Special Report: Saudi Arabia’s Warming Relations With Russia Threaten American World-Wide Hegemony
Special Report The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
The unknown, secretive Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A country that for most means wealth and luxury of the 21st century monarchy. For the past decades, the country with a very dry climate became a world leader in extraction and refinement of hydrocarbons. They also created science, religious, cultural, and political centers. Now, Saudi Arabia is an essential player on the world arena.
Abdulrahman bin Ibrahim Al-Rassi, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Russia: "The Kingdom is in the G20 with a fast growing economy. It's 4th in the world on macroeconomic stability. It's a member of many international organizations. Some of them are the UN, the League of Arab States, the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization, and of course, OPEC".
The Kingdom is located in the south-west of the Asian continent. It's the 13th largest in the world, with over 2 million square kilometers. That's almost like Russia's Yakutia. Thirteen emirates form the country. The largest cities are the capital, Riyadh, and its economic center, Jeddah.
Also, Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world with no rivers. So flora and fauna here are peculiar- plants and animals are typical desert inhabitants. Lack of drinking water sources didn't stand in the way of making the kingdom's cities bloom.
There are programs and propaganda for rationalizing water use. Filtering water from residue and cleaning sewage water. It's then used to water farms and gardens. This complements the methods of desalination of water from the Red Sea and the Gulf. We can then use it for drinking. We also use modern technologies to fight droughts and water deficit.
The population of Saudi Arabia is over 30 million people. This is one of the few Arab countries with the highest urbanization level. The majority of people live in the cities. A third of the population are foreign workers. A small part of the Kingdom's residents are Bedouin.
It's important to note that the most incredible achievement of the King, Abdulaziz ibn Abdul Rahman ibn Faisal ibn Turki ibn Abdullah ibn Muhammad Al Saud, the founder of the Saudi Arabian Kingdom, were his actions in the early 20th century. Then, he moved the Bedouin into different regions. Thanks to that, permanent residency spots were formed. This suited their settled lifestyle.
Michael Bogdanov Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs: "In my experience, I know that the climate affects people's lives. It affects their behavior. Their clothes, jobs, leisure are all interconnected. I'd say the climate is very harsh. When we have -50°C, they have the opposite".
Saudi Arabia's modern history is a history of a third kingdom. In the early 20th century, King Abdulaziz ibn Abdul Rahman Al Saud returned from exile in Kuwait and reinstated the power of the Saudi family over the entire kingdom. They call this event the turning point.
The young monarch was able to unite the country in its modern borders. On September 19, 1932 Saudi Arabia was established as a new, independent country.
The creation and building of the country began on the first day King Abdulaziz stepped in Riyadh. He put in the foundation for administrative buildings. Among them, were the Council and the self-governing authorities, Majlis-ash-Shura, or the consultation council, the Supreme Court, and the Ministry. He also founded the Saudi Arabian Financing Establishment. Saudi Arabia was one of the founding countries in the UN. They were ones of the first to sign the UN Charter in 1945.
Back then, Russia was a reliable partner for a young country. Our country was one of the first to support them on the world political arena.
Michael Bogdanov Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs: "Our country was the first to recognize the independence of the kingdom and to have a relationship with King Abdulaziz Al Saud, considering the potential of both countries. They foresaw successful cooperation in the political and economic industries. So, for the past few years, we've watched a very dynamic growth in our relationship".
Everything in the Kingdom exists, according to Al Nizam, or the Basic Law, that was adopted in 1992. The document regulates the country's life, from defense and science, to social infrastructure and economics.
The King has absolute power. It includes Sharia laws, the King is the head of the Minister Council, and of the law-creating department, Majlis-ash-Shura. However, these political standards in the country started to change with time. Recently, women started taking up government positions.
Women take positions in higher authority. Saudi women participated in the municipal elections for the first time in 2015. They were voters and candidates. I'd like to note that 20% of the local Majlis-ash-Shura, the consultation council, is intended for women. This proves that the Kingdom is on the way of growth and reforms. Women play a big role in the community, according to the traditions of the Kingdom.
The first thing that comes to mind about the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is that it's the motherland of Islam. Over 90% of the country are Muslim. All the main holy sites are in the country. The Al-Masjid an-Nabawi mosque in Medina, where Prophet Muhammad was buried. There are also the Great Mosque and Kaaba in Mecca. These places are the main attractions for pilgrims from all over the world during the holy hajj.
We get about 7.5 million pilgrims every year. Religious tourism makes up 90% of our tourism sector. Using this opportunity, I call upon our brothers, Russian Muslims and Muslims from all over the world to stay vigilant and careful when it comes to attempts to disturb pilgrims and their mission. Obviously, the Kingdom's National Security watches over, and prevents these attempts to keep pilgrims safe, to make sure they safely return to their homes.
It's not all about religious tourism in the country. You can experience the rich history of the Kingdom in dozens of museums. Various collections will tell you about the local lifestyles and peculiarities. The most unusual exposition of ancient times under the open sky are these petroglyphs, an artifact from the Palaeolithic era. They can be up to 2 million years old.
There are plenty of other religious attractions, like the Hira cave, located on the northeastern side of Jabal Al-Nour mountain, and the Thawr cave, located on the slope of Jabal Thawr. There are a lot of things that were witnesses to very important Islamic events. For instance, Mada'in Saleh, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. This complex has 153 massive cliffs. There are also many Islamic monuments.
Of course, the Kingdom pays extra attention to restore former memorials and to preserve them for future generations.
Saudi Arabia is changing. Movie theaters open in large malls. Dramatic and musical groups are now eager to come to the Kingdom to perform.
At the end of this September, there was an event that many have called revolutionary. The King of Saudi Arabia allowed women to get their driver's license and to drive.
Michael Bogdanov Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs: "When it comes to their history, Saudi Arabia had been a closed country of some sort, with their own restrictions that had been there for ages. And now they are going through some sort of an opening process. The country is growing with their cinema, their theater, because before it used to be all regulated".
Centuries old traditions, religious unity, and a stable economy makes Saudi Arabia proud today. The numbers are impressive, GDP has increased by 4% in the last years. Last year, GDP was almost $700 billion. This means they are 14th in the world.
Right now the Kingdom is renewing their economic priorities. Saudi Vision 2030 goes towards developing new trade connections, and minimizing dependence on hydrocarbons. This will be based on investments in high tech developments, betting on education and defense, to compete with modern demands and modern times.