Saudi Arabia: An icon of peace and prosperity

[Arabian Legend]

Saudi Arabia: An icon of peace and prosperity
​

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia celebrated its National Day on Sept. 23. I have seen these celebrations in the Kingdom in the past, but this time around I had the opportunity to observe this auspicious occasion while in the United States. So, what does this year’s Saudi National Day means to the Kingdom and the rest of the world at a time when the Middle East has turned into a cauldron of chaos due to the so-called Arab Spring.

Last week, I attended the Saudi-American Business Forum, which was held in Los Angeles. The spectacular event was attended by experts and businessmen from Saudi Arabia, the United States and other countries. At the forum, many Saudi officials spoke very candidly about the challenges facing the Kingdom but on the other hand also highlighted the mega development projects planned in Saudi Arabia.

A number of American officials, businesspersons gave presentations on issues ranging from economics and social development to education.
Interestingly, though, politics was not at all discussed at the event titled US-Saudi Business Opportunities Forum. But isn’t politics the heart and soul of economy and business opportunities?
Many of the American and foreign dignitaries were impressed especially the ones who have never been to the Kingdom and only knew about Saudi Arabia through the media in the West. And they had a reason for being impressed because for the past two years and a half the Arab world has been experiencing unprecedented winds of changes.

During this so-called Arab Spring — that started on Dec. 18, 2010 — the world saw violence, destruction, atrocities and ruined economies in many countries of the region.
And Saudi Arabia was in economic boom and massive development projects were carried out in every nook and cranny of the Kingdom.

Since the day of foundation of this great country up to the present times, the world saw many wars, conflicts, violent revolutions, economic depressions, famines and civil wars. Saudi Arabia, however, never experienced any of these terrible events and has always remained stable and prosperous throughout its history.

But, ironically, many of the think tanks, strategic analysts and Op-Ed writers always raise doubts over the stability of Saudi Arabia with their very misleading analyses. However, the information on the basis of which these analysts write are far from truth and the resultant analyses are even farther from reality.

Few days after the Los Angeles Forum, I traveled to Washington, D.C. and happened to meet Saudi Ambassador to the United Stated Adel Al-Jubair during the National Day celebrations at the Saudi Embassy along with many Saudi citizens and foreign dignitaries.

So, exactly what happened in Saudi Arabia on this year’s National Day the world didn’t see and what happened to Saudi Arabia since the start of the Arab Spring?

This year’s National Day again showed the close relations between the ruler and the ruled.
Just a few days before Sept. 23, some elementary school students requested Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah through the social media to have one extra day off from school to celebrate the event with a longer than usual weekend. In Saudi Arabia the weekend is on Friday and Saturday. The National Day was on Monday. So, some of the young students asked for Sunday to be an off day in addition to Monday so as to get a four-day long weekend.

Few days later, the King issued through the Royal Court an order to have a four-day weekend not only for the elementary schools, but also for all schools, universities and the government offices.
And for the information of the readers, many foreign observers might ask about the significance of one day off from school. And the answer is simple. It shows the close relations between the ruler and the ruled. And if this day off from school is not significant, then let us go back to earlier dates.
Some low-income families in addition to some Saudi women, who were divorced, widowed or had no family support asked the King for allocating housing units for them because they could not afford it themselves. Few weeks later, Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah tasked the Ministry of Housing to allocate vast areas of land in tens of cities around the Kingdom to be developed with the necessary infrastructure such as water, electricity, schools, hospitals and all the public services requirements.

After the development of the lands, which some of them are as big as eight million square meters, each family was allotted areas of about 4,000 square feet. And just few weeks after the announcement to allocate the land, King Abdullah issued orders to deposit more than $60 billion into the budget of the Ministry of Housing. And this open dialogue between the ruler and the ruled in Saudi Arabia happened at a time when the whole world was in economic crisis and the Arab Spring was in full swing in the Middle East.

And just a few days ago, the Ministry of Higher Education announced the names of thousands of students (male and female) who qualified for a full scholarship in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program. The students will be attending top schools around the world.
The scholarship includes tuition, plane ticket, full medical insurance and even babysitting for married couples with children. And speaking of the scholarship, last year some of the married students complained about their expenses, and few months later, the Saudi government increased the monthly stipends of the married couples by more than 20 percent. And when the world was experiencing economic recession, the government of Saudi Arabia paid about $600 to the unemployed.

Nowadays, there are massive economic and social development projects under way in the Kingdom, but these are few examples that the western media do not highlight.

 

[Abii]

prosperity? What makes SA anymore special then all the other oil countries in the region? In fact, it's one of the worst. Almost the whole of the nation's wealth is given to foreigners.

This was on the news just a few days ago.

Saudi Arabians take to Twitter—8 million times—to speak out against low wages and a rising cost of living

“A soldier in the ground forces in the eastern command makes 4,200 SR [about $1,119] a month. The price of an apartment is 1,666 SR [$444], banks and credit 2,050 SR [$546] and what’s left at the end is 484 SR [$129].”

Saudi Arabia has a $576.8 billion economy, powered heavily by the energy industry. It is home to eight of the world’s top 1,000 billionaires, according to Forbes. Yet more than two-thirds of people under the age of 30 are unemployed. It is estimated that more than 10 million people are living below the poverty line. The country is also in the grips of a housing shortage, as land prices have climbed by 50 percent over the past two years, making it difficult for young people to buy homes.

A frequently tweeted and shared protest image (below) summarizes: “You can’t buy a house, you can’t buy a car, you can’t afford to get married.”

 

[chhota bheem]

the title is missleading.

 

[ranjeet]

This year’s National Day again showed the close relations between the ruler and the ruled.
Just a few days before Sept. 23, some elementary school students requested Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah through the social media to have one extra day off from school to celebrate the event with a longer than usual weekend. In Saudi Arabia the weekend is on Friday and Saturday. The National Day was on Monday. So, some of the young students asked for Sunday to be an off day in addition to Monday so as to get a four-day long weekend.

Few days later, the King issued through the Royal Court an order to have a four-day weekend not only for the elementary schools, but also for all schools, universities and the government offices.
And for the information of the readers, many foreign observers might ask about the significance of one day off from school. And the answer is simple. It shows the close relations between the ruler and the ruled. And if this day off from school is not significant, then let us go back to earlier dates.
Some low-income families in addition to some Saudi women, who were divorced, widowed or had no family support asked the King for allocating housing units for them because they could not afford it themselves. Few weeks later, Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah tasked the Ministry of Housing to allocate vast areas of land in tens of cities around the Kingdom to be developed with the necessary infrastructure such as water, electricity, schools, hospitals and all the public services requirements.

After the development of the lands, which some of them are as big as eight million square meters, each family was allotted areas of about 4,000 square feet. And just few weeks after the announcement to allocate the land, King Abdullah issued orders to deposit more than $60 billion into the budget of the Ministry of Housing. And this open dialogue between the ruler and the ruled in Saudi Arabia happened at a time when the whole world was in economic crisis and the Arab Spring was in full swing in the Middle East.

And just a few days ago, the Ministry of Higher Education announced the names of thousands of students (male and female) who qualified for a full scholarship in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program. The students will be attending top schools around the world.
The scholarship includes tuition, plane ticket, full medical insurance and even babysitting for married couples with children. And speaking of the scholarship, last year some of the married students complained about their expenses, and few months later, the Saudi government increased the monthly stipends of the married couples by more than 20 percent. And when the world was experiencing economic recession, the government of Saudi Arabia paid about $600 to the unemployed.

Nowadays, there are massive economic and social development projects under way in the Kingdom, but these are few examples that the western media do not highlight.

................

It's amazing how few days/weeks/months brought peace and prosperity to KSA nowadays.

 

[eddieInUK]

Saudi is doing a good job. The GCC led by Saudi should promote peace in Middle East.

 

[T-123456]

What are the offspring of Central Asian/Kazakh steppe nomads that came to the Middle East 2800 years ago (Farsis) doing in this thread?

LOL, at that nonsense.

The unemployment rate in KSA is 10,2%. Among the lowest in the entire region.

Saudi Arabia Unemployment rate - Economy

In Mullahistan the percentage is significantly higher.

Let us take a look at the GDP (PPP) per capita. The Saudi Arabian is higher than the average EU GDP per capita and 2.5 times higher than that of Mullahistan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)_per_capita

KSA is one of the fastest growing and safest economies in the world.

It is a G-20 MAJOR ECONOMIES MEMBER STATE while Mullahistan is busy dealing with their highly developed friends and equals in Belarus, North Korea and other similar pariah states.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-20_major_economies

One of the safest countries in the world too with among the lowest crime rates in the world.

Indeed Mullahistan is the benchmark for all in comparison while having the largest gas reserves in the region and among the largest oil reserves too. Especially regional countries.





Shoud you not be worshipping Arab Imams and flogging yourself and eating Karbala mud? Another wannabe Arab majoos. Remember to take the medicine your doctor recommended you to take a strong doses of daily.

Aside from all this when will this section get an Arab moderator again? We need an Arab moderator in this section (mostly Arab issues by far) and the "Arab Defence" section. Right now the influx of Farsi trolls is enormous (probably mostly double users) and this must be dealt with or at least balance things out since there are Iranian moderators already. How long would Arab users last if they trolled in the Iranian section in a similar manner (plenty of material let us just say that)? My guess a few minutes.

If the moderators don't do something in the near future then this section will become a complete and utter joke.

The constructive and serious discussions are mostly gone. Now only the usual good users who actually have something wise to say are left struggling to keep this section alive. Rest is just.... no comment.

The moderators and staff here should ask themselves what they want with this section of the forum? Constant trolling or something constructive that adds to this forum in a positive way? Why not STAMP DOWN on the trolls once and for all? How can it be possible that I and other users here need to tell the moderators which users are double users in order to get them banned after trolling repeatedly? How can that not be visible? I know that people do this out of their free will but it should be in the interest of all. Users and moderators/staff members alike.

I agree with you,you need an Arab Moderator.

 

[PMA.]

Two of the biggest contributor to the world peace and still in action !!!

 

[Maler]

Plzzz correct the thread title to


Saudi Arabia: An icon of global peace and prosperity

 

[vK_man]

An icon of peace and prosperity? Is this comedy central.... Rather an embodiment of Terrorism,mass murder and suppression of its shia citizens in brutal fashion .State sponsor of terror .

 

[Arabian Legend]

prosperity? What makes SA anymore special then all the other oil countries in the region? In fact, it's one of the worst. Almost the whole of the nation's wealth is given to foreigners.

This was on the news just a few days ago.

Saudi Arabians take to Twitter—8 million times—to speak out against low wages and a rising cost of living

Saudi Arabia has a $576.8 billion economy, powered heavily by the energy industry. It is home to eight of the world’s top 1,000 billionaires, according to Forbes. Yet more than two-thirds of people under the age of 30 are unemployed. It is estimated that more than 10 million people are living below the poverty line. The country is also in the grips of a housing shortage, as land prices have climbed by 50 percent over the past two years, making it difficult for young people to buy homes.

A frequently tweeted and shared protest image (below) summarizes: “You can’t buy a house, you can’t buy a car, you can’t afford to get married.”

Lol look who is talking, A man who is own country people are lining up for food on a daily basis. When your country GDP per capita reach ours then you can big mouth all you want. KSA GDP per capita is more than the double to that of your chithool Mullahstan.

You see, Now enjoy your Mullahstanis suffering and cant afford to eat or get medical treatment.

See how your people are lining up for food.

Its not my problem nor its yours that the Saudis want to live luxurious all the time. Let them have it. We have a lot of bills to throw, we can throw some at your Mullahstan too. Now FoOk off.

 

[Jaanbaz]

Saudi Arabia: An icon of peace and prosperity
​

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia celebrated its National Day on Sept. 23. I have seen these celebrations in the Kingdom in the past, but this time around I had the opportunity to observe this auspicious occasion while in the United States. So, what does this year’s Saudi National Day means to the Kingdom and the rest of the world at a time when the Middle East has turned into a cauldron of chaos due to the so-called Arab Spring.

Last week, I attended the Saudi-American Business Forum, which was held in Los Angeles. The spectacular event was attended by experts and businessmen from Saudi Arabia, the United States and other countries. At the forum, many Saudi officials spoke very candidly about the challenges facing the Kingdom but on the other hand also highlighted the mega development projects planned in Saudi Arabia.

A number of American officials, businesspersons gave presentations on issues ranging from economics and social development to education.
Interestingly, though, politics was not at all discussed at the event titled US-Saudi Business Opportunities Forum. But isn’t politics the heart and soul of economy and business opportunities?
Many of the American and foreign dignitaries were impressed especially the ones who have never been to the Kingdom and only knew about Saudi Arabia through the media in the West. And they had a reason for being impressed because for the past two years and a half the Arab world has been experiencing unprecedented winds of changes.

During this so-called Arab Spring — that started on Dec. 18, 2010 — the world saw violence, destruction, atrocities and ruined economies in many countries of the region.
And Saudi Arabia was in economic boom and massive development projects were carried out in every nook and cranny of the Kingdom.

Since the day of foundation of this great country up to the present times, the world saw many wars, conflicts, violent revolutions, economic depressions, famines and civil wars. Saudi Arabia, however, never experienced any of these terrible events and has always remained stable and prosperous throughout its history.

But, ironically, many of the think tanks, strategic analysts and Op-Ed writers always raise doubts over the stability of Saudi Arabia with their very misleading analyses. However, the information on the basis of which these analysts write are far from truth and the resultant analyses are even farther from reality.

Few days after the Los Angeles Forum, I traveled to Washington, D.C. and happened to meet Saudi Ambassador to the United Stated Adel Al-Jubair during the National Day celebrations at the Saudi Embassy along with many Saudi citizens and foreign dignitaries.

So, exactly what happened in Saudi Arabia on this year’s National Day the world didn’t see and what happened to Saudi Arabia since the start of the Arab Spring?

This year’s National Day again showed the close relations between the ruler and the ruled.
Just a few days before Sept. 23, some elementary school students requested Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah through the social media to have one extra day off from school to celebrate the event with a longer than usual weekend. In Saudi Arabia the weekend is on Friday and Saturday. The National Day was on Monday. So, some of the young students asked for Sunday to be an off day in addition to Monday so as to get a four-day long weekend.

Few days later, the King issued through the Royal Court an order to have a four-day weekend not only for the elementary schools, but also for all schools, universities and the government offices.
And for the information of the readers, many foreign observers might ask about the significance of one day off from school. And the answer is simple. It shows the close relations between the ruler and the ruled. And if this day off from school is not significant, then let us go back to earlier dates.
Some low-income families in addition to some Saudi women, who were divorced, widowed or had no family support asked the King for allocating housing units for them because they could not afford it themselves. Few weeks later, Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah tasked the Ministry of Housing to allocate vast areas of land in tens of cities around the Kingdom to be developed with the necessary infrastructure such as water, electricity, schools, hospitals and all the public services requirements.

After the development of the lands, which some of them are as big as eight million square meters, each family was allotted areas of about 4,000 square feet. And just few weeks after the announcement to allocate the land, King Abdullah issued orders to deposit more than $60 billion into the budget of the Ministry of Housing. And this open dialogue between the ruler and the ruled in Saudi Arabia happened at a time when the whole world was in economic crisis and the Arab Spring was in full swing in the Middle East.

And just a few days ago, the Ministry of Higher Education announced the names of thousands of students (male and female) who qualified for a full scholarship in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program. The students will be attending top schools around the world.
The scholarship includes tuition, plane ticket, full medical insurance and even babysitting for married couples with children. And speaking of the scholarship, last year some of the married students complained about their expenses, and few months later, the Saudi government increased the monthly stipends of the married couples by more than 20 percent. And when the world was experiencing economic recession, the government of Saudi Arabia paid about $600 to the unemployed.

Nowadays, there are massive economic and social development projects under way in the Kingdom, but these are few examples that the western media do not highlight.

Happy Independence day to Saudi Arabia. I have nothing against ordinary Saudis but i wish the Saudi government would stop funding terrorist organisations in Pakistan, Mali, Iran, Iraq, Chechnya, Syria and the list goes on.

An icon of peace and prosperity? Is this comedy central.... Rather an embodiment of Terrorism,mass murder and suppression of its shia citizens in brutal fashion .State sponsor of terror .

Why don't you tell this to your government Sir? India has a lot of influence in Arab countries. India could use its trade power for good.

 

[Arabian Legend]

Happy Independence day to Saudi Arabia. I have nothing against ordinary Saudis but i wish the Saudi government would stop funding terrorist organisations in Pakistan, Mali, Iran, Iraq, Chechnya, Syria and the list goes on

Thank you for the nice word,

Sir your claim that my country support terrorism is untrue unless you have a solid proof to back up that claim.

Thanx again

Why don't you tell this to your government Sir? India has a lot of influence in Arab countries. India could use its trade power for good.

Indian has influence in the arab countries?!. Dude this is laughable.

 

[SALMAN F]

Thank you for the nice word,

Sir your claim that my country support terrorism is untrue unless you have a solid proof to back up that claim.

Thanx again



Indian has influence in the arab countries?!. Dude this is laughable.

Bin laden saudi al aqaida is saudi terrorist in Chechnya Bosnia are Saudis 9/11 terrorists were 15 Saudis 3 UAE 1 Lebanese 1 Egyptian

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

prosperity? What makes SA anymore special then all the other oil countries in the region? In fact, it's one of the worst. Almost the whole of the nation's wealth is given to foreigners.

You're an Iranian, I honestly wouldn't blame you for flying off the handle. If I were in your shoes, I will try to find anything to make me feel happy.

While your own people die out of shortages of basic medications, the Saudis grant a free health care for their own people.

While your own people can't buy what they used to buy a decade ago, the Saudi Gov't monitor the market to halt rip-offs.

While your country spends tens of billions of dollars on the Assad's regime, the Shia armed group in Yemen " The Hauthis " , Hezbollah, Shia Iraqi militias, and spread terror worldwide, the Saudis built new universities, prime health care centers per district, develop their own infrastructure, expand the width and size of the holy sites of all those who adhere to the Muslim faith, donate and offer humanitarian packages worldwide.

Ironically, we even offer to help your own people when the earthquake struck them, they remained high and dry for weeks, yet the Mullahs chose not to help their people but back Assad unconditionally.

When a Saudi couple give birth to a child, they won't have to feel worried about the future of their kids, simply because we offer fair chances and try to simplify the way of living to our people. We grant a free health care to our people, as well as schooling from kindergarten to college - Those who wish to study here will receive an allowance monthly. Similarly, if a student chose to study overseas, students can enroll whatever college they want and will receive a monthly salary too.

Another symptom of " prosperity " is the rule of law. KSA is one of the most countries which enjoy a low crime rate all over the globe. If there were no sign of prosperity, crime rate would have sky-rocketed to the top, while Iran's crime rate became more like of an epidemic.

This was on the news just a few days ago.

Saudi Arabians take to Twitter—8 million times—to speak out against low wages and a rising cost of living

This article is purely plagiarized

Here is the original version of it

Apparently, you were trying to find anything via Google to back up your claim, I hate to disappoint you, but the Columnist relied on a single source to produce this article. This source happens to be a female Saudi Twelver - the intention Mrs. Al-Shareef had was to make up fairytale with a sect taste in it, I will start refuting her imaginative thought one by one at a time.

“A soldier in the ground forces in the eastern command makes 4,200 SR [about $1,119] a month. The price of an apartment is 1,666 SR [$444], banks and credit 2,050 SR [$546] and what’s left at the end is 484 SR [$129].”

Eastern Command personnels enjoy aplenty of adavanategs - that other commands such as the central can't get - from a Salary bonus to giving free housing unit per personnel. No personnel in KSA make $1,199. The least salary a personnel would reveive is $2000 at minimum for a package.

Even though that I don't work in the RSF, we almost share the same salary plans, pay advice. I have been begging my superior to move me to the eastern unit as I will be forced to move out off the Capital to elsewhere.

Yet more than two-thirds of people under the age of 30 are unemployed

If that were true, the country will be on a state of havoc, seriously? Two third?

You making yourself look like a fool.

It is estimated that more than 10 million people are living below the poverty line

Here is a contradiction; if two third of the population are unemployed then it means that ~14 million people are off work, care to explain how did these 4 people manage to survive living under the poverty line

The country is also in the grips of a housing shortage, as land prices have climbed by 50 percent over the past two years, making it difficult for young people to buy homes

.

Another contradiction, the article earlier that " two third of KSA population are unemployed " and then it says there is a housing shortage how could someone buy something while he's broke? LoL.

If these two third of the population were off work, then the average cost of houses would have gone lower than what it is now, in other word the real estate market is booming.

Another mark of contradiction is that the Gov't of KSA gives a $160k house mortgage with no interest.

You see how prosperous the Vahabis are?

prosperity? What makes SA anymore special then all the other oil countries in the region? In fact, it's one of the worst. Almost the whole of the nation's wealth is given to foreigners.

This was on the news just a few days ago.

Saudi Arabians take to Twitter—8 million times—to speak out against low wages and a rising cost of living



Saudi Arabia has a $576.8 billion economy, powered heavily by the energy industry. It is home to eight of the world’s top 1,000 billionaires, according to Forbes. Yet more than two-thirds of people under the age of 30 are unemployed. It is estimated that more than 10 million people are living below the poverty line. The country is also in the grips of a housing shortage, as land prices have climbed by 50 percent over the past two years, making it difficult for young people to buy homes.

A frequently tweeted and shared protest image (below) summarizes: “You can’t buy a house, you can’t buy a car, you can’t afford to get married.”

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

It's amazing how few days/weeks/months brought peace and prosperity to KSA nowadays.

First of all I would like to salute you for your epic avatar

The columnist take was a narrative account, i.e. his thoughts are in contrast with yours; if the Gov't decided to do all of this at once then things would have been different.
@Arabian Legend

Where did you find these pics? Could you please comment on them one by one.