[Dissertation Writing]

By

Continuation of Order Pmuk01-0511-61083543

Education

Education is free at all levels. However, it is estimated that only about 56 percent of girls are enrolled in elementary schools. It is estimated about the same percentage for women in higher education institutions.

Fertility rate

The total fertility rate has fallen from almost 7 children per woman (1985-90) to almost 6 children per woman (1995-2000. The contraceptive prevalence rate among married women in Saudi Arabia is 32 percent for all methods and 29 percent for modern methods. The total fertility rate is just about 5 percent. Abortion is generally illegal in Saudi Arabia under unmodified principles of Islamic law. However, an abortion can be performed only if it is to save the pregnant woman's life and if the pregnancy is in the first trimester and proven beyond doubt that continuing the pregnancy will gravely endanger the mother's health. Written consent of both the mother and her husband is required

Legal Framework

The Saudi Arabian legal system is based on Islamic law, and shari'a courts exercise jurisdiction over common criminal cases and civil suits. There are four tiers of shari'a courts, which fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice. Much commercial law has been removed from the Islamic court system.

There is little overall protection for foreign investors within the legal system, although non-Saudi Arabian firms are due to be granted the right to buy real estate, according to the new foreign investment code. However, the new code has not yet been implemented. Indeed, Saudi Arabia is in a poor 118th position globally for the investor protection category of BMI's business environment rankings, and investors question the ability of Saudi Arabian courts to enforce contracts efficiently. That said, there are no known cases of government confiscation of foreign-owned assets.

As part of its efforts to overhaul its business regulations and comply with the WTO's Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) obligations, the government has in recent years updated the Trademark Law, the Copyright Law and the Patent Law (2004). More resources have been devoted to enforcing these laws, with stiffer penalties for copyright violators, although many companies question the overall impact. Implementation, as ever, is a bugbear. Enforcement of these new laws is weak, and procedures inconsistent. For example, the Saudi Arabian patent office has a backlog of an estimated 9,000 applications dating back more than 15 years. That said, enforcement is showing signs of becoming more effective, with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry sporadically conducting high-profile crackdowns on trademark infringements.

There is a legal focus on combating corruption, with senior government officials barred from engaging in business activities within their ministry. However, corruption remains an issue, with bribes and the use of commission widespread. In Transparency International's 2009 Corruption Perceptions Index, the country was 63rd out of 180 countries.

Bureaucracy is extensive and a serious drawback for companies. Government procurement is often cited as one area where corruption is extensive, as bribes disguised as 'commissions' are reportedly commonplace, although there are only isolated cases of officials ...