The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

audi Arabia in the past decades has gone a long way in various fields of development. From a desert land inhabited
by conflicting tribes, who were mostly living a nomadic life, to a modern nation with a promising future.

It all began in 1902 when young Abdulaziz

Al-Saud, who was living in Kuwait with his
exiled family, moved along with forty
men and recaptured the city of
Riyadh from the Al-Rashid family
who had taken control of the
area in 1891. This successful
attempt prompted his quest
to seize other parts of Arabia;
and by the year 1912, Ibn Saud was able to take control of
Najd as well as the eastern part of Arabia. Consequently,
he gained more followers and support from the tribes
who swore their allegiance to him, helping him eventually
to defeat all remnants of the Al-Rashid in 1922, by spreading his power and gaining more territory.
This triumph led to a treaty between Ibn
Saud and the British, who were controlling territories along the Gulf and
Iraq, to recognize his newly established territory. This recognition soon spread around the
world; and shortly later Ibn Saud
captured Mekka from Sharif Hussein
ibn Ali, putting an end to the
Hashemite rule of the area and proclaiming himself King of Hejaz and Sultan of Najd
in 1926. After conquering most of the Arabian Peninsula, Ibn Saud proclaimed himself
King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that became fully established in 1932.
During World War II, where the Kingdom stood neutral,
King Abdul-Aziz granted American oil companies the
agreement to search for oil; and in 1938, the first oil
gushed out from Dammam well No. 7, marking a major
turning point in Saudi Arabias history and setting a scene
for a promising future. With the discovery of oil, Saudi
Arabia emerged from a poor nation to one of the richest
providing opportunities for both local and foreign investment. The country began to develop; and countless governmental projects were on their way to implementation.
Roads paved, schools built, housing projects developed,
and people began pouring into major cities such as Dhahran that was recently introduced as the headquarters of
the newly-established Oil Company ARAMCO which grew

to be known as the biggest oil company in the world.

What had once been a country dominated by illiteracy,
was witnessing a rise in the importance of education as
people were attempting to follow the countrys fast-pace
development and progress. Education was made available
for everyone for free at all levels including Universities,
the first of which being King Abdul-Aziz University which
opened in 1957. The quest for educational development
continued on, and is continuing on presently as exemplified by the Scholarship Program in which the Custodian of
the two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah granted over
100,000 scholarships for Saudi students to study abroad,
in addition to the newly established King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) which the Custodian regards as a new House of Wisdom open to both
Saudis and non-Saudis.
Economically, the Kingdom is witnessing major changes
including the gradual transformation to lift the Kingdoms dependence on oil which used to represent the sole income generating source
for the country, through encouraging
private sector growth, facilitating government financing and services,
inviting foreign investment
such as joint ventures,
placing more emphasis on industry and
agriculture and training Saudi graduates.
Saudi Arabias uniqueness is
identified in its preservation of its culture and
adaptation of advanced technology and
methods. It has proven rewarding and
fruitful in achieving the countrys
plans in boosting the economy.
Today, men and women alike
with the blessings of the
Custodian of the two Holy
Mosques, King Abdullah,
work hand in hand towards
endless achievements.