SAUDI ARABIA OIL AND ISLAM

KING ABDULLAH BIN ABDULAZIZ AL SAUD

KEY TERMS HAJJ: a pilgrimage or journey to Mecca undertaken by Muslims during the month of the hajj. QURAN: the holy book of Islam. MONARCHY: a state or a nation in which power is held by a monarch…a king, a queen or an emperor.

For more than a thousand years, Muslims from all over the world have been making pilgrimages to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. By going to Mecca, they honor the memory of Abraham, who is said to have built the first house of worship there. Muslims must make the hajj al least once in their lifetime. The Hajj used to be long, hard and dangerous. Muslims travelled across mountains and deserts by foot, horse or camel to reach Mecca.

Today many pilgrims travel there by airplane. Roads link Mecca with other Saudi Arabian cities. Modern hotels line the streets of Mecca. Mecca is the birthplace of Islam’s founder, Muhammad and is considered the holiest city in Islam.

OIL WEALTH AND SAUDI ARABIA In 1900, Mecca was a very poor town. Saudi Arabia was one of the poorest countries in the World. Many of its people made a living by herding livestock. Most of its land was a desert.

AN ECONOMY BASED ON OIL But, in the 1930s, everything changed after the discovery of oil in Southwest Asia. Oil reserves changed the fortunes of Saudi Arabia and several other countries in the region. It made them rich. Money poured in, they started building sky high buildings. But when oil prices dropped, some of the projects were stopped.

Oil prices went high again and the country built its whole infra-structure. Saudi Arabia has the most important oil economy in the world. Under its deserts lie more than 260 billion barrels of oil. Saudi Arabia has about one fourth of the world’s oil. It is also the biggest exporter of oil in the world.

CHANGES FROM OIL WEALTH The money from exporting the oil has changed the lives of all Saudi Arabians. In the late 1960s, the government spent billions to modernize the country. They built modern highways, airports, seaports, and a telephone system. Villages that used oil lamps got electricity.

A large school system was built, having thousands of schools. The country has eight major universities. In 1900, many Saudi Arabians could not read or write. But today, Saudi students are becoming doctors, scientists, and teachers.

EVERYDAY LIFE IN SAUDI ARABIA Using their oil wealth, Saudis have imported computers, cell phones, and televisions. But before a new product is used, the nation’s religious leaders study it. They decide whether each import may be used by Muslims. Only imports that they believe do not undermine Muslim values may be used in daily life.

ISLAMIC TRADITIONS Big cities like Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam have department stores, hotels and universities but, they do not have movie theatres or night clubs. The Wahabi branch of Islam which most Saudi Arabians follow, forbids such entertainment. Alcohol and pork are illegal in Saudi Arabia. All shops close five times a day when Muslima pray.

Saudi Arabians use western inventions to improve their lives, but they make sure these inventions do not interfere with the Islamic traditions.

THE ROLE OF WOMEN Many laws and traditions in Saudi Arabia deal with the role of women. Women are protected in certain ways and they are also forbidden to do certain things. Saudi women, when they go outside in public, they must cover themselves with a long black full-length cloak. They also cannot vote.

Women can work as doctors, journalists and can have their own business. Today more women than men are studying in the Universities. Women and men usually remain separate. Boys and girls go to different schools.

INFLUENCE OF THE QURAN Most of the rules governing the daily life in Saudi Arabia come from the Quran. The word “Quran” means “the recitation” or “the reading”. It consists of 114 chapters said to have been revealed by God to Muhammad. Muslims view the Quran as a guide for living. It provides guidelines on all aspects of life and religion.

THE GOVERNMENT OF SAUDI ARABIA Saudi Arabia’s government is based on the Quran and Islamic Law. The country is an absolute monarchy ruled under Islamic law. A monarch is a King or Queen or an Emperor. The King serves as the head of the Council of Ministers, which acts as the executive and legislative branches of the government.

The King decides who will serve on the Council of Ministers. Traditionally the council includes, the Crown Prince and members of the royal family. Political parties and elections are not allowed in Saudi Arabia.