The History about Saudi Arabia - Research Paper Example

The History about Saudi Arabia Introduction Saudi Arabia has a global recognition as one of the most rapidly developing state economically. The nation has a long history from when the first people settled there up to date. For decades, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been under the governance of one family, commonly referred to as House of Saud. Studies show that the first leader to rule Saudi Arabia was Muhammad bin Saud, since then, the state all along Saud’s descendants have ruled it. Before the current Saudi Arabia came to existence, there were two kingdoms, which were the 1st and 2nd Saudi states though toppled by neighboring states (Ministry of Culture, 2014). During its earlier stages, Saudi Arabia came up with strategies such as legalizing international scholarships in besides allowing foreign workers into the nation (Denman & Hilal, 2011). It was due to this move that saw the nation rise to become one of the most developed states in the Middle East. The discovery of oil in the nation was one of the main reasons the Saudi Arabia quickly developed economically despite its located in a desert. The essay will relay more information on the history of Saudi Arabia in terms of its kingdom and culture. The House of Saud This is Saudi Arabia’s ruling family whereby studies contend although it comprised of thousands members, the most influential of all was Saudi Arabia’s kings, who were normally descendants of Muhammad bin Saud. Studies show that the House of Saud is the translation of Al Saud, whereby the latter implies “family of” hence referring to the kingdom’s founder, Muhammad Bin Saud (Saudi Arabia, 2013). To date, the term Al Saud is a common reference carried by any descendant of Muhammad bin Saud or his brothers who are Mishari, Farhan and Thunayyan. The other family branches of Al Saud the reference is “Cadet Branches” and its members, just like those of Al Saud, hold high positions in the government. The only difference between Al Saud and cadet branches is that whereas the Al Saud’s are in a position to succeed the line of throne, Cadet Branches do not stand a chance (Saudi Arabia, 2013). Al Saud and cadet members have been close to one another to the extent that they intermarry in a move to reestablish their lineage hence continue wielding influence in the government. Studies contend that Mani’ibn Rabiah Al-Muraydi was the first ancestor of Al Saud, he alongside his clan, Mrudah, settled in Diriyah. For decades, the Mrudah ruled al-Diriyah, which rapidly prospered to become an important settlement for the Nadji. Gradually as the clan grew, so did conflicts hence resulting to one family leaving for Dhruma while the other left for Az-Zubayr. The House of Saud went through three phases; first Saudi state founded in 1744, second Saudi state followed later in 1818. The third state, Saudi Arabia, formed in 1902 after Abdulaziz alongside his forty followers captured the city of Garrison (Saudi Arabia, 2013). Kingdom of Saudi Arabia For approximately 5,000 years, people of various cultures resided in the peninsula. The Dilmun culture was contemporaneous in ancient Egyptians and Sumerians. In this region, trade was the main economic activity; most of the ancient world empires traded with the peninsula states (Ministry of Culture, 2014). Apart from a few cities and oases, there was little settlement activities in the peninsula due to harsh climatic conditions. The first Saudi state emerged in 1744 when Sheikh Mohammed Al Wahhab settled in Diriyah. Wahhab’s leadership skills were the reason the House of Saud rose to become one of the most powerful state in Arabia besides being wealth, hence controlling most parts of Nadj. However, this state’s rapid rise was not appreciated by neighboring states and it is due to this that Mohammed Ali Pasha conquered the area in 1817 (Ministry of Culture, 2014). After the first state came down, the Saud’s House reorganized itself where it emerged in 1824 with the second Saudi state. The state lasted until 1891 before once again toppled by the al Rashid dynasty. Finally, in 1902, the House of Saud reclaimed its dominance after conquering Riyadh, hence resulting to the creation of the modern Saudi Arabia state in 1932 (Ministry of Culture, 2014). The nation received a boost in 1938 after the discovery of oil in Dhahran. After finalizing of all arrangements meant for this venture, the state began exploring oil deposits hence allowing King Abdul Aziz start a large scale modernizing program, and it was because of this that Saudi Arabia rose to become one of the most influential nations not only in the middle east but globally. To date, Saudi Arabia has gone into records as not only the largest producer but also exporter of oil globally. Most of Saudi oil reserves are located in Ghawar and Safaniya. Saudi student Mobility Ever since the 9/11 incidence occurred in the US, there has been a drastic rift between Americans and Arabic states. It is due to this rift Saudi Arabia came up with a program that resulted to narrowing this gap between the US and Saudi Arabia. One factor the nation considered was education. Since the Americans value education, Saudi Arabia opted to use education in a move to bridge the gap. According to Denman and Hilal (2011), the nation introduced scholarships both for local and international students in line with educational policies enacted by king Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz. This program prompted Saudi Arabia to open its doors to skilled immigrants who came into the nation to work whereby in exchange Saudi Arabian students enrolled in formal studies abroad. Through king Abdullah scholarship program, many Saudi students got a chance to pursue their higher education both locally and internationally, and apart from resulting to development of a literate nation, the scholarship resulted to generation of good international relations with western nations such as the US and Canada. According to Denman and Hilal (2011), the rapid growth of Saudi Arabia’s economy has been because of the high amount of technical assistance the nation receives from foreign workers. Census conducted in Saudi Arabia established that the nation has approximately five million immigrants, which apart from being a third of the nation’s population; it is also two-thirds Saudi workforce (Denman & Hilal, 2011). Studies also show that out of 195, Saudi Arabia ranks at position six among nations hosting a high number of foreign workers. Saudi Arabia’s Laws In the past, the nation had no strict rules, both men and women received equal treatment, but things took a turn in 1979 after the siege of Mecca, Muslim’s holiest city. According to Al-Sharif (2013), militant Islamists, Juhayman al-Otaybi took control of Mecca for a period of two weeks and it was due to force by the Saudi authorities that saw apprehension of the militants who were beheaded publicly. This incidence made Saudi Arabia anxious hence, in a move to prevent this from ever occurring; they drafted new rules to govern the nation. According to Al-Sharif, weeks that followed saw the employment opportunities of women narrowed to only two; teaching and health care. All activities that facilitated contact between men and women faced ban; there was strict enforcement in separation of gender to the extent that it eventually became law. This implied that there was gender separation from banks, offices, schools and even homes. With time, it was a requirement that each home have two entrances, whereby one is strictly for men while the other was for women (Al-Sharif, 2013). Gradually more laws came up all targeting Saudi women. Apart from abolition of engineering classes for women, women were not to involve themselves in any sporting activity. It was also a requirement that women were not to drive vehicles in addition to not being in possession of identity cards, the only identity they were to possess were passports. According to Al-Sharif (2013), this was quite a brutal ordeal; this is because it implied that women were not only voiceless but also faceless. Culture Every nation has its own culture and Saudi Arabia is no exception. Whereas Saudi men wear long white loose robes and checkered headscarves, women adorn in long black robes, which in most cases cover their entire faces (Ryan, 2010). In many Arabic nations, it is an offense to consume pork meat and Saudi Arabia is no exception. According to Harper et al (2007), the common type of meat popular in this nation is camel and goat meat. The most common type of meals in Saudi Arabia includes harisah, jubniyyah and lahuh. In Saudi Arabia, each dish comes alongside kubez bread, normally unleavened. In Saudi Arabia, cuisine is not complete without coffee. Since the Koran prohibits the consumption of alcohol, Arabic coffee is the most consumed beverage (Harper et al, 2007). Music For decades, the Saudi government has come up with traditional folk music recordings supposedly from every kingdom, normally aired in Saudi televisions. According to Ham, Brekhus and Madden (2004), some of the most common traditional instruments were the tar, oud and al-mizmar. Some of the Saudi musicians whose music has attracted a number of fans include Mohammed Abdou, Abadi al-Johar and Majeed Abdullah. Conclusion The house of Saudi is the family that has ruled Saudi Arabia for decades. Although the family comprises of thousands of members, Saudi Arabia’s kings, normally descendants of Muhammad bin Saud, were the most influential persons. The first ancestor of Al Saud was Mani’ibn Rabiah, he together with his clan of Mrudah resided in Diriyah and through his leadership skills, the state gradually rose to become an important region for the settlement of Nadji. The development of Saudi Arabia was in three phases, the first and second Saudi states founded in 1744 and 1818 respectively. The third Saudi state came to existence in 1902. Most of laws in Saudi Arabia target women, for instance, women are not to own identity cards, neither are they to drive vehicles. These laws have received a number of criticisms since women not only are they left voiceless but also faceless. References Al-Sharif, M. (2013). “Inspiring Stories: Driving My Own Destiny in Saudi Arabia.” Reader’s Digest. Retrieved on 27 may 2014 from http://www.rd.com/true- stories/inspiring/inspiring-stories-driving-my-own-destiny-saudi-arabia/ Denman, B., & Hilal, K. (2011). From barriers to bridges: An investigation on Saudi student mobility (2006-2009). International Review Of Education / Internationale Zeitschrift Für Erziehungswissenschaft, 57(3/4), 299-318. doi:10.1007/s11159-011-9221-0 Ham, A., Brekhus, M., & Madden, A. (2004). Saudi Arabia. Footscray, Vic: Lonely Planet. Harper, R. A., Subanthore, A., & Gritzner, C. F. (2007). Saudi Arabia. New York: Chelsea House. Ministry of Culture and Information (2014). Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: History. Retrieved on 27 May 2014 from http://www.info.gov.sa/portals/kingdom/KingdomHistory.html Saudi Arabia (2013). The History of Saudi Arabia. Retrieved on 27 May 2014 from http://www.saudiembassy.net/about/country-information/history.aspx Read More