Introduction
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia enjoys a long and rich history that traces its roots back to the earliest civilisations of the Arabian Peninsula. The region's ancient nomadic peoples developed a deep love for the land as well as a strong sense of independence. With the advent of Islam in the 7th century, tribes and clans were unified under one religion.

The Saudi Arabian state was first established in the central region of the Arabian Peninsula in the early 18th century. Modern Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932 by King Abdul Aziz Bin Abdul Rahman Al-Saud. The nation experienced remarkable growth over a short period, spurred by the discovery of oil in the 1930s. The people of Saudi Arabia now enjoy a high standard of living based on an increasingly diversified economy and have access to the most modern amenities and services. Proud of their history and energetic participants in the successful modernisation of their country, today's Saudi Arabians face the future with great confidence.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia comprises almost four-fifths of the Arabian Peninsula, an area approximately one-third the size of the continental United States. Geographically, it is situated in the southwestern part of Asia. The eastern part of Saudi Arabia is a plateau that begins with the great Nafud desert in the north, continues along the Arabian Gulf and culminates in the world's largest sand desert, the Rub Al-Khali (Empty Quarter), in the south. To the west of this plateau is the Najd, the heartland of the peninsula, known for its spectacular escarpments and gravel and sand deserts. The capital city of Riyadh is located in the Najd. A chain of mountains in western Saudi Arabia runs parallel to the Red Sea. The Hijaz region along the Red Sea contains the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah, the port city of Jeddah and the summer capital of Taif.