Saudi Arabia
Absolute monarchy
Official:
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Local name:
المملكة العربية السعودية / Al-´Arabiya as-Sa´
Region:
Western Asia
Surface area:
2,149,690 km²
Capital:
Riyadh
Geography
Saudi Arabia is a country on the Arabian Peninsula between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. The land has a total area of 2,149,690 km² (829,999 mi²) and a total coastline of 2,640 km (1,640.4 mi). This land area is approximately 309% of the area of Texas. Saudi Arabia is thus one of the largest countries in Asia and the 13th biggest in the world. An exceptionally high proportion of residents (85%) belongs to the urban population. Almost every fifth resident lives in Riyadh.Saudi Arabia lies at an average elevation of 665 meters above sea level. The highest mountain peak (Dschabal Ferwaʿ) is at 3,002 meters. The country has 1,285 partially uninhabited islands in the open sea. There are direct national borders with the seven neighboring countries Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. The distance between New York City and the Capital Riyadh is about 10,520 km (6,537 mi).
On further pages:
Current time in Saudi Arabia:
The countrywide time in Saudi Arabia is Arabia Standard Time (AST), which is currently 7 hours ahead of New York.
As in many countries, there is no daylight savings time in Saudi Arabia.
Related to Greenwich Mean Time, there's the same difference of 3 hours all over the year.
Public Holidays in Saudi ArabiaSunrise + Sunset00:00
July 2024
The countrywide time in Saudi Arabia is Arabia Standard Time (AST), which is currently 7 hours ahead of New York.
As in many countries, there is no daylight savings time in Saudi Arabia.
Related to Greenwich Mean Time, there's the same difference of 3 hours all over the year.
Population
Population:36,409,000
Population per km²:16.94
Life expectancy males:Ø 76.7 years
Life expectancy females:
Ø 79.5 yearsBirth rate:
17.5 ‰Death rate:
2.8 ‰Males/Females:
57.6% : 42.4%Population pyramid
The currency in Saudi Arabia is the Saudi riyal (SAR).
1 Riyal is divided into 100 Halalas.
Status: 07/05/2024
1 Riyal is divided into 100 Halalas.
Status: 07/05/2024
1 US dollar = 3.75 Riyals
1 Riyal = 0.27 US dollar
1 Riyal = 0.27 US dollar
Climate in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has a subtropical climate characterized by drought and high temperatures. Throughout the country, average daily temperatures vary between 23 and 41 degrees Celsius, with even higher temperatures of up to 46 °C being reached in the southern desert areas. In the colder months, the average temperature can drop to about 11 °C, depending on the region. Along the coasts of the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf, the climate is influenced by the monsoon, which leads to slightly higher precipitation in summer.Average daytime and nighttime temperatures
Languages
Official language:
Arabic
| Mother tongue | Distribution |
|---|---|
| Arabic | 88.0 % |
| Bengali | 4.1 % |
| Tagalog | 2.6 % |
| Punjabi | 2.2 % |
| Urdu | 2.0 % |
| other | 1.1 % |
Religions
State religion:
Sunni Islam
| Religion | Distribution |
|---|---|
| Sunni | 87.0% |
| Shia | 12.0% |
| other | 1.0% |
more...
Economy
| GDP: | 1,108.57 bn $ |
| Exportations: | 445.88 bn $ |
| Importations: | 258.21 bn $ |
| › Tourism receipts: | 4.64 bn $ |
| › Debt rate: | 22.57 % |
| › Unemployment rate: | 5.01 % |
| › Inflation rate: | 2.47 % |
| › Corruption index: | 52 (moderate) |
| › Energy consumption: | 331.4 bn kWh |
According to the definition from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Saudi Arabia is a developing country because of its lower economic performance. With a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.875, Saudi Arabia counts as one of the high developed economies by UN definition.
With an average annual income of 27,680 USD Saudi Arabia is one of the high-income countries.
Land use
| 2% Urban areas: | 41,224 km² |
| 81% Agricultural areas: | 1,736,520 km² |
| 0% Forest: | 9,674 km² |
| 17% Others: | 362,273 km² |
Transport
| Railways: | 5,590 km |
| Reg. vehicles: | 5,346,120 |
| › Airports: |
Most important cities
Population refers to the city proper, not metropolitan areas.
| City | Historical Region | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Riyadh / Capital | Najd | 7,009,000 |
| Jeddah | Hejaz | 3,752,000 |
| Mecca | Hejaz | 2,042,000 |
| Medina | Hejaz | 1,100,000 |
| Dammam | Eastern Arabia | 903,000 |
| Al Hufuf | Eastern Arabia | 661,000 |
| Ta’if | Hejaz | 580,000 |
| Tabuk | Hejaz | 513,000 |
| Buraydah | Najd | 467,000 |
| Ha'il | Najd | 449,000 |
| Khamis Mushait | Southern Arabia | 431,000 |
| Al Jubayl | Eastern Arabia | 338,000 |
| Najran | Southern Arabia | 298,000 |
| Al Mubarraz | Eastern Arabia | 285,000 |
| Abha | Southern Arabia | 236,000 |
| ‘Ar‘ar | Badiah | 167,000 |
| Unayzah | Najd | 153,000 |
| Sekaka | Badiah | 150,000 |
| Jizan | Jizan | 128,000 |
| Al Qurrayyat | Badiah | 116,000 |
| Al Bahah | Hejaz | 88,000 |
| Qalat Bishah | Southern Arabia | 82,000 |
Political indicators
(Based on the "Worldwide Governance Indicators" project of the World Bank)
| Political stability: | ◈ |
| Rule of law: | ◈ |
| Effectivity: | ◈ |
| Regulatory quality: | ◈ |
| Voice accountability: | ◈ |
| Autocracy Index: | ◈ |
| Death penalty: | Legally allowed |
Existing trade agreements
- GAFTA - Greater Arab Free Trade Area
- OAPEC - Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries
- OPEC - Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
Country comparison: India / Saudi Arabia
United Arab Emirates: country data and statistics
List of 152 developing countries