A brief geography lesson, for those who want to know where Sam is living in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia …
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is about one-fifth the size of the continental U.S. And, Jedda is KSA’s second largest city. (On this map, the city of Jeddah is about halfway down the western coast of Saudi Arabia, just across from the word ‘ARABIA’ on the map.)
The historical city of Jeddah is situated on the coast of the Red Sea. The history of Jeddah can be traced back to 2,500 years ago when it was formed as a small fishing village. The city became prominent only in 647 A.D when the fishing village was transformed into a port by the then Muslim caliph Othman ibn Affan. The port was made for the benefit of the Hajj pilgrims to reach the holy city of Mecca. Jeddah, for centuries remained main city for the transportation of the Hajj pilgrims. The main city of the historic Hejaz Province was Jeddah. Click here and here for more information about it’s history.
And from the U.S. State Department, this brief paragraph on background on government and political conditions copied from that website with more info available by clicking here.
Government and Political Conditions
The central institution of Saudi Arabian Government is the monarchy. The Basic Law adopted in 1992 declared that Saudi Arabia is a monarchy ruled by the sons and grandsons of King Abdul Aziz Al Saud, and that the Holy Qur’an is the constitution of the country, which is governed on the basis of Islamic law (Shari’a). There are no officially recognized political parties. Following the first municipal elections in 2005, elections to select half of all municipal councilors took place in September 2011. The king has broad powers with limitations coming from a need to observe Shari’a and other Saudi traditions. He also must maintain consensus among the Saudi royal family, religious leaders (ulema), and other important elements in Saudi society. In the past the leading members of the royal family chose the king from among themselves with the subsequent approval of the ulema. In November 2006, King Abdullah established an Allegiance Commission to select future kings and crown princes, a step designed to help formalize the selection process.
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