Saudi Arabia
Pre-Islamic Arabia, the territory that constitutes modern-day Saudi Arabia, was the site of several ancient cultures and civilizations; the prehistory of Saudi Arabia shows some of the earliest traces of human activity outside Africa.[17] Islam emerged in what is now Saudi Arabia in the early seventh century. Islamic prophet Muhammad united the population of the Arabian Peninsula and created a single Islamic religious polity. Following his death in 632, his followers expanded Muslim rule beyond Arabia, conquering territories in North Africa, Central, South Asia and Iberia within decades.[18][19][20] Arab dynasties originating from modern-day Saudi Arabia founded the Rashidun (632–661), Umayyad (661–750), Abbasid (750–1517), and Fatimid (909–1171) caliphates, as well as numerous other Muslim states in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932 by King Abdulaziz, who united Hejaz, Najd, parts of Eastern Arabia and South Arabia (Asir) into a single state through a series of military and political campaigns beginning in 1901. The country has since been governed as an absolute monarchy under the House of Saud.[21] In its Basic Law, Saudi Arabia defines itself as a sovereign Arab Islamic state with Islam as its official religion and Arabic as its official language. The ultraconservative Wahhabi religious movement within Sunni Islam was the prevailing political and cultural force until the 2000s.[22][23] The Saudi government has attracted criticism for various policies such as its intervention in the Yemeni Civil War, restrictions on political and civil liberties, and poor human rights record.[24][25][26] Since the mid-2010s, Saudi Arabia has instituted limited and gradual reforms to liberalize social, cultural, and religious life.[27] Saudi Arabia is considered both a regional and middle power,[28][29] in addition to being a major non-NATO ally.[30] Since petroleum was discovered in the country in 1938,[31][32] the kingdom has become the world's second-largest oil producer and leading oil exporter, controlling the world's second-largest oil reserves and sixth-largest gas reserves.[33] Saudi Arabia is categorized as a World Bank high-income economy and is the only Arab country among the G20 major economies.[34][35] The Saudi economy is the largest in the Middle East and the world's nineteenth-largest by nominal GDP and seventeenth-largest by PPP. Ranking very high in the Human Development Index,[36] Saudi Arabia offers free university tuition, no personal income tax,[37] and free universal health care. With its dependence on foreign labour, Saudi Arabia has the world's third-largest immigrant population, with foreign-born residents comprising roughly 40% of the population.[38] Saudi Arabians are among the world's youngest people, with approximately half being under 25 years old.[39][40] Saudi Arabia is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council, United Nations, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Arab League, and OPEC, as well as a dialogue partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
