was born in Mecca. His teaching literally turned the history of these lands upside down and subsequently influenced the peculiarities of the form of government of Saudi Arabia and the culture of the country.

The prophet's followers, known as caliphs (caliphs), conquered almost all the territories of the Middle East, bringing Islam. However, with the advent of the caliphate, the capital of which was first Damascus, and later Baghdad, the significance of the prophet’s homeland gradually lost importance. At the end of the 13th century, the territory of Saudi Arabia was almost entirely under Egyptian rule, and two and a half centuries later these lands were transferred to the Ottoman Porte.

The emergence of Saudi Arabia

In the middle of the 17th century, the state of Najd appeared, which managed to achieve independence from the Porte. In the middle XIX century Riyadh became its capital. But Civil War, which broke out a few years later, led to the fact that the weakened country was divided among neighboring powers.

In 1902, the son of the sheikh of the Dirayah oasis, Abdul Aziz ibn Saud, managed to take Riyadh. Four years later, almost all of Najd was under his control. In 1932, emphasizing the special importance of the royal house in history, he officially gave the country the name Saudi Arabia. The state's form of government allowed the Saudis to gain ground on its territory.

Since the middle of the last century, this state has become the main ally and strategic partner of the United States in the Middle East region.

Saudi Arabia: form of government

The Constitution of this state officially proclaims the Koran and Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad. However, in Saudi Arabia, the form of government and general principles of authority are determined by the Basic Nizam (law), which came into force in 1992.

This act contains a provision that Saudi Arabia is a sovereign system of government in which it is monarchical. country is based on Sharia law.

The king of the ruling Saudi family is also the religious leader and the highest authority over all forms of authority. At the same time, he holds the post of Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the army, has the right to make appointments to all important civil and military posts, and to declare war in the country. He also ensures that the overall political direction is consistent with Islamic norms and monitors the implementation of Sharia principles.

Government departments

Executive power in the state is exercised by the Council of Ministers. The king holds the post of its chairman, and it is he who is responsible for its formation and reorganization. The Nizams, approved by the Council of Ministers, implement royal decrees. Ministers head the relevant ministries and departments, for the activities of which they are responsible to the king.

It is also carried out by the king, under whom an Advisory Council with advisory rights operates. The members of this council express their opinions on the Nizam's projects adopted by the ministers. The Chairman of the Advisory Council and sixty of its members are also appointed by the King (for four years).

The Supreme Judicial Council is at the head of the judiciary. On the recommendation of this council, the king appoints and dismisses judges.

Saudi Arabia, form of government and government system which is based on the almost absolute power of the king and reverence for the Islamic religion, officially has neither trade unions nor political parties. Serving a religion other than Islam is also prohibited here.