Portal:Saudi Arabia

Portal topics: Activities; Culture; Geography; Health; History; Mathematics; Nature; People; Philosophy; Religion; Society; Technology; Random portal

The Saudi Arabia Portal – بوابة المملكة العربية السعودية

P:SAU

Flag of Saudi Arabia	Emblem of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia's Location

Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia and the Middle East. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about 2,150,000 km² (830,000 sq mi), making it the fifth-largest country in Asia and the largest in the Middle East. It is bordered by the Red Sea to the west; Jordan, Iraq, and Kuwait to the north; the Persian Gulf, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to the east; Oman to the southeast; and Yemen to the south. The Gulf of Aqaba in the northwest separates Saudi Arabia from Egypt and Israel. Saudi Arabia is the only country with a coastline along both the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, and most of its terrain consists of arid desert, lowland, steppe, and mountains. The capital and largest city is Riyadh; other major cities include Jeddah and the two holiest cities in Islam, Mecca and Medina. With a population of almost 32.2 million, Saudi Arabia is the fourth most populous country in the Arab world. (Full article...)

Selected article - show another

The Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (Arabic: هيئة الأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر, romanized: hayʾa al-ʾamr bil-maʿrūf wan-nahī ʿan al-munkar, abbreviated CPVPV, colloquially termed hai’a (committee), and known as mutawa, mutaween and by other similar names and translations in English-language sources) is a government religious authority in Saudi Arabia that is charged with implementing the Islamic doctrine of hisbah in the country. Established in 1940, the body gained extensive powers in the 1980s and continued to function as a semi-independent civilian law enforcement agency for almost 35 years until 2016, when societal reforms driven by then-deputy crown prince Mohammed bin Salman led to limiting some of its authority through a royal decree by King Salman bin Abdulaziz, including the rights of pursuing, questioning, detaining, and interrogating suspects.

Tracing its modern origin to a revival of the pre-modern official function of muhtasib (market inspector) by the first Saudi state (1727–1818), it was established in its best known form in 1976, with the main goal of supervising markets and public morality, and was often described as Islamic religious police.

By the early 2010s, the committee was estimated to have 3,500–4,000 officers on the streets, assisted by thousands of volunteers, with an additional 10,000 administrative personnel. Its head held the rank of cabinet minister and reported directly to the king. Committee officers and volunteers patrolled public places, with volunteers focusing on enforcing strict rules of hijab, segregation between the sexes, and daily prayer attendance; but also non-Islamic products/activities such as the sale of dogs and cats, Barbie dolls, Pokémon, and Valentine's Day gifts. (Full article...)

List of selected articles

Did you know (auto-generated)

... that the documentary film Jihad Rehab features interviews with former inmates from the Guantanamo Bay detention camp who are now in the Care Rehabilitation Center, a "jihad rehab" in Saudi Arabia?
... that due to U.S. support for Saudi-led operations in Yemen, both Saudi Arabia and the United States may be held responsible for war crimes?
... that The Twins, a 1930 story by Abd al-Quddus al-Ansari, was called the first Saudi Arabian novel?
... that the 2021 film West Side Story was banned in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain, likely due to the transgender character Anybodys?
... that Saudi Arabian broadcaster beoutQ pirated and resold beIN Sports programmes during the Qatar diplomatic crisis?
... that the bombing of Mokha was described as one of the deadliest attacks by the Saudi Arabian–led coalition against Yemen, leaving between 65 and 120 dead, including 10 children?

edit

News

12 July 2024 –: The International Olympic Committee announces that Saudi Arabia will host the inaugural Olympics Esports Games in 2025. (ESPN)
10 July 2024 – Russia–Saudi Arabia relations, International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War: Bloomberg reports that Saudi Arabia warned the G7 earlier this year that it would sell off Eurobonds and French bonds if the G7 proceeded with the seizure of US$280 billion in Russian frozen assets to give to Ukraine. (The Kyiv Independent)
23 June 2024 – 2024 Hajj disaster: The Saudi health minister announces that 1,301 people are now confirmed to have died during this year's Hajj pilgrimage. (Al Arabiya)
21 June 2024 – 2024 Hajj disaster: At least 1,119 pilgrims, more than half of whom are from Egypt, are now confirmed to have died from heat-related causes during the Hajj in Saudi Arabia. (Barron's); President of Tunisia Kais Saied dismisses the Minister of Religious Affairs after 49 Tunisians are reported to have died in this year's Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. (Al Arabiya)

edit

Related portals

Religions in Saudi Arabia

Arab states

Other countries

edit

WikiProjects

WikiProject Saudi Arabia

edit

Things you can do

Expand Saudi Arabia stub articles located at Category:Saudi Arabia stubs
Request a new article about Saudi Arabia
Request a new picture about Saudi Arabia

Good article - show another

This is a Good article, an article that meets a core set of high editorial standards.

Shaherkani at the 2012 Olympics

Wojdan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahrkhani (or "Shaherkani"; Arabic: وجدان علي سراج الدين شهرخاني; born 1 February 1996) is a Saudi judoka who was one of two women selected to represent the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She was the first woman to represent Saudi Arabia at the Olympics. (Full article...)

List of Good articles
Muhammad Foreign workers in Saudi Arabia Black Stone Jeddah Tower Legal system of Saudi Arabia Siege of Mecca (692) Demolition of al-Baqi Women's football in Saudi Arabia Faisal of Saudi Arabia Hajj Al-Masjid an-Nabawi 2018 Ad Diriyah ePrix Manal al-Sharif Siege of Mecca (683) McMahon–Hussein Correspondence Alid revolt of 762–763 Abu Sa'id al-Jannabi Battle of the Trench

Selected picture

Image 1Nasseef House is a historical structure in Al-Balad, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. As of 2009 it is a museum and cultural center which has special exhibits and lectures given by historians.
Image 2Sunset view from Farasan Island, the largest island of the Farasan Islands, in the Red Sea. It is located some 50 km offshore from Jizan, the far southwestern part of Saudi Arabia.
Image 3A view of Jabal Sawda, a peak located in Saudi Arabia, with an elevation of around 3,000 metres (9,843 ft).^[1]

edit

More did you know

... that anti male-guardianship campaign is an ongoing campaign organized by Saudi women against the requirement to obtain permission from their male guardian for activities such as getting a job, travelling internationally or getting married?

edit

Topics

edit

General images

The following are images from various Saudi Arabia-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Residential homes in Yanbu (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 2Wedding in Saudi Arabia (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 3Abdulaziz Al Saud, founder of Saudi Arabia (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 4Soldiers in the Arab Army during the Arab Revolt of 1916–1918, carrying the Flag of the Arab Revolt and pictured in the Arabian Desert. (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 5A family fishing in Jeddah (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 6VOX Cinemas movie theater (center) at Riyadh Front in 2023 (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 7King Abdullah practicing falconry, a traditional pursuit in Saudi Arabia (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 8The first Saudi State 1727–1818 (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 9Sections of Saudi Arabia and neighbouring countries formed a part of the Roman Empire. (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 10Serenata, a Filipino children's choir in Jeddah (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 11Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt (1789–1848) (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 12The Mosque of the Prophet in Medina containing the tomb of Muhammad (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 13Wall painted with Al-Qatt Al-Asiri (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 14Saudi football fans cheering for their national football team at the FIFA World Cup (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 15Faisal (left) and Nasser in Cairo, 1969 (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 16Abdulaziz (left) and Farouk checking an Egyptian Army unit in 1946. Other people picture include princes Fahd, Abdullah, and Mishaal, as well as prince Muhammad Abdel Moneim. (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 17Bisht Being Sewn in Al-Ahsa (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 18A Saudi woman riding a horse at Souk Okaz, a yearly cultural festival in the outskirts of Taif (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 19Red and white keffiyeh commonly worn in the desert held with a black agal (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 20Saudi woman wearing a niqāb in Riyadh. Many women commonly wear a niqab or a burqa in Saudi Arabia. (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 21Supplicating pilgrim at Masjid Al Haram, Mecca (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 22The Rashidun Caliphate reached its greatest extent under Caliph Uthman, c. 654 (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 23The tribes of Arabia at the time of the spread of Islam (expandable map) (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 24Saudi males dressed and prepared for ardah, the national dance. It also includes swords, poetry, and singing. (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 25The surviving insurgents of the seizure of the Grand Mosque, 1979 under custody of Saudi authorities, c. 1980. (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 26The Arabian Peninsula in 1914 (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 27Dammam No. 7, the oil well where commercial volumes of oil were first discovered in Saudi Arabia on March 4, 1938. (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 28Pakistani workers at Al Masjid Nabawi (the Prophet's Mosque) in Medina (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 29Abdulaziz (left) and Roosevelt aboard USS Quincy during their historic 1945 meeting (from History of Saudi Arabia)