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Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ٱلْمَمْلَكَة ٱلْعَرَبِيَّة ٱلسُّعُوْدِيَّة | |
---|---|
Capital and largest city | Riyadh |
Official languages | Arabic |
Dominant mode of production | Capitalism |
Government | Absolute monarchy |
• King | Salman bin Abdulaziz |
• Crown Prince | Mohammed bin Salman |
Area | |
• Total | 2,149,690 km² |
Population | |
• 2019 estimate | 34,218,169 |
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is a US-backed absolute monarchy in Western Asia. In its war against Yemen, it has killed or injured over 18,000 civilians.[1]
History
First Saudi State
The Saudi dynasty began in the 18th century because its founder made a pact with Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab.[2]:261
Post-unification
In 1933, Saudi Arabia signed concessions to US and British oil companies.[2]:263
Crown Prince Faisal attended the 1955 Bandung Conference. Despite his opposition to Nasser, Egypt defended Saudi Arabia against a British invasion from Oman, and Saudi Arabia lent money to Egypt during the Suez Crisis.[2]:263
In 1962, Faisal organized the creation of the World Muslim League.[2]:260
Workers' movement
In 1953, the workers of Aramco tried to strike to form a union. They protested against King Saud and demanded the end of U.S. occupation. The state killed officers from the Dhahran Air Base who mutinied in support of the workers.[2]:264
Women's rights
Male guardians control where women can travel and work in Saudi Arabia. Adultery and "witchcraft" are punishable by death by stoning or beheading.[3]
References
- ↑ "Five Years of Data on Saudi-led Air War" (2020-03-25). Yemen Data Project. Archived from the original on 2021-12-04. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Vijay Prashad (2008). The Darker Nations: A People's History of the Third World: 'Mecca'. [PDF] The New Press. ISBN 9781595583420 [LG]
- ↑ "Hypocrisy of U.S. government, corporate media on display in reaction to Iran protests" (2022-09-26). Liberation News. Retrieved 2022-09-26.