Map of Saudi Arabia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam and home to Islam's two holiest shrines in Mecca and Medina. The king's official title is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The modern Saudi state was founded in 1932 by ABD AL-AZIZ bin Abd al-Rahman Al SAUD (Ibn Saud) after a 30-year campaign to unify most of the Arabian Peninsula. One of his male descendents rules the country today as required by the country's 1992 Basic Law. King ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz ascended to the throne in 2005. 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. The continuing presence of foreign troops on Saudi soil after the liberation of Kuwait became a source of tension between the royal family and the public until all operational US troops left the country in 2003. Major terrorist attacks in May and November 2003 spurred a strong on-going campaign against domestic terrorism and extremism. King ABDALLAH has continued the cautious reform program begun when he was crown prince. The king instituted an interfaith dialogue initiative in 2008 to encourage religious tolerance on a global level; in 2009 he reshuffled the cabinet which led to more moderates holding ministerial and judicial positions and appointed the first female to the cabinet. The 2010-12 uprising across Middle Eastern and North African countries sparked modest incidents in Saudi cities predominantly by Shia demonstrators calling for the release of detainees and the withdrawal from Bahrain of the Gulf Cooperation Council's Peninsula Shield Force. Protests in general were met by a strong police presence with some arrests but not the level of bloodshed seen in protests elsewhere in the region. In response to the unrest King ABDALLAH in February and March 2011 announced a series of benefits to Saudi citizens including funds to build affordable housing salary increases for government workers and unemployment benefits. To promote increased political participation the government held elections nationwide in September 2011 for half the members of 285 municipal councils. Also in September the king announced that women will be allowed to run for and vote in future municipal elections - first held in 2005 - and serve as full members of the advisory Consultative Council. During 2012 Shia protests increased in violence while peaceful Sunni protests expanded. The country remains a leading producer of oil and natural gas and holds more than 20% of the world's proven oil reserves. The government continues to pursue economic reform and diversification particularly since Saudi Arabia's accession to the WTO in December 2005 and promotes foreign investment in the kingdom. A burgeoning population aquifer depletion and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all ongoing 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

Area
Rank: 13
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 temperature extremes

Terrain: mostly uninhabited sandy desert

Elevation

Natural resources: petroleum natural gas iron ore gold copper

Land use

Irrigated land: 17,310 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 2.4 km³ (1997)

Natural hazards: frequent sand and dust storms

Geography
Note: Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the world without a river; extensive coastlines on the Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through the Persian Gulf and Suez Canal


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Population: 26,534,504 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 46
Growth rate: 1.523% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 80
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Arab 90% Afro-Asian 10%

Languages: Arabic (official)

Religions: Muslim (official) 100%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.523% (2012 est.)
Rank: 80

Birth rate: 19.19 births/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 94

Death rate: 3.32 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 216

Net migration rate: -0.64 migrant(s)/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 143

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
Rank: 111

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 108

Total fertility rate: 2.26 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Rank: 102

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.939 physicians/1000 population (2008)

Hospital bed density: 2.2 beds/1000 population (2008)

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.01% (2001 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 164
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 35.6% (2000)
Rank: 5

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 5.3% (2005)
Rank: 82

Education expenditures: 5.6% of GDP (2008)
Rank: 40

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: monarchy

Capital

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

Dependent areas

Independence: 23 September 1932 (unification of the kingdom)

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

Constitution: governed according to Islamic law; the Basic Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was promulgated by royal decree in 1992

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

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship

Suffrage: 21 years of age; male

Executive branch

Legislative branch: Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (150 members and a chairman appointed by the monarch to serve four-year terms); note - though the Council of Ministers announced in October 2003 its intent to introduce elections for a third of the Majlis al-Shura incrementally over a period of four to five years to date no such elections have been held or announced

Judicial branch: Supreme Council of Justice

Political parties and leaders: none

International organization participation: ABEDA AfDB (nonregional member) AFESD AMF BIS CAEU CP FAO G-20 G-77 GCC IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM (observer) IPU ISO ITSO ITU LAS MIGA NAM OAPEC OAS (observer) OIC OPCW OPEC PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNRWA UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: green a traditional color in Islamic flags with the Shahada or Muslim creed in large white Arabic script (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); design dates to the early twentieth century and is closely associated with the Al Saud family which established the kingdom in 1932; the flag is manufactured with differing obverse and reverse sides so that the Shahada reads - and the sword points - correctly from right to left on both sides

National symbols: palm tree surmounting two crossed swords

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Saudi Arabia has an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. It possesses about 17% of the world's proven petroleum reserves ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum and plays a leading role in OPEC. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 80% of budget revenues 45% of GDP and 90% of export earnings. Saudi Arabia is encouraging the growth of the private sector in order to diversify its economy and to employ more Saudi nationals. Diversification efforts are focusing on power generation telecommunications natural gas exploration and petrochemical sectors. Over 5 million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy particularly in the oil and service sectors while Riyadh is struggling to reduce unemployment among its own nationals. Saudi officials are particularly focused on employing its large youth population which generally lacks the education and technical skills the private sector needs. Riyadh has substantially boosted spending on job training and education most recently with the opening of the King Abdallah University of Science and Technology - Saudi Arabia's first co-educational university. As part of its effort to attract foreign investment Saudi Arabia acceded to the WTO in December 2005 after many years of negotiations. The government has begun establishing six 'economic cities' in different regions of the country to promote foreign investment and plans to spend $373 billion between 2010 and 2014 on social development and infrastructure projects to advance Saudi Arabia's economic development.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 23

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 41

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 54

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

Industrial production growth rate: 8.4% (2011 est.)
Rank: 24

Labor force: 8.012 million
Rank: 61

Unemployment rate: 10.9% (2011 est.)
Rank: 116

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Surplus or deficit: 11.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 7

Taxes and other revenues: 47.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 25

Public debt: 12.6% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 137

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 5% (2011 est.)
Rank: 133

Central bank discount rate: 2.5% (31 December 2008)

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 7.2% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 125

Stock of narrow money: $202.9 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 18

Stock of broad money: $326.3 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 29

Stock of domestic credit: $27.8 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 62

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 25

Current account balance: $158.5 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 3

Exports: $364.7 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 15
Commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 90%
Partners: Japan 13.9% China 13.6% US 13.4% South Korea 10.2% India 7.8% Singapore 4.8% (2011)

Imports: $120 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 31
Commodities: machinery and equipment foodstuffs chemicals motor vehicles textiles
Partners: China 12.8% US 11.9% Germany 7.1% South Korea 6% Japan 5.6% India 4.9% Italy 4.1% (2011)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $541.1 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 3

Debt external: $107.1 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 37

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $204.1 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 22

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $17.73 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 45

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 212.3 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 21
Consumption: 186.1 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 20
Exports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 123
Imports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 126
Installed generating capacity: 44.49 million kW (2009 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 21
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 34
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 170
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 193
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 181

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 10 million bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 3
Crude oil exports: 6.88 million bbl/day (2011 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 2
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 115
Crude oil proven reserves: 264.6 billion bbl (1 January 2012 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 2

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 1.914 million bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 12
Products consumption: 2.817 million bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 8
Products exports: 951,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products exports rank: 7
Products imports: 160,100 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 36

Natural gas
Production: 99.23 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 10
Consumption: 99.23 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Consumption rank: 9
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 142
Imports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 124
Proven reserves: 8.028 trillion m³ (1 January 2012 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 6

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 478.4 million Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 12

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 4.633 million (2011)
Main lines in use rank: 32
Mobile cellular: 53.706 million (2011)
Mobile cellular rank: 25

Telephone system

Broadcast media: broadcast media are state-controlled; state-run TV operates 4 networks; Saudi Arabia is a major market for pan-Arab satellite TV broadcasters; state-run radio operates several networks; multiple international broadcasters are available (2007)

Internet
Country code: .sa
Hosts: 145,941 (2012)
Hosts rank: 79
Users: 9.774 million (2009)
Users rank: 30

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 10% of GDP (2005 est.)
Rank: 3

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2004)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 216 (2012)
Rank: 27

Heliports: 10 (2012)

Pipelines: condensate 212 km; gas 2,846 km; liquid petroleum gas 1183 km; oil 4,232 km; refined products 1151 km (2010)

Railways
Rank: 81

Roadways
Rank: 22

Waterways

Merchant marine
Rank: 61

Ports and terminals: Ad Dammam Al Jubayl Jeddah Yanbu al Bahr


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Disputes international: Saudi Arabia has reinforced its concrete-filled security barrier along sections of the now fully demarcated border with Yemen to stem illegal cross-border activities; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue discussions on a maritime boundary with Iran; Saudi Arabia claims Egyptian-administered islands of Tiran and Sanafir

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: death penalty for traffickers; improving anti-money-laundering legislation and enforcement