Saudi Arabia
Conventional Long Form Name of Country: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Capital City: Riyadh Type of Government: Monarchy Date of Independence: 23 September 1932 National Holiday: Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September 1932 Chief of State: King and Prime Minister Abdallah bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud Head of State: King and Prime Minister Abdallah bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud Description of Executive Branch/Powers: The monarchy holds all power. There are no elections, the Head of State and Chief of State are the same person, being the monarch. A council of ministers is appointed every 4 years. Description of Legislative Branch/Powers: Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (150 members and a chairman appointed by the monarch to serve four-year terms); note - though the Council of Ministers announced in October 2003 its intent to introduce elections for a third of the Majlis al-Shura incrementally over a period of four to five years, to date no such elections have been held or announced. Description of Judicial Branch/Powers: High Court, consists of the court chief and organized into circuits with 3-judge panels except the criminal circuit which has a 5-judge panel for cases involving major punishments. The High Court chief and chiefs of the High Court Circuits appointed by royal decree following the recommendation of the Supreme Judiciary Council, a 10-member body of high level judges and other judicial heads; new judges and assistant judges serve 1- and 2- year probations, respectively, before permanent assignment. Suffrage: 21 years of age; male Name of Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the U.S: Ambassador Adil al-Ahmad al-Jubayr Place of Saudi Arabian Embassy in the U.S: 601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 Location of Saudi Arabian Consulate in the U.S: Houston, Los Angeles, New York Name of U.S Ambassador: Ambassador James B. Smith Location of U.S Embassy: Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh Location of U.S Consulate in Saudi Arabia: Dhahran, Jiddah (Jeddah) Name of Their UN Ambassador: H.E Mr. Abdallah Y. Al-Mouallimi Description of the Flag's Symbolism: Green, a traditional color in Islamic flags, with the Shahada or Muslim creed in large white Arabic script (translated as "There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God") above a white horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); design dates to the early twentieth century and is closely associated with the Al Saud family which established the kingdom in 1932; the flag is manufactured with differing obverse and reverse sides so that the Shahada reads - and the sword points - correctly from right to left on both sides. National Symbol: Palm tree surmounting two crossed swords International Disputes: Saudi Arabia has reinforced its concrete-filled security barrier along sections of the now fully demarcated border with Yemen to stem illegal cross-border activities; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue discussions on a maritime boundary with Iran; Saudi Arabia claims Egyptian-administered islands of Tiran and Sanafir Refugees: 291,000 (Palestinian Territories) (2009) Illicit Human Trafficking: Saudi Arabia is a destination country for men and women subjected to forced labor and, to a lesser extent, forced prostitution; men and women from Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, and many other countries voluntarily travel to Saudi Arabia as domestic servants or other low-skilled laborers, but some subsequently face conditions indicative of involuntary servitude (many are forced to work months or years beyond their contract term because employers withhold passports and required exit visas); women, primarily from Asian and African countries, are believed to be forced into prostitution in Saudi Arabia; others were reportedly kidnapped and forced into prostitution after running away from abusive employers; Yemeni, Nigerian, Pakistani, Afghan, Chadian, and Sudanese children were subjected to forced labor as beggars and street vendors in Saudi Arabia, facilitated by criminal gangs. |
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