Map of Saudi Arabia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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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 descendants 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 since 2005 has worked to incrementally modernize the Kingdom - driven by personal ideology and political pragmatism - through a series of social and economic initiatives including expanding employment and social opportunities for women attracting foreign investment increasing the role of the private sector in the economy and discouraging businesses from hiring foreign workers. The Arab Spring inspired protests - increasing in number since 2011 but usually small in size - over primarily domestic issues among Saudi Arabia's majority Sunni population. Riyadh has taken a cautious but firm approach by arresting some protesters but releasing most of them quickly and by using its state-sponsored clerics to counter political and Islamist activism. In addition Saudi Arabia has seen protests among the Shia populace in the Eastern Province who have protested primarily against the detention of political prisoners endemic discrimination and Bahraini and Saudi Government actions in Bahrain. Protests are 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 entitlements. To promote increased political participation the government held elections nationwide in September 2011 for half the members of 285 municipal councils - a body that holds little influence in the Saudi Government. 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. The country remains a leading producer of oil and natural gas and holds about 17% 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 2005 and promotes foreign investment in the kingdom. A burgeoning population aquifer depletion and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are 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
Land: 2,149,690 km²
Water: 0 km²

Land boundaries
Border countries: (7) Iraq 814 km; Jordan 744 km; Kuwait 222 km; Oman 676 km; Qatar 60 km; UAE 457 km; Yemen 1458 km

Coastline: 2,640 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 18 nm
Continental shelf: not specified

Climate: harsh dry desert with great temperature extremes

Terrain: mostly uninhabited sandy desert

Elevation
Extremes highest point: Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m

Natural resources: petroleum natural gas iron ore gold copper

Land use
Permanent crops: 0.11%
Other: 98.44% (2011)

Irrigated land: 16,200 km² (2004)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 2.4 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: frequent sand and dust storms
Volcanism: despite many volcanic formations there has been little activity in the past few centuries; volcanoes include Harrat Rahat Harrat Khaybar Harrat Lunayyir and Jabal Yar

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: 27,345,986
Rank: 47
Growth rate: 1.49% (2014 est.)
Growth rate rank: 81
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Adjective: Saudi or Saudi Arabian

Ethnic groups: Arab 90% Afro-Asian 10%

Languages: Arabic (official)

Religions: Muslim (official; citizens are 85-90% Sunni and 10-15% Shia) other (includes Eastern Orthodox Protestant Roman Catholic Jewish Hindu Buddhist and Sikh) (2012 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
15-24 years: 19.3% (male 2,832,538/female 2,458,339)
25-54 years: 45.4% (male 7,086,004/female 5,323,373)
55-64 years: 4.5% (male 674,571/female 555,136)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 444,302/female 420,146) (2014 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 41.8 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 4.3 %
Potential support ratio: 23.5 (2014 est.)

Median age
Male: 27.3 years
Female: 25.3 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.49% (2014 est.)
Rank: 81

Birth rate: 18.78 births/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 96

Death rate: 3.32 deaths/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 219

Net migration rate: -0.59 migrant(s)/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 138

Population distribution

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 2.38% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: RIYADH (capital) 5.451 million; Jeddah 3.578 million; Mecca 1.591 million; Medina 1.142 million; Ad Dammam 941,000 (2011)

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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.15 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.33 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.2 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.08 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.21 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 110
Male: 16.73 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 12.32 deaths/1000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 107
Male: 72.79 years
Female: 76.94 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.17 children born/woman (2014 est.)
Rank: 104

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 23.8% (2007)

Drinking water source:
Unimproved: urban: 3% of population

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.94 physicians/1000 population (2008)

Hospital bed density: 2.2 beds/1000 population (2009)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.01% (2001 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 169
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 33% (2008)
Rank: 19

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 5.3% (2005)
Rank: 87

Education expenditures: 5.1% of GDP (2008)
Rank: 68

Literacy
Total population: 87.2%
Male: 90.8%
Female: 82.2% (2011 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 15 years
Female: 16 years (2012)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional short form: Saudi Arabia
Local long form: Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Suudiyah
Local short form: Al Arabiyah as Suudiyah

Government type: monarchy

Capital
Geographic coordinates: 24 39 N 46 42 E
Time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

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 Jazan Makkah (Mecca) Najran Tabuk

Dependent areas

Independence: 23 September 1932 (unification of the kingdom)

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

Constitution: 1 March 1992 - Basic Law of Government issued by royal decree serves as the constitutional framework and is based on the Qur'an and the life and tradition of the Prophet Muhammad (2013)

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
Head of government: King and Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 1 August 2005); Deputy Prime Minister SALMAN bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 19 June 2012); Second Deputy Prime Minister MUQRIN bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since February 2013)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch every four years and includes many royal family members
Elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; note - an Allegiance Commission created by royal decree in October 2006 established a committee of Saudi princes that will play a role in selecting future Saudi kings but the selection process becomes effective after King ABDALLAH's successor inherits the throne

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: note - in 2005 King Abdullah issued decrees approving an overhaul of the judicial system and which were incorporated in the Judiciary Law of 2007; one change was the replacement of the Supreme Council of Justice with the High Court
Judge selection and term of office: the High Court chief and chiefs of the High Court Circuits appointed by royal decree following the recommendation of the Supreme Judiciary Council a 10-member body of high level judges and other judicial heads; new judges and assistant judges serve 1- and 2- year probations respectively before permanent assignment
Subordinate courts: Court of Appeals; first-degree courts composed of general criminal personal status and commercial courts and the Labor Court; hierarchy of administrative courts

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
In the us chancery: 601 New Hampshire Avenue NW Washington DC 20,037
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 342-3,800
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 944-3,113
In the us consulate general: Houston Los Angeles New York
From the us embassy: Collector Road M Diplomatic Quarter Riyadh
From the us mailing address: American Embassy Unit 61,307 APO AE 9,803-1307; International Mail: P. O. Box 94,309 Riyadh 11,693
From the us telephone: [966] (1) 488-3,800
From the us FAX: [966] (1) 488-7,360
From the us consulate general: Dhahran Jiddah (Jeddah)

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
Lyrics and music: Ibrahim KHAFAJI/Abdul Rahman al-KHATEEB

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 16% 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 6 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 2005. 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: 20

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 87

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 44

Gross national saving:
Rank: 7

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 21.7%
Investment in fixed capital: 23.5%
Investment in inventories: 3.5%
Exports of goods and services: 52.9%
Imports of goods and services: -31.4%: (2013 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 62.5%
Services: 35.5% (2013 est.)

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

Industries: crude oil production petroleum refining basic petrochemicals ammonia industrial gases sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) cement fertilizer plastics metals commercial ship repair commercial aircraft repair construction

Industrial production growth rate: 2.7% (2013 est.)
Rank: 111

Labor force: 8.412 million
Rank: 57
By occupation industry: 21.4%
By occupation services: 71.9% (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate: 10.6% (2012 est.)
Rank: 112

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Expenditures: $258.4 billion (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit: 6.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 7

Taxes and other revenues: 42.1% of GDP (2013 est.)
Rank: 30

Public debt: 11.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 148

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.9% (2012 est.)
Rank: 128

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

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 6.8% (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 125

Stock of narrow money: $236.6 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 17

Stock of broad money: $371.7 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 26

Stock of domestic credit: $-74.71 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 188

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 26

Current account balance: $164.8 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 3

Exports: $388.4 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 16
Commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 90%
Partners: US 14.2% China 13.6% Japan 13.6% South Korea 9.9% India 8.2% Singapore 4.3% (2012)

Imports: $141.8 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 31
Commodities: machinery and equipment foodstuffs chemicals motor vehicles textiles
Partners: China 13.5% US 13.2% South Korea 6.6% Germany 6.5% India 6.3% Japan 6% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $656.9 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 4

Debt external: $136.3 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 36

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $223.2 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 24

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $22.12 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 45

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 239.2 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 19
Consumption: 190.9 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 20
Exports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 188
Imports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 192
Installed generating capacity: 49.05 million kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 20
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 30
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 171
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 193
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 118

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 11.73 million bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 1
Crude oil exports: 6.88 million bbl/day (2011 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 1
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 114
Crude oil proven reserves: 267.9 billion bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 2

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 1.935 million bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 11
Products consumption: 2.817 million bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 7
Products exports: 1.471 million bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 5
Products imports: 196,700 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 26

Natural gas
Production: 103.2 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Production rank: 9
Consumption: 99.23 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Consumption rank: 7
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 174
Imports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 122
Proven reserves: 8.15 trillion m³ (1 January 2013 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 6

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 513.5 million Mt (2011 est.)

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 4.8 million (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 31
Mobile cellular: 53 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 26

Telephone system
Domestic: mobile-cellular subscribership has been increasing rapidly
International: country code - 966; landing point for the international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) and for both the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable networks providing connectivity to Asia Middle East Europe and US; microwave radio relay to Bahrain Jordan Kuwait Qatar UAE Yemen and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) 1 Arabsat and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region) (2011)

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:
Rank: 3

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 17 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 214 (2013)
Rank: 26
With paved runways over 3047 m: 33
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 16
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 27
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With paved runways under 914 m: 4 (2013)
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 7
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 72
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 37
With unpaved runways: 16 (2013)

Heliports: 10 (2013)

Pipelines: condensate 209 km; gas 2,940 km; liquid petroleum gas 1183 km; oil 5,117 km; refined products 1151 km (2013)

Railways
Rank: 81
Standard gauge: 1378 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and sidings) (2008)

Roadways
Rank: 22
Paved: 47,529 km (includes 3,891 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 173,843 km (2006)

Waterways

Merchant marine
Rank: 61
By type: cargo 1 chemical tanker 25 container 4 liquefied gas 2 passenger/cargo 10 petroleum tanker 20 refrigerated cargo 3 roll on/roll off 7
Foreign owned: 15 (Egypt 1 Greece 4 Kuwait 4 UAE 6)
Registered in other countries: 55 (Bahamas 16 Dominica 2 Liberia 20 Malta 2 Norway 3 Panama 11 Tanzania 1) (2010)

Ports and terminals
Container port: Ad Dammam (1,492,315) Jeddah (4,010,448)


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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