The Saudi Arabian state was first established in the central region
of the Arabian Peninsula in the early 18th Century. King Abdul Aziz
Bin Abdul Rahman Al –Saud founded modern Saudi Arabia in 1932.
Geographically, Saudi Arabia is divided into four major regions. The
Central region is a high country in the heart of the Kingdom where
the capital, Riyadh, is located. The Western region lies along the
Rea Sea. Jeddah, Makkah and Medina are all located in this region.
The Eastern region is richest of all the regions in petroleum. Dammam,
Al-kobar are located in this region and borders Bahrain. A causeway
across the sea links Bahrain and Al-Kobar. The Southern Region is
located in the southern Red Sea-Yemen border area.
Total population including all expatriates is approximately 17 million
of which 12 million are Saudi nationals. Islam, one of the world’s
great monotheistic religions, has Saudi Arabia as its heartland. The
followers of Islam, called Muslims, believe in God, - in Arabic, Allah
- and Muhammad is His Prophet. Historically, Saudi Arabia has occupied
a special place in the Islamic world, for it is towards Makkah and
Islam’s most sacred shrine, the Ka’abah, located in the
holy Mosque in Makkah, that Muslims throughout the world turn devoutly
in prayer five times a day. During the month of Hadjj and Ramadan,
millions of Muslims from the world over visit Makakh and Medina on
pilgrimage.
Liquor and drugs are prohibited in Saudi Arabia. Persons caught
with liquor are liable for punishment and deportation. Possessions
of drugs are a serious offence resulting in death penalty.
Custom duties are not imposed on personal items brought by
individuals arriving to the Kingdom. Alcoholic drinks as well as pig
meat and its derivatives are prohibited.
Citizens of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar
and the UAE do not require visa for entry into Saudi Arabia. All
other persons require a valid visa. There are two types of visas:
entry visa and transit visa.
GMT +3
Arabic is the main language in Saudi Arabia. English is spoken sparingly
throughout the Kingdom. All government correspondence is only in
Arabic.
110 volts 60 cycles A.C.
+966
Driving is on the right side of the road. An International
Driving Permit is required.
1 Saudi riyal (Sr) = 100 halalas
Notes are in denominations of 01, 05, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500.
Exchange rate US $1 = Sr 3.74 (August 2002)
Since 198.1 the Saudi riyal has been effectively pegged to the US
dollar - the intervention currency - reflecting the overriding importance
of the oil sector.
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