In one of his best-known quotes, Winston Churchill said, "I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma." Churchill was referring to the Soveit foreign policy. In case of Saudi Arabia the description could easily be stretched to include most aspects of the country; its foreign policy, politics, economy, and society.
That it should be so is a riddle in itself. Arabia has been on the world trade routes for millennia. The fascinating landscape of sand dunes and oases; desert camels and Arabian horses; caravan serais and long nights of story-telling; meeting of strangers from distant corners of the world travelling from somewhere to somewhere else, exchanging goods, news and ideas along the way these have been the evocative and exotic images of timeless Arabia.
The Muslim pilgrims from all corners of the world have been visiting the country a million and more a year - to pray at the holy site of Kabaah in Makkah. And then to pay respects at the grave of Prophet Muhammad in Medina.
In addition to the pilgrims seeking salvation, there have been explorers in search of adventure and businessmen chasing fast buck. Wilfred Thesiger crossed the featureless expanse of Rub al-Khali (Empty Quarters) in the early century. Harry St. John Philby followed him on a mission of the British Colonial Service and stayed on. He converted to Islam, married a Saudi woman, became a friend and confidant of the Saudi King, wrote books, arranged oil deals and made a fortune for himself.
Saudi Arabia is a unique country in three ways. One, it possesses more than a quarter of the global oil reserves, has been the largest oil producer for over half a century and is the only producer with a spare production capacity. Two, two of Islam's holiest shrines are located in Saudi Arabia at Makkah and Medina, placing the country at the epicentre of the Muslim sacred space. Three, it is one of the last surviving ruling monarchies and the only one that has named the country after its own family name.
Because of the oil generated affluence, the country today calls forth images of kilometres and kilometres of asphalt roads with luxury and sports cars jostling their way on them, the flared gas from the oil wells lighting up the skies, cement-concrete-glass-marble high-rise apartment and office buildings, sprawling shopping malls and so on.
meant to serve as a basic introduction to this fascinating Saudi Arabia is worth a scrutiny. This short book is country.
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