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Saudi Arabia: United States
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Saudi Arabia in Pictures is an exemplary starting point for student researchers. A look at the development of a culture and an influential political state from a conglomeration of largely nomadic peoples underscores discussion of geography and the relationships between natural resources and the economy and between religion and everyday life. A page of specifically chosen Web Sites will link kids to other information about the Arabic language, interpretation of political events, Islamic prayer, and much more.
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Saudi Arabia is in the Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen. This enormous nation is slightly more than one-fifth the size of the entire United States. The capital city is Riyadh, a modern city of skyscrapers built by oil riches. Another major city, with a few more historical sites, is Jeddah. Mecca is Islam's holiest city, and all devout Muslims are supposed to make the pilgrimage here at least once in their lifetimes. There are other interesting archaeological sites to explore.
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In the 1970s and 1980s, Saudi Arabia invested heavily in new commercial agriculture. Spectacular increases have been achieved in the production of wheat, sorghum, barley, poultry and eggs, and new vegetable and fruit crops. However, much of this expansion depends on the use of fossil water (not replenishible), guest workers, imported machinery, and state subsidies. Saudi Arabia has regained self-sufficiency in wheat, and range-based livestock raising is increasingly commercial in orientation. Many Saudi Arabians still work in agriculture and ranching, but as owners and managers rather than workers; some are absentee owners, and many have other occupations and other sources of income.
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Saudi Arabia's long-term goal is to further develop its lighter crude reserves, including the Shaybah field, located in the remote Empty Quarter area bordering the United Arab Emirates. (In June 2005, the UAE said it wanted to amend a 1974 border pact which gave the Saudis rights to Shaybah, which lies 80 percent in Saudi territory and 20 percent in UAE). Shaybah contains an estimated 15.7 billion barrels (or higher) of premium grade 41.6o API sweet (nearly sulfur-free) Arab Extra Light crude oil, with production as of May 2005 at around 500,000 bbl/d. Overall, the Shaybah project cost around $2.5 billion, with production starting in July 1998. According to Oil Minister Naimi (October 1999), the development of Shaybah showed that "the cost of adding...capacity - that is, all the infrastructure, producing and transportation facilities - necessary to produce one additional barrel of oil per day in Saudi Arabia is, at most, $5,000 compared to between $10,000 and $20,000 in most areas of the world." Plans are to increase Shaybah output by as much as 300,000 bbl/d in the next few years.
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From 1987-97 Saudi Arabia is estimated to have spent $262 billion (constant 1997 dollars) on its military, with its annual military expenditure consuming on average 18 percent of GNP. (By comparison, the United States spent about 4.6 percent of its GNP on the military during this same time.) During just 1995-97, over $31 billion was spent on arms imports from the United States and Europe. (U.S. State Department, World Military Expenditures and Arms Transfers 1998)
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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 ... 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.
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