:''"KSA" redirects here. For other uses of the term, please see KSA (disambiguation)''.

''al-Mamlaka al-â€کArabiyya as-Su’إ«diyya'' Murder, accidental death and bodily harm are open to punishment from the victim's family. Retribution may be sought in kind or through blood money. The blood money payable for a woman's accidental death is half as much as that for a man.Saudi Arabian Government and Law The main reason for this is that, according to Islamic law, men are expected to be providers for their families and therefore are expected to earn more money in their lifetimes. The blood money from a man would be expected to sustain his family, for at least a short time. Honor killings are also not punished as severely as murder. This generally stems from the fact that honor killings are within a family, and done to compensate for some dishonorable act committed. Slavery was abolished in 1962.BBC - Religion & Ethics - Islam and slavery: AbolitionWelcome to Encyclopأ¦dia Britannica's Guide to Black History

Human rights

Several international human rights organizations, such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the United Nations Human Rights Committee have issued reports critical of the Saudi legal system and its human rights record in various political, legal, and social areas, especially its severe limitations on the rights of women. The Saudi government typically dismisses such reports as being outright lies or asserts that its actions are based on its adherence to Islamic law.

In 2002, the United Nations Committee against Torture criticized Saudi Arabia over the amputations and floggings it carries out under the Shari'a. The Saudi delegation responded defending its legal traditions held since the inception of Islam in the region 1300 years ago and rejected "interference" in its legal system.Saudi 'torture' condemned by UN, ''BBC News'', May 16, 2002. Accessed June 25, 2008.

Saudi Arabia is also the only country in the world where women are banned from driving on public roads. Women may drive off-road and in private housing compounds - some of which extend to many square miles.Hassan, Ibtihal; Hammond, Andrew. Car makers target Saudi women despite driving ban, ''Reuters'', December 10, 2007. Accessed June 25, 2008. The ban may be lifted soon, although with certain conditions."Saudi Arabia to Allow Women to Drive - With Conditions" by Assyrian International News Agency, March 17, 2008

The Government views its interpretation of Islamic law as its sole source of guidance on human rights. In 2000, the Government approved the October legislation, which the Government claimed would address some of its obligations under the Convention Against Torture or Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

The first independent human rights organization, the National Society for Human Rights was established in 2004. The Saudi Government is an active censor of Internet reception within its borders."Documentation of Internet Filtering in Saudi Arabia" A Saudi blogger, Fouad al-Farhan, was jailed for five months in solitary confinement in December, 2007, without charges, after criticizing Saudi religious, business and media figures.Robertson, Nic; Drash, Wayne. "No freedom for 'dean of Saudi bloggers'", ''CNN'', February 28, 2008. Accessed June 25, 2008.

Emirates

Saudi Arabia is divided into 13 ''emirates''http://www.arab.net/saudi/sa_admindivisions.htm (''manatiq'', - singular ''mintaqah''). The emirates are further divided into governorates.

{| border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="5" ! Emirate || Capital || L. Map To diversify the economy, Saudi Arabia launched a new city on the western coast with investments exceeding 26.6 billion dollars. The city which is named "King Abdullah Economic City" will be built near al-Rabegh industrial city north to Jeddah. The new city, where construction work started in December 2005, includes a port which is the largest port of the kingdom. Extending along a coastline of 35 km, the city will also include petrochemical, pharmaceutical, tourism, finance and education and research areas.

Saudi Arabia officially became a World Trade Organization member in December 2005.

Development

Saudi Arabia is one of the few fastest growing countries in the world with a high cities (cities will diversify the economy of Saudi Arabia, and will also increase the per capita income to a high level. The King of Saudi Arabia has announced that the cities will be spread around Saudi Arabia to promote diversification for each region and their economy, and the cities will contribute $ 150 billion to the GDP.

However the urban areas of Riyadh and Jeddah will contribute $287 billion dollars by the year 2020.Riyadh's Urban area will contribute $ 167 B and Jeddah's will contribute $ 111 Billion

Foreign labour

Despite the government's efforts to promote South, South East (url=http://hrw.org/reports/2004/saudi0704/saudi0704.pdf |title=Bad Dreams: Exploitation and Abuse of Migrant Workers in Saudi Arabia (PDF)|publisher=Human Rights Watch |date=July 2004 |accessdate=2007-04-20}} There are also some people from North America, developing world migrate to Saudi Arabia, sometimes only for a short period of time, to work. Although exact figures are not known, skilled experts in the [[banking and services professions seek work in the Kingdom.

Demographics

Saudi Arabia's population as of July 2006 is estimated to be about 27,019,731, including about 5,576,076 resident foreigners. Until the 1960s, a majority of the population was nomadic; but presently more than 95% of the population is settled, due to rapid economic and urban growth. As recently as the 1950s, the Saudi Arabia’s slave population was estimated at 450,000 — 20% of the population.Slavery in Islamآ£400 for a Slave Slavery was finally abolished in 1962. The birth rate is 29.56 births per 1,000 people. The death rate is 2.62 deaths per 1,000 people. Some cities and oases have densities of more than 1,000 people per square kilometer (2,600/sq mi).

Around 85 percent of Saudis are ethnically date=September 2007}} Approximately 12% of the population is Asian or of South Asian ancestry, including Indians, Pakistanis, and Bangladeshis. In addition, there are some citizens of Asian and sub-Saharan/Indian: 1.4 million, Filipino: 950,000, Egyptian: 900,000, Syrian: 100,000 and Turkish: 80,000.[http://www.un.org/esa/population/meetings/EGM_Ittmig_Arab/P02_Kapiszewski.pdf Arab versus Asian migrant workers in the GCC countries There are around 100,000 Westerners in Saudi Arabia, most of whom live in compounds or gated communities.

Saudi Arabia expelled 800,000 Yemenis in 1990 and 1991 to punish war against Palestinians are living in Saudi Arabia. They are not allowed to hold or even apply for Saudi citizenship, as the new law passed by Saudi Arabia's Council of Ministers in October 2004 (which entitles expatriates of all nationalities who have resided in the kingdom for ten years to apply for citizenship, with priority being given to holders of degrees in various scientific fields) has one glaring exception: Palestinians will not be allowed to benefit from the new law because of Arab League instructions barring the Arab states from granting them citizenship in order "to avoid dissolution of their identity and protect their right to return to their homeland."Expatriates Can Apply for Saudi Citizenship in Two-to-Three Months

The majority of the population adheres to a theological interpretation within Islam most commonly known as Shia population of the country is estimated at around 15-25 percent,Beehner, Lionel. Shia Muslims in the Mideast, ''Council on Foreign Relations'', June 16, 2006. Accessed June 25, 2008. primarily in the eastern provinces on the Gulf, southwestern provinces bordering Yemen, Makkah and particularly, Medina, as well as other larger cities in the Kingdom.

Education

When the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932, education was not accessible to everyone and limited to individualized instruction at religious schools in mosques in urban areas. These schools taught Islamic law and basic literacy skills. By the end of the century, Saudi Arabia had a nationwide educational system providing free training from preschool through university to all citizens. The modern Saudi educational system provides quality instruction in diverse fields of modern and traditional arts and sciences. This diversity helps meet the Kingdom's growing need for highly-educated citizens to build on its rapid progress.

The primary education system began in Saudi Arabia in the 1930s. By 1945, King Abdulaziz bin Abdelrahman Al-Saud, the country's founder, had initiated an extensive program to establish schools in the Kingdom. Six years later, in 1951, the country had 226 schools with 29,887 students. In 1954, the Ministry of Education was established, headed by then Prince Fahd bin Abdulaziz as the first Minister of Education. The first university, now known as King Saud University, was founded in Riyadh in 1957.

Today, Saudi Arabia's nationwide public educational system comprises twenty universities, more than 24,000 schools, and a large number of colleges and other educational and training institutions. The system provides students with free education, books and health services and is open to every Saudi. Over 25 percent of the annual State budget is for education including vocational training. The Kingdom has also worked on scholarship programs to send students overseas to the United States, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Malaysia and other nations. Currently thousands of students are being sent to higher-educations programs every year.

The study of Islam remains at the core of the Saudi educational system. The Islamic aspect of the Saudi national curriculum is examined in a recent report by Freedom House.http://www.freedomhouse.org/religion/news/bn2005/bn-2005-2006-05-23.htm The report found that in religious education classes (in any religious school), children are taught to deprecate other religions, in addition to other branches of Islam. The Saudi religious studies curriculum is taught outside the Kingdom in madrasah throughout the world.

Sports

Men can often be found playing sports. Women rarely participate in sports, and always away from the presence of men; this often leads to indoor gyms. Even though football is the most popular sport, Saudi Arabia has recently participated in the Summer Olympic Games and in international competitions in volleyball and other sports. The Saudi Arabian national youth baseball team has also participated in the Little League World Series. The Saudi Arabia national football team is often most known for being in four consecutive times in the FIFA World Cup and six times in the AFC Asian Cup, which the team won three times and was runner-up three times. Some popular football players include Majed Abdullah, Mohamed Al-Deayea, Sami Al-Jaber, and Saeed Al-Owairan.

Culture

thumb|Street view of Mecca Public theatres and cinemas are prohibited, as Wahhabi tradition deems those institutions to be incompatible with Islam. However, an Dhahran and Ras Tanura public theaters can be found, but often are more popular for local music, arts, and theatre productions rather than the exhibition of motion pictures. Recently, plans for some cinemas that will be allowed to feature Arabic cartoons for women and children were announced. DVDs, including American and British movies, are legal and widely available.

Literature

Some Saudi novelists have had their books published in Beirut, Lebanon, because of censorship in Saudi Arabia. Despite signs of increasing openness, Saudi novelists and artists in film, theatre, and the visual arts face greater restrictions on their freedom of expression than in the West. Contemporary Saudi novelists include:

• Abdul Rahman Munif (exiled, now deceased)

• Yousef Al-Mohaimeed

• Abdu Khal

• Turki al-Hamad (subject of a fatwؤپ and death threats)

• Ali al-Domaini (in jail)

• Ahmed Abodehman (now writes in French)

• Raja'a Alem

• Abdullah Al-Qasemi

• Rajaa Al Sanie, author of best-selling novel Girls of Riyadh

  Military

  thumb|Saudi Arabian National Guard|SANG V150

International rankings

{| class="wikitable" ! Organization ! Survey ! Ranking zh-min-nan:Saud أھ A-la-pek be-x-old:ذ،ذ°رƒذ´ذ°ر‍رپذ؛ذ°رڈ ذگر€ذ°ذ±ر–رڈ zh-classical:و²™ç‰¹éک؟و‹‰ن¼¯ fiu-vro:Saudi Araabia zh-yue:و²™هœ°éک؟و‹‰ن¼¯ bat-smg:Saudo Arabؤ—jؤ—