Introduction to the Arab World
The Arab world stretches from the Atlantic coast of northern Africa in the
west to the Arabian Sea in the east, and from the Mediterranean Sea in
the north to Central Africa in the south, covering an area of 14.2 million
square kilometers. It consists of 21 countries and territories with a
combined population of 360 million people
Straddling two continents; both Africa and Asia, the Arab world
encompasses a region that has made it one of the world's most strategic
areas. Its long stretches of coastlines give it access to vital waterways.
While the Arab world is dominated by dry climatic conditions, the
existence of mountain ranges like the Atlas range, Lebanon ranges and the
Zagros Mountains permits seasonal rainfall. Reliable sources of water are
immensely important whether rivers or springs, from which oasis are
formed. Foremost among the river valleys are the Nile and the Tigris-
Euphrates.
Agriculture is the primary economic activity in the Arab world. The most
important food crops are wheat, barley, rice, maize and millet. These are
largely consumed within the region, while cotton, sugarcane, sugar beets
and sesame are exported as cash crops.
Contrary to popular belief, only a few Arab countries possess petroleum
and natural gas resources. Other natural resources include iron-ore, lead,
phosphate, cobalt and manganese.
Islam and the Arabic language constitute its two predominant cultural
features. The Arab people, spread over a vast area, enjoy common bonds
of history and tradition. Members of twenty-one different countries, the
Arabs consider themselves to be part of one nation.
The Arab countries with natural resources, especially petroleum, are
devoting large funds to development programs in nearly every field.In
spite of all of this development and modernization, the Arab world is also
dedicated to preserving its traditions and values, which are largely rooted
in Islam.
Islam is a Semitic religion, which has over one billion adherents all over the
world. Islam means "submission to the will of God". Muslims accept the
Qur’an, as the word of God revealed to His last and final prophet,
Mohammed (peace be upon him). Apart from human responsibility, Islam
also teaches human accountability. The final destination of human beings
is the hereafter. Muslims believe that, at the end of time, all human beings
will be restored to life to account for their deeds. Since Islam believes in
values like chastity and morality, it prohibits all acts which lead to moral
corruption. Drugs, alcohol and substance abuse are strictly prohibited in
Islam.
Some major teachings of Islam are:
 To worship the one and only one God and believe in his
oneness.
 To witness that prophet Mohamed (peace upon him) as God's
prophet and messenger.
 To believe in, and practice, ritual prayers, paying the
compulsory charity (ZAKAT), fasting Ramadan, and performing
Pilgrimage if possible.
 To have faith in God, all His angels, all His holy books, all His
prophets, day of Judgment, and destiny.
 To fully obey God and his messenger Mohamed (peace upon
him) by obeying what they order him/her to do and what they
order not to do.
 To do good deeds for the benefit of his community, nature, and
mankind.
 To observe the Quran Golden rules and Islam morals.
Muslims are taught, by Islam, to observe the both wings of Islam religion;
namely:
 the first wing is to keep performing the ritual worships per the
Islam 5 pillars, and
 the second wing is to keep performing good deeds to the
benefit of himself, family, community, and mankind.
Arabic Language----Arabic is in the Semitic language group, which seems to
have originated somewhere near modern Syria, and to have spread from
there through Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan down to the Arabian peninsula.
Until the time of Mohammed, in the 600's AD, Arabic was mainly spoken
and not written. Still, there are some written records from the Arabian
peninsula from before the 600's AD.
These are called Sabataean. But they are only short inscriptions in stone,
not really literature.
After the Islamic conquests of the late 600's AD, people soon began to
speak Arabic all over the Islamic Empire, from Afghanistan to Spain, and
people speak Arabic in even more places today (though not in Spain). By
1000 AD, people spoke Arabic in India.
Many people began to write in Arabic. Among the first things to be written
was the Koran, but soon many scientific texts and medical books and math
books were written in Arabic, and also stories like the Arabian Nights or
the story of Aladdin. There were many Arab historians, geographers,
philosophers, and poets. Also, in the eastern part of the Islamic Empire,
many people spoke and wrote in Persian (an Indo-European language).
Arabic Jamahiria of Libya
Arabic: jamāhiriyya lībiyā l-¢arabiyya
Independent republic in North Africa, with 6.3 million inhabitants (2009
estimate) and an area of 1,759,540 km². Its capital is Tripoli, which is also
the largest city.
Libya is administratively divided into 25 municipalities, called
baladiya. Libya defines itself as a "jamahiriya", a system where all
inhabitants express their views in local councils from where
representatives form national councils.
Head of state is Mu'ammar Gadhafi, but without any formal
designations, neither president nor prime minister. The government is
made up of 12 secretariats, corresponding to ministries.
Libya is only ranked 10 among 22 MENA countries, but best among the
North African. Libya does very well on certain factors, like life expectancy
and number of hospital beds.
Libya is presently in the process of developing its institutions of higher
learning. For long, much of the education system focused on basic training
for all.
The population of Libya is varied, but natives are mainly Arabs and
Berbers. There is also a significant number of foreign workers.
Arabic is the language of the nation, but Berber is still a vital language,
although spoken by only a minority of ethnic Berbers.
Islam dominates all of the Libyan society. Almost all are Sunnis, but there
are small Ibadi communities.
Libya has a long history, deep into antiquity. Libyan history covers the
Roman era, the Christian and the Islamic.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arabic Republic of Egypt
Arabic: jumhūriyyatu misri l-¢arabiyya
Independent republic in Africa with 83.1 million inhabitants (2009
estimate), covering a total area of 1,001,450 km², divided into 26
governorates. The capital is Cairo, located right south of the point where
the Nile changes into the Nile Delta.
Egypt has democratic structures, but the presidency and acting
power in the country seem to rest in the hands of the established elite,
centred around President Hosni Mubarak.
Egypt has two national holidays. On February 28, the country
commemorates its liberation from British control in 1922. July 23, is the
most celebrated now, commemorating the Revolution Day in 1952, the
day when monarchy came to an end.
The Nile Valley which extends at the maximum some kilometres on
either side of the river, gives just about enough ground for the agriculture
needed by the fast growing population in Egypt.
The climate in Egypt is generally very hot in summer, but with big
differences between the northern parts and southern areas. Winter is
generally warm.
Egypt's currency is called Pound in English, geneyh in Arabic.
Egypt's health care system is below the standard of its neighbouring
countries. Still, life expectancy is 72 years.
Egypt's education system both includes poor-quality rural schools, and
high-quality universities.
Being a rich country for millenniums, Egyptians are since long heavily
mixed by virtually all peoples of the wider Middle East.
Arabic is all in all the dominating language, Nubian is spoken in the very
south. Berber is spoken by very few in the oases in the west. Domari is
spoken by the Dom people, mainly in the Nile Delta area.
Islam dominates across the country, only the Sunni branch is present.
Cheristens are also present in good number.
Egypt is one of the cradles of civilization, home of the world's oldest
human made wonders; the Pyramids.
Sultanate of Oman
Arabic: sultanatu ¢umāan
Independent monarchy, sultanate, in Asia, with 3.4 million inhabitants
(2009 estimate) and an area of 309,500 km². The capital is Musqat, which
is the centre of the country's largest continous urban settlement.
Administratively, Oman is divided into 6 regions, called mintaqa.
Oman's national holiday is the birthday of the sultan, November 18,
1940. There is no day of independence, as Oman has been
independent since the middle of the 17th century.
Head of state is Sultan Qaboos ibn Said, who also is Prime minister,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Defence and Finance.
Oman is a country of mountains and desert with scattered, small regions
where cultivation is possible.
Oman's economy is among the last emerging in Arabia, good efforts
are put into developing the country, but was deep into the 1970's one of
the most isolated in the world, culturally and technically.
Omani health care has been developed to reach all citizens, but less
money is spent on health care and life expectancy is shorter than in
neighbouring states.
Omani school system is yet under development, and Oman scores lower
than many other MENA countries. Still, Oman has in short time been able
develop higher institutions of elite standards.
Centuries of trade has made the Omani population multi-cultural. Oman is
also one of only two countries with non-Arab peoples native to Arabia.
Diversity is even larger with languages than it is with people groups. Oman
has several small and unique languages.
Oman is the only country in the world dominated by Ibadi Islam.
Oman has always been part of important trade routes, but it is first in the
20th century that national history begins for true.
_____________________________________________________________
_________
State of Qatar
Arabic: dawlatu qatar
Independent monarchy in Asia, divided into 9 municipalities (baladiya(t))
with 830,000 inhabitants (2005 estimate) and an area of 11,437 km².
The capital is Doha, which also forms the only effective urban centre of the
country; second largest city, Rayyan, is largely a suburb of Doha.
The Day of independence for Qatar is September 3, 1971, when self-
governance was gained from Britain.
The Head of state is Emir Hamad bin Khalifa ath-Thani, cooperating
with the Crown prince, Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and the
Prime minister, Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani.
The peninsula of Qatar is mostly flat and stony arid land, while the desert
in the south of the country is sandy.
Qatar is strongly urbanized with 90% of the population living in
towns and cities.
The currency of Qatar is rials (QAR) which has a fixed rate to the
United States $ dollar.
Qatar is presently the world's richest country measured by GDP per
capita; Qatari economy appears well-managed, avoiding dangerous
projects seen in some other oil rich countries in the region.
Qatar has one of the best health care systems in MENA; few countries has
a higher frequency of internationally accredited hospitals.
As of 2009, Qatar performs mediocre in terms of education. But efforts in
recent years have been put into practice to change this radically.
Qatar is among the countries in the MENA with the higest number of
foreign workers. As with other countries, foreign workers have no chance
of obtaining citizenship.
Arabic and English are the main languages of Qatar, while the foreign
workers often form small communities for sparetime and small business
where they use their native tongue.
Even with heavy immigration, Islam remains the main religion of Qatar.
Christianity also has a strong presence.
Qatar has the shortest history of all MENA countries, many indicators
suggest that it was uninhabited for centuries until the 16th century.
The Saudi Arabian Kingdom
Arabic: 'al-mamlaka 'al-¢arabiyya 'as-sa¢ūdiyya
Independent monarchy in Asia with 24.9 million inhabitants (2005
estimate), covering a total area of 2,240,000 km² and divided into 13
provinces. The capital of Saudi Arabia is Riyadh, situated in the interior and
very centre of the country.
About 5.8 million non-nationals also live in Saudi Arabia, making up
23% of the population.
Power rests with the royal family. Abdullah ibn Abdulaziz as-Saud is
king as well as prime minister. Several princes have great influence on
politics of the nation, 5 out of 7 ministers of state are princes.
National holiday is September 23, 1932, commemorating the unification of
the kingdom.
Likewise, the climate is dry and hot. Riyadh, the capital, has an average
temperature in July of 42ºC and in January of 14ºC, while Jeddah on the
coast has 31ºC and 23ºC.
The Saudi currency are Riyals (SAR), which has a fixed rate to the US
$ dollar. 1 Riyal=US$0.27; and US$1=3.75 Riyals.
Saudi Arabia's health care system is very good in large towns and
cities, but limited in rural areas.
Whereas Saudi Arabia has some of the best universities in the Arab world,
the general access to education is more limited than in many other MENA
countries.
Most of Saudi Arabia's population are Arabs, a large minority are
Bedouins. Nearly a quarter of the population are non-nationals, and Saudi
Arabia has no policy of granting citizenship.
Among the indigenous population, only Arabic is spoken in Saudi Arabia.
Non-nationals share a great number of languages, but between them, it is
mainly English that is used.
Islam dominates in Saudi Arabia, then mainly in its Sunni form. There are
large Shi'i communities too, as well as a large group of Isma'ilis.
The history of Saudi Arabia is a proud one, being the home of Islam. Saudi
Arabia's history is still brief, the emergence of urban centres largely belong
to the 20th century.
of Arab States signed in December 2008 during the visit of the Secretary
General H.E. Mr. Amre Moussa to New Delhi.
It is estimated that about five million Indian diasporas reside in various
countries of Arab world. Maintaining good relations with Arab world is
important for India as over 70 percent of India's oil supplies come from the
energy-rich Gulf states.

Kingdom of Bahrain
Arabic: mamlaka 'al-bahrayn

Independent monarchy in Asia, one of the smallest Muslim states with a

surface area of only 707 km² and 1.1 million inhabitants (2009 estimate),
of which only 51% are nationals. The capital, Manama, is the centre of the
only and dominating urban area. The ruler of Bahrain is since 1999, King
Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
Bahrain has two national days. August 15 commemorates the
establishment of the Bahraini state in 1971, whereas Bahrain became
independent from the British protectorate on December 16 the same year.
There are no overland borders, but Bahrain has a causeway connecting to
Saudi Arabia. This is also the only overland connection from the country.
Bahrain is an archipelago of 33 islands, of which the island of Bahrain
is the dominating one (90% of the total area)
Average summer temperature is 34°C, average during winter is 17°C.

The currency of Bahrain is dinar (BHD), a currency which is fixed to

the US dollar at 1 Dinar=US$2.66, and US$1=0.38.

Bahrain has an excellent health care system, and life expectancy is around
75 years.

Although without any internationally ranked universities, Bahrain comes

out high among MENA countries for its education system.
Being a country with an economy of foreign workers, Bahrain has
numerous ethnic groups represented. The indigenous population is similar
to the Saudi Arabian, Arabs, but there is also a longer-lasting Persian
presence.
Arabic and Persian are the two local languages. English is widely spoken
and the language most often used between immigrants and locals.

The dominating form of Islam in Bahrain is Shi'ism, although there is a

substantial minority of Sunnis.
Bahrain's modern history is apparently short, but the island has been
home of civilizations for more than 4,000 years, beginning with Dilmun.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

India's engagement with West Asia and North Africa was cemented
through a series of high level interactions that included State visits to India
by The landmark visit of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudia Arabia,
President Bashar Ali-Assad of Syria. President Mohammed Hosny Mubarak
of Egypt and President, Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian National
Authority. India's dialogue with Egypt was also taken forward during and
official visit by EAM to that country in July 2008. India's steadfast support
for the Palestinian cause was underlined during the State visit of President
Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) during which,
in the presence of the Prime Minister. Dr. Manmohan Singh, President
Abbas laid the foundation stone of the Palestinian Embassy building in
New Delhi, a gift of the Government and people of India, and construction
of which is nearing completion. Implementation of PM's offer of $ 10
million as budgetary support to the PNA was completed during the year.

India strongly condemned the Israeli incursion into the Gaza strip that
began in December 2008. India's varied relations with the Arab world were
institutionalized through a Memorandum of Cooperation with the League