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Cultural Corner: Saudi Arabia Identity card of Saudi Arabia Surface Area: 829 999.95 mil 2 (2 149 690 km²) Population: over 28, 83 million inhabitants (estimation 2013) Capital: Riyadh Language: Arabic, but English is commonly used in the business world Religion: Sunni Islam Chief of State: King Salmane ben Abdelaziz Al Saoud (since January 23, 2015), also Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the head of the House of Saud and prime minister of Saudi Arabia. Currency: Saudi Riyal (SAR) National Day: Represents the unification of the Kingdom in 1932 every September 23 Designated UNESCO World Heritage Site s: Al-Hijr Archaeological Site (Madâin Sâlih) (2008) At-Turaif District in ad -Dir'iyah (2010) Historic Jeddah, the Gate to Makkah (2014) Geography Saudi Arabia is the largest country on the Arabic peninsula. It is bordered by Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, and also the Red Sea and Persian Gulf. Several cities are rich in history and heritage such as Al Kh ubar, Medina, Mecca, Riyadh and Jeddah. Saudi Arabia occupies 80% of the Arabic peninsula territory. It is a mountainous country and also is in its great majority deserted. The length of the coast spreads out 2 640 km. Economy: Saudi Arabia is the first economic power of the Middle -East and the richest Arabic country. The economy of Saudi Arabia is entirely based on oil. Thanks to the foreign direct investments and the solidity of t he banking and financial system, the country became the first regional economy, and also one of the main economies of the world. For 2015, the country adopted a new budget pr ioritizing the fields of health, education, social services and security. The length of life is one of the highest in the region with a GDP per inhabitant of more than $20.000. In spite of that, the country is marked by a rate of unemployment of 12% especially among young people. The main fields of economy are the industry (60%) and services (38%). The industrial field is dominated by t he non-manufactured activities like the extraction of oil. The country owns the most important oil reserves in the world. It is also the lar gest producer and exporter of oil in the world. The part of the industrial sector (apart from oil) is growing thanks to investments of the Saudi state in order to diversify the economy. Then, services represent about 38% of the GDP and concern a great majority of the population. The field is especially dominated by tourism, financial and banking ser vices, and insurance. Tourism creates very important incomes (about 4 million tourists a year), exclusive ly thanks to the pilgrimage to Mecca. Finally, agriculture represents about 2% of the GDP and employs more than 4,5% of the active population . It is not a very productive field despite all the investments made by the state. Despite its geographical and climatic restrictions (dryness), Saudi Arabia imports the major part of its needs in agricultural products . The lack of water is also a big issue in the region that the country will have to face during the next years since the wheat culture threatens to run out the water reserves. Gastronomy in Saudi Arabia In Saudi Arabia, pork and alcohol are prohibited. Only « halal » food, certified by the Islamic law can be legally consumed. It means that everything the Saudi people have to through the Islamic food norms. The origin of the Saudi cuisine dates back to the culinary traditions of the peoples of the desert, the Bedouins. If the chicken, rice and dates are staple foods, fatir (Arab bread), yogurt and beans are also an integral part of the diet of the inhabitants of the kingdom. Lamb, meanwhile, is consumed on special occasions Follow, you will find meals and ingredients that are the most popular in Saudi Arabia : The Kebsa is considered the national dish in Saudi Arabia. The dish consists in basmati rice, raisins, dates, almonds and a blend of spices that includes onions, cardamom, cinnamon, and garlic. The chicken is the main ingredient of the Kabsa. Instead of grilling it to the flame, the Saudis prefer cooking it in the oven while the chicken broth is poured into the pot where the rice is boiled. Eating dates is a very ancient Bedouin tradition. These fruits, which symbolize the courage and bravery of the Arab people , are picked on the date palms that grow in the desert. Dates are used in many recipes : dried and sweet fruits can be eaten raw as is. They can also be stuffed with walnuts and almonds or they can be brushed with syrup to be consumed at breakfast or at snack time. Dates may yet be pressed and processed into juice. The sparkling drink that is then obtained is mostly served at major events; it is actually more or less the equivalent of champagne. The khoubz or khubz is Arabic bread that is found throughout the Middle East region. The taste and the texture of these small flatbreads are quite similar to those of the pita , unlike the khoubz is slightly larger and softer than the pita . As khubz is unleavened bread, baked without yeast or baking soda in a special stone oven , it keeps incredibly long. It is therefore ideal for families of nomads who continually travel through the arid expanses of the vast kingdom. The bread can be dipped in spicy mixtures or filled with meat and vegetables , and is also a very good substitute for rice. The kleeja are very popular pastries in the Arabic world. Although they are from Iraq, those biscuits would have traveled in the trailers to Saudi Arabia where the recipe would have been handed to a mysterious baker from the region of Nedj in the center of the kingdom. Today the kleeja are considered as regional specialties. They are made with wheat flour , butter and a big quantity of milled cardamom. They are baked in the oven until they are glazed. Then, they can be served with a strong coffee. They can also be served as a very nutritive snack for kids. In Saudi Arabia, the falafels are mostly considered as street snacks. These kinds of donuts are made with beans (basic condiments in the Saudi kingdom) that are ground and mixed with other ingredients such as green onions, parsley and garlic. Finally, there are spiced with cumin and coriander to multiply their flavor. The falafel sandwiches are often served, - wrapped in pita or khoubz type of bread - with tomatoes, lettuce and cucumbers. The sandwich is usually decorated with tahini, a sesame cream. Saudi Arabian Recipe - Kabsa Ingredients : Kabsa Spice Mi x: 1/2 teas poon ground cinnamon 1/2 teas poon ground allspice 1/4 teas poon ground white pepper 1/4 cup butter 1 onion, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 (3 pound) whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces 1/2 cup tomato puree 3 carrots, peeled and grated 2 whole cloves 1 pinch ground cumi n 1 pinch ground coriander Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 1/4 cups hot water 1 cube chicken bouillon 2 1/4 cups Basmati ri ce 1/4 cup toasted almonds Directions: Mix together the cinnamon, allspice, whi te pepper i n a small bowl, and set the spice mix aside. Melt the butter in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and brown them over medium-high heat until li ghtly browned, about 10 minutes. Mix in the tomato puree. Stir in the canned tomatoes with their juice, the grated carrots, whole cloves, cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper, and the Kabsa spice mix. Cook for about 3 minutes; pour in the water, and add the chicken bouillon cube. Bring the sauce to a boil, and then reduc e the heat to simmer and cover the pot. Simmer until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 30 minutes. Gently stir in the ric e. Cover th e pot and simmer until rice is tender and almost dry, about 25 minutes; add the raisins and a little more hot water, if necessary. Cover and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until the rice grains are separate. Transfer the rice to a large servi ng platter and arrange the chicken pieces on top. Sprinkle the toasted slivered almonds over the dish. In the July ESL e-newsletter, we will talk about Ireland!