At day
http://www.science.co.il/images/satellite/f/Middle-East-day.jpg

At night
http://www.science.co.il/images/satellite/f/Middle-East-night.jpg

Wow Saudi Arabia is huge and for all the buzz around Dubai there doesn't seem to be much light!!! I think Israel seems the brighest in the night pic!

Wow Saudi Arabia is huge and for all the buzz around Dubai there doesn't seem to be much light!!! I think Israel seems the brighest in the night pic!

Well, the UAE has a population of 2.5 million concentrated in a few big cities while the rest of the country is a desert, and in Israel there are 6.2 million people spreader out in a much larger area, beside the Negev desert there's a maximum distance of hardly more then a few Km between any 2 settlements .

The area along the Nile river is also extremely lit up, Around 105 million people live in the one of the worlds most densely crowded areas .

wow, riyadh in saudi arabia is the biggest city, but which big city is that in northern iraq

you know.... this pic is cool.. but then its sad aswell.. shows how backward the arabs really are.. dayam! these guys need more science, more education!

but israel on the other hand is doing good, and UAE, the rest of them are all asleep! no technology, and backwardness means a dark future!

Telavivi, what is the population of Israel ?

and i cant locate Baghdad for some reason....... help!!!

sultan, what does science and education have to with the size of the cities, isreal only has more lights because of its population in a small area, while the gulf states have low pop.

sultan, what does science and education have to with the size of the cities, isreal only has more lights because of its population in a small area, while the gulf states have low pop.

no i didnt mean it in that way dude.. i am talking about something else

the arabs have very less education and very little science, they sit on oil and rely on it as a prime source of income, like Saudi Arabia, those guys are going back to a third world nation, they had so much $$$, but they didnt do anything with it, didnt invest in there country so they could rid themselves of dependence on oil..

what i meant was if u see the middle east as a whole, there are very few areas with heavy concentrated lights... and these arabs have oil, they should develop there city, invest more in infrastructure, and scatter there population rather than concentrating it in one area.. !

so using ur explainatin of stuff we should all turn on our light before we go to sleep so that the skies would lit up and we'd be considerd educated and civilized... has it occured to u that maybe some cities want to conserve electricity.. hehe

r u the same sultan on the other forum.. dont think so!!

I do not think Arab nations are backwards. Just because the west says they are backwards or not advanced enough, does not make them unworthy. But i do agree that they need to invest more in their own people and in their own countries. They just need to better cooperate with their own Arab nations to make a stronger alliance.

yes, they need more unity, infact all the muslim world should unite

Of course they need unity, but how are they going to get it when western nations have been fueling middle-east conflict for more than a century? And corrupt leaders in Syria, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia etc. dont help the situation much.
As far as the night-time map, I think the Nile and Cairo/Alexandria look amazing.

I do not think Arab nations are backwards. Just because the west says they are backwards or not advanced enough, does not make them unworthy. But i do agree that they need to invest more in their own people and in their own countries. They just need to better cooperate with their own Arab nations to make a stronger alliance.

An example : Saudi Arabia invested $ 1 trillion in the United States ! how stupid! they could've invested all that money in there own country, or maybe in some other muslim nations. but 1 trillion dollars is HECK of an AMOUNT! It can turn a country's fate and economy, suddenly your on top of the world.

but Saudia invested it, but they wont get it back even if they tried to resell everything and get that money, cause the U.S wont give it to them, they'll label it terrorist money, and freeze it, cause if Saudis pull out that trillion dollar, it'll be a major blow to the U.S economy !

so these are stupid mistakes that arab nations make.

Amazing photos, especially the night one....

Nice pics.

RE. lighting in the night pic: It's about demographics. Plain and simple. A country like Saudi Arabia has low density population which's spread out over a large area.

An example : Saudi Arabia invested $ 1 trillion in the United States ! how stupid! they could've invested all that money in there own country, or maybe in some other muslim nations. but 1 trillion dollars is HECK of an AMOUNT! It can turn a country's fate and economy, suddenly your on top of the world.

but Saudia invested it, but they wont get it back even if they tried to resell everything and get that money, cause the U.S wont give it to them, they'll label it terrorist money, and freeze it, cause if Saudis pull out that trillion dollar, it'll be a major blow to the U.S economy !

so these are stupid mistakes that arab nations make.


Very well said. As far as saudi arabia, it is truly one of the most corrupt nations in the world. As far as their economy is concerned, Saudi arabia is too dependent on oil revenues and foriegn labor. So eventually the oil will run out, the saudi nationals have to get jobs, or else the country colapses. Unfortunatly, these gulf countries are lead by bunch of shieks and their ten wives. And the sad part is that all the great arab minds ( there are millions and millions of them) will not be able to get involved in the political reformation because it is not in the best interest of the western nations.

Very well said. As far as saudi arabia, it is truly one of the most corrupt nations in the world. As far as their economy is concerned, Saudi arabia is too dependent on oil revenues and foriegn labor. So eventually the oil will run out, the saudi nationals have to get jobs, or else the country colapses. Unfortunatly, these gulf countries are lead by bunch of shieks and their ten wives. And the sad part is that all the great arab minds ( there are millions and millions of them) will not be able to get involved in the political reformation because it is not in the best interest of the western nations.

maybe corrupted reign but not corrupted nation.

maybe corrupted reign but not corrupted nation.

Correct....My mistake and my apology.

Half you guys don't know what your talking about.

Many of you seem to think that Saudi Arabia's investments of $ 1 trillion into america is a crime. So what?

If I had a million dollars, or anyone of you had a million dollars, would you invest it in a country which is economically sound and politicaly stable, like america, or would you throw your one million into somila or sudan, maybe even yeman. The fact is most muslim or arab countries are unstable and are ruled by ppl who seem to be good in chasing away investors rather than attracting them.

Honestly, I wish the best for all muslim and arab countries, but not at my own expanse. I hardly doubt anyone wants to invest their money into corrupt countries with a very slim chance of returns on their investment. This is why saudis invest in america. And why would they want to pull thier money out, as long as their making money their is not reason to pull out. Another thing, if the american gov't does freeze all saudi capital in america it would harm both the americans and saudis. The saudis wont be able to touch their money, and the american economy wont have that money either... its frozen.. its sits there without being invested.. not even interest being earned on it... so its pointless to think that americans will freeze saudi assests and still benefit from it..

Another thing you guys keep bringing up the fact that oil will run out. You make it sound that oil will run out tomorow!! plz, the price of oil right now is at a record high, $45 a barrel :)

All western economies are and will remain gulf-oil's little bitchs for a very long time. The only way out of this cycle of oil dependency is for western countries to depend on natural gas.. guess who has that too??

You guys also said gulf rulers are corrupt and have ten wives. Correction, they can only have four at a time, the rest are mistresses. Being corrupt, I wont disagree, but I should point out a couple of things. About fourty years ago, the gulf didnt have schools, roads, telephone lines, hospitals or any kind of infrastructure. These rulers are the ones who builts desert sheikdoms into modern countries and cities such as Kuwait City, Manama, Dubai and many more. Offcourse their are exceptions like the southern provinces of saudi arabia and some emirites of the UAE. So who cares if they keep 10, 15, or 20%... its sure better than africa.. !!

I've started to label the nighttime photo of the Middle East. I can pretty much identify everything, except for the unidentified large city in northern Iraq or eastern Syria (marked with a "?"). Anyone know what it is??? I'm also not sure about the large urban area at the northern part of the Persian Gulf, but I think it must be Basrah and related areas. But, if it is, it would appear to be larger than Baghdad.

http://www.duke.edu/~dcb11/Posting/labeled.JPG

That must be in Syria....right next to Iraqi border, but strangly enough I wasn't able to find a single bigger city in that area.

this is a nice photo, bahrain is all yellow, the stretch from abu dhabi to dubai and upwards is really bright too. But the amazing thing is the river of lights in egypt, I mean the nile that is.

Amman - Jordan
http://www.magiera.de/sat_amman.jpg

Beirut - Lebanon
http://web.macam.ac.il/~arnon/Int-ME/me-sat/Beirut.jpg

Baghdad - Iraq
http://img98.exs.cx/img98/4856/baghdad.jpg

Cairo - Egypt
http://web.macam.ac.il/~arnon/Int-ME/me-sat/Cairo.jpg

Damascus - Syria
http://www.spaceimaging.com/gallery/ioweek/archive/01-11-11/damascus_syria_640.jpg

Dubai - UAE
http://www.parstimes.com/spaceimages/dubai_m.jpg

Jerusalem - Israel
http://img70.exs.cx/img70/6885/jerusalem.jpg

Mecca - Saudi Arabia
http://img40.exs.cx/img40/1979/mecca1.jpg

Riyadh - Saudi Arabia
http://web.macam.ac.il/~arnon/Int-ME/me-sat/Riyadh.jpg

Teheran - Iran
http://www.megacities.uni-koeln.de/documentation/teheran/sat/teheran_sm.jpg

Tel Aviv - Israel
http://img70.exs.cx/img70/8246/telaviv.jpg

Medina
http://ak9819962.com/ak/images/Satphotos/medina-iss002-e-9910.jpg

Jiddah (general view)
http://ak9819962.com/ak/images/Satphotos/jiddah_space.jpg

Central Jiddah
http://ak9819962.com/ak/images/Satphotos/october01-800x640.jpg

Mecca and Jiddah (a bit low on contrast)
http://ak9819962.com/ak/images/Satphotos/mecca_jiddah_space.jpg

Dammam metro (inc. Khobar, Dhahran etc...)
http://ak9819962.com/ak/images/Satphotos/dammam-alkubbar.jpg

That must be in Syria....right next to Iraqi border, but strangly enough I wasn't able to find a single bigger city in that area.
It looks to me like "Deyr a-Zor" (Deyr for short) , but it sure is bright for 200k population city! It might be the surrounding oil fields (this Syria's oil region).

Israel is all yellow!!

I've started to label the nighttime photo of the Middle East. I can pretty much identify everything, except for the unidentified large city in northern Iraq or eastern Syria (marked with a "?"). Anyone know what it is??? I'm also not sure about the large urban area at the northern part of the Persian Gulf, but I think it must be Basrah and related areas. But, if it is, it would appear to be larger than Baghdad.

http://www.duke.edu/~dcb11/Posting/labeled.JPG

Just a correction, Bahrain is the circle of light, the other area is the eastern province "Al Sharqeya" of Saudi Arabia. Good effort though.

http://img144.exs.cx/img144/4848/middleeastnight4gt.jpg

Jubail

http://www.sbm.com.sa/sbm_sponsored_sites/rc/Location/cons2.JPG

woow skyfan well done!

A better image of Riyadh,

http://www.alriyadh.gov.sa/map03.asp

woow skyfan well done!

what did he do ? :?

what did he do ? :?

I ordered pizza

lol, domino's or pizza hut ?

http://img144.exs.cx/img144/4848/middleeastnight4gt.jpg

i mean it!

[QUOTE=TeLaVivi]At day
http://www.science.co.il/images/satellite/f/Middle-East-day.jpg

There seems to be this other island on the other (right) side of Qatar that looks about the same size as Bahrain in the pic, i don't think thats right!!

I don't think theres supposed to be any island there!!

:wtf:

Nope, definitly no island there. Must be a mistake, or one of the smaller islands was enlarged.

At day
http://www.science.co.il/images/satellite/f/Middle-East-day.jpg

At night
http://www.science.co.il/images/satellite/f/Middle-East-night.jpg

The Saudi state began in central Arabia in about 1750. A regional ruler, Muhammad bin Saud, joined forces with an Islamic cleric and reformer, Muhammad Abd Al-Wahhab, to create a new political entity. Over the next one hundred and fifty years, the fortunes of the Saud family rose and fell several times as Saudi rulers contended with Egypt, the Ottoman Empire, and other Arabian families for control on the peninsula. The modern Saudi state was founded by the late King Abdul Aziz Al-Saud (known internationally as Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud).

In 1902 Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud captured Riyadh, the Al-Saud dynasty's ancestral capital, from the rival Al-Rashid family. Continuing his conquests, Abdul Aziz subdued Al-Ahsa, Al-Qatif, the rest of Najd, and the Hijaz between 1913 and 1926. On 8 January 1926 Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud became the King of Hijaz. On 29 January 1927 he took the title King of Najd (his previous Najdi title was Sultan). By the Treaty of Jedda, signed on May 20, 1927, the United Kingdom recognized the independence of Abdul Aziz's realm, then known as the Kingdom of Hijaz and Nejd. In 1932, these regions were unified as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The discovery of oil in March 1938 transformed the country economically, and has given the kingdom great legitimacy over the years.

Besides Liechtenstein, Saudi Arabia remains the only country in the world whose common English name includes that of its ruling family. Many opponents of the House of Saud reject the family's legitimacy and decline to speak of the country as "Saudi Arabia".

The central institution of Saudi Arabian Government is the Saudi monarchy. The Basic Law adopted in 1992 declared that Saudi Arabia is a monarchy ruled by the sons and grandsons of the first king, Abd Al Aziz Al Saud, and that the Qur'an is the constitution of the country, which is governed on the basis of Islamic law (Shari'a).
There are no recognized political parties or national elections, except the local elections which was done in the year 2005. The king's powers are theoretically limited within the bounds of Shari'a and other Saudi traditions. He also must retain a consensus of the Saudi royal family, religious leaders (ulema), and other important elements in Saudi society. The state's ideology is Salafi. This flavour of Islam spreads further by funding construction of mosques and Qur'an schools around the world. The leading members of the royal family choose the king from among themselves with the subsequent approval of the ulema.

Saudi kings have gradually developed a central government. Since 1953, the Council of Ministers, appointed by and responsible to the king, has advised on the formulation of general policy and directed the activities of the growing bureaucracy. This council consists of a prime minister, the first prime minister and 20 ministers.

Legislation is by resolution of the Council of Ministers, ratified by royal decree, and must be compatible with the Shari'a (Islamic law). Justice is administered according to the Shari'a by a system of religious courts whose judges are appointed by the king on the recommendation of the Supreme Judicial Council, composed of 12 senior jurists. The independence of the judiciary is protected by law. The king acts as the highest court of appeal and has the power to pardon. Access to high officials (usually at a majlis, or public audience) and the right to petition them directly are well-established traditions.

Saudi Municipal elections took place in 2005 and some commentators saw this a first tentative step towards the introduction of democratic processes in the Kingdom, including the legalisation of political parties. Other analysts of the Saudi political scene were more skeptical.

Saudi courts impose capital punishment and corporal punishment, including amputations of hands and feet for serious robbery, and floggings for lesser crimes such as "sexual deviance" (e.g. homosexuality) and drunkenness. The number of lashes is not clearly prescribed by law and varies according to the discretion of the presiding judges. The number ranges from dozens to several thousand, usually applied over a period of weeks or months. In 2002, the United Nations Committee against Torture criticized Saudi Arabia over the amputations and floggings it carries out under the Shari'a. The Saudi delegation responded defending "legal traditions" held since the inception of Islam in the region 1400 years ago and rejected interference in its legal system.
Saudi Arabia does not permit religious freedom and bans all visible forms of non-Muslim worship. Non-Muslims, as well as Muslims who do not adhere to the Sunni Islam, are advised by Mutawwa'in (the religious police) for acts considered offensive to state ideology . Citizenship is restricted to Muslims, but non-Muslims are allowed in many jobs all over the country, regardless of their religions. The government maintains 50 Call and Guidance centers to encourage foreigners to convert to Islam.

Religious police enforce a modest code of dress and many institutions from schools to ministries are gender-segregated.
Saudi Arabia is divided into 13 provinces (manatiq, singular - mintaqah).

Al Bahah
Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah
Al Jawf
Al Madinah
Al Gassim
Ar Riyad
Ash Sharqiyah
'Asir
Ha'il
Jizan
Makkah
Najran
Tabuk

Riyadh (Political Capital of Saudi Arabia)
Jeddah (Commercial Capital of Saudi Arabia)
Dhahran (Oil Industry Capital of Saudi Arabia)
Dammam (The Capital of the Eastern Province in Saudi Arabia)
Ras Tanura (Major oil port and the world's largest oil refinery)
Jubail (Saudi Arabia's first industrial center)
Yanbu (Saudi Arabia's second industrial center)
Medina (Second Holiest city in Islam)
Mecca (Holiest city in Islam)
King Khalid Military City (Saudi Arabia's largest military center)

The kingdom occupies eighty percent of the Arabian Peninsula. Most of the country's boundaries with the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen are undefined, so the exact size of the country remains unknown. The Saudi government's estimate is 2,217,949 square kilometers (856,356 sq mi). Other reputable estimates vary between 2,149,690 square kilometers (830,000 sq mi) and 2,240,000 square kilometers (864,869 sq mi).

The climate is dry and hot. Dry desert with great extremes of temperature and the terrain is mostly uninhabited, sandy desert. In most parts of the country, vegetation is limited to weeds, xerophytic herbs and shrubs. Animals include the ibex, wildcats, baboons, wolves, and hyenas in the highlands. Small birds are found in the oases. The coastal area of the Red Sea, especially the coral reefs, have a rich marine fauna. Saudi Arabia has a coastline of 2,640 kilometers (1,640 mi).

Saudi Arabia consists mostly of semi-desert and desert with oases. Almost half of the total country is uninhabitable desert with annual precipitation up to 100 millimetres (4 in) in most regions. The western regions are plateau and the east is lowland. The southwest region has mountains as high as 3,000 metres (9,840 ft), and is an area known for the greenest and freshest climate in all of the country. The capital, Riyadh, which is to the center-east has an average temperature in July of 42 °C (108°F) and 14 °C (57 °F) in January. In contrast, Jeddah on the western coast has 31 °C (88 °F) in July and 23 °C (73 °F) in January.

Less than 2 % of the total area is suitable for cultivation, and in the early 1990s, population distribution varied greatly among the towns of the eastern and western coastal areas, the densely populated interior oases, and the vast, almost empty deserts, such as the Rub' al Khali (The Empty Quarter), the Arabian Desert and East Sahero-Arabian xeric shrublands. There are no permanent rivers or lakes in Saudi Arabia.

Extreme heat and aridity are characteristic of most of Saudi Arabia. It is one of the few places in the world where summer temperatures above 50 °C (120 °F) are common, while in winter frost or snow can occur in the interior and the higher mountains. The average temperature range in January is 8° to 20 °C (47° to 68 °F) in Riyadh and 19° to 29 °C (66° to 83 °F) in Jeddah. The average range in July is 27° to 43 °C (81° to 109 °F) in Riyadh and 27° to 38 °C (80° to 100 °F) in Jeddah. Precipitation is usually sparse, although sudden downpours can lead to violent flash floods in wadis. Annual rainfall in Riyadh averages 100 mm (4 in) and falls almost exclusively between January and May; the average in Jeddah is 54 mm (2.1 in) and occurs between November and January. Plants can still survive in Saudi Arabia. Mostly in the south-east mountains and lowlands. They bloom mid march-mid may. The plants provide food for birds and insects, but some such as milkweed can be harmful to mammals.

ECONOMY:

Saudi Arabia has an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. Saudi Arabia claims to be in possession of 260.1 billion barrels of oil reserves as of 2003, about 24% of the world's proven total petroleum reserves. It ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum and plays a leading role in OPEC. Moreover, the proven reserves increase gradually as more oil fields are discovered, unlike most other oil-producing countries. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues, 40% of the GDP, and 90% of export earnings. About 35% of the GDP comes from the private sector. Saudi Arabia was a key player in the successful efforts of OPEC and other oil producing countries to raise the price of oil in 1999 to its highest level since the Gulf War by reducing production. Saudi Arabia announced plans to begin privatizing the electricity companies in 1999, which followed the ongoing privatization of the telecommunications company. The government is expected to continue calling for private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population. Shortages of water and rapid population growth may constrain government efforts to increase self-sufficiency in agricultural products.

Due to its Oil-based revenues its one of the major ECONOMIES of the world.

In the 90's, Saudi Arabia has experienced a significant contraction of oil revenues combined with a high rate of population growth. Per capita income has fallen from $25,000 in 1980 to $8,000 in 2003, up from about $7,000 in 1999. The decline in inflation-adjusted per-capita income from 1980 to 1999 set a record, being by far the worst such decline suffered by any nation-state in history.

In 2003 the price of oil jumped to record high of 40 to 50 dollar, which triggered a second oil boom . Because of that, Saudi Arabia's oil revenues have increased dramatically. Saudi Arabia's budget surplus has crossed $28 billion (110SR billion) in 2005. Tadawul (The Saudi stock market Index) finished 2004 with a massive 76.23 % to close at 4437.58 points. Market capitalization was up 110.14 % from a year earlier to stand at $157.3 billion (589.93SR billion), which makes it the biggest stock market in the Middle East.‏

To diversify the economy, Saudi Arabia launched a new city on the western coast with investments exceeding 26.6 billion dollars. The city which is named "King Abdullah Industrial City" was built near al-Rabegh industrial city north to Jeddah. The new city, where construction work started in Dec 2005, includes a port which is ten times larger that the largest port of Rotterdam (the largest in the world) and it can anchor giant ships as well as an industrial area for the sectors of petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and research. The city which will expand along a coast of 35 km, also includes an educational city, a tourism zone and a financial stock market center.

Saudi Arabia officially became a WTO member in December 2005.

Human Resource:
Saudi Arabia is a destination for men and women from South, East Asia, East Africa and the Middle East seeking work. Hundreds of thousands of low-Low-skilled job from the developing world regions migrate to Saudi Arabia. Although exact figures are not known, skilled expats in the banking and services professions seek work in the Kingdom.

Saudi Arabia's population as of 2005 is estimated to be about 26.4 million, including about 5.6 million resident foreigners. Until the 1960s, most of the population was nomadic or semi-nomadic; due to rapid economic and urban growth, more than 95% of the population now is settled. The birth rate is 29.56 births per 1,000 people. The death rate is only 2.62 deaths per 1,000 people. Some cities and oases have densities of more than 1,000 people per square kilometre (2,600/sq mi).

Most Saudis are ethnically Arab. Some are of mixed ethnic origin and are descended from West Asians, Iranians, Malays, and others, most of whom immigrated as pilgrims and reside in the Hijaz region along the Red Sea coast. Many Arabs from nearby countries are employed in the kingdom. There also are significant numbers of South and South East Asian expatriates mostly from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the Philippines. There are around 100,000 Westerners in Saudi Arabia, most of whom live in compounds or gated communities.

According to the CIA World Fact Book, 100% of Saudi Arabia's citizens are Muslims

The exit and entry visa cards ask applicants for their religious affiliation and officially bans entry to anyone with an official stamp from the State of Israel.
Saudi Arabian culture revolves almost entirely around the religion of Islam. Islam's two holiest sites, Mecca and Medina, are located in the country. Every day, five times a day, Muslims are called to prayer from the minarets of mosques which dot the country. The weekend consists of Thursday and Friday. The public practice of any religion other than Islam, including Christianity and Judaism, the presence of churches, and open possession of Christian religious materials are outlawed in Saudi Arabia. Islam's holy book the Qur'an is Saudi Arabia's constitution, and Shari'ah (Islamic law) is the foundation of its legal system. See Status of religious freedom in Saudi Arabia

One of Saudi Arabia's most compelling folk rituals is the Ardha, the country's national dance. This sword dance is based on ancient Bedouin traditions: drummers beat out a rhythm and a poet chants verses while sword-carrying men dance shoulder to shoulder. Al-sihba folk music, from the Hijaz, has its origins in Arab Andalusia, a region of medieval Spain. In Mecca, Medina and Jeddah, dance and song incorporate the sound of the al-mizmar, an oboe-like woodwind instrument. The drum is also an important instrument according to traditional and tribal customs.

Saudi Arabian dress is strongly symbolic, representing the people's ties to the land, the past, and Islam. The predominantly loose and flowing, but covering garments reflect the practicalities of life in a desert country as well as Islam's emphasis on conservative dress. Traditionally, men usually wear an ankle-length shirt woven from wool or cotton (known as a thawb), with a shimagh (a large checkered square of cotton held in place by a cord coil) or a ghutra (a plain white square made of finer cotton, also held in place by a cord coil) worn on the head. For rare chilly days, Saudi men wear a camel-hair cloak (bisht) over the top. Women's clothes are decorated with tribal motifs, coins, sequins, metallic thread, and appliques. However, Saudi women must wear a long cloak (abaya) and veil (niqab) when they leave the house to protect their modesty. The law does not apply to foreigners at such a high degree, but both men and women are told to dress modestly.

Islam forbids the eating of pork and the drinking of alcohol, and this law is followed strictly throughout Saudi Arabia. Arabic unleavened bread, or khobz, is eaten with almost all meals. Other staples include cooked lamb, grilled chicken, felafel (deep-fried chickpea balls), shawarma (spit-cooked sliced lamb), and fuul (a paste of fava beans, garlic and lemon). Traditional coffee houses used to be ubiquitous, but are now being displaced by food-hall style cafes. Arabic tea is also a famous custom, which is used in both casual and formal meetings between friends, family and even strangers. The tea is black (without milk) and has herbal flavoring that comes in many variations.

Public theatres and cinemas are prohibited, as Wahabbi tradition deems those institutions to be incompatible with Islam.Strangely, videos and DVDs of poular American movies are completely legal and widely available. However, in private compounds such as Dhahran and Ras Tanura public theaters can be found, but often are more popular for local music, arts, and theatre productions rather than the exhibition of motion pictures. Recently plans for some cinemas that will allow Arabic cartoons to be featured in cinemas for women and children were announced.

The cultural heritage is celebrated at the annual Jenadriyah Cultural festival.

The Mutaween, or religious police, also known as the Authority for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice consists of 3,500 officers assisted by thousands of volunteers, [5] whose job it is to enforce religious doctrine (Muslim Shari'a law as defined by the Saudi government) and to root out "un-Islamic" activities. They have the power to arrest any unrelated males and females caught socializing, and to ban consumer products and media, such as games and toys, various Western musical groups, and television shows. The Mutaween recently launched a website where people can file anonymous tips about "un-Islamic" activities[6]. Although their influence and power has declined recently, they had been the focus of a few human rights concerns.

Jubail

http://www.sbm.com.sa/sbm_sponsored_sites/rc/Location/cons2.JPG

Do anybody belongs to JUBAIL, KSA,
I ness a photos of JUBAIL in high resolution,
Pictures from top of Jubail Also.

Nice pics, but I dont think they are accurate at all. For one thing, there are imaginary islands floating around the Gulf.

your right especally that island east of qatar ??????????????????????

Yemen dosent look like they have much Power at all its a tiny dot

your right especally that island east of qatar ??????????????????????


That Island appears twice the size of Bahrain LOL.

Maps can lie, sattelites tell the truth. I think we found Saddams WMD's ;)

Google Earth now shows many ME Cities. Cairo, Baghdad, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Amman, Damascus, Aleppo, Hims. But many major cities still to come like Jerusalem, Dubai, Riyadh, Jeddah, Beirut, Tel Aviv, Doha.....etc

Israeli cities are not shown because of security considerations. The US is cooperating with Israel on this. You can find good images of Israel elsewhere.

BEIRUT

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/9007/beyrouth2ln.jpg (http://imageshack.us)