ABSTRACT
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Arabian Peninsula. It is bounded by Jordan, Iraq, Yemen, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, UAE, as well as by the Red Sea, the Gulf of Qaba, and the Persian Gulf (Lindsey, 1991; Long, 1997). The Kingdom is divided into four regions – Hijaz, Najd, Asir and the Eastern Province – that are further divided into 13 provinces. The populations of each of these regions have diverse ethnic and tribal origins. To the east is a substantial Shiite population with cultural links to Iran and Bahrain. Asir has close cultural and historical links to Yemen. The population of Najd mainly consists of indigenous Arab tribal groupings and clans who have lived in the region for generations. Hijaz, Mecca and Medina are home to many descendants of Muslim pilgrims from different parts of the world who stayed on after pilgrimage. And the port city of Jeddah is a vibrant commercial centre with a diverse population, the origins of which are traceable to Persia, Africa, Yemen, and to other parts of the Muslim and Arab world (Helms, 1981; Long, 1997).
