1. Arabian Peninsula

2. Bahrain, Kuwait,
Oman, Qatar,
Yemen, Saudi Arabia,
United Arab Emirates

3. Arabian Peninsula
Bedouins, nomadic desert dwellers, moved throughout the desert
They adapted to the harsh conditions and built a culture based on strong family ties
most important relationships are based on tribal affiliation
Frequent fighting with other families and clans for pastureland

5. Arabian Peninsula Their fighting skills helped spread Islam
Islam helped unite the people of the Arabian Peninsula
Bedouin fighters moved across the desert, conquered lands, and put Muslims leaders in control
The Muslim Empire dominated the region and were at their peak in 750 CE

6. Colonialism in the Arabian Peninsula
By the end of the 1600’s the leaders of Muslim nations were weak
The Ottoman Empire was in decline
Ottoman Empire: Muslim empire that dominated parts of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East
abolished in 1922

7. Colonialism in the Arabian Peninsula
Britain and France were gaining power
After WW1, much of the Middle East was under the control of Britain and France
they wanted control of the Suez Canal and oil
Only part of the Arabian Peninsula was colonized

9. Creation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
In 1932, Abdul Al-Aziz Ibn Saud established the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and made himself monarch
Ibn Saud was the only Arab leader who was independent of western powers between WW1 and WW2
Today, only his descendents are considered part of the royal family and are eligible to take the throne

10. Creation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
According to the Quran, a Muslim is permitted up to four wives at one time and is allowed to divorce and remarry numerous times. King Abd al-Aziz cemented alliances by marrying a daughter of every tribal chief in his realm, producing 45 legitimate sons and having at least 22 wives.

11. Every Saudi king since has been a son of Abd al- Aziz
Every Saudi king since has been a son of Abd al- Aziz. The number of his daughters is not known - they were not counted - but are estimated to be more than 50. Though many of his contemporaries regarded his practice of polygamy as excessive, it was continued and surpassed by his son, King Saud, who had 53 sons and at least 54 daughters. The descendents of King Abd al- Aziz now number in the thousands, many of whom hold important government positions.

12. Saudi Arabia Today Ethnic Groups: 90% Arab, 10% Afro-Asian
Arab = a person who speaks Arabic as their first language
not a race
most are Muslims but there are Christian Arabs and Jewish Arabs
Arabs are united by culture and history
Afro-Asian = a person of mixed African and Asian ancestry
Pakistan, Bangladesh, India
Language: Arabic

13. Religion: Islam is the official religion
85-90% Sunni Wahhabi and 10-15% Shia
Wahhabi: a strict form of Islam that insists on a literal interpretation of the Qur’an
under Wahhabism women can’t travel outside of the country without a husband or male relative, or drive a car in public
women are registering to vote for the first time in 2015

14. most non-Muslim forms of religious expression are restricted
people who practice other religions are imprisoned, beaten or expelled
non-Muslims cannot have Saudi citizenship and non- Muslim places of worship are not permitted*
Mutaween: Islamic religious police

15. Two brothers, Saud and Nasser al-Qaws, aged 22 and 24, died last fall after their car was forced off a Riyadh bridge by members of Saudi Arabia’s religious police. The officers, members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, allegedly objected to the patriotic songs the brothers were playing on the car stereo. They pursued the men at high speed, ramming their car three times before finally pushing it off the bridge. One of the young men was killed immediately; his brother died shortly thereafter.

16. In 2002 in Mecca, 15 girls died in a school fire, prevented from fleeing by mutaween who claimed the students were inappropriately covered. In 2007, a dozen mutaween entered a Riyadh family’s home and fatally beat a 28-year-old man whom they suspected of illegally possessing alcohol.
In 2008, Saudi Arabia ranked 161 out of 167 countries on the Democracy ranking

17. Population: 27, 752, 000
immigrants make up 30% of the population
Government:
monarchy
Constitution based on the Qur’an
Legal system is based on Sharia Law with some Western elements

18. Economy
oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities
the Saudi government is encouraging the growth of the private sector to diversify the government and employ more Saudi citizens
private vs. public sector
Oil based; 16% of the world’s known oil reserves
World’s largest exporter of oil
plays a leading role in OPEC
OPEC: an organization of oil producing nations whose purpose is to control oil prices and production

19. Over 6 million foreign workers, 80% of the workforce, play a large role in the Saudi economy, especially in the oil and service sectors
The government is trying to reduce unemployment among Saudi citizens, especially among the youth who don’t have the skills or education the private sector needs
private vs public sector

20. Budget deficits are expected because oil prices of $100/barrel are required to balance its budget
current price: $45.55

21. Saudi Arabia and 9/11
al-Qaeda is a Salifist, militant Islamist organization founded by Osama bin Laden in the late 1980’s
salifist: wants Islam to go back to how it was in the beginning; very strict, radical, and extreme
bin Ladin was a Saudi
1991: bin Ladin is kicked out of Saudi Arabia; he and his followers move to Sudan
1997

22. Saudi Arabia and 9/11
1996: he’s kicked out of Sudan and moves to Afghanistan; he is taken in by the Taliban
bin Laden issued a fatwa in 1996 in which he declares jihad against the US in 1996 because of US support for Saudi Arabia and Israel
jihad: “It's a range of activities all based on the Arabic meaning of the word 'exerted effort.' In the Koran it's projected as exerting effort to change oneself, and also in certain situations physically standing against oppressors if that's the only way." Maher Hathout, author of Jihad vs. Terrorism
1997

23. In a 1998 fatwa, bin Laden argued that Muslims had a duty to wage a holy war against US citizens because the US was responsible for helping the Saud family stay in power in Saudi Arabia and for keeping Israel dominated by Jews
“The ruling to kill the Americans and their allies -- civilians and military -- is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it in any country in which it is possible to do it.... [E]very Muslim who believes in God and wishes to be rewarded to comply with God's order to kill the Americans and plunder their money wherever and whenever they find it.”

24. Saudi Arabia and 9/11
al Qaeda attacks on Americans prior to September 11, 2001
1993
Bombing of the World Trade Center, New York
6 killed, 1000 injured
1998
Bombings of US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania
200+ killed, 5000 injured
1999
Attempted bombing of LA airport
Bombing of USS Cole in Yemen
17 killed, 39 injured

26. Ahmed Ressam, convicted in 2001 of a plot to blow up LA International Airport

27. On September 11, terrorists, 15 from Saudi Arabia, flew planes into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in western Pennsylvania
Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led international effort to oust the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and destroy Osama bin Laden’s terrorist network based there, began on October 7, Bin Laden was killed during a raid of his compound in Pakistan by U.S. forces on May 2, 2011.