Jacqueline Edly, Age 12, Of New Brunswick, N.J., for her question:

Why does Saudi Arabia have two capitals?

The arabian peninsula is a sandy desert stretched between the red sea and the persian gulf and it is one of the hottest regions of the world. It is occupied by severa1 kingdoms, the largest of which is Saudi Arabia   Arabia of the royal saud family. The king is an absolute monarch and his word is law. He selects the members of his government and there are no elections. The government of Saudi Arabia is carried on from the walled city of Riyadh, the kingdom's political capital in the center of the desert peninsula.

Near the red sea shores of Saudi Arabia is the holy city of Mecca, sacred to all members of the moslem faith as the birthplace of their founder Mohamed. Mecca is the religious capital of Saudi Arabia and the religious capital of all members of the Islamic faith.