Saudi Arabia
Area: 2.25 million square kilometres
Population: 27,600 000 (2007 est.)
Capital City: Riyadh
People: Arabs, 7 million of the total population are foreign workers
Languages: Arabic is the official language (English is widely spoken in business circles)
Religion: Islam; the public practise of any other religion is forbidden. About 90% of the Muslim population is Sunni and 10% Shia.
Currency: Saudi Riyal (SR)
Major political parties: Political parties are not permitted
Government: Monarchy
Head of State and Prime Minister: King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
First Deputy Prime Minister: His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud
Second Deputy Prime Minister: His Royal Highness Prince Naif bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud
Foreign Minister: His Royal Highness Prince Saud al Faisal bin Abdul Aziz
Membership of international groups/organisations: World Trade Organisation, Arab League, Gulf Co-operation Council, Organisation of Islamic Countries and United Nations and Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, IMF and World Bank.
Flag: The flag of Saudi Arabia bears the Muslim creed: ‘There is no God but God: Muhammad is the Messenger of God.’ The official emblem is a date palm, representing vitality and growth, and two crossed swords, symbolising justice and strength rooted in faith.
VISAS
Information about visas for Saudi Arabia can be found here. Please note that it is no longer necessary to have a sponsor for a visa for Saudi Arabia. This opens up the possibility of making an exploratory trip to Saudi Arabia to attend interviews, visit schools and view accommodation.
FLIGHTS
Directs flights are available to the main centres of Riyadh, Jeddah and Dahran. Good internal flights with Saudi.
Accommodation
There are a number of different options for accommodation in Saudi Arabia. Some of the better quality compounds which would be suitable for executives and their families would include:
| Arabian Homes | http://www.arabian-homes.com/ |
| Mura Bustan | http://www.mura-bustan.com/ |
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS
| British School, Riyadh | http://www.britishschoolriyadh.com/ |
| Dhahran British Grammar School | http://www.dhahranbritish.com |
| Jeddah Preparatory and Grammar School | http://www.jpgs.org |
| Tabuk Primary School | http://www.bsme.org.uk/schools/more.asp?id=94&sch |
| The British International School | http://www.continentalschool.com |
| The British International School of Al Khobar | http://www.britishschool-ksa.com/ |
HEALTH/TRAVEL
Some parts of Saudi Arabia, most notably the South Western region of Jizan, are potentially malarial. Precautions should be taken when visiting this area. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office recommends visitors have immunisations for polio, hepatitis and tetanus before visiting Saudi Arabia.
SAUDI CULTURE
Islamic principles and social customs are strictly observed in Saudi Arabia and influence all aspects of life and society. Saudi Arabia adheres to the Islamic sharia legal system. The Saudi working week is from Saturday to Wednesday. Thursday and Friday are the ‘weekend’.
ECONOMY
Saudi Arabia has the largest proven oil reserves in the world and is by a long way the largest exporter of oil. Oil was discovered in 1938, and production began under the then US-controlled Aramco (Arabian American Oil Company). Saudi Aramco, now nationalised, controls all onshore oil and has the largest reserve base of any company in the Exporting Countries (OPEC); It has always been the dominant player within OPEC in adjusting production in line with market stability.
Large oil earnings, particularly since the oil price rises of the early 1970’s, have allowed the Government to spend heavily to look after the people and to build the infrastructure of a modern economy. The economy is heavily dependent on oil earnings and the high level of Government spending they make possible: a large and varied private sector has grown up but remains vulnerable to fluctuations in the oil price and government spending. In the 1980’s and 1990’s economic growth was barely fast enough to keep up with population growth, but very high oil prices in 2003-5 have made possible a strong spurt in growth. The impact of the recent drop in oil prices and the global financial crisis on Saudi Arabia is not yet clear. There are signs it is having some negative impact on the economy but not to the same extent as some of its Gulf neighbours.
Saudi Arabia has long had a very liberal policy on the use of foreign workers, who form the vast bulk of the private sector workforce. But the Saudi population is rapidly increasing and policy is now focusing on the need to create more jobs for young Saudis.
Economic reform continues: moves in recent years include opening some previously closed sectors of the economy, such as the gas industry, to investment by foreign companies. Upstream oil remains closed to foreign investment. Saudi Arabia has joined the World Trade Organisation.