Saudi Arabia
Bureau of Near Eastern
Affairs
June
2007
Background Note: Saudi
Arabia
Flag of Saudi Arabia is green, with white Arabic script above a
white horizontal saber
whose tip points to the hoist
side.
PROFILE
OFFICIAL
NAME:
Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia
Geography
Area: 1,960,582 sq. km. (784,233 sq. mi.), slightly more than
one-fifth the size of the continental United
States.
Cities (2006 est.): Capital--Riyadh (pop. 4.3 million). Other
cities--Jeddah (3.4 million), Makkah, (1.6 million),
Dammam/Khobar/Dhahran, (1.6 million). Terrain: Primarily desert
with rugged mountains in the
southwest.
Climate: Arid, with great extremes of temperature in the interior;
humidity and temperature are both high along the
coast.
People
Nationality: Noun--Saudi(s). Adjective--Saudi Arabian or
Saudi.
Population (2007 est.): 27.6 million (22.0 million Saudis, 5.6
million foreign
nationals).
Annual growth rate: (2007 est.):
2.06%.
Ethnic groups: Arab (90% of native pop.), Afro-Asian (10% of native
pop.). Religion:
Islam.
Language: Arabic
(official).
Education: Literacy--Total: 78.8% (male 84.7%, female
70.8%).
Health: Infant mortality rate (2007 est.)--12.4/1,000. Life
expectancy--male 74 years, female 78
years.
Work force: 6.76 million, about 35% foreign workers (2005
est.);
industry--25%; services (including government)--63%;
agriculture--12%.
Government
Type: Monarchy with Council of Ministers and Consultative
Council.
Unification: September 23,
1932.
Constitution: The Holy Qur'an (governed according to Islamic law),
Shari'a, and the Basic
Law.
Branches: Executive--King (chief of state and head of
government).
Legislative--a Consultative Council with advisory powers was formed
September 1993. Judicial--Supreme Council of Justice, Islamic Courts
of First Instance and
Appeals.
Administrative divisions: 13
provinces.
Political parties:
None.
Economy
GDP (2006 est.): $374
billion.
Annual growth rate (2006 est.):
5.9%.
Per capita GDP (2006 est.):
$13,800.
Natural resources: Hydrocarbons, gold, uranium, bauxite, coal,
iron, phosphate,
tungsten, zinc, silver,
copper.
Agriculture: Products--dates, grains, livestock, vegetables.
Arable
land--1.76%.
Industry: Types--petroleum, petrochemicals, cement, fertilizer,
light
industry.
Trade (2006 est.): Exports--$204.5 billion: petroleum and petroleum
products. Imports--$64.16 billion: manufactured goods, transportation
equipment, clothing and textiles,
processed food products. Major trading partners--U.S., Japan, South
Korea, China, Germany, U.K., France, Italy
(2005).
PEOPLE
Saudi Arabia's 2007 population was estimated to be about 27.6
million, including about 5.6
million resident foreigners. Until the 1960s, most of the population
was nomadic or seminomadic; due to rapid economic and
urban growth, more than 95% of
the population now is settled. Some cities and oases have densities of
more than 1,000 people per square kilometer (2,600 per sq.
mi).
Saudi Arabia is known as the birthplace of Islam, which in the
century following Muhammad's
death in 632 A.D. spread west to Spain and east to
India. Islam obliges all Muslims to make the Hajj, or pilgrimage to
Makkah, at least once during their lifetime if they are able to
do so. The cultural environment in Saudi Arabia is highly
conservative; the country adheres to a strict interpretation of
Islamic religious law (Shari'a).
Cultural
presentations must conform to narrowly defined standards of ethics. Men
and women are not permitted to attend public events together
and are segregated in the work
place.
Most Saudis are ethnically Arab. Some are of mixed ethnic origin and
are descended from Turks, Iranians,
Indonesians, Indians, Africans, and others, most of whom
immigrated as pilgrims and reside in the Hijaz region along the Red
Sea coast. Many Arabs from nearby countries are employed in the kingdom.
There also are significant numbers of Asian expatriates mostly from
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the
Philippines. There are less than 100,000 Westerners
in Saudi
Arabia.
HISTORY
Except for a few major cities and oases, the harsh climate
historically prevented much settlement
of the Arabian Peninsula. People of
various cultures have lived
in the peninsula over a span of more than 5,000 years.
The Dilmun culture, along the Gulf coast, was contemporaneous with
the Sumerians and ancient
Egyptians, and most of the empires of the ancient world traded with
the states of the
peninsula.
The Saudi state began in central Arabia in about 1750. A local
ruler, Muhammad bin Saud,
joined forces with an Islamic reformer, Muhammad
Abd Al-Wahhab, to create a new
political entity. Over the next 150 years, the
fortunes of the Saud family rose and fell several times as Saudi
rulers contended with Egypt, the
Ottoman Empire, and other Arabian families for
control on the peninsula. The modern Saudi state was founded by the
late King Abdul Aziz Al Saud (known internationally as Ibn Saud). In
1902, Abdul Aziz recaptured Riyadh, the Al Saud dynasty's
ancestral capital, from the rival Al-Rashid family.
Continuing his conquests, Abdul Aziz subdued Al-Hasa, the rest
of Nejd, and the Hijaz between 1913 and 1926. In 1932, these
regions were unified as the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia.
Boundaries with Jordan, Iraq, and Kuwait were established by a series
of treaties negotiated in the 1920s, with two
"neutral zones"--one with Iraq and the other with Kuwait--created. The
Saudi-Kuwaiti neutral zone
was
administratively partitioned in 1971, with each state continuing to share
the petroleum resources of the former zone equally. Tentative
agreement on the partition of the Saudi-Iraqi neutral
zone was reached in 1981, and partition was finalized by 1983. The
country's southern boundary with Yemen
was partially defined by
the 1934 Treaty of Taif, which ended a brief border war between the
two states. A June 2000 treaty further delineated portions of the
boundary with Yemen. The location and status of Saudi Arabia's boundary with
the United Arab Emirates is not final; a de facto boundary reflects a
1974 agreement. The border between Saudi Arabia and Qatar
was resolved in March 2001. The border with Oman also is
not
demarcated.
King Abdul Aziz died in 1953 and was succeeded by his eldest son,
Saud, who reigned for 11 years. In 1964, Saud abdicated in
favor of his half-brother, Faisal, who had served as Foreign
Minister. Because of fiscal difficulties, King Saud had been
persuaded in 1958 to delegate direct conduct of Saudi
Government affairs to Faisal as Prime Minister; Saud briefly regained
control of the government in 1960-62. In October 1962, Faisal outlined
a broad reform program, stressing economic development. Proclaimed
King in 1964 by senior royal family members and religious
leaders, Faisal also continued to serve as Prime Minister. This
practice has been followed by subsequent
kings.
The mid-1960s saw external pressures generated by Saudi-Egyptian
differences over Yemen. When civil war broke out in 1962 between
Yemeni royalists and republicans, Egyptian forces
entered Yemen to support the new republican
government, while Saudi Arabia backed the royalists. Tensions subsided
only after 1967, when Egypt withdrew its troops from
Yemen.
Saudi forces did not participate in the Six-Day (Arab-Israeli) War of
June 1967, but the government later provided annual
subsidies to Egypt, Jordan, and Syria to support their
economies. During the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, Saudi Arabia participated
in the Arab oil boycott of the United States
and Netherlands. A
member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC), Saudi Arabia had joined other member countries in moderate
oil price increases beginning in 1971. After the 1973 war, the price
of oil rose substantially,
dramatically increasing Saudi Arabia's wealth and political
influence.
In 1975, King Faisal was assassinated by a nephew, who was executed
after an extensive investigation concluded that he acted alone.
Faisal was succeeded by his half-brother Khalid as King and
Prime Minister; their half-brother Prince Fahd was
named Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister. King
Khalid empowered Crown Prince Fahd to oversee many aspects of
the
government's international and domestic affairs. Economic
development continued
rapidly under King Khalid, and the kingdom assumed a
more
influential role in regional politics and international economic
and financial
matters.
In June 1982, King Khalid died, and Fahd became King and Prime
Minister in a smooth transition. Another half-brother, Prince
Abdullah, Commander of the Saudi National Guard, was
named Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister. King Fahd's
brother, Prince Sultan, the Minister of Defense and Aviation,
became Second Deputy Prime Minister. Under King Fahd, the Saudi
economy adjusted to sharply lower oil
revenues resulting from declining global oil prices.
Saudi Arabia supported neutral shipping in the Gulf during periods of
the Iran-Iraq war and aided Iraq's war-strained economy. King Fahd played
a major part in bringing about the August 1988 cease-fire
between Iraq and Iran and in organizing and strengthening the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC), a group of six Arabian
Gulf states dedicated to fostering regional economic
cooperation and peaceful
development.
In 1990-91, King Fahd played a key role before and during the Gulf
war. King Fahd's action also consolidated the coalition of forces
against Iraq and helped define the tone of
the operation as a multilateral effort
to reestablish
the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kuwait. Acting as a
rallying point and personal spokesman for the coalition, King Fahd
helped bring together his nation's GCC allies,
Western allies, and Arab allies, as well as nonaligned nations
from Africa and the emerging democracies of
eastern Europe. He used his influence as Custodian of the Two Holy
Mosques to persuade other Arab and Islamic nations to join the
coalition.
King Fahd suffered a stroke in November 1995. From 1997, Crown
Prince Abdullah took on
much of the day-to-day responsibilities of running
the government. Upon King Fahd's death
on August 1, 2005, Abdullah assumed the throne as King.
Prince Sultan, Minister of Defense and Aviation, became Crown Prince
and First Deputy Prime
Minister.
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL
CONDITIONS
The central institution of Saudi Arabian Government is the monarchy.
The Basic Law adopted in 1992 declared that
Saudi Arabia is a monarchy ruled by the sons and grandsons of
King Abd Al Aziz Al Saud, and that the Holy Qur'an is the
constitution of the country, which is governed on the basis of Islamic
law (Shari'a). There are no political parties or national elections;
however, the country held its first municipal elections in 2005. The
king's powers are limited because he must observe the Shari'a and
other Saudi traditions. He also must retain a consensus
of the Saudi royal family, religious leaders
(ulema), and other important elements in Saudi society. The leading
members of the royal family choose the king from among
themselves with the subsequent approval of the
ulema.
Saudi kings gradually have developed a central government. Since
1953, the Council of Ministers, appointed by and
responsible to the king, has advised on the formulation of
general policy and directed the activities of the
growing bureaucracy. This council consists of a prime minister, the
first and second deputy prime ministers, 20 ministers (of whom the
minister of defense also is the second deputy prime minister), two
ministers of state, and a small number of
advisers and heads of major autonomous
organizations.
Legislation is by resolution of the Council of Ministers and the
Shura Council, ratified by royal
decree, and must be compatible with the Shari'a. Justice is
administered according to the Shari'a by a system of religious
courts whose judges are appointed by the king on the recommendation
of the Supreme Judicial Council, composed of 12 senior
jurists. The independence of the judiciary is protected by law. The
king acts as the highest court of appeal and
has the power to pardon. Access to high officials (usually at a
majlis, or public audience) and the right to petition them directly
are well-established
traditions.
The kingdom is divided into 13 provinces governed by princes or
close relatives of the
royal family. All governors are appointed by the
King.
In March 1992, King Fahd issued several decrees outlining the basic
statutes of government and codifying for the first time procedures
concerning the royal succession. The King's
political reform program also provided for the establishment of
a national Consultative Council, with appointed members
having advisory powers to review and give advice on issues of
public interest. It
also outlined a framework for councils at the provincial
or emirate
level.
In September 1993, King Fahd issued additional reform decrees,
appointing the members of the national Consultative Council and
spelling out procedures for the new council's operations. He
announced reforms regarding the Council of Ministers, including
term limitations of 4 years and regulations to prohibit conflict of
interest for ministers and other high-level officials.
The members of 13 provincial
councils and the councils' operating regulations
also were announced in September 1993. In February, March, and April
2005, Saudis voted in the country's first municipal
elections in more than 50 years. Women,
and male members of the military, were not permitted to vote.
In July 1997, the membership of the Consultative Council was expanded
from 60 to 90 members, and again in May 2001 from 90 to 120 members.
In 2005, membership was
expanded to 150 members. Membership has changed significantly during
expansions of the council as many members have not been reappointed.
The role of the council is gradually expanding as it gains
experience.
In November 2006, King Abdallah announced the formation of an
Allegiance Committee which, in the future,
will select the Crown
Prince.
Principal Government
Officials
King, Prime Minister, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques--King
Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al
Saud
Minister of Foreign Affairs--Prince Saud Al Faysal bin Abdul Aziz Al
Saud Ambassador to the U.S--Adel
al-Jubir
The Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is located at 601 New
Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037; tel.
202-342-3800.
ECONOMY
Oil was discovered in Saudi Arabia by U.S. geologists in the 1930s,
although large scale production did not begin until after World War
II. Oil wealth has made possible rapid economic development, which
began in earnest in the 1960s and accelerated spectacularly in the
1970s, transforming the kingdom.
Saudi oil reserves are the largest in the world, and Saudi Arabia is
the world's leading oil producer and
exporter. Oil accounts for more than 90% of the country's exports and
nearly 75% of government revenues. Proven reserves are estimated to
be 263 billion barrels, about one-quarter of world
oil
reserves.
More than 95% of all Saudi oil is produced on behalf of the Saudi
Government by the parastatal giant Saudi ARAMCO. In June 1993, Saudi
ARAMCO absorbed the state marketing and refining company (SAMAREC),
becoming the world's largest fully integrated oil company. Most Saudi
oil exports move by tanker from Gulf terminals at Ras Tanura and
Ju'aymah. The remaining oil exports
are transported
via the east-west pipeline across the kingdom to the Red Sea port of
Yanbu.
Due to a sharp rise in petroleum revenues in 1974 following the
1973 Arab-Israeli
war, Saudi Arabia became one of the fastest-growing economies in the
world. It enjoyed a substantial surplus in its overall trade with other
countries; imports increased rapidly; and ample government revenues
were available for development, defense, and
aid to other Arab and Islamic
countries.
But higher oil prices led to development of more oil fields around
the world and reduced global consumption. The result, beginning in
the mid-1980s, was a worldwide oil glut, which introduced an element
of planning uncertainty for the first time in a decade. Saudi
oil production, which had increased to almost
10 million barrels per day (b/d) during 1980-81, dropped to about 2
million b/d in 1985. Budgetary deficits developed, and the government
drew down its foreign assets. Responding to financial
pressures, Saudi Arabia gave up its role as the "swing producer"
within OPEC in the summer of 1985 and accepted a
production quota. Since then, Saudi oil policy has been guided by a
desire to maintain market and quota shares and to support stability in the
international oil
market.
Saudi Arabia was a key player in coordinating the successful 1999
campaign of OPEC and other oil-producing countries to raise the price
of oil to its highest level since the
Gulf War by managing production and supply
of petroleum. That same
year, Saudi Arabia established the Supreme Economic
Council to formulate and better coordinate economic development
policies in order to accelerate institutional and industrial
reform.
In response to increasing international demand for oil, Saudi ARAMCO
is engaged in an expansion of its oil
production capacity, and plans to raise its capacity from
the current 9.5-10 million barrels/day (mb/d) to 12 mb/d
within the next several years. Saudi ARAMCO is also increasing production of
associated and non-associated natural gas to feed the expanding
petrochemical sector. Notably, Saudi Arabia has awarded contracts to
foreign companies to conduct gas exploration in selected
regions of the country--the first such foreign
participation in the petroleum sector upstream since
the
nationalization of ARAMCO in the
1970s.
Saudi Arabia continues to pursue rapid industrial expansion, led by
the petrochemical sector. The Saudi
Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), a
parastatal petrochemical company, is now one of the world's
leading
petrochemical producers, and the government promotes private
sector
involvement in petrochemicals. The government also plans new investments
in the mining sector and in
refining,
After Saudi Arabia announced its intention to join the World
Trade
Organization (WTO), negotiations focused on increasing market access
to foreign goods and services and the
timeframe for becoming fully compliant with WTO
obligations. In April 2000, the government established the
Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority to
encourage foreign direct investment in the country. Saudi
Arabia signed a Trade Investment Framework Agreement with
the U.S. in July 2003, and joined the WTO in December
2005.
Through 5-year development plans, the government has sought to
allocate its petroleum income to transform its relatively
undeveloped, oil-based economy into that of a modern industrial
state while maintaining the kingdom's
traditional Islamic values and customs. Although economic planners
have not achieved all their goals, the economy has progressed
rapidly. Oil wealth has increased the standard of living of most
Saudis. However, significant
population growth has strained the government's ability to finance
further improvements in the country's standard of living.
Heavy dependence on
petroleum revenue continues, but industry and agriculture now account for
a larger share of economic activity. The mismatch between the
job skills of Saudi graduates and the needs of the
private job market at all levels remains the principal obstacle to
economic diversification and development; about 4.6 million non-Saudis
are employed in the
economy.
Saudi Arabia's first two development plans, covering the 1970s,
emphasized infrastructure. The results were
impressive--the total length of paved
highways tripled, power generation increased by a multiple of 28, and
the capacity of the seaports grew tenfold. For the
third plan (1980-85), the emphasis changed.
Spending on infrastructure declined, but it rose markedly on
education, health, and social services. The share for diversifying
and expanding productive sectors of the economy
(primarily industry) did not rise as planned, but the two industrial
cities of Jubail and Yanbu--built around the use of the
country's oil and gas to produce steel,
petrochemicals, fertilizer, and
refined oil products--were largely
completed.
In the fourth plan (1985-90), the country's basic infrastructure was
viewed as largely complete, but education and training remained
areas of concern. Private enterprise was encouraged, and
foreign investment in the form of joint
ventures with Saudi public and private companies was welcomed.
The private sector became more important,
rising to 70% of non-oil GDP by 1987. While still concentrated
in trade and commerce, private investment increased in industry,
agriculture, banking, and construction companies. These private
investments were supported by generous government financing and
incentive programs. The objective was for the
private sector to have 70% to 80%
ownership in most joint venture
enterprises.
The fifth plan (1990-95) emphasized consolidation of the country's
defenses; improved and more efficient government social services;
regional development; and, most importantly, creating greater
private-sector
employment
opportunities for Saudis by reducing the number of foreign
workers.
The sixth plan (1996-2000) focused on lowering the cost of
government services without
cutting them and sought to expand educational
training programs. The plan called for
reducing the kingdom's dependence on the
petroleum sector by diversifying economic activity, particularly in
the private sector, with special
emphasis on industry and agriculture. It also continued
the effort to "Saudiize" the labor
force.
The seventh plan (2000-2004) focused more on economic diversification
and a greater role of the private sector in the Saudi economy.
For the period 2000-2004, the Saudi
Government aimed at an average GDP growth rate of 3.16% each year,
with projected growths of 5.04% for the private sector and 4.01%
for the non-oil sector. The government also set a target of creating
817,300 new jobs for Saudi
nationals.
The eighth plan (2005-2010) again focuses on economic diversification
in addition to education and inclusion of
women in society. The plan calls for establishing new
universities and new colleges with
technical
specializations. Privatization as well as emphases on a
knowledge-based economy and tourism
will help promote the goal of economic diversification.
FOREIGN
RELATIONS
Saudi foreign policy objectives are to maintain its security and
its paramount
position on the Arabian Peninsula, defend general Arab and Islamic
interests, promote solidarity among Islamic governments, and
maintain cooperative
relations with other oil-producing and major
oil-consuming
countries.
Saudi Arabia signed the UN Charter in 1945. The country plays a
prominent and constructive role in the International Monetary Fund,
the World Bank, and Arab and Islamic financial and
development assistance institutions. One of the largest
aid donors in the world, it still gives some aid to a number of
Arab, African, and Asian countries. Jeddah is the headquarters of
the Secretariat of the
Organization of the Islamic Conference and its subsidiary
organization, the Islamic Development Bank, founded in
1969.
Membership in the 11-member OPEC and in the technically and
economically oriented Arab producer
group--the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting
Countries--facilitates coordination of Saudi oil policies with
other oil-exporting
governments. As the world's leading exporter of
petroleum, Saudi Arabia has a special
interest in preserving a stable and long-term
market for its vast oil resources by allying itself with healthy
Western economies which can protect the value
of Saudi financial assets. It generally has acted to stabilize the
world oil market and tried to moderate sharp price
movements.
The Saudi Government frequently helps mediate regional crises and
support the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations. A charter member
of the Arab League, Saudi Arabia supports the position that Israel
must withdraw from the
territories which it occupied in June 1967, as according to United
Nations Resolution 242. Saudi Arabia supports a peaceful
resolution of the
Arab-Israeli conflict but rejected the Camp David accords, claiming
that they would be unable to achieve a comprehensive political
solution that would ensure Palestinian rights
and adequately address the status of Jerusalem.
Although Saudi Arabia broke diplomatic relations with and suspended aid
to Egypt in the wake of Camp David, the two countries
renewed formal ties in 1987. In March 2002, Crown
Prince Abdallah offered a Middle East peace plan, now known as the
Arab Peace Initiative, at the annual summit of the Arab
League in which Arab governments would offer "normal relations and
the security of Israel in
exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal from
all occupied Arab lands,
recognition of an independent Palestinian state with
Jerusalem as its capital, and the return of Palestinian refugees." In
March 2007 the Arab League reiterated its support for the Arab
Peace Initiative by endorsing it as the foundation for a broad
Arab-Israeli
peace.
In 1990-91, Saudi Arabia played an important role in the Gulf War,
developing new allies and improving existing relationships between
Saudi Arabia and some other countries. Saudi Arabia provided water,
food, shelter, and fuel for coalition forces in the
region. Saudi Arabia's combined costs in payments,
foregone revenues, and donated supplies were $55 billion. More than
$15 billion went toward reimbursing the
United States alone. However, there also were diplomatic and
financial costs. Relations between Saudi Arabia
and Tunisia, Algeria, and Libya
deteriorated. Each country had remained silent following
Iraq's invasion of Kuwait but called for an end to violence once
the deployment of coalition troops began. Relations between these
countries and Saudi Arabia have returned to their pre-war
status. Saudi Arabia's relations
with those countries which expressed support for Saddam Hussein's
invasion of Kuwait--Yemen, Jordan, and Sudan--were severely strained
during and immediately after the war. For example, several
hundred thousand Yemenis were expelled from Saudi Arabia after the
Government of Yemen announced its position, thus exacerbating
an existing border dispute.
Saudi-Yemeni
relations, especially in the wake of the 1994 Yemen civil war,
remained fragile and of significant
concern to the Saudi Government. Relations have slowly
warmed over time and the Yemeni-Saudi border was finally demarcated in
2000. The Palestine Liberation Organization's support for Iraq cost
it financial aid as well as good
relations with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf
states. Recently, though, Saudi Arabia's relations with Jordan and
the Palestinian Authority have
improved, with the Saudi Government providing
assistance for the Palestinian
Authority.
As it had during the 1990-91 Gulf War, Saudi Arabia provided
important support to Coalition
efforts in Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2006, Saudi
Arabia hosted a conference to promote sectarian reconciliation within
Iraq, and has pledged substantial debt relief to aid the
elected government. Saudi Arabia is an important player in promoting
stability and security in the Gulf region, and provided critical
reconstruction support to Lebanon following the 2006 conflict between
Hezbollah and Israel. Saudi Arabia has also taken a
more prominent leadership role within the Organization of the
Islamic Conference. In
addition to promoting its Arab Peace initiative in 2007, in
February it brokered an agreement between Palestinian factions known
as the "Mecca Agreement," and in May 2007 King Abdullah
brokered a reconciliation agreement between Chad and
Sudan.
U.S.-SAUDI ARABIAN
RELATIONS
Saudi Arabia's unique role in the Arab and Islamic worlds, its
possession of the world's largest reserves of oil, and its strategic
location make its friendship important to the
United States. Diplomatic relations
were established in
1933; the U.S. embassy opened in Jeddah in 1944 and moved to
Riyadh in 1984. The Jeddah embassy became a U.S. consulate. Meanwhile, a
U.S. consulate opened in Dhahran in
1944.
The United States and Saudi Arabia share a common concern about
regional security, oil exports and imports,
and sustainable development. Close
consultations between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia have developed
on
international, economic, and development issues such as the Middle East
peace process and shared interests in the Gulf. The continued
availability of reliable sources of
oil, particularly from Saudi Arabia, remains important to the
prosperity of the United States as well as to Europe and Japan.
Saudi Arabia is one of the leading sources of
imported oil for the United States, providing more than one
million barrels/day of oil to the U.S. The U.S. is Saudi
Arabia's largest trading partner, and Saudi Arabia is the largest U.S.
export market in the Middle
East.
In addition to economic ties, a longstanding security relationship
continues to be important in U.S.-Saudi relations. A U.S. military
training mission established at Dhahran in 1953
provides training and support in the use of weapons and
other security-related services to the Saudi armed forces. The
United States has sold Saudi Arabia military aircraft (F-15s, AWACS,
and UH-60 Blackhawks), air defense weaponry
(Patriot and Hawk missiles), armored vehicles (M1A2 Abrams tanks and
M-2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles), and other equipment. The
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has had a long-term role in military and
civilian construction activities in the
Kingdom.
The Gulf War and Operation Iraqi Freedom demonstrated U.S.-Saudi
cooperation in the areas of cultural accommodation, as well as in
military operations. For example, the U.S. military
issued general orders prohibiting
the consumption of
alcohol and setting guidelines for off-duty behavior
and attire. Saudi Arabia accommodated
U.S. culture and its military procedures by allowing U.S. servicewomen
to serve in their varied roles throughout the
kingdom--a major step for a highly patriarchal society. In August
2003, following the U.S.-led war in
Iraq in March and April 2003, the United States withdrew its troops
stationed in Saudi
Arabia.
Saudi Arabia's relations with the United States were strained after
the September 11, 2001, terrorist
attacks in which 15 of the suicide bombers were Saudi citizens. On May
12, 2003 suicide bombers killed 35 people, including nine
Americans, in attacks at three housing compounds for Westerners
in Riyadh. On November 8, 2003
terrorists attacked another compound housing
foreign workers from mainly Arab countries. At least 18 people, including
5 children died in this attack, and more than 100 were
injured.
On May 1, 2004 terrorists killed two Americans in the Yanbu oil
facility in the western part of the country. On May 29, 2004
terrorists killed one American
and wounded several others in attacks on an official building and
housing compound in al-Khobar in the Eastern Province. On June 6,
terrorists shot and killed a BBC journalist. On June 9 and June 12,
2004 terrorists killed Americans Robert
Jacobs and Kenneth Scroggs. On June 18,
2004 terrorists
kidnapped and beheaded American Paul Johnson. On December 6, 2004
terrorists attacked the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah, killing five
consulate employees. Terrorists also targeted
and killed other foreign nationalities during this time.
In February 2007, four French nationals were killed in
western Saudi Arabia in a suspected terrorist
attack.
Currently, Saudi Arabia is an important partner in the campaign
against terrorism, providing assistance
in the military, diplomatic, and financial arenas.
Counterterrorism cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the
United States increased significantly after
the May 12, 2003 bombings in Riyadh and continues today. In February
2005, the Saudi government sponsored the first ever
Counter-Terrorism International Conference in
Riyadh.
Human
Rights
Despite close cooperation on security issues, the United States
remains concerned about human rights
conditions in Saudi Arabia. Principal human
rights problems include abuse of prisoners and incommunicado
detention; prohibitions or severe
restrictions on the freedoms of speech,
press, peaceful assembly
and association, and religion; denial of the right
of citizens to change their government;
systematic discrimination against women and ethnic and religious
minorities; and suppression of workers' rights.
Principal U.S.
Officials
Ambassador--Ford
Fraker
Deputy Chief of Mission--Michael
Gfoeller
Counselor for Consular Affairs--Kathleen
Riley
Counselor for Economic Affairs--Robert
Murphy
Counselor for Political Affair--David
Rundell
Counselor for Political-Military Affairs--Clarence
Hudson
Counselor for Public Affairs--Walter
Douglas
Consul General, Dhahran--John
Kincannon
Consul General, Jeddah--Tatiana
Gfoeller
The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia is located in the Diplomatic Quarter
of Riyadh (tel. 966-1-488-3800). The
Consulate General in Jeddah is located on Palestine Road,
Ruwais, Jeddah (tel. 966-2-667-0080); and the
Consulate General in Dhahran is located
between ARAMCO Headquarters and the King Abdul Aziz Airbase (tel.
966-3-330-3200). The embassy and consulates are open for
business Saturday through Wednesday, in accordance with the official
workweek of Saudi
Arabia.
TRAVEL AND BUSINESS
INFORMATION
The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program advises
Americans traveling and residing abroad through Consular Information
Sheets, Public Announcements, and Travel Warnings.
Consular Information Sheets exist for all countries and include
information on entry and exit requirements, currency
regulations, health conditions, safety and security, crime,
political disturbances, and
the addresses of the U.S. embassies and consulates abroad. Public
Announcements are issued to disseminate information quickly
about terrorist threats and other relatively
short-term conditions overseas that pose significant
risks to the security of American travelers. Travel Warnings are
issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel
to a certain country because the situation is dangerous or
unstable.
For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling
abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Bureau
of Consular Affairs Internet web site at http://www.travel.state.gov, where the
current Worldwide Caution, Public Announcements, and Travel Warnings
can be found. Consular Affairs Publications,
which contain information on obtaining passports and planning a safe
trip abroad, are also available at http://www.travel.state.gov.
For additional information on international
travel, see http://www.usa.gov/
Citizen/Topics/Travel/International.shtml.
The Department of State encourages all U.S citizens who traveling or
residing abroad to register via the State Department's travel
registration website or at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate
abroad. Registration will make your presence and whereabouts known in
case it is necessary to contact you in an emergency and will
enable you to receive up-to-date information on security
conditions.
Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be
obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and
Canada or the regular toll line 1-202-501-4444 for
callers outside the U.S. and
Canada.
The National Passport Information Center (NPIC) is the U.S.
Department of State's single, centralized public
contact center for U.S.
passport
information. Telephone: 1-877-4USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778). Customer
service representatives and operators for TDD/TTY
are available Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 midnight,
Eastern Time, excluding federal
holidays.
Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia.
A hotline at 877-FYI-TRIP (877-394-8747) and a web site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm
give the most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations
or requirements, and advice on food and drinking water safety for
regions and countries. A booklet entitled "Health
Information for International Travel"
(HHS
publication number CDC-95-8280) is available from the U.S.
Government Printing Office,
Washington, DC 20402, tel. (202)
512-1800.
Further Electronic
Information
Department of State Web Site. Available on the Internet at
http:// www.state.gov, the Department of State web
site provides timely, global access to
official U.S. foreign policy information, including
Background Notes and daily press briefings
along with the directory of key officers of Foreign Service
posts and more. The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) provides
security information and regional news that impact U.S. companies
working abroad through its website http://www.osac.gov
Export.gov provides a portal to all export-related assistance and
market information offered by the federal
government and provides trade leads, free export counseling, help
with the export process, and
more.
STAT-USA/Internet, a service of the U.S. Department of Commerce,
provides authoritative economic, business, and
international trade information from the Federal
government. The site includes current and
historical
trade-related releases, international market research, trade
opportunities, and country analysis and provides access to the
National Trade Data Bank.
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Background
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Saudi Arabia
