M y choice o f Saudi Arabia a s the country i n which to u ndertake this research on Islamic entrepreneurship was based on several theoretical as well as practical considerations. Despite its enormous oil wealth , Saudi Arabia is identified with Islam, and it has a distinct spiritual status in the Islamic world for being the place of revelation of the religion of Islam and the site of two of Islam's holiest mosques in Mecca and Medina. There is a prevalent tendency to link the relig iously based Saudi trad itional value system to its views on modernisation and development. Saudi Arabia is often regarded as an anti-development country because of its Islamic-based value system. It is widely perceived and largely accepted that Saudi Arabia is the most traditional and sanctified Muslim country. More than 90% of its population are Arabs and 1 00% are Muslims. Therefore, it could be arg ued that if an Islamic entrepreneurship-based development model were to be built, then Saudi Arabia would be the most probable
country to espouse and to house such a model. Consequently, the legitimacy and the authority of the model could be extended beyond the boundaries of the Kingdom to cover other Islamic countries. The predominant Islamic environment and the homogeneity in the make-up of the Saudi population coupled with the Islamic-based constitution of the country will have, I argue, a positive impact o n the development of the model. For any model to gain legitimacy and approval, it should be inclusive and should reflect the realities of the indigenous people it claims to represent and intends to serve.
High unemployment figures together with the lower output of productive business activities are among the many economic challenges facing Saudi Arabia. Saudi officials have come to recognise the need for expanding the productive base of the Saudi oil based economy and the need to give due consideration to the unemployment dilemma. Saudi Arabia has tried different strategies in its pursuit to diversify its national source of income, but has been unable to achieve tangible outcomes. Entrepreneurship has been universally promoted as a viable alternative diversification strategy that advances development and provides for new employment opportunities. In this study, therefore, I argue that Islamic entrepreneurship in particular can make a true contribution towards solving some of the socio-economic difficulties facing Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries. Hence, I sought to investigate entrepreneurship from an Islamic perspective within the Saudi domain.
The selection of the city of Riyadh as the site of the research was mainly based on practical justifications: Riyadh , the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is located at the heart of the central province of the Kingdom. It has witnessed phenomenal horizontal as well as vertical growth within the last three to four decades, to cover an extended landscape of approximately 600 square miles and to house about five million people48. In addition to being the political capital of the country, Riyadh is also the centre of its commercial and business activit/9. Therefore, Riyadh has the advantage of providing access to all stakeholders involved in the research and it is where political as well as economic decisions are made.
The harmony and the anxiety of the "modern" and the "traditional" of Saudi society meet and mix in Riyadh; modern high rise skyscrapers stand alongside old clay
48 It is estimated that about 5 million people i nhabit the city of Riyadh. However, accurate and more reliable official statistical figures are unavailable.
49 According to Shiblaq (2002), it is esti mated that 40% of the total Saudi business activities are generated in Riyadh.
structures, and green blossoming gardens in the middle of harsh yellow desert are some of the physical contrasts to be found in the city. More importantly, it is expected that both the very "contemporary" and the very "traditional" views and attitudes are to be reflected by the views of the inhabitants of the city. The Saudi citizens of Riyadh are a mix of native Bedouins, who take too much from its rough environment, and the new immigrants from other parts of the country, particularly from coastal cities, which are more exposed to the world and to contemporary business practices. Accord i ngly, the fieldwork is expected to produce interesting and valuable data essential to answer the research question and reflect the current division within Muslim societies rega rding the 'apt' response to modernisation, Westernisation and development.
Riyadh also is the home of major educational and cultural institutions and research centres, namely: King Saud University (KSU), the Imam Mohammed Islamic Un iversity, King Abdu laziz Library and the Institute of Public Ad ministration (IPA). Another key factor that influenced the site selection process was the positive attitud e and the high interest shown by KSU towards this study and their willingness to extend logistical as well as intellectual support. Finally, as Neuman ( 1 997, p. 338) suggested, "Personal contacts and con nections are integral to the research process"; I have lived and worked in Riyadh and I still have my business associations and personal contacts there. This, I hoped, would open some doors and make my fieldwork a little easier and more enjoyable.