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Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Seen by a Diplomat’s Spouse
that befell the Kingdom and its sovereignty during
the treacherous invasion of Kuwait by the Iraqi forces,
i.e. during the Second Gulf War. This small state was
traditionally the closest partner of the Kingdom. The
annexation of Kuwait could in fact have entailed a real
danger to the independence of the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia and of the Gulf countries as a whole.
Hence, the question of coming to the rescue of the
afflicted neighbor was not even subject to discussion. It
was rather a necessary and inevitable thing, come what
may. But although most Arab countries had unconditionally
condemned Baghdad’s occupation of Kuwait, yet the balance
of forces was not in their favor. Therefore, King Fahd took
the historical decision, which may be considered one of his
loftiest achievements, namely to turn to all the Arabs for
help in repulsing the aggression. Prominent personalities in
the advanced countries describe King Fahd as “the architect
of the modern Kingdom”, which is a true description,
because the unique successes realized in the country within
the recent decades are all attributed in one way or another to
the effective activity of the present monarch.
Before becoming king, Prince Fahd was Minister
of Education for a whole decade in the fifties, during
which the number of schools increased ten fold and the
first university was established, not only in this country,
but in the whole region. Then he occupied the post of
Interior Minister for a number of years. He also headed
the Higher Council of Oil and Minerals and the Higher
Hajj Committee and others. In all these posts the King has
initiated astounding transformations.
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Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Seen by a Diplomat’s Spouse
Another achievement of great importance which may
be considered one of the main peaks in the life of King
Fahd was the radical reconstruction, expansion and
reorganization of the two Holy Cities, Holy Mecca and
Medina Munawwarah, their main Mosques and the other
holy places therein. Millions of Muslims throughout the
world should be grateful to the monarch of the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia for the improvement he introduced,
which improvement is unprecedented and unparalleled
throughout the world.
King Fahd took over the running of the country during a
prosperous period of development of his country, when the
prices of energy materials were still high. Consequently,
the hard currency revenues were quite abundant in the state
treasury. At this point, it was thought that all was well and
secure. But the monarch had realized that oil and other
natural resources would sooner or later be depleted and
that for the country to keep developing, basic branches of
the economy must be established. It is well known that the
social – economic development of the Kingdom is based
on long-term five-year plans which were implemented
particularly during the reign of King Fahd. In consequence,
there were established in the country successful chemical,
mining, light and food industries. Rapid development
also took place in the field of agriculture and basic and
residential construction. The production of electric power
and potable water was also expanded (29 desalination
plants, the largest number in the world). Moreover, the
oil refining and petrochemical facilities occupy at present
first position in the Middle East.
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Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Seen by a Diplomat’s Spouse
When ascending to the throne, King Fahd swore that
he would spare no effort, energy or time in serving the
prosperity, security and stability of his country. He has
kept his promise in fulfillment of his father’s will. He led
the country and brought it to a higher standard of living.
Members of the ruling family enjoy great privileges
and high respect in Saudi society. Most key posts are
held by members of the family, which makes it possible
to effectively lead the country. The family give the
impression of solidarity, strongly and confidently holding
in their hands the administration of the state and being
immune to fluctuations and crises, internal or external. But
despite the expected and probable differences in points of
view among the members of the ruling family, King Fahd
wisely tries to find compromises and mutual concessions
in order to preserve the stability of the current regime, and
maintain the leading role of the family itself.
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Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Seen by a Diplomat’s Spouse
Physical Characteristics
The Arabian Peninsula is a definite geographical unit
that is clearly demarcated on the map. It covers three
million square kilometers. Being part of Asia, it looks
as though it was confined between this continent and
the continent of Africa. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
covers a large part of the area of the Arabian Peninsula
(2.24 million square kilometers). It overlooks the Persian
Gulf (referred to as the Arabian Gulf, in Arab sources) in
the east, the Red Sea, in the west, both Yemen and Oman
and the United Arab Emirates in the south. The State of
Qatar, which is a peninsula, and the Kingdom of Bahrain,
which is an island, can be considered two appendages in
this area. At the upper end, on the north-eastern border of
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, there lie Jordan. Iraq and
Kuwait.
Until fairly recently, the borders with some of these
states had not been clearly and accurately delineated. For
this reason, there occurred disputes over the lands more
than once, which is not surprising, for the majority of the
population of the Kingdom represent nomad clans that
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