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Period: 1 CE to 570
Arabia Before Muhammad
Early Arabs
-Majority of Arabia's first inhabitants were Bedouins (nomadic Arabs)
-According to tradition, the Arabs are the descendants of Abraham's son Ishmael
These people valued camels and swords above all else. They had no strong central government, but they did practice polytheism. -
Period: 1 CE to 570
Arabia before Muhammad
Mecca was an important trade stop and religious center of Arabia.
-People settled and lived in Mecca for the fresh water well.
-Mecca also was the location of the Kabaa a shrine that held 300 religious idols.
-Mecca was very diverse in religion and culture. -
Period: 570 to 632
Muhammad
Was the founder of Islam. Most of his life was spent as a Merchant. At the age of 40, he started to have revelations from Allah that became the basis for the Quran and the foundation of Islam. -
571
Muhammad's Call
Family
-Before Muhammad's birth, Muhammad's father dies; Amina, his mother, died when he was six. When Muhammad was young he worked for a wealthy widow, Khadija, who he later married and had 7 children. Out of the 7 children, they had only one daughter survived, who was Fatima -
595
Life of Muhammad
His marriage-
When Muhammad was 25 he started working for a wealthy widow, Khadijah bint al-Khuwaylid, as a guide of the caravan goods to Syria. Later the two got married and had children. -
610
Life of Muhammad
Disturbed by what he saw Muhammad retreated to the mountains where he prayed and fasted until one day he had a vision. In that vision, the angel Gabriel appeared to Muhammad and revealed to him the word of Allah. From there Gabriel told Muhammad to recite the word and teach it to his people. Coming from a Christian family his cousin told him that he saw the vision as part of a long tradition of biblical prophecy. Still, Muhammad had kept the sacred message to himself for two years. -
Period: 632 to 634
Abu Bakr
Closest friend of Muhammad and an early convert to Islam. Abu Bakr was able to consolidate power over the entire Arabia Penninsula. He is also credited for the compilation of the Quran. Riddah Wars: After Muhammad had died many tribes had left Islam. Abu Bakr began a military campaign to bring those back to Islam. -
Period: 634 to 644
Umar
Father-in-law of Muhammad, first Muslim to pray at the Kaaba and as a caliphate he expanded Islamic rule from the Arabian Peninsula from Yemen to parts of modern day Afghanistan and parts of North Africa. -
Period: 644 to 656
Uthman
Umar created a council who then selected Uthman. Under the Uthman Caliphate the Islamic empire continued to expand its conquest of Persia and the Byzantine empire. The Caliph was later assassinated by a group of Egyptian rebels that besieged his house. -
Period: 656 to 661
Ali
was a cousin of Muhammad, Ali is one of the central figures of Shia Islam. He is recognized as the first Shia Imam and the fourth of the rightly guided caliphs in Sunni doctrine. He was assassinated by a subsect of the Kharijites. This is also the start of the sunni-shia split. Muhammad died suddenly without a male heir, and never stated who his successor would be. Sunni's believed that it should be a elite member of the islamic community. Shia believed it should be from blood, his cousin Ali. -
Period: 661 to 750
Umayyad Caliphate
The Islamic empire expanded rapidly to include much of northern Africa, western India and Spain. At its peak, it was one of the largest empires in the history of the world. -
Period: 750 to 1516
Abbasids Empire
The Abbasids overthrew the Umayyads and established the Abbasid Caliphate in 750. The early rule of the Abbasids was a time of scientific and artistic achievement. It is sometimes referred to as the Islamic Golden Age. They dynasty looked east and settled in the capital of Baghdad. Fell due to the Mongols taking over the capital. Noted: during the golden age of Islam the west was going through the dark ages. -
Period: 1095 to 1291
The Crusades
The Crusades are the violent series of campaigns by Christian armies against the Muslim world. The majority of the fighting focused on the holy city of Jerusalem, but also centered in the regions of Palestine, Syria, Egypt, and Anatolia. The outcomes of the Crusades contributed to the cultural landscapes and also had a role in the diverse populations under Muslim rule. -
Period: 1516 to
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman empire started its conquest against the Arab people when they took control over Cairo. The Ottomans wielded guns and the Arabs swords. These conquests established Ottoman rule into the Arab lands until 1924 when the caliphate was abolished by Mustafa Ataturk, the first president of Turkey. -
Mohammad Ibn Abdlul Wahhab
Started his public ministry with an extremist view of the Quran calling on the central message of Islam “There is no god but God”. "the two Mohammeds concluded a pact. Ibn Saud would protect and propagate the stern doctrines of the Wahhabi mission, which made the Koran ran the basis of its government. In return, Abdul Wahhab would support the ruler, supplying him ‘glory and power.'" - Inside the Kingdom by Robert Lacey -
Period: to
First state of Saudi
The Saud learned two important strategic lessons; first, you must obtain modern military equipment and second, you can lose everything if you quarrel with the superpower of the day.
"The empire did not last. Egyptian and Turkish troops marched into Nejd in the name of the Ottoman emperor to punish the Wahhabis for their presumption. The invaders brought cannons to Dariyah and bombarded its walls into rubble"- Vision or Mirage by David Rundall -
Jihad in Arabia
“Abdul Wahhab started Jihad to purify Arabia and after bloodthirsty military campaigns, the Wahhabi armies swept into Mecca in April, extending the Saudi Authority from the Persian Gulf to the red sea.”- Inside the Kingdom by Robert Lacey -
Period: to
Second State of Saudi
"The Al Saud learned another strategic lesson: above all else, do not use force against each other; keep family disputes peaceful and private; and unite quickly and firmly against anyone who violates this rule."- Vision or Mirage by David Rundall -
Exile
Al Saud Family exiled to Kuwait by Rashidi Family -
Permission Granted
"In the Spring of 1902, Abdulaziz secured permission from his father and Sheikh Mubarak of Kuwait to try once again to capture Riyadh. He left Kuwait with only sixty men on second-rate camels. Most of his companions were close relatives, fellow exiles, and slaves." -Vision or Mirage by David Rundall -
Raiding of Riyadh
Abdulaziz sought to reclaim his family's home. Using night as cover he attacked the Masmak Fort where the Rashidi governor and his guards stayed. The men rushed the gates and eventually killed the governor and the rest of the guards surrendered. The battle was over and the city was in Saudi hands. -
Sir Percy Cox and Abdulaziz
Sir Percy Cox and Abdulaziz met al Uqair, a small port above Dharan on the Persian Gulf. For the first time, it gave formal, internationally recognized borders to the Al Saud realm. -
Medina surrendered to Abdulaziz
The city of Medina surrendered to Abdulaziz -
Assembly of Stakeholders
Abdulaziz assembled and consulted all the stakeholders in his realm – the tribal chiefs, religious scholars, urban notables, and the Al Saud family. He reasserted the authority of the Al Saud family above any individual family member. He reconfirmed the alliance between the Al Saud and Wahhabi Ullama. He explained the importance of good relations with the superpower of the day and made clear his intention to reduce tribal independence. -
Founding of Saudi Arabia
The kingdom was founded by King Abdulaziz. He united the four regions into a single state through a series of conquests beginning in 1902 with the capture of Riyadh, the ancestral home of his family, the Al Saud tribe. -
Treaty of Taif
"The treaty of Taif confirmed Saudi control of Najran and Jizan provinces. Across the border, many Yemenis continue to harbor irredentist claims on this Saudi territory, which they sometimes refer to as Historic Yemen." - Vision or Mirage by David Rundall -
Oil is Discovered in Saudi
Oil is discovered at well number 7. -
Period: to
Saudi Revenue
From 1938-1958 the Saudi government's annual revenue rose from $7 to $180 million. The people of Saudi experienced explosive growth in revenue. The people went from being one of the poorest Arab countries to being one of the richest in a span of 10 years. People went from bedu tents to owning airplanes in a very short amount of time. Most people grow into technological innovation. Saudi was thrown into it. -
US-Saudi Meet
Future King Faisal travelled to Washington to meet President Franklin Roosevelt, who declared, "I hereby find that the defense of Saudi Arabia is vital to the defense of the United States" -
King Abdulaziz meeting Roosevelt
President Roosevelt meets with King Abdulaziz. The USA wanted to solve the Palestinian-Jewish problem and securing oil for the USA. The agreement was that the US would provide security if Saudi would provide secure access to oil. Ibn Saud would give him access to oil and told the president concerning the Palestinians "Give them and their descendants the choicest lands and homes of the Germans who had oppressed them." -
Period: to
Cold War
During the start of the Cold War Arab countries were forced to choose between the USSR and America as a super power alliance. The states that entered into the soviet sphere of influence were those that had previously undergone a revolution such as; Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. Those that sided with the west were Morocco, Jordan, Saudi and other gulf states. -
Israel becomes a nation
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Life expectancy in Saudi was only 39 years old
Roughly half the population of Saudi lived in tents with no permanent mailing address. -
Infrastructure poor
When Abdulaziz died in 1953, schools and hospitals did not exist outside of major cities and no paved roads connected those cities. Except in the oil sector, salaried employment was rare; rural electricity was unheard of; and, outside of Jeddah, desalinated drinking water was unknown. Within fifty years, all of this had dramatically changed. -
King Saud
Start of the reign of King Saud.
"If you did not have fun in the reign of King Saud, you would never have fun".- Inside the Kingdom by Robert Lacey -
The beginning of Women Education in Saudi Arabia
The advent of formal public schooling for girls in Saudi Arabia started in 1960s. It was Iffat Al Thunayan, King Faisal’s wife, who pushed enthusiastically for the education of women in Saudi Arabia. Initially, opening schools for girls met with strong opposition in some parts of the kingdom. The percentage of school-age boys to girls in primary school enrollments was 22% boys and 2% girls. Government granted education as free at all levels, but not compulsory. -
Opec
Saudi organized and convinced other major oil producing countries to join OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries). This put the power to set oil prices in OPEC's hands. -
Saudi still poor
By 1960 the majority of Saudis still lived at no more than subsistence level, and their nutrition was poor even by developing-world standards.- Vision or Mirage by David Rundall -
Period: to
King Faisal
The third king of Saudi Arabia. -
Gaining control of Aramco
Saudi Arabia control of 20% of Aramco, lessening Chevron's control over Saudi oil. -
Saudi Boycott
Saudi leads oil boycott against the Western countries that supported Israel. Oil prices quadruple. -
King Faisal assassinated
King Faisal was shot to death by his nephew, Prince Faisal. He was succeeded by his brother Khalid. -
Period: to
King Khalid
The fourth king of Saudi Arabia. -
Soviet Union invades Afghanistan
Soviet Union invades Afghanistan. Osama bin Laden viewed this as an act of aggression against Islam. He started traveling to Afghanistan to meet with resistance leaders to help the Muslim nation's cause against the infidels invading the country. -
Grand Mosque Seizure.
Grand mosque seizure in Mecca by Juhayman Al-Otaybi. According to Robert Lacey, “It was a gesture of demented religious fanaticism, and the house of Saud did its best to disown him." Until this point Saudi was a liberalizing country. But after the attack, which the government quashed with artillery and French military, the royal family sought peace by appeasing the most conservative religious elements in the kingdom, cracking down on things like entertainment and women’s education. -
Education taking a turn
“Thanks to the post-Juhayman ‘reforms’ to the education syllabus, Islamist teaching did less than ever to prepare young minds for the realities of the modern world and the products of the rote learning religious colleges were particularly lacking in the practical skills that their society needed. Young Saudi’s were being taught to scorn what the West was giving them, while also being encouraged to blame the west for their ills. It was a prescription for trouble.”- Inside the kingdom -
USA and KSA help the resistance fighters in Afghanistan
Carter agreed to a secret agreement between KSA and USA that they would match each other, dollar for dollar, to fund the undercover guerrilla campaign in Afghanistan that would hand the Soviets "their own Vietnam." -
Deeper strains with Sunni and Shia
Note: A continued and deepened strain between the Shia in the east and the Sunni majority within Saudi. -
ISI funds to Afghan resistence
In February, Brzinski traveled to Islamabad and Riyadh to propose that Pakistan’s Inter-Service Intelligence directorate (ISI) covertly distribute Saudi and American funds to those Afghans fighting Jihad, or in Arabic, the Mujahideen. -Vision or Mirage by David Rundall -
Period: to
Iran-Iraq war
Start of the Iran-Iraq war. Saddam was backed by KSA and USA financially. -
Resurgence of Zionism
Following the hard-fought creation of Israel in 1948, every successive crisis in the Middle East would increase pro-Israeli feeling inside America—and then came the emergence of so-called Christian Zionism in the 1980s. Popular evangelists like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson preached that the return of Jews to the Holy Land had happened in accordance with biblical prophecy—“to stand against Israel is to stand against God,” proclaimed Falwell in 1981." Inside the Kingdom by Robert Lacey -
Saudi spreads Islam
Saudi spends approximately $27 Billion on the propagation of Islam both within country and around the world in the year 1981. -
Period: to
King fahd
The forth king of Saudi Arabia. -
Ronald Reagan support of the Muhajideen
Ronald Reagan proclaimed “You are not alone, Freedom fighters” at his state of the union address. Promising that America would provide “moral and material assistance” to those who fought against the communism in Afghanistan, Angola and Nicaragua. -
Saudi Acquires Aramco
Saudi acquires Aramco fully from Chevron. -
Soviet Union leaves Afghanistan
Soviet Union announced on February 15 all of its soldiers have left Afghanistan. -
Osama bin laden offers to help
Osama bin laden offers the king to use his battle hardened resistance group, the Mujahedeen to defend Saudi against Saddam Hussein. Instead the king takes USA's offer to provide security. This pushed for bigger military bases filled with "infidels" in the holy land of Islam. This further infuriated Osama bin Laden. -
Saddam Hussain invades Kuwait
Start of Desert Storm. Saddam Hussain had a huge army on his hands. The Iraqi dictator was feeling humiliated and with the continuing oil glut, he was desperately short of cash. Far from being grateful to the countries that had helped him out, he was angry and full of blame. Coming to a stalemate with Iran, he would cast to another target. He set his sight on the neighboring country Kuwait. -
Saddam attacks Israel and Saudi
On January 18, Saddam launched seven of his scud missiles against Tel Aviv and Haifa, then directed twenty of the missiles at Riyadh and Dhahran in a succession of alarming nighttime attacks. The dictator wanted to start an Arab-Israeli conflict to draw away firepower directed at him.
-January 29-30 one of Saddam’s tank units rumbled over the undefended Saudi border with troop carriers and occupied the town of Al-Khafji. -
America the Superpower
Collapse of the USSR. Countries that had previously undergone a revolution aligned themselves with the USSR for weapons and aid. The collapse of this superpower forced the Arab world to enter into a new age. They must now look to America as their new patron. -
King's Consultative Assembly
The Consultative Assembly is inaugurated. It is composed of a chairman and 60 members chosen by the King. -
Osama Bin Laden Stripped of Citizenship
Osama Bin Laden was publicly stripped of his Saudi Arabia Citizenship. This was due to his open opposition to the kingdom of Saudi. -
First Terrorist Attack since Mecca Seizure
Bombing of Riyadh's national guard center. This is seen as the first act of terrorism in the kingdom since the incident with Juhayman seizing the grand mosque and continued on with bombings of several hotels, compounds and the US embassy. -
Afghan training centers
"Estimated there were about 8,000 non-Afghans stationed in and around the Jihadi camps, according to one estimate by Saudi Intelligence."- Vision or Mirage by David Rundall -
Saudi Infrastructure imporves
"By 2000, most Saudis lived in cities, drove imported cars on paved roads, read newspapers, watched television, carried mobile phones, drank desalinated water, and worked for the government. Government provided medical care, education, and electricity were available in even the most remote village. All of this was the result of massive, oil funded government intervention into the lives of ordinary Saudis, which gave them all a stake in the state’s survival." -Vision or Mirage by David Rundall -
Women have ID cards
Government issues ID cards to women for the first time. -
9/11 15/19 bombers are Saudi citizens
After Juhayman, the 1980s had seen the clerics dictating the agenda ... with the Al-Saud anxious to appease them—no prince would have dared stand up in those days to contradict the say-so of a religious figure. In the 1990s [clerics] had claimed the right to ... demand changes in accord with their religious beliefs, though that had landed some of them in prison. Now the arguments were over ... 9/11 had shown what happened when religion got out of hand." Inside the Kingdom -
Saudi heavily involved
People involved with 9/11 tribe names. Al-Ghamdi, Al- Hamzi, Al-Haznawi, Al-Mihdhar, Al-Nami, Al-Amri, Al-Shehri, Al-Suqami, Hani Hanjour, Majed Moqed. -
Oppression with no outlet
“If you subject a society to all those pressures - the rigid religion, the tribe, the law, the traditions, the family, the police, and above all, the oppressive political system in which you can’t express yourself - you are going to end up with wackos. And if you then present them with the doctrine of takfeer, and that you should try to destroy people who do not share your own particular view of God, then you are going to end up with some folks who are very dangerous indeed.”- Inside the Kingdom -
School fire
A fire broke out of a girl’s school in Mecca, and as the flames spread, the girls and their teachers started running for the street. The girls were dressed in their school uniforms, but in their haste, they did not have time to collect their abayas, their black outer gowns. The religious leaders would not let them out of the school and they ended up burning to death. This instance on top of the instance of 9/11 showed the kingdom that the religious sheikhs had gotten out of hand. -
Al Qaeda
Sporadic attacks by Al-Qaeda jihadist group over the years, including deadly assaults on the Yanbu petrochemical plant and the Khobar oil company, and the US consulate in Jeddah. -
Period: to
Houthis continue to Rebel
from 2004-2010, the Houthis revolted against the central government in Sanaa 6 times. -
Period: to
King Abdullah
The sixth king of Saudi Arabia. -
Religious police with restrictions
Religious police are banned from detaining suspects but must be accompanied by a police officer for an arrest. The force has come under increasing criticism for overzealous behavior after the recent deaths in custody. -
Butt bomber
Counter terrorism specialist MBN agreed to meet Abdullah Asiri, a Yemeni al Qaida terrorist, who said he would turn himself in if her could surrender directly to MBN. Abdullah Asiri ended up blowing himself up and wounding MBN in the assassination attempt. Shortly after the incident MBN was on TV to tell the tale. -
Start of the Arab Spring
December 17, 2010 Mohammad Boazizi set himself on fire outside the local government office. This action and death sparked the Tunisian revolution. That revolution later influenced the Arab Spring, a series of revolutions in the Arab World. -
Woman driver sentences lashes for driving
A woman is sentenced to 10 lashes after being found guilty of driving, in the first legal punishment for violating the ban on women drivers. King Abdullah overturns the sentence. -
Tunisia government falls
Title says it all -
Fracking in the USA
The spread of fracking turned the USA into the worlds largest oil producer. The American economy wasn't dependent on Saudi oil anymore. Note: the production costs of USA oil was much higher than KSA. -
King Salman
The seventh and current king of Saudi Arabia. Though King Salman holds the position of king, his son Muhammad bin Salman does a majority of political work for him. -
War on Yemen
MBS declares war on Houthi rebels. Due to the violent nature of this war it has had unwanted consequences, it is now called “the worst humanitarian crisis in history” UNICEF says that the crisis in Yemen “represents a tragic convergence of four threats: a violent and protracted conflict, economic devastation, social services on the brink of collapse, including health, nutrition, water sanitation, education, protection; and a critically underfunded UN system”. Proxy war between KSA and Iran. -
2030 Plan
Mckinsey & Company starts to sell the Vision 2030 plan to MBS. This plan is meant to diversify the countries dependency on oil into other entities. -
NEOM
Start of the creation of NEOM, a $500 billion city built form the ground up. ““The land of the future, where the greatest minds and best talents are empowered to embody pioneering ideas and exceed boundaries in a world inspired by imagination.” -
Crane falling
In September, a crane fell in Mecca while doing repairs, this killed 111 and injured 394 others. This caused a rift between MBS and the Saudi Bin-ladin group responsible. -
King Abdullah dies
King Abdullah died of pneumonia in the early hours of January 23, 2015. By the conservative standards of Saudi Arabia, he had been a reformer who left behind a full treasury and a solid legacy of economic development, social change and security. -
Religious police have no power
There was once a time when the religous police ruled the streets with power to get people arrested. I heard a story of a grandmas ankles being beat because her abaya showed her ankles. They were feared and took things to the extremes. On this day the king gave them more power by making them a part of the ministry. Then the next day he said because they have been raised a position they can only go after drug and alcohol cases. After this they disappeared from the streets. -
Ritz Carlton used as a prison
Nearly 400 of Saudi Arabia's most powerful people were detained in the Ritz Carlson hotel as a 5 star prison. This became the biggest corruption purge in the Kingdom's modern history. Also seen as a way for MBS to grow in power and squash resistance. -
Trump Visit
Trump comes to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia in his first overseas trip as president. This trip was a major step for MBS to remove his brother MBN out of the way for MBS to ascend as the crown prince. The kingdom reportedly bought $350 Billion USD in arms from the US and brought back the strained relationship between one another. This was signed before congress approval. After the congress approval they sold only 14.5 Billion dollars in weapons. -
Qatar vs KSA
May 2017, Several GCC countries including KSA did a full-on boycott on Qatar and ejected citizens from the counties because of a statement the Emir of Qatar made on the support of Iran. These statements turned out to be false statement due to a paid for hire Russian hacking group planted the statements into the Qatar News Agency website. The hacking group could have been paid by KSA in order to escalate conflict and point Qatar as a supporter of terrorism. -
MBS takes the crown prince possition
King Salman forced MBN to step down as crown prince opening the door for MBS to become the crown prince. Shortly after was confined to his al-safa palace and he has not been seen in public since. -
Saudi Frustration Builds
Saudi frustration is building as they realize they have no freedom of speech. "You are free only insofar as Mohammad bin Salman decides. On the surface, Saudi Arabia seemed to be reforming. But its underlying problem -- the fact that people had no say in their governance and that their freedom was left ot the whim of a single man -- was worse" -Blood and Oil by Bradley Hope -
Saad Hariri held against his will
Saad Hariri the Lebanon prime minister was held against his will in Saudi and forced to resign. MBS wanted to reign the regional ambitions by stopping Hezbollah and destabilizing Lebanon as a proxy war with Iran. -
USA sells arms to KSA
U.S. President Donald Trump and King Salman signed a series of letters of intent for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to purchase arms from the United States totaling US$110 billion immediately, and $350 billion over 10 years. -
VAT 15% tax
January 1, MBS introduced a 15% VAT tax on all goods and services. The government feared citizens' response to them being taxed for the first time. -
Women Driving
Saudi Activist Loujain al-Hathloul was arrested for driving and promoting the ability for women to drive. “The bitter irony was that Muhammad bin Salman was pushing through the same reforms she was calling for. ... In MBS Kingdom, reforms could only come form the top, lest citizens come to believe they could obtain their rights through protest or openly criticize the royal family."- Vision or Mirage by David Rundall -
Jamal Khashoggi
Dissident Jamal Khashoggi was killed in Turkey. “Within weeks, the CIA determined that Mohammad sent Saud al-Qahtani at least eleven messages around the time of the killing. And two months before the killing, the CIA found, Mohammed had told people close to him that if he couldn’t convince Khashoggi to come back to the kingdom on his own, “We could possibly lure him outside Saudi Arabia and make arrangements. The agency concluded that Mohammed ‘probably ordered his death." -Blood and Oil -
Jamal Khashoggi Cause of Death
"In the final analysis, Khashoggi was a trusted retainer who stabbed the family in the back. At a time when his country was fighting a costly war, he went to a foreign capital and denounced its government. Writing critical articles and endorsing the Muslim Brotherhood were elements of his infidelity but not the cause of his death. In the eyes of the Al Saud, Jamal Khashoggi’s egregious crime was betrayal or treason.- This is believed to be the main reason for his death."- Blood and Oil -
Establishment of the General Entertainment Authority
In the past most forms of entertainment were viewed as haram (forbidden) under the sharia law. Under the establishment of the General Entertainment Authority all was legal with a proper license's. Before public music was illegal but now Saudi hosts some of the largest raves in the region. -
Price war with Russia
MBS starts a price war with Russia on oil. He floods the market to $20 a barrel but hurts his economy in the start of the coronavirus pandemic. This was resolved by a US diplomatic channel between Russia and KSA as the US acting as a mediator. The price war cost Saudi billions of dollars but now the world was taking MBS more seriously. He wanted the world to come to him if they wanted to talk about oil, thus reminding the world how much power MBS had over global oil markets.- Blood and Oil -
Life Expectancy in Saudi
Life expectancy in Saudi was 75 by 2019 - Vison or Mirage by David Runall -
Covid
MBS orders people to quarantine because of COVID -19. The most effective policy was ordering people indoors without giving them any choice in the matter. He ordered Mecca shut down. -
Tourist Visa
Saudi Arabia formally announced the issuance of the tourist visa to visitors from 49 countries for a fee of $80. The visa can be either obtained online (eVisa) or on arrival. -
Oil Prices fall
KSA economy retracted 7% in the second quarter in comparison to 2019. Oil prices decreased to below $20 a barrel. This is quite lower than the $76 a barrel the international monetary fund says Saudi Arabia requires in order to balance its budget in 2019. According to government the unemployment rate went to 15.4% - Vision or Mirage by David Rundall -
Destruction of Jeddah
In an effort to diversify the KSA economy, Saudi had destroyed 500,000- 1.6 Million people's homes (numbers vary and are not posted by the government). This destruction directly effected the lives of both foreigners and nationals from the rich to the poor. All of the destruction made way for renovation and new businesses in the future. Some people were given 24 hours to evacuate their houses. This led to one of the few public outcries against the government. -
Raves
To the outside eye an EDM Rave might not seem like a big deal. Within the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the home of Mecca and Madina, it is a big deal. For the west this is perceived as Saudi finally opening up but for the Islamic community, this is perceived as an unthinkable event in the founding home of Islam. Many Muslims view this as a sign of the end of times as people turn away from Islam. -
Founders day
King Salman had elected this day to be a celebration of the true founding of Saudi Arabia. It is a celebration of the first Saudi state. In celebration of this he is also politically celebrating Saudi as a state before the al Saud family had aligned themself to Muhammad bin abdul al Wahhab.