Saudi Arabia

Photo: Madain Salih

The Nabataean city of Madain Salih houses impressive natural formations and stone tombs.

Photograph by Reza

The vast desert kingdom was named for the ruling al-Saud family, who assumed power in the 18th century. • The cradle of Islam—the Prophet Muhammad was born in the kingdom's Hijaz region—it is led today by a cautious reformer, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud. • Besides presiding over 25 percent of the world's known oil reserves, King Abdullah is the "custodian of the two holy mosques" at Mecca and Medina. • The al-Saud family traditionally has embraced a strict interpretation of Sunni Islam called Wahhabism, which is also espoused by many militant Islamists.

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