Saudi Arabia (1983: Doomsday)

Saudi Arabia, also known as the Kingdomof Saudi Arabia, is an absolute Islamic monarchy located in a region of southwest Asia also known as the Middle East. It is bordered by Jordan and the former nation of Iraq to the north and northeast; by Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emigrates (UAE) to the east; Oman on the southeast; and Yemen on the south. Additionally, it borders the Persian Gulf to the northeast and the Red Sea to the west. Having been the largest exporter of oil and natural gas in the world before Doomsday, the economy suffered a serious setback with the collapse of the international oil market which has taken years to recover. As of 2010 it is a major leader in the post-Doomsday Islamic World and a founding member of the Gulf States Union, an important voting block in the LON.

Pre-Doomsday
Islam has and continues to play a major role in modern day Saudi Arabia. In the 7th Century, it was home to the religious leader Muhammad who established Islam and first united the various Bedouin tribes of the Arabian Peninsulainto the first cohesive Muslim political entity. Under various leaders, Islam would spread throughout the world to encompass western Asia, northern Africa, and parts of Europe, becoming the second largest religion in the world. Saudi Arabiais home to the two most holiest sites of Islam, Medinaand Mecca, home to the Al-Masjid al-Haram, or Grand Mosque, the world's largest mosque and home to the Kaaba. Since 1925, the nation has been controlled by Saud royal family, whose roots date back centuries in the region. As of September 1983, King Fahd bin Abdul Azjz Al Saud was the leader of the nation, having arisen to the throne just over a year earlier following the death of his half brother, King Khalid.

At the time of Doomsday, the UShad a military presence in the nation in the form of four USAF E-3 planes, also known as Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) and several aerial tankers. The planes had been dispatched to the region in 1980 to provide early warning to the Saudi military in the event of an attack. Additionally, several hundred military advisors were also stationed in the country to help train the military.

Doomsday
On the morning of September 26, 1983, the Saudi government and military received a communiqué just before 4 AMlocal time from the USwarning them of the Soviet launches. In response, the King was notified and declared a state of emergency and ordered the nation's military on full alert. The air defense squadrons of the Royal Saudi Airforce (RSAF) were also ordered airborne, where they were joined by two of the USAF AWAC planes. At approximately 4:20 AM, the AWACs noted several Soviet SS-19 ICBMs inbound for the Middle East, with one in particular heading for Saudi Arabia. The AWAC crews immediately passed this information onto the RSAF who were ordered to intercept the missile before it could come out of orbit and deploy its warheads. Using this real time data, nearly twenty pilots converged on the incoming ICBM, pushing their planes to the limit in order to target and fire their missiles. At least three missiles struck the ICBM and caused it to break apart. However, the stress was too much for the pilots and at least fifteen of the planes either broke apart or crashed. To this day, it is unknown as to what sites were targeted.

As citizens began to awaken across the nation, they quickly received news via radio and television of the horrific attacks throughout the world and how Saudi Arabiahad been spared. Millions flooded into mosques across the country to thank Allah for delivering the nation from what seemed near destruction and condolences for the millions dying across the globe. In the Grand Mosque in Meccaalone, it was estimated as many as 200,000 people converged to offer prayers. As news continued to filter in, the government, as well as many foreigners living in the country were in shock. King Fahd declared a month of mourning and ordered a mobilization of what supplies they could provide to damaged nations in the region.

Post-Doomsday
To be continued.