Saudia Arabia

Saudi Arabia controls a quarter of the world’s petroleum but the revenues received from its natural resources continue to be allocated inequitably. In addition, unemployment rates in the kingdom continue to rise. According to the BBC News, the unemployment rate in Saudi Arabia was officially 9% in the nation during the year 2006. However, unofficially the number is estimated to be 20% of the population. Over six million of the individuals that comprise the Saudi workforce are foreigners (BBC News). Poverty acts as a manifestation of unemployment. Poverty levels in Saudi Arabia are reflected in inadequate housing and the number of individuals living in hunger within the country.

The nation of Saudi Arabia is currently working to eradicate extreme poverty from the nation. Extreme poverty in Saudi Arabia is considered to be living with under $2 a day. According to the United Nations in Saudi Arabia, 1.63% of the population is living in extreme poverty. The number reportedly continues to decline. However, it is hard to obtain an accurate impression of the current poverty situation in the nation as the regime is reluctant to release such figures.

The government of Saudi Arabia is a monarchy. The ruling Al Saud family holds a monopoly of power. There are no political parties in the nation and organized opposition against the government is forbidden. Media is controlled by the government. The state runs four television stations, one radio station, and newspapers are established by a monarchial decree. Private radio and television stations are not permitted, however, some residents are able to receive pan-Arab stations by satellite. There are ten newspapers in Saudi Arabia and numerous magazines. Individuals can buy pan-Arab newspapers; however, the papers are often censored. Saudi citizens have access to the internet but the government blocks the sites that it determines is offensive.

The current state of human rights in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is largely regarded as poor by the United Nations as well as by western nations. However, many Muslims assert the strict punishments for crimes are necessary in order to keep crime in the country low. Saudi Arabia is an Islamic nation. Its laws are derived from sharia, Islamic laws. The nation adheres to a fundamentalist version of Islam known as Wahhabism. Much of what is considered to be universal rights are not considered so in Saudi Arabia.

Islam is the official religion of the nation. All other religions are officially banned in the country. However, Christians are generally allowed to worship in their homes as long as they don’t speak about their religion in public. In general, the country follows a "don’t ask don’t tell policy". Yet, adherents to Judaism or individuals who are atheists are not given this unofficial tolerance. Foreigners are also expected in public to conform to the laws and customs of the nation.

Restaurants and shops throughout the nation close five times each day so that individuals can partake in prayer. During the month of Ramadan, it is forbidden to eat, drink, or smoke out in public. Women, including foreign women, are expected to wear the traditional conservative dress, the abaya.

Women in Saudi Arabia are largely discriminated against. Women are not given the right to vote. Moreover, women aren’t allowed to legally ride bikes on public roads or drive. Women are disfavored in many areas of Saudi society, including: in the judicial system, work force, and in educational system. In terms of the judicial system, a women’s testimony is equivalent to only half of a male’s testimony in a sharia court. Women attend different schools than males. For the subjects that are offered to both sexes, the curriculum is the same. However, several subjects including engineering and architecture are excluded from women’s learning. Women are allowed to study outside the state but must be accompanied by a male relative. According to the U.S. Department of State, women account for 58% of enrolled students at the university level, yet only constitute 5% of the workforce in Saudi Arabia.

Gay rights do not exist in Saudi Arabia. All sexual relations are meant to partake in a Saudi conventional heterosexual marriage. Thus, all sexual acts outside this traditional marriage are deemed to be illegal by the government. Cross-dressing is also forbidden by the state. Forms of punishment for gay conduct range from receiving lashes, to imprisonment, and even at times, death. Foreigners who have committed such acts are deported back to their country.

The religious police in Saudi Arabia, the mutaween, are very strict. The mutaween are in charge with making sure sharia laws are followed. The mutaween work to ensure that there is no proselytizing of religions other than Islam. They are allowed to confiscate all goods that are deemed un-Islamic such as certain forms of music and DVDs. Furthermore, the mutaween makes sure individuals don’t drink alcoholic beverages or eat pork as required by Islamic law. The severity of the punishment for such acts can be seen in the 433 foreigners who were recently arrested in Saudi Arabia. According to USA today, the foreigners were convicted to prison and to receive lashes after partaking is what was consider to be ‘impudent partying’ and for consuming alcoholic beverages. The religious police ensures men and women are separated at all times if they are unrelated. Men are not allowed to go in what are deemed to be family coffee shops. In malls, women shop on a separate floor and male employees aren’t allowed to work on the female floors. Traditional dress adherence is strictly enforced. According to the BBC News, in 2002, the mutaween wouldn’t allow some girls to run out of a burning building because they weren’t wearing the traditional Islamic dress properly. The fire resulted in the death of fifteen girls and several other girls were injured.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia partakes in corporal and capital forms of punishment. If an individual commits a robbery, that person’s hands or feet may be cut off. Moreover, individuals receive lashes for what are deemed to be sexual deviances. Capital punishment in Saudi Arabia may be carried out in public by beheading the individual or stoning the person to death or an individual may be shot in private.

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has begun to take steps toward reforms. For instance, the nation of Saudi Arabia created the National Human Rights Association (NHRA), which monitors violations against women’s rights. It also works to implement the human rights policies that the country signs and agrees to in international charters.

In addition, the monarchy has allowed for a little more religious tolerance. The nation has pledged to reform textbooks in schools, and to reduce the powers of the religious police to arrest individuals. The Kingdom has also pledge to work to make the Human Rights Commission stronger. Though human rights reforms are taking place, the country of Saudi Arabia still has a long way to go.

Only recently has the government of Saudi Arabia begun to release figures pertaining to the number of individuals living with the HIV virus in the country. According to the Associated Press, Health Ministry Officials reported 10,120 individuals in the Saudi nation as having contacted the HIV/Aids virus. Of those individuals tested positive for the virus, 7,804 were non-Saudi citizens. Citizens of Saudi Arabia affected with the HIV/Aids virus receive free medical care. However, non-Saudi citizens living in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who are infected with the virus are deported back to their country of origin immediately after being diagnosed and after having received an initial treatment.

The number of persons affected with the epidemic is believed to be much higher than reported due to the vast number of unreported cases. Illegal citizens living with the virus and individuals, who are unaware of the fact that they are infected with the virus, are not included in the report. Moreover, some Saudi citizens believe the government purposely reduces the number of reported persons with the virus. Some observers estimate the number of victims may actually be between 80,000-100,000 individuals.

The Kingdom has become more open about the virus in recent years by releasing statistics in regards to aids victims in the nation, developing programs to combat the disease, and providing health care to aids patients. However, the subject remains a social stigma in the nation. One cause of the stigmatization is due to the nation’s adherence to a strict form of Islam known as Wahhabism, which shuns any discussion in regards to any form of sexually transmitted diseases. Most individuals in Saudi Arabia, accurately or not, associate the disease with acts that are prohibited against their religion including premarital intercourse, adultery, and gay sex. Such acts are punishable by imprisonment, lashes, and on occasion execution. In reality, such acts are more common than society wants to assert. Men often partake in extramarital affairs while on trips in other nations. A number of them contract the virus and then return home and unknowingly affect their wives.

Ignorance about the disease is all too common in the nation. Sexual education programs further need to be promoted in the country. However, it is difficult to inform individuals about sex education when Saudi society advocates abstaining from sex before marriage. Sexual education activists assert the government needs to promote abstaining from premarital sex but state the government must teach students if they are going to have sex they need to use a condom. Furthermore, students need to become aware of the various ways the disease is contracted in order to take the proper preventative measures.

The nation of Saudi Arabia is effectively working to combat several diseases, including malaria and tuberculosis. According to the United Nations, the rate of individuals with malaria was reduced from 125 cases for every 100,000 persons in 1990 to 4.7 cases per 100,000 individuals in 2005. It is estimated by 2010 the disease will be eradicated from the country. In order to combat tuberculosis (TB), Saudi Arabia has implemented surveillance programs to detect outbreaks early and has developed measures to treat and control the disease. The rate of individuals affected with malaria is 1 person for every 100,000 individuals. The country’s goal of eliminating the disease from the country is achievable.

A large portion of diseases in Saudi Arabia are due to malnutrition. Malnutrition has led to cases of night blindness, rickets, scurvy, and anemia. Though the health facilities and sewage disposal centers and programs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have been improved in recent years, a lot remains to be done.

A number of environmental issues face the nation of Saudi Arabia today. Issues include desertification, coastal pollution, reduction in underground water resources, and several animals face extinction. Oil pollution currently acts as one of the greatest threats to the country’s natural environment. According to the BBC News, over 460 million barrels of oil was released by Iraq into the waters surrounding Saudi Arabia during the First Gulf War. The oil spillage had devastating effects on the Saudi ecosystem as it resulted in the killing of countless coastal birds and destroyed much of the indigenous marine life. Furthermore, during the war, the Iraqi army set fire to Kuwaiti oil fields. The atmospheric pollution affected the soil and the vegetation in Saudi Arabia. Numerous individuals also began facing respiratory problems as a result of the pollution. In addition, the contamination caused millions of Saudi citizens to no longer have access to clean drinking water. The overall impact of the two incidents on human health and on marine life still remains unanswered.

In 1986, the government of Saudi Arabia created the Natural Commission for Wild Life Conservation and Development (NCWCD). The NCWCD helps to regulate the water and land usage in the nation. It has developed seawater desalination facilities in order to tackle Saudi Arabia’s water shortages. Furthermore, NCWCD plans and implements oil spillage response programs. NCWCD has also developed a number of strategies to help preserve Saudi Arabia’s wildlife. In particular, it has developed and runs wildlife rescue centers and has created public awareness programs about animal welfare. Furthermore, it has worked to create several national parks. Though preservation practices have taken place, problems still remain. The hunting of animals illegally still continues in the nation as poachers largely go unpunished. The encroachment of human settlements has also diminished animal habitats. Current endangered species in Saudi Arabia include the South Arabian leopard, the Arabian onyx, the green sea turtle, and the bald ibis. The Saudi gazelle and the Arabian gazelle have gone extinct.

Literacy in Saudi Arabia is defined as being able to read and write in a language. If an individual is blind, the person is considered to be literate if the individual could read as well as write in accordance with the Brail method. According to a 2006 study released by UNESCO, the adult literacy rate in Saudi Arabia is 79.4%. However, there is a growing disparity between the males and the females within the country. While the literacy rate for men is 87.1%, the rate for women is only 69.3%.

Saudi Arabia is an Islamic nation. The laws of the land conform to Islamic holy law known as Sharia. Politics, economics, and social issues, among other matters are all shaped by Sharia. The laws of Sharia are largely based on the teachings found within the Islamic holy book, the Qu’ran. Sharia laws and the Qu’ran together serve as the underpinnings of the Saudi educational system. The study of the Qu’ran is mandatory for all students attending schools within Saudi Arabia.

All education takes place within a segregated school system. The educational system in Saudi Arabia is organized into three kinds of schools: male general education schools, female general education schools, and Islamic educational schools for boys. Though men and women attend separate academic institutions, their curriculum is the same for the subjects that are offered to both sexes and they undertake the same examinations. However, there are certain subjects that are only offered to male individuals. Traditional gender roles are reflected in other areas as well. Men are encouraged to study in foreign nations as are women. However, if a woman wants to study in another country, she is encouraged to bring a male relative with her. Islamic educational schools are devoted to training males to become members of the religious clergy, the Ulema. The general educational schools are secular, however, a portion of the studies are dedicated to learning the Qu’ran.

The role that Islam should play in Saudi Arabia’s educational system is a current debate among the citizens of the nation. One camp of individuals argues the curriculum should focus on the core subjects which are necessary to learn in order to succeed in a global world. The opposing camp defends the role of Islam in the curriculum and argues that outsiders are attempting to change Saudi identity. The two factions do agree that the country does indeed lack skill workers and reforms are needed.

Companies within the country argue graduate students don’t possess the skills that are needed in order partake in the work force in the private sector. Employers assert these skills need to be developed while the individuals are still enrolled in schools. Firms in Saudi Arabia at the moment believe the nation’s educational system does not foster this development. Employers believe the current system is set up to foster memorization instead of promoting critical thinking. Moreover, the gender gap is apparent in the work force. According to Department of State, women account for 58% of the graduate students yet they only represent 5% of the working sector. Recent opinion polls demonstrate Saudi citizens do want reform and want to encourage women to become a greater part of the workforce.

Arab European Foundation - it is AEF's belief that poverty should not be a barrier to education and health acquisition. The foundation's purpose is to promote and foster medical care in Arabic and Third World Nations. AEF works to support the transfer and spread of specialized medical knowledge in these nations. The organization hopes to encourage volunteer medical work in the needy countries. AEF's aim is to establish a center for training, development and scientific cooperation in the area of medicine. The foundation acts to organize student exchange programs and to initialize and support Arab/European cooperation on scientific projects.

Arab Gulf Programme for United Nations Development Organization (AGFUND) - AGFUND is a non-profit regional development institution, established in 1980 by the initiative of HRM Prince Talal Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, with the support of the leaders of the Arab Gulf States that constitute its membership and contribute to its budget. AGFUND is concerned with the support of sustainable human development efforts targeting the neediest in developing countries, particularly women and children, through support of the efforts strongly affecting the development process, including those aimed at improving the educational and health standards, supporting poverty combating programs and those which support institutional structures. This is done in cooperation with national, international and regional organizations, NGOs and other institutions engaged in development, without any discrimination as to sex, creed or political affiliation.

Friends of Saudi Arabia - Friends of Saudi Arabia (FSA) is an apolitical, pro-educational non-profit organization that strengthens friendships between Saudi Arabia and the international community. We reach this goal by hosting social and cultural events, sponsoring educational seminars and promoting business, education and tourism to ensure that Saudi Arabia is well represented in the United States and that individuals have a better understanding and appreciation of the great Kingdom that is Saudi Arabia and her people.

Kelee Arts and Cultural Forum of Saudi Arabia - Kelee being the most prominent Indian Cultural Organization in Riyadh with a strength of 2000 committed cadres who work day and night for the betterment of under privileged and downtrodden Indian expatriates, in addition to promoting cultural and sports activities among Indians.

Movement for Islamic Reform in Arabia - MIRA seeks major reforms in Arabia; in particular, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and the abolition of the Secret Police units subverting political movements and activity.

Saudi-Britons - Our organization gives advice from real people who have been tortured in foreign lands and real people who have cared for them and people who care now. Saudi-Britons works to inform individuals on what to expect after going through an ordeal. The organization has given advice to the Saudi Westerners released after being tortured into confessions in Saudi Arabia and held incommunicado for the majority of the time. Ron Jones, who was released in May 2001 after being tortured for 67 days with no charges, laid against him also works with Saudi-Britons to give advice to individuals. Human rights is a worldwide issue we cannot ignore it but we can help and offer support. We cannot offer financial support. We do not as yet have any funding but we are here to talk to you and help you through a difficult time. We have just started out with this website but hope to expand on this as demand requires. We can point you in the right direction. Let us know what your problems are and we will try to help. More often than not just talking to someone who knows what you are going through is the greatest help. Email us at the address given.

The Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia - The Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia (CDHR) was established to promote a peaceful transformation of Saudi political, social, religious, educational and economic institutions. A non-sectarian, decentralized political structure under the rule of law will guarantee the rights, and accommodate the needs, of all citizens and expatriates, regardless of religion, gender, ethnicity, and regional background. Progressive reform in Saudi Arabia is not only a moral imperative for the Saudi people, but vital for Middle East stability, as well as global security and prosperity.
Saudi Arabia plays major religious, political and economic roles regionally and globally. With its large oil reserves and centrality to the 1.2 billion adherents of Islam, Saudi Arabia could be a force for democratization in Arab and Muslim countries and communities worldwide.

U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council - our mission is to foster, develop and expand the strategic business alliance between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia by promoting trade, investment and sustainable economic development.

AFS-USA - AFS has been leading international high school student exchange for more than 58 years. More than 10,000 participants go on AFS exchanges each year! We have wonderful students and teachers from around the world who are living in your community with local families and studying in high school. These participants arrive in August and will return to their home countries in June. If you are interested in hosting an AFS participant, please contact Sibylle Langer (slanger@afs.org) or Stephen Walsh (swalsh@afs.org)