Saudi Arabia
Reina Awasum
Government and Economics
- Government type: Monarchy
- The king and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia is Salman bin Abd al-Aziz al Saud. He was elected on January 23, 2015. King Salman took the place of his half brother King Abdullah who died from pneumonia. The prince, and heir to the throne, is named Murquin bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud. He is the deputy Prime Minister, as well.
- Branches of government: The executive branch is made up of the king/Prime Minister and his cabinet, the Council of Ministers. Many of those part of the council are family members of the king. The chief of state position is not elected, it is hereditary. The Legislative branch consists of a unicameral Consultative Council. It has 140 seats, and the members serve 4-year terms. In the Judicial branch, there is a High Court and a subordinate court. There are three judges in the High Court, including the court chief. The subordinate court is called the Court of Appeals. A royal decree and a recommendation from the Supreme Judiciary Council is what is needed to be appointed into a judge of the High Court. The legal system in Saudi Arabia is based solely on the Sharia law.
- Economy type: Saudi Arabia has a free market economy. It is greatly oil-based, for it is the world's largest exporter and producer of oil. Not only does Saudi Arabia invest in oil, but they are also known for being the world's largest exporter of petroleum.
- Level of development: Saudi Arabia had been practicing subsistence farming, a part of the primary sector, for thousands of years, but it has recently been becoming more advanced. Of course some places in the country are way more developed than other, thus making Saudi Arabia a developing country.
- GDP & per capita: Saudi Arabia's GDP is $1.616 trillion, and its GDP per capita is $52,800. The GDP of the country is ranked the 15th highest out of 230 countries. The GDP per capita of Saudi Arabia is ranked 20th. These two numbers are incredibly impressive, especially for a country that is not fully developed yet.
- Currency: Saudi riyal
- Population living below poverty: This section is not available on the World Factbook or anywhere online. That typically means that the government of Saudi Arabia is hiding something that they did not want to be released to the world, so they chose not to reply when asked about that specific percentage. All countries want to be the best with the leading statistics, and everyone cannot win, but the solution is not to hide them.
- Imports: Saudi Arabia spends $162.2 billion on its imports. The country's top imports are machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, and textiles.
- Exports: The economy of Saudi Arabia is greatly oil-based, for it is the world's largest exporter and producer of oil. Not only does Saudi Arabia invest only in oil, but they are also known for being the world's largest exporter of petroleum. Saudi Arabia makes $359.4 billion on its exports. 90% of the exports include petroleum and petroleum products.
- It is greatly oil-based, for it is the world's largest exporter and producer of oil. Not only does Saudi Arabia invest in oil, but they are also known for being the world's largest exporter of petroleum.
In conclusion, Saudi Arabia is controlled by one person, a monarch. The king of Saudi Arabia has the power to do anything he wants without consulting others regardless if others disagree. The citizens of the country are stuck with this man until he is deceased. The law is unfair as well: nothing that a person does must conflict with he Sharia law or else they will be greatly punished. Saudi Arabia's economy is doing very well at the moment, though. This country is thriving with more than twice the amounts of exports than imports. It's GDP is also doing well. The GDP per capita was noticeably high in comparison to the GDP of the whole country. In the United States, we have a GDP of about $17 trillion, but our GDP per capita is $54, 800. Does this indicate that the wages in Saudi Arabia are almost as high as in the United States and that the standard of living in Saudi Arabia is almost as good as in the US? No; it most likely means that there is a great deal of poor people in Saudi Arabia and an abundance of companies and corporation owners who make an abundance of money from the petroleum. By doing so, they are taking the profits out of the country.
Entertainment
- Milad al-Nabi is the day where Muslims in Saudi Arabia celebrate the birth of Muhammed the Prophet by decorating their mosques and houses. The elders pass on stories about the life of Muhammed and the children recite powers about him. Large feasts occur on this day and so do street processions. This special day varies from year to year depending on the Islamic calendar.
- The Janadriyah National festival is also a very large celebration. It occurs for 2 weeks in the month of Febuary. This is known to be one of Saudi Arabia's liveliest non-religious public gatherings with animal races, poem recitals, and arts & crafts being displayed.
- Traditional music in Saudi Arabia is typically associated with poetry being sung. According to the traditional and tribal customs, the percussion instruments are very important. The modern music in Saudi Arabia is becoming more Westernized and is sounding more and more like the music we have here. There is still a bit of traditional music placed in the songs, but it is only going to fade away as time prolongs.
- Poetry, especially Bedouin poetry, is a big part of the Saudi Arabian literature and culture. It is very traditional. Novelists, artists, actors, etc, used to have many restrictions on what could be written in their works, but this is starting to change. Modern artists and writers are being recognized in Saudi Arabia and all around the world, too.
- The National Museum of Saudi Arabia was created in 1999 by King Abdllaziz. It stands in Riyadh in the Historic Center. Building this museum had been a plan sought out by the king and other government officials since around 1980.
Conclusion
Works Cited
"The History of Saudi Arabia." The History of Saudi Arabia. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 May 2015.
"Economy & Global Trade." Economy & Global Trade. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 May 2015.
"Saudi-Arabia." Climate of the World:. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 May 2015.
"Housing." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 10 May 2015.
"Saudi Arabia Travel Guide." Saudi Arabia. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2015.
"Economy of Saudi Arabia." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 10 May 2015.
"Saudi-Arabia." Climate of the World:. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2015.
"Traditional Dress & Jewelry." Traditional Dress & Jewelry. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2015.