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Article: Saudi Arabia, Intelligence and Security
- Article from:
- Encyclopedia of Espionage, Intelligence, andSecurity
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Saudi Arabia, Intelligence and Security
The Middle East is the seat of some of the world's most ancient civilizations and ethnic groups. Ancient Persia (Iran) and Byzantium (Turkey), in different eras, both claimed the land corresponding to present-day Saudi Arabia. These civilizations had complex government structures, which included developed bureaucracies and some of the earliest intelligence communities.
Abd al-Aziz Saud established the nation of Saudi Arabia in 1920 when he captured the city of Riyadh. He and his forces then began a three-decade campaign to unify tribal lands and city-states in the Arabian Peninsula. The quest was aided by the discovery of oil in the region ...