Saudi Arabia Travel Podcast with Layla Al Qahtani

Location

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

Terrain

Mostly sandy desert

Climate

Harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes

Elevation

Highest point

As Sarawat range, 3,000 m

Lowest point

Persian Gulf 0 m

Mean elevation

665 m

Area

Total

2,149,690 sq km

Land

2,149,690 sq km

Water

0 sq km

Size comparison

Slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US

Coastline

2,640 km

Land borders

Total

4,272 km

Border countries

Iraq 811 km; Jordan 731 km; Kuwait 221 km; Oman 658 km; Qatar 87 km; UAE 457 km; Yemen 1,307 km

Natural resources

Petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper

Land use

Agricultural land

80.8% (2023 est.)

Arable land

1.6% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops

0.1% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture

79.1% (2023 est.)

Forest

1.3% (2023 est.)

Other

17.9% (2023 est.)

Natural hazards

Frequent sand and dust storms

Volcanism: little activity in the past few centuries, despite many volcanic formations; volcanoes include Harrat Rahat, Harrat Khaybar, Harrat Lunayyir, and Jabal Yar

Note

Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the world without a river; extensive coastlines on the Persian Gulf and Red Sea allow for considerable shipping (especially of crude oil) through the Persian Gulf and Suez Canal

Population

Total

36,544,431 (2024 est.)

Male

20,700,838

Female

15,843,593

Nationality

Noun

Saudi(s)

Adjective

Saudi or Saudi Arabian

Ethnic groups

Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%

Languages

Languages

Arabic (official)

Major-language sample(s)

كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)

Religions

Muslim (official; citizens are 85-90% Sunni and 10-12% Shia), other (includes Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, and Sikh) (2020 est.)

Median age

Total

32.8 years (2025 est.)

Male

34.6 years

Female

29.3 years

Life expectancy

Total population

77.2 years (2024 est.)

Male

75.6 years

Female

78.8 years

Urbanisation

Urban population

85% of total population (2023)

Rate of urbanization

1.69% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Where people live

Historically a population that was mostly nomadic or semi-nomadic, the Saudi population has become more settled since oil was discovered in the 1930s; most of the country's population is now concentrated in a wide area across the middle of the peninsula, from Ad Dammam in the east through Riyadh in the interior to Mecca-Medina in the west near the Red Sea

Largest cities

7.682 million RIYADH (capital), 4.863 million Jeddah, 2.150 million Mecca, 1.573 million Medina, 1.329 million Ad Dammam, 872,000 million Hufuf-Mubarraz (2023)

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. ABD AL-AZIZ bin Abd al-Rahman AL SAUD (Ibn Saud) founded the modern Saudi state in 1932 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. After Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia took in the Kuwaiti royal family and 400,000 refugees, while allowing Western and Arab troops to deploy on its soil and liberate Kuwait the following year. Major terrorist attacks in 2003 spurred a strong ongoing campaign against domestic terrorism and extremism. US troops returned to the Kingdom in 2019 after attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure.

From 2005 to 2015, King ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud incrementally modernized the Kingdom through a series of social and economic initiatives that included expanding employment and social opportunities for women, attracting foreign investment, increasing the private sector's role in the economy, and discouraging the hiring of foreign workers. Saudi Arabia saw some protests during the 2011 Arab Spring but not the level of bloodshed seen in protests elsewhere in the region; Riyadh took a cautious but firm approach, arresting and quickly releasing some protesters and using its state-sponsored clerics to counter political and Islamist activism. The government held its first-ever elections in 2005 and 2011, when Saudis voted for municipal councilors. King ABDALLAH's reforms accelerated under King SALMAN bin Abd al-Aziz, who ascended to the throne in 2015 and lifted the Kingdom's ban on women driving, implemented education reforms, funded green initiatives, and allowed cinemas to operate for the first time in decades. In 2015, women were allowed to vote and stand as candidates for the first time in municipal elections, with 19 women winning seats. King SALMAN initially named his nephew, MUHAMMAD BIN NAYIF bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud, as the Crown Prince, but a palace coup in 2017 resulted in King SALMAN's son, Deputy Crown Prince MUHAMMAD BIN SALMAN bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud, taking over as Crown Prince. King SALMAN appointed MUHAMMAD BIN SALMAN as prime minister in 2022.

In 2015, Saudi Arabia led a coalition of 10 countries in a military campaign to restore Yemen's legitimate government, which had been ousted by Houthi forces. The war in Yemen has drawn international criticism for civilian casualties and its effect on the country’s dire humanitarian situation. The same year, MUHAMMAD BIN SALMAN announced that Saudi Arabia would lead a multi-nation Islamic Coalition to fight terrorism, and in 2017, Saudi Arabia inaugurated the Global Center for Combatting Extremist Ideology (also known as "Etidal").

The country remains a leading producer of oil and natural gas and holds about 17% of the world's proven oil reserves as of 2020. 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. In 2016, the Saudi Government announced broad socio-economic reforms known as Vision 2030. Low global oil prices in 2015 and 2016 significantly lowered Saudi Arabia’s governmental revenue, prompting cuts to subsidies on water, electricity, and gasoline; reduced government-employee compensation; and new land taxes. In coordination with OPEC and some key non-OPEC countries, Saudi Arabia agreed to cut oil output in 2017 to regulate supply and help boost global prices. In 2020, this agreement collapsed, and Saudi Arabia launched a price war by flooding the market with low-priced oil before returning to the negotiating table to agree to a major output cut that helped buoy prices.

Government

Absolute monarchy

Capital

Riyadh

Time zone

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Local name

Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Suudiyah

Independence

23 September 1932 (unification of the kingdom)

National day

Saudi National Day (Unification of the Kingdom), 23 September (1932)

Overview

High-income, oil-based Middle Eastern economy; OPEC founding member; Vision 2030 strategy prioritizing economic diversification, increased private sector involvement, and projects funded by sovereign wealth fund and foreign investment; young labor force; falling but significant poverty rate despite lack of official statistics

GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024

$62,700 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$64,500 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$67,200 (2022 est.)

Inflation

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

1.7% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

2.3% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

2.5% (2022 est.)

Unemployment

Unemployment rate 2024

3.9% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

4.1% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

5.6% (2022 est.)

Exchange rate

Currency

Saudi riyals (SAR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

3.75 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

3.75 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

3.75 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

3.75 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

3.75 (2020 est.)

Main 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

Agriculture

Milk, dates, chicken, wheat, tomatoes, watermelons, potatoes, olives, eggs, onions (2023)

Airports

90 (2025)

Railways

Total

5,410 km (2016)

Standard gauge

5,410 km (2016) 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and sidings)

Ports

Total ports

16 (2024)

Large

0

Medium

1

Small

7

Very small

8

Ports with oil terminals

10

Key ports

Dammam, Duba, Jiddah, Jizan, Ju Aymah Oil Terminal, Ras Tannurah, Ras Al Khafji, Ras Al Mishab

Internet domain

.sa

Internet users

Percent of population 100% (2023 est.)

Mobile subscriptions

Total subscriptions

52.5 million (2023 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

132 (2022 est.)

Environmental issues

Desertification; depletion of underground water resources; limited freshwater resources; coastal pollution from oil spills; air pollution; waste management

Fresh water

2.4 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

UNESCO Global Geoparks

Total global geoparks and regional networks

2 (2025)

Global geoparks and regional networks

North Riyadh; Salma (2025)