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6
- Other sectors
The
service sector employs 65% of the working
population and represents 41% of the GNP.
Saudi Arabia has launched large scale investment
and economic reconversion programmes.
All the sectors are growing and the country has a
very modern life style, the main areas to continue
developing are medical, commercial, large scale
distribution and foodstuffs.
Big American enterprises are present in nearly
every domain, from Panda and Safeways supermarkets,
which are open 24 hours, to big industrial farms of
50,000 hectares (glasshouses, intensive wheat
growing...) not to mention the numerous
para-military activities.
It
must be noted that there are three distinct
categories of consumers :
- royalty, the aristocracy and the big families of
tradespeople and entrepreneurs (30,000 - 40,000
people)
- 13 million Saudians who have an average income of
120,000 FF.
They spend about two thirds of their income on
consumer goods and foodstuffs.
- 4 million immigrant workers who are both
unqualified and in a precarious situation.
Saudians
are very attracted to modern products and new
technologies, it is they who own the most computers
per capita in the Middle East.
There are already 400,000 internet users among
them.
These internet users are very interested in
shopping sites, in fact 52% of them have already
bought articles on the web compared to 23% which is
the average number of international
shoppers.
7 - Population
The
latest census shows a population of 20,738,920.
There are 1,900,000 inhabitants living in Riyadh,
which is the capital.
The majority of the population are Arabs, but there
are nearly five million foreigners living in Saudi
Arabia (27%).
The main expatriate communities are Indians
(1,228,000), Egyptians (1,195,000), Pakistanis
(778,600), Philippinos (460,000), Bangladeshis
(446,200) and Yemenites (424,300).
There are also 35,000 Americans, 30,000 British,
5,000 French and 2,500 Germans residing in Saudi
Arabia.
The population density is 7 inhabitants per sq.
km.
0 -
14 year olds : 41.15%
15 - 64 year olds : 56.07%
65 years and over : 2.78%
life expectancy 71.91 years
population at an age to work : 11 million
- of which are working : 7 million
demographic
expansion 1997-2015 : +3.1%
urban population : 86%
child mortality : 21%
energy consumption per capita TOE : 4.75
Population without drinking water : 5%
population without sanitary installations : 14%
n° of doctors per 1000 inhabitants : 1.3
telephone lines per 1000 inhabitants : 117
mobile telephones per 1000 inhabitants : 17
private cars per 1000 inhabitants : 90
n° of computers per 1000 inhabitants :
43.6
adult illiteracy : 27%
secondary schooling/age class : 61%
graduates/age class : 16%
8 - Language
The
official language is Arabic, the second most used
language is English.
Not knowing Arabic is not an obstacle to working in
the country.
9
- Religion
Saudi Arabia is a Muslim country
Friday is the day of prayer in the mosques.
Mecca and Medina are the holy centres of the
Islamic religion
Religious affiliations : 98% Muslims (mostly
Sunnites), 0,8% Christians, 0,4%
others.
10
- Weights, measures & voltage
The electrical voltage is 110-220V nearly
everywhere and electricity is free throughout the
country.
The plugs in use vary, mainly they are American
types, but you will also find British or German
types.
11 - Money
The currency is the Riyal (SAR) which has a fixed
parity with the US dollar.
1 Riyal = 1.837 F.
1FF = 0.55 SAR
1$ = 3.75 SAR
1 euro = 3.5702 SAR
There
are no regulations or restrictions on transferring
money.
All
international credit cards are accepted.
12
- Main towns
Djeddah
with
its 2,000,000 inhabitants is situated on the Red
Sea.
It is a modern town with a large port.
The airport is 30 kms out of town, a taxi to town
costs about 100 FF.
Temperatures go from + 25° in January-February
to + 45° in July-August
Office opening times : 8am to 1pm and 4.30pm to
7.30pm
Riyadh
Is
the capital of the company, there are 3,100,000
inhabitants.
It is a modern town with the royal palaces in
it.
The population has enormously increased and so has
building.
The airport is 45 kms out of town, a taxi to town
costs about 100 FF.
Temperatures go from + 10° in winter to +
50° in summer.
Office opening times : 8am to 2.30pm
(administrations), 8am to 1pm and 4.30pm to 7.30pm
(private)
Mecca
(1
million inhabitants) is the centre of the Islamic
world with its large mosque which holds the
Kaaba
(the Black Stone) which is venerated by the
Muslims
Non-Muslims are forbidden entry to Mecca
It is situated at 80 kms from the Red Sea.
Medina
(0.4
million inhabitants) is the second holy town in
Saudi Arabia.
It is in this town that there is the Mausoleum of
Mohammed.
The town is a commercial centre with an
agricultural market of citrus fruit and dates.
Damman
(0.6
million inhabitants) is situated on the western
bank of the Persian Gulf.
It is a modern town.
Tabouk
(0.3 million inhabitants) is situated in the
north
Taïf
(0.4
million inhabitants), situated near Djeddah and
Mecca
13
- Climate
The climate is very hot with large temperature
variations.
It is tropical and humid on the coast.
In the middle of the desert the temperature goes
over 50°C in summer.
The average desert climate goes from 18° to
38°C
In the mountain regions the climate is cooler.
In Ryadh the climate is very hot during the three
summer months, but is generally pleasant during the
rest of the year with the dry and bracing air of
the desert.
Djeddah, on the contrary, is very
humid.
14
- Insects
There are scorpions in the desert.
There are a lot of mosquitoes, which are active all
the year round, particularly after
sundown.
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