Map of Saudi Arabia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: In 1902 Abdul al-Aziz Ibn SAUD captured Riyadh and set out on a 30-year campaign to unify the Arabian peninsula. In the 1930s the discovery of oil transformed the country. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990 Saudi Arabia accepted the Kuwaiti royal family and 400,000 refugees while allowing Western and Arab troops to deploy on its soil for the liberation of Kuwait the following year. A burgeoning population aquifer depletion and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all major governmental concerns.


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Location: Middle East bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea north of Yemen

Geographic coordinates: 25 00 N 45 00 E

Map reference: Middle East

Area
Comparative: slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US

Land boundaries

Coastline: 2,640 km

Maritime claims

Climate: harsh dry desert with great extremes of temperature

Terrain: mostly uninhabited sandy desert

Elevation

Natural resources: petroleum natural gas iron ore gold copper

Land use

Irrigated land: 4,350 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: frequent sand and dust storms

Geography
Note: extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal


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Population: 22,023,506
Growth rate: 3.28% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Arab 90% Afro-Asian 10%

Languages: Arabic

Religions: Muslim 100%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 3.28% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 37.47 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 6.02 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.36 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: desertification; depletion of underground water resources; the lack of perennial rivers or permanent water bodies has prompted the development of extensive seawater desalination facilities; coastal pollution from oil spills

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 52.9 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 6.3 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: monarchy

Capital: Riyadh

Administrative divisions: 13 provinces (mintaqat singular - mintaqah); Al Bahah Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah Al Jawf Al Madinah Al Qasim Ar Riyad Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern Province) 'Asir Ha'il Jizan Makkah Najran Tabuk

Dependent areas

Independence: 23 September 1932 (unification)

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

Constitution: governed according to Shari'a (Islamic law); the Basic Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was introduced in 1993

Legal system: based on Islamic law several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: none

Executive branch

Legislative branch: a consultative council (90 members and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year terms)

Judicial branch: Supreme Council of Justice

Political parties and leaders: none allowed

International organization participation: ABEDA AfDB AFESD AL AMF BIS CCC ESCWA FAO G-19 G-77 GCC IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Inmarsat Intelsat Interpol IOC ISO ITU NAM OAPEC OAS (observer) OIC OPCW OPEC UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: green with large white Arabic script (that may be translated as There is no God but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God) above a white horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); green is the traditional color of Islam

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: This is an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. Saudi Arabia has the largest reserves of petroleum in the world (26% of the proved total) ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum and plays a leading role in OPEC. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues 40% of GDP and 90% of export earnings. About 35% of GDP comes from the private sector. Roughly 4 million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy for example in the oil and service sectors. Saudi Arabia was a key player in the successful efforts of OPEC and other oil producing countries to raise the price of oil in 1999 to its highest level since the Gulf War by reducing production. Although oil prices are expected to remain relatively high in 2000 Riyadh expects to have a $7.5 billion budget deficit in part because of increased spending for education and other social problems. The government in 1999 announced plans to begin privatizing the electricity companies which follows the ongoing privatization of the telecommunications company. The government is expected to continue calling for private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population. Shortages of water and rapid population growth will constrain government efforts to increase self-sufficiency in agricultural products.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 1.6% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $9,000 (1999 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: wheat barley tomatoes melons dates citrus; mutton chickens eggs milk

Industries: crude oil production petroleum refining basic petrochemicals cement construction fertilizer plastics

Industrial production growth rate: 1% (1997 est.)

Labor force: 7 million
By occupation agriculture: 12%
By occupation industry: 25%
By occupation services: 63% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: -1.2% (1999)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $48 billion (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 90%
Partners: Japan 17% US 15% South Korea 11% Singapore 8% India 4% France 4% (1998)

Imports: $28 billion (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: machinery and equipment foodstuffs chemicals motor vehicles textiles
Partners: US 21% UK 9% Japan 9% Germany 6% France 5% Italy 4% (1998)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $28 billion (1998 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Saudi riyals (SR) per US$1 - 3.7450 (fixed rate since June 1986)


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Electricity
Production: 110.132 billion kWh (1998)
Consumption: 102.423 billion kWh (1998)
Exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 3.1 million (1998)
Mobile cellular: 1 million

Telephone system: modern system

Broadcast media

Internet
Service providers isps: 6 (1999)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $18.1 billion (FY97)
Percent of gdp: 12% (FY97)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 205 (1999 est.)

Heliports: 4 (1999 est.)

Pipelines: crude oil 6,400 km; petroleum products 150 km; natural gas 2,200 km (includes natural gas liquids 1600 km)

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: large section of boundary with Yemen not defined; location and status of boundary with UAE is not final de facto boundary reflects 1974 agreement; Kuwaiti ownership of Qaruh and Umm al Maradim islands is disputed by Saudi Arabia; June 1999 agreement has furthered the goal of definitively establishing the border with Qatar

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: death penalty for traffickers; increasing consumption of heroin and cocaine