Books By Jean Sasson

General Information on Saudi Arabia

Head of State: H.M. King Fahd ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud 

Official Title: The  Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques 

Area: 864,866 square miles

Population: Est. 14 million

Main Cities:

Riyadh -   Capital
Jeddah -  port city
Makkah -  Holiest city of Islam, toward which Muslims pray
Madinah - burial place of Prophet Mohammed
Taif - summer capital and summer resort area
Dammam - port city and commercial center
Dhahran - oil industry center
Al-Khobar - commercial center
Yanbu - natural gas shipping terminal
Hail - trading center
Jubail - industrial city
Ras Tanura - refinery center
Hofuf - principal city of the Al Hasa Oasis

Religion: Islam

Public Holidays:

Eid Al Fitr - 5 days
Eid Al Adha - 8 days

Population:

Saudi Arabia has a population of approximately 14 million. All Saudis are  Muslims. 95% of the Muslims belong to the Sunni branch while 5% belong to the Shite branch. The Shite population of Saudi Arabia suffers much discrimination and injustice from the Sunni Government, since there is great distrust and dislike between the Sunni and Shite sects of the Muslim faith.

Official Language:

Arabic is the official language while English is used for commercial and business purposes.