Saudi Arabia: 68 Years of Success and Prosperity [Archives:2000/41/Reportage]

Ridhwan Al-Saqqaf
Aden Bureau Chief
Facts about the Kingdom
The kingdom has the pillars of an organized integrated country. The ministries and corporations king Abdulaziz founded were considered the first step in the growth process the kingdom witnesses today.
The policy laid out by king Abdulaziz stressed on having and developing the technology instead of importing it.
In 1951 they started working on the first railway of 600 km long through deserts and valleys connecting Al.Riadh and Al-Dammam. In 1949 the kingdom started the first vocational school. Since then they realized the importance of technology to meet their needs so they gave special attention to vocational training and starting new fields. They also established King Abdulaziz City for Science and technology.
In industry the kingdom has built two industrial cities in Al. Jubail and Yanbu, considered ones of the biggest in the whole world. Those industrial cities contain the basic structure of the Saudi petrochemical industries and produce about 25 million tons which represent 5% of the international production. In addition to that, other industrial cities were built in various parts of the kingdom like the Saudi Aramco, Sabc and Petromin . Those industrial cities have prepared a good ground for the technology to prosper.
Saudi has also witnessed an accelerating rate of development in the field of health represented by the many hospitals built which contain all medical specialties, labs, research centers and physiotherapy treatment.
In the field of communication, the cities of the kingdom have been connected with each other and with the rest of the world by an advanced telephone and postal network.
The kingdom has built the largest international airports supplied with the advanced technology. It has achieved a considerable progress in this field and started competing with other counties for its big fleet of airplanes and the distinguished service on land as well as in air.
The kingdom has built big marine structures to accommodate the big ships used for import and exes have been built according to the best specifications.
The agricultural sector which is considered now one of the most important pillars of economic life in the kingdom has witnessed big improvement. Growing Saudi wheat has been one of the biggest accomplishments in this sector.
The above are examples of the various sectors in which the kingdom has used modern technology to make the lives of the Saudi people easier and to make them productive members in the society.
The kingdom has made unique technological achievements never been made by a third world country like the outer space trips of the Arabic, Moslem astronaut prince Sultan Bin Sulaiman Bin Abdulaziz.
To conclude, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia is making giant steps towards the twenty first century under the leadership of his majesty, the custodian of the two holy mosques, king Fahd Bin Abdul.Aziz.

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