Thuwal, Saudi Arabia

Thuwal

• King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is located in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. The campus covers 16 square kilometers (6 square miles) on land and another 20 square kilometers (8 square miles) of protected marine sanctuaries in the Red Sea.
• Thuwal (also called Tuwal or Tūwal) is a small town in the province of Mecca situated about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Jeddah.
• Thuwal was established as a fishing port many centuries ago. It is famous for the Najil fish, a red grouper. It was also known for its abundance of pearls. The coastline between Thuwal and Obhur has an array of coral reefs.

Saudi Arabia

• The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam and home to the two holiest places of the Islamic religion, Mecca and Medina.
• The population increased from 12 million in 1980 to 28.14 million in 2009. Of these, 22.57 million are Saudi nationals.

Government

• Saudi Arabia is a monarchy based on Islam. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud governs with the help of the Council of Ministers (also called Cabinet), which is responsible for drafting and overseeing implementation of policy as well as the general affairs of the State. There are 22 government ministries.
• A legislative body called the Consultative Council (Majlis Al-Shura) advises King Abdullah. The Council proposes new laws and amends existing ones.
• The Kingdom is divided into 13 provinces, each with a governor, deputy governor, and a provincial council.

Economy

• Saudi Arabia has the largest economy in the Middle East with a gross domestic product of $467.5 billion in 2008.
• The government has been initiating new projects to promote economic development and diversification. Over the past three decades, this sector has grown from 35 percent to more than 60 percent of GDP. For example, 30 new plants are being built -- and 40 more are planned -- to extract and process mineral resources. About 55,000 jobs will be created in the process.
• The country’s $1.17 billion pharmaceutical market is projected to grow 15 percent a year.
• King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), a $26.6 billion residential and commercial project near KAUST, is expected to generate up to 500,000 jobs in a variety of industries upon completion in 2016. The project will include an international airport, a dedicated port, a residential and hotel complex, and educational facilities.
• Knowledge Economic City (KEC), an $8 billion project that will create about 20,000 jobs in neighboring Medina province, is scheduled to be completed in 2014. The "smart city" will have a technological and economic information center, a campus for medical research and bio-sciences, and a center for studies in Islamic civilization.

Education

• In 1993, Saudi Arabia had seven universities. There are now 26 universities and 117 vocational training institutions in the Kingdom.
• In addition to the 3,240 schools that are under construction, the Saudi government has allocated 25.7 percent of the 2009 budget to educational development, which will add 1,500 new schools and update 2,000 existing schools.