Prayer Videos

Saudi Arabia

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Saudi Government

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Saudi Arabs

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Riyadh

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Jeddah

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Children

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Bluetooth Dating

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Al-Imam University

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Geography

Area 2,240,000 sq.km. The main portion of the Arabian Peninsula; almost entirely desert but containing 25% of the world’s known oil reserves.

Year	Population	Ann.Gr.	Density
2000	21,606,691	+3.43%	10 per sq. km.
2010	28,778,495	+2.80%	13 per sq. km.
2025	39,964,965	+1.87%	18 per sq. km.

Capital Riyadh 3.35 mill. Other major cities: Jiddah 2.1m; Mecca 920,000. Urbanites 80%.

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Peoples

With the presence of such a large number of foreigners, all figures are estimates.

Arab 83.8%

Saudi Arab 72.9%.

Foreign Arab 10.9%. Egyptian 1.2m; Yemeni 500,000; Palestinian 300,000; Jordanian 200,000.

Asian 14.2%. Indian 1m; Pakistani 800,000; Filipino 600,000; Bangladeshi 200,000, Iranian 150,000; Sri Lankan 150,000.

African 1.4%. Nigerian, Sudanese, Somali.

Other 0.6%. American, British, French, Italian.

Literacy 62.8%. Official language Arabic. All languages 5.

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Economy

Enormous oil wealth produces two-thirds of government revenue and is used to improve services and communications, develop industries and finance Islamic expansion around the world. The combined effects of eighteen consecutive years of budget deficits, spectacular corruption of the large royal family and the heavy cost of the Gulf War (at least US$50 billion) have enforced a measure of austerity since 1990. A major economic overhaul is overdue. HDI 0.740; 78th/174. Income/person $7,150 (22.7% of USA).

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Politics

Absolute monarchy and a semi-feudal state with administration, diplomacy and commerce tightly controlled by the large royal family. Since the Gulf War there has been pressure from democrats to liberalize the country and from hard-line Islamists to exert more control, resulting in some changes.

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Religion

An Islamic state committed to the role of the custodian of Islam and its holiest sites. The majority of Saudis are Wahhabi Sunnis. Religions other than Islam are prohibited even for expatriate Christian gatherings. All non-Muslim figures are estimates. Persecution index 1st in world.

Religions	Population %	Adherents
Muslim	92.83	20,057,491
Christian	4.54	980,944
non-Religious/other	1.40	302,494
Hindu	0.60	129,640
Buddhist/Chinese	0.42	90,748
Sikh	0.19	41,053
Baha’i	0.02	4,321

Christians	Denom.	Affil. %	,000
Protestant	21	0.67	144
Independent	30	0.54	117
Anglican	1	0.01	2
Catholic	3	1.83	395
Orthodox	4	0.55	119
Marginal	4	0.14	30
Unaffiliated	0	0.80	173

Churches	Cong.	Members	Affiliates
Catholic [3]		276,224	395,000
Protestant [20]	128	25,600	128,000
Orthodox [4]		83,217	119,000
Independent [30]		73,125	117,000
Marginal groups [4]		18,750	30,000
Other denoms [2]		8,200	18,000
Total Christians [63]		485,116	807,000

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Internet Links

• CIA World Factbook (http://www.cia.gov/) - Country profile, with only very brief information on religion or society.  Brief, largely statistical information on geography, people, government, economy, and more.
• Open Doors’ Country Profile on Saudi Arabia (www.gospelcom.net/od/saudipro.htm) - An article with detailed information on persecution and the restrictions on Christians.  Some information also on politics, human rights in general, and the economy.  Other than the issue of persecution, not much information on religion in the country nor on the history of Christianity there. Main source: a 1995 USA State Department report on human rights.
• World Skip - Saudi Arabia (http://www.worldskip.com/region.asp?PartnerID=&RegionID=sa) - News, information, products and services from every nation on earth.
• Saudi Arabia Information Resource (www.saudinf.com) - A series of articles with extensive information on the country. With links. An official site.

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