Saudi Arabia

Full name of country: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Region: Middle East

Official language: Arabic

Population: 36,544,431 (2024 est.)

Nationality: Saudi(s) (noun), Saudi or Saudi Arabian (adjective)

Land area: 2,149,690 sq km (830,000 sq miles)

Capital: Riyadh

National anthem: "Aash Al Maleek" (Long Live Our Beloved King), by Ibrahim Khafaji/Abdul Rahman Al-Khateeb

National holiday: Unification of the Kingdom, September 23 (1932)

Population growth: 1.68% (2024 est.)

Time zone: Time Zone:UTC +3

Flag: The flag of Saudi Arabia is solid green, with the Islamic declaration of faith, the shahada, written in white. The declaration reads “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.” Beneath this inscription is a white sword, symbolizing justice.

Independence: September 23, 1932 (unification of the kingdom)

Government type: monarchy

Suffrage: 18 years of age; male

Legal system: Islamic (sharia) legal system with some elements of Egyptian, French, and customary law; note - several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest nation on the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered on the north by Jordan, Iraq, and Kuwait; on the east by Qatar, with the island nation of Bahrain lying off its eastern shore in the Persian Gulf; on the southeast by the United Arab Emirates and Oman; and on the south by Yemen. The Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba lie to the west. It is a Muslim nation ruled by members of the Saudi royal family, known as the House of Saud.

Saudi Arabia derives its economic influence over much of the Middle East and the world at large from its vast deposits of oil. The country has come under scrutiny for its connection to radical Islamic fundamentalism, human rights abuses, and allegations of state-sponsored terrorism. Nonetheless, it has remained an important ally of the United States and other Western nations.

Note: unless otherwise indicated, statistical data in this article is sourced from the CIA World Factbook, as cited in the bibliography.

People and Culture

Population: Approximately 90 percent of Saudi Arabia's population are ethnically Arab, while the remainder is mostly comprised of people of Afro-Asian descent. The foreign national population is comprised of Arabs from other Middle Eastern regions, as well as a large population of Muslims from India, Pakistan, and elsewhere. In addition, thousands of people from Western nations live in Saudi Arabia.

The official language is Arabic, and English is a common second language among the business and political classes.

Saudi Arabia is a Muslim nation and recognizes no other religions within its borders. Freedom of religion is not offered or guaranteed. According to Saudi law, all residents of Saudi Arabia are Muslim. Most Saudis (around 85 to 90 percent) are Sunni Muslims, and there is a small population (around 10 to 12 percent) of Shia Muslims (2020 estimates). Salafism (a term which Saudis prefer over "Wahhabism") is the primary Islamic code of Saudi Arabia, and it dictates how Islam is to be followed and taught throughout the kingdom.

The largest city in Saudi Arabia is Riyadh (population 7.68 million in 2023), the capital, in the central part of the country. Other large cities include Jeddah (4.86 million), Mecca (2.15 million), Medina (1.57 million), and Ad-Dammam (1.32 million) (2023 estimates). Until the 1970s, much of Saudi Arabia's population lived in rural areas, but by the turn of the twenty-first century, most of the semi-nomadic or nomadic population had migrated to cities throughout the country.

In 2022, Saudi Arabia ranked 40th on the United Nations Human Development Index.

Indigenous People: The Bedouin peoples of Saudi Arabia have traditionally made up the majority of the nomadic or semi-nomadic population in the desert region. Prior to the mid-twentieth century, most Bedouins formed migratory herding communities that were linked with others through loose tribal affiliations, but many joined the population migration to large urban centers after the oil boom brought rapid industrialization and economic change to the peninsula.

The population of Saudi Arabia is approximately one-quarter Bedouin. Unlike poorer minority cultures in other parts of the world, who are often discriminated against, the Bedouins are considered to be exemplary of Arab and Islamic character and culture.

Education: Education from preschool through college is free for most Saudis, but not compulsory. The Saudi government spends a considerable amount of money on extending its education system; as a result, literacy and school attendance have increased considerably.

In 1960 Saudi women were granted the limited right to an education. Despite this, there is still some gender segregation in the education system; for instance, women may study medicine, but not engineering. In addition, Saudi schools serve as religious institutions and follow strict educational codes based on Islamic law.

Among the most important colleges and universities in Saudi Arabia are King Saud University, originally known as Riyadh University; Islamic University, in Medina; and King Abdulaziz University, in Jeddah.

The average literacy rate is 97.6 percent (98.6 percent among men and 96 percent among women; 2020 estimate).

Health Care: According to its constitution, Saudi Arabia provides health care for all citizens of the kingdom. The Saudi government allocates a considerable portion of its budget to maintaining the health care system, and encourages medical education among its students. In this, as in most other modernization efforts, Saudi Arabia has been very successful.

The infant mortality rate is relatively low, at 11.7 deaths per 1,000 live births. Average life expectancy is 77.2 years—75.6 years for men and 78.8 years for women (2024 estimates).

Food: Saudis enjoy a rich Arabic food tradition that is centuries old. For religious reasons, they abstain from pork and alcoholic beverages. Traditional meals might include coffee specially prepared with cardamom or tea, and meat (lamb, chicken, beef, or fish), prepared with rice, spices, and wheat.

Favorite Saudi dishes include muttabaq, a meat and onion-filled pastry; saliq, a rice and meat mixture similar to pudding; harisah, a wheat-based meal made with meat and tomatoes; and a wealth of spiced seafood dishes. A list of spices that are included in traditional Saudi cuisine includes cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, tamarind, sumac and saffron. In addition, dates, yogurt, mint, curry, and other ingredients are typically included in Saudi cooking.

Saudi cultural tradition holds that women prepare the food, while men are in charge of making coffee, but even that tradition has begun to change, leaving women in charge of most food-related tasks. Guests are treated very well by Saudi hosts, but they must be careful to obey household etiquette, which includes sitting properly at meals, not mingling with women if one is unmarried and not a member of the host family, eating with the right hand (if not using utensils), and offering a blessing before and after the meal.

Arts & Entertainment: Modern Arabic culture in general is reliant on Qu'ranic ideas and customs for its substance, in much the same way that some Christian cultures have drawn artistic inspiration from biblical scripture and ideology. Examples of this may be found in the literature and decorative arts of Saudi Arabia. However, because of the restrictive nature of Islamic fundamentalism, such modern arts as the cinema and even older ones such as dance and theatre have been frowned upon.

Movie theaters and stage theatres were long banned in public places, although some continued to exist in the cities and public cinema was officially re-allowed in 2018. The Saudi sound recording industry, however, has thrived, even though music is still somewhat culturally restricted for religious reasons. More traditional-minded Saudis might disapprove of many forms of popular and even folk music, but the mass media awareness brought about by the telecommunications revolution of the last few decades has guaranteed a place for Western and Arabic music and arts in the modern Arab world.

Holidays: Much of the Muslim world uses an Islamic calendar, which is based on lunar cycles and so differs considerably from the Gregorian calendar used by most other nations. Saudis celebrate Ramadan, which is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar; Ramadan has no fixed date, and so can occur anytime during a particular lunar cycle.

Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan and the first day of the month of Shawwal. Eid al-Adah, another feast, is celebrated on the tenth day of Dhul Hijjah. In addition, Saudis celebrate national unification on September 23.

Throughout the Arab world, the month of Dhul Hijjah is the month when millions of travelers visit Mecca for the annual pilgrimage, or hajj. Every Muslim is expected to go to Mecca at least once in their lifetime (women are to be accompanied by a male relative or spouse).

Environment and Geography

Topography: Although it borders large bodies of water, Saudi Arabia itself has no significant lakes or rivers within its borders. The country has been described as a large, flat rock covered in sand.

In general, the country is desert, with some mountains and highlands in the west, a central arid plateau, and fertile eastern oases. The country's vast desert area contains parts of the Arabian Desert and the Rub'al Khali Desert (also known as the "Empty Quarter"). There is a coastal plain, called the Tihamah, along the western Red Sea coast. Taken together, Saudi Arabia's east and west coastlines measure approximately 2,015 kilometers (1,250 miles).

One of the country's highest points is at Jebal Sawda (3,133 meters/10,278 feet above sea level) in the southwest corner of the country near the border with Yemen.

Natural Resources: The list of Saudi Arabia's natural resources includes iron ore, gold, and copper, but by far the most important natural resources are petroleum and natural gas, which are among the largest deposits in the world and the key to the nation's economic influence throughout the world.

Conservation issues arising from the oil industry include water pollution from spillage and manufacturing, as well as greenhouse gas emissions from the use of the nation's fossil fuels. Others areas of concern include desertification and a lack of water resources and waste disposal areas.

Plants & Animals: Animals found in Saudi Arabia include mountain baboons, gazelles, foxes, and several species of large cats including leopards. Other animals seen in the country include wolves, mountain goats, lynx, lizards, flamingoes, hyenas, ostriches, and pelicans, a variety of sand-dwelling rats and snakes, and oryxes. Arabian horses and Arabian camels are also common.

Although not associated in the popular imagination with lush greenery, Saudi Arabia does, in fact, feature a wide variety of wildflowers and other exotic plants. In addition, date palms and wheat are very common throughout the country.

Endangered species include the green turtle and the Arabian oryx. Beginning in the late twentieth century, the Saudi government began a program of captive breeding combined with other conservation measures, in an effort to preserve the country's dwindling wildlife population.

Climate: In general, Saudi Arabia lives up to its reputation as a dry, hot desert nation. Overall, Saudi Arabia's climate is characterized by cold temperatures at night, hot temperatures during the day, and slight annual rainfall. The coastal regions are hot and humid, while the Asir highland region experiences occasional heavy rainfall. The average annual rainfall is less than 120 millimeters (5 inches) per year, but some areas can go years without receiving any rain at all.

The peninsula also experiences a strong wind called a shamal, which causes extreme dust and sand storms and can last for months at a time. The average annual temperature in Jeddah is about 28° Celsius (82° Fahrenheit), and in Riyadh the average is near 25° Celsius (77° Fahrenheit). The average annual temperature for the country as a whole is approximately 18° Celsius (64° Fahrenheit).

Economy

Prior to the discovery of oil in 1938, Saudi Arabia was a poor nation of mostly nomadic and semi-nomadic peoples. Since then, as the oil dependency of most of the world has grown, so have the fortunes of Saudi Arabia. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, it was one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Some efforts have been made to diversify the economy, though the government controlled oil industry remains central.

In 2021 the country's gross domestic product (GDP, purchasing power parity) exceeded US$1.831 trillion, with a per-capita GDP of US$55,100.

Industry: The major industry in Saudi Arabia is its petroleum industry. It is estimated that Saudi Arabia contains 16 percent of the world's proven oil reserves, much of which is located in the eastern part of the country and in the Persian Gulf. This amounts to approximately 266 billion barrels.

With so much power behind its petroleum industry, Saudi Arabia is a major political and diplomatic power in the Middle East and global energy production, as well as a key ally to Western nations. The major beneficiaries of the country's oil wealth are the House of Saud and other oil industry figures.

Other industries in Saudi Arabia include production of natural gas and other petrochemicals, ammonia, fertilizer, plastics, metals, aircraft and ship repair, cement, and construction. Its major export partners include China, the United States, Japan, South Korea, and India.

Agriculture: Because of the hot climate and the lack of fresh water resources, very little land in Saudi Arabia is cultivated. The country's small-scale agricultural production includes dates, fruits, and grains. Sheep, goats, fish, cattle, and camels are also raised. Saudi Arabia imports most of its food products.

Tourism: Millions of visitors come to Saudi Arabia every year. Muslims from around the world travel there each year for the hajj, or pilgrimage to the sacred Islamic city of Mecca. Medina, another holy city, is revered as the birthplace of the first Islamic state. In 2018, travel and tourism directly and indirectly contributed 9 percent of the country's GDP.

Like most other developing areas in Saudi Arabia, the tourism industry receives a generous amount of support from the government. In 2003, plans were announced for a major increase in the number of hotel rooms and tourist facilities, with a goal of attracting 44 million tourists per year by the 2020s. Though the COVID-19 pandemic made this goal difficult to achieve, with visitor numbers plunging to 3.5 million in 2021, by 2022 the number of international tourists began nearing pre-pandemic levels; that year over 16.6 million visitors traveled to Saudi Arabia. Most visitors to Saudi Arabia are Arabs or Muslims from neighboring regions.

Aside from the holy cities of Mecca and Medina (neither of which are accessible to non-Muslims), travelers come to Saudi Arabia to see such sights as the festivities related to the holidays of Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adah. There is also a festival held each year to celebrate Arab folklore and culture. Major attractions include the city of Jeddah, the oasis city of Najran, Asir National Park, and the Farasan Islands in the Red Sea.

Government

Saudi Arabia is divided into thirteen provinces. It is a hereditary monarchy ruled by the House of Saud, the founding family of the nation. The king is the head of state, head of government and prime minister. The king appoints his cabinet, mostly comprised of other members of the royal family. There are approximately 25,000 members of the House of Saud.

The king also appoints a consultative council, which serves as the legislative branch of government. In 2013 women were allowed to hold seats on the council for the first time, with thirty reserved places. The highest court is the Supreme Judicial Council, which oversees the nation's Sharia legal code. Sharia law dictates all levels of social and religious law in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi constitution is based on the Qu'ran (or Koran), the holy book of Islam.

During municipal elections in 2005, Saudi men were allowed to vote for the first time since the early 1960s. In 2011, it was announced that women would be given the right to vote and run as candidates for office; women voted for the first time in municipal elections in 2015. Saudi Arabia does not allow political parties.

Interesting Facts

• The British explorer, author, and scholar Sir Richard Francis Burton took advantage of his dark complexion and Arab language skills to secretly visit Mecca in 1853 to witness the hajj.
• Islam originated in the area now known as Saudi Arabia in the seventh century.
• The Rub' al Khali (or "Empty Quarter") in southern Saudi Arabia is the largest single body of sand in the world, measuring approximately 647,000 square kilometers (250,000 square miles).
• The camel market in Riyadh is considered one of the largest in the world, with about one hundred animals sold every day.
• In 2017 the nation's ban on women driving was officially lifted, becoming effective in 2018.

Bibliography

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"Saudi Arabia." Human Development Reports, United Nations Development Programme, 13 Mar. 2024, hdr.undp.org/data-center/specific-country-data#/countries/SAU. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.

“Saudi Arabia.” The World Bank, 2024, data.worldbank.org/country/saudi-arabia. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.

"Saudi Arabia." The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 16 Jan. 2025, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/saudi-arabia/. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.

"Saudi Arabia Country Profile." BBC News, 29 Aug. 2023, www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-14702705. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.

"Tourism Dashboard." Tourist Intelligence Center, Ministry of Tourism, KSA, mt.gov.sa/tic/dashboard/inbound-tourism. Accessed 2 Nov. 2023.