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picture in the book, as the space of the place has a special
color, a spiritual atmosphere that cannot be felt from the
one-dimensional pictures.
Finally, I would like to say a few words about another
“monument” established in the Prophet’s City in 1985.
This is King Fahd’s Printing Complex for printing the Holy
Quran, whose corner stone was laid by the King himself.
Here the Quran is studied, interpreted and translated into
several languages. Many impressions of the Holy Book
have been made together with volumes of the Prophet’s
traditions. Here also are produced tapes wherein is
recorded the recital of the Holy Quran by famous recitors.
This is a unique establishment in the whole world. It
occupies an area of 250 thousand square meters wherein
1,700 specialists are involved in a highly specialized work
comprising various disciplines. In the midst, there is a
printing press and a sound recording studio equipped with
the most up-to-ate technical apparatus. This magnificent
place comprises a consultative council, a linguistic board
and committees that are specialized in Islamic and other
studies. This Center produces 7 million copies of the Holy
Quran every year, as well as 30 thousand cassettes which
are sent, free of charge, to all Muslims the world over – an
invaluable gift.
On inauguration day, King Fahd wrote in the honorary
register the following words: “ I was here, two years ago,
for laying the corner stone of this colossal project in this
great City. I pray that God Almighty will crown my work
with success in serving my religion, my country and all
Muslims”.
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The Eastern Province
We now draw near to the Arabian Gulf, to the Eastern
Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, or to the Hasa
area. It lies between Kuwait (to the north), Qatar and
Bahrain ( to the east) and the United Arab Emirates (to
the south). It has a 700 kilometer coastal strip. Here are
found the largest, almost one quarter of the total world oil
reserves. Palm trees and the sea were once upon a time the
main wealth of the province, although people here were
much better off compared to the remaining parts of the
Arabian Peninsula. Spread between the endless chains
of moving sand dunes and dry salty lands are beautiful
orchards and palm tree thickets.
This province is also well known for its high-calorie
dates, millet, oats, wheat, vegetables, cheese and yoghurt.
The coast population were also involved in fishing and
pearl diving. Caravans used to travel coming from Syria,
Mesopotamia (Iraq now) following the “incense road”
on their way to Yemen and remote India and China along
the coastal strip, avoiding the salty lifeless lands and
the waves of sand hills, proceeding inwards in order to
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exchange commodities at the oases and take provisions
of food and water. None of the traders riding their camels
ever thought that underneath the feet of their docile and
toiling camels, deep in the earth, there was an invaluable
wealth. Time passed slowly and it seemed that life would
not ever change its ordinary way of living.
But things did happen. Thus, the tremendous reserves
of black gold that were discovered in the late thirties of
the last century have radically changed the life of the
population in this province. Thus a new age began and
left its great impact on the Saudi community.
Prior to the oil period, conditions were different in
the Kingdom. The community was predominantly feudal
and the economic activities centered on agriculture and
cattle. Industry was confined to textiles. The majority of
the population led a life of nomads and semi-nomads.
The major needs of the population were imported; there
were no cars and no railways, camels being the basic
means of transport. There were no advanced means of
communication and only some cities had small power
plants. The major treasury revenues came from customs
duties and the fees collected from pilgrims, whose number
had been sharply reduced as a result of the world economic
crisis between 1929 and 1933.
Under such extremely difficult conditions, King
Abdulaziz decided to grant concessions to American and
other companies. After long negotiations and unpredicted
difficulties, an agreement was signed with the American
Company Socal (Aramco later on), which granted the
latter exclusive rights for oil prospecting, exploitation and
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future export throughout the Eastern Province. Ever since
then, the Kingdom’s rapid economic development started,
barring the years of the Second World War.
The initial industrial oil reserves were discovered in
1938. Less than a year later, the first liquid fuel tanker sailed
from Ras Tannura sea port. Although the prospecting and
excavation work had stopped during the war years, it was
clear at the time that unimaginable oil reserves had been
discovered in the Province. Since the late forties these
reserves have multiplied and modern industrial cities have
developed, thanks to these reserves: Dammam, Dhahran,
Jubail and Khubar.
Dammam is the administrative center of the Eastern
Province. It is the largest and most significant sea port and
terminal of the only railways in the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia. It is a new city that was built in the seventies
of the Twentieth Century on the basis of a unified plan:
residential areas surrounded with thick verdure at a certain
distance from the industrial quarter, where the many
industrial plants are situated, as well as a commercial port
and a desalination plant whose pipes that extend hundreds
of kilometers bring fresh potable water to Riyadh and the
other populated areas of the country. It also boasts of an
archeological museum, where ancient tools, traditional
bedouin clothes and household items are exhibited. Along
the shore there extend for several kilometers shaded roads
branching from the sea road, where the local population
take walks in the early morning or during evening hours.
Dhahran is a few kilometers from Dammam. There are
40 major oil wells in it. From here, thousands of kilometers
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