The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an Arab country, reputed to be where Islam originated. It also has the two most holy mosques (Mecca and Medina) in the Islamic faith which are the primary destinations for Muslims all over the world to visit as part of their pilgrimage, also known as the ‘Haj’. Their economic wealth comes from their vast natural reserves of crude oil, and they remain the world’s main source for imports. The political temperatures in the country were recently set ablaze due to global condemnation of the Kingdom’s alleged involvement in the killing of a dissident journalist. Their government remains a monarchy with a strict, authoritarian style of government that is considered very harsh towards people who are considered to be non-compliant with its dictates. Saudi Arabia is also rich in cultural traditions as defined by their Islamic heritage. People are very religious and practice ancient traditions from centuries ago. The population speaks primarily Arabic and practices Islam.
