Special Issue: Editorial

Abstract

Situated in the heart of the Middle East, Saudi Arabia or the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has played a significant role in the Arab region since the pre-historic and pre-Islamic periods. The discovery of oil in 1938 brought a major transformation to the country, which has since become one of the world’s largest oil producers and exporters. The oil industry boom occurred during the 1970s and 1980s and resulted in the rapid development of the economy. This in turn transformed the country into a modern state; a change that touched all sectors, including the built environment.