in tropical climates; poor pay, working conditions, and alleged
nepotism in the promotion of officers have been problems in the
past, as reflected in the 1995 and 2003 coups; these issues are
being addressed with foreign assistance aimed at improving the army
and its focus on realistic security concerns; command is exercised
from the president, through the Minister of Defense, to the Chief of
the Armed Forces staff (2005)

Transnational Issues
Sao Tome and Principe

Disputes - international:

none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Saudi Arabia

Introduction
Saudi Arabia

Background:

Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam and home to Islam's two
holiest shrines in Mecca and Medina. The king's official title is
the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The modern Saudi state was
founded in 1932 by ABD AL-AZIZ bin Abd al-Rahman AL SAUD (Ibn Saud)
after a 30-year campaign to unify most of the Arabian Peninsula. A
male descendent of Ibn Saud, his son ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz, rules
the country today as required by the country's 1992 Basic Law.
Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia accepted
the Kuwaiti royal family and 400,000 refugees while allowing Western
and Arab troops to deploy on its soil for the liberation of Kuwait
the following year. The continuing presence of foreign troops on
Saudi soil after the liberation of Kuwait became a source of tension
between the royal family and the public until all operational US
troops left the country in 2003. Major terrorist attacks in May and
November 2003 spurred a strong on-going campaign against domestic
terrorism and extremism. King ABDALLAH has continued the cautious
reform program begun when he was crown prince. To promote increased
political participation, the government held elections nationwide
from February through April 2005 for half the members of 179
municipal councils. In December 2005, King ABDALLAH completed the
process by appointing the remaining members of the advisory
municipal councils. The country remains a leading producer of oil
and natural gas and holds more than 20% of the world's proven oil
reserves. The government continues to pursue economic reform and
diversification, particularly since Saudi Arabia's accession to the
WTO in December 2005, and promotes foreign investment in the
kingdom. A burgeoning popul