Saudi Arabia
By: Reagan Ray
Government type, Leaders, and Branches
King/Prime Minister: Salman of Saudi Arabia
-December 31, 1935 (age 80)
-Spouse: Sultana Bint Turki AlSudiari (m. ?–2011)
-12 sons/ 1 daughter
-Parents: Hussa bint Ahmed Al Sudairi, Ibn Saud
Executive Branch:
The King is also the prime minister, chief of state, the head of government, and commander in chief of the military of Saudi Arabia.
Legislative Branch:
This is made up of a Consultative Council (also known as Majlis as-Shura or Shura Council) advises the King on issues that are important to Saudi Arabia.
Judicial Branch:
The country is governed and justice is administered according to Islamic law.
Other:
Local elections in 178 municipalities were first held in 2005, and only male citizens over 21 were allowed to vote.
There are no political parties in Saudi Arabia.
Economy
GDP per capita- 25,961.81 USD (2013)
currency- Saudi riyal
population living below poverty- Saudi Arabia at 12.7 percent
TOP IMPORTS
- Vehicles: US$22,685,657,000 (14.9% of total imports)
- Machines, engines, pumps: $22,081,295,000 (14.5%)
- Electronic equipment: $12,458,840,000 (8.2%)
- Oil: $11,384,299,000 (7.5%)
- Iron or steel products: $6,057,415,000 (4.0%)
- Aircraft, spacecraft: $4,937,731,000 (3.2%)
- Iron and steel: $4,686,588,000 (3.1%)
- Cereals: $4,612,134,000 (3.0%)
- Pharmaceuticals: $4,309,796,000 (2.8%)
- Medical, technical equipment: $3,870,166,000 (2.5%)
TOP IMPORTS
- Oil: US$296.2 billion (85.1% of total exports)
- Plastics: $19.8 billion (5.7%)
- Organic chemicals: $16.2 billion (4.6%)
- Fertilizers: $2.1 billion (0.6%)
- Aluminum: $1.4 billion (0.4%)
- Gems, precious metals, coins: $970.6 million (0.3%)
- Inorganic chemicals: $967.0 million (0.3%)
- Dairy, eggs, honey: $700.7 million (0.2%)
- Copper: $671.4 million (0.2%)
- Iron or steel products: $650.2 million (0.2%)
Entertainment
- Football (Soccer)
- Camel Racing
On the surface, Saudi Arabia may not seem to be a very festive place. The country's only official holidays are the Muslim holy days of Eid ul-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan, and the lesser-known holiday of Eid al-Adha, held roughly 70 days after Ramadan.
Dance is also popular among Saudis. The national dance is the men's sword danceknown as the ardha. An ancient tradition with its roots in the country's central area known as the Najd, the ardha is a combination of singers, dancers carrying swords and a poet or narrator.
The cinema of Saudi Arabia is a fairly small industry that only produces a few feature films and documentaries every year.
The Hejaz Railway Museum in Medina is a railway museum that was opened in 2006.
The National Museum of Saudi Arabia is a major national museum in Saudi Arabia. Established in 1999.
Popular Sports
Magic Police- It is illegal in Saudi Arabia to practice any form of sorcery or magic. The Saudis have a police unit set up specifically for catching witches, and the people they catch end up in pretty serious trouble. Two maids were sentenced to a decade in prison and a thousand lashes each for practicing magic in their employer’s house. The evidence included talismans found in their bedroom.
Sidewalk skiing is the name for tipping a car onto its side wheels on a public road, driving it on a tilt, and then climbing out and standing on top of the vehicle (though it’s all right if you leave someone in the car to drive).
In 2012, over 3 million Muslims made a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. It is known as “hajj” and is one of the most sacred things a Muslim can do. As you might expect, so many people descending on one place can cause problems. Saudi Arabia is currently suffering from a mysterious SARS-like virus that has killed almost 50 people, so the government is urging people to refrain from this years’s hajj as much as possible.
National Anthem
سارعي
للمجد والعلياء
مجدي لخالق السماء
وارفعي الخفاق أخضر
يحمل النور المسطر
رددي الله أكبر
يا موطني
موطني
قد عشت فخر المسلمين
عاش المليك
للعلم
Sources
"10 Fascinating Facts About Saudi Arabia - Listverse." Listverse. N.p., 28 Sept. 2013. Web. 02 May 2016.
N.p., n.d. Web.
"Saudi Arabia's Top 10 Artists and Where to Find Them." The Culture Trip. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 May 2016.