Guide to Saudi Arabia Introduction Background: In 1902, ABD AL-AZIZ bin Abd al-Rahman Al Saud captured Riyadh and set out on a 30-year campaign to unify the Arabian Peninsula. A son of ABD AL-AZIZ rules the country today, and the country's Basic Law stipulates that the throne shall remain in the hands of the aging sons and grandsons of the kingdom's founder. 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 Operation Desert Storm remained a source of tension between the royal family and the public until the US military's near-complete withdrawal to neighboring Qatar in 2003. The first major terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia in several years, which occurred in May and November 2003, prompted renewed efforts on the part of the Saudi government to counter domestic terrorism and extremism, which also coincided with a slight upsurge in media freedom and announcement of government plans to phase in partial political representation. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all ongoing governmental concerns.
Geography Location: Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen
Geographic coordinates: 25 00 N, 45 00 E
Map references: Middle East
Area: total
Area - comparative: slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US
Land boundaries: total
Coastline: 2,640 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea
Climate: harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes
Terrain: mostly uninhabited, sandy desert
Elevation extremes: lowest point
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper
Land use: arable land
Irrigated land: 16,200 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: frequent sand and dust storms
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
Environment - international agreements: party to
Geography - note: extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal
People Population: 26,417,599 note
Age structure: 0-14 years
Median age: total
Population growth rate: 2.31% (2005 est.)
Birth rate: 29.56 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate: 2.62 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate: -3.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth
Infant mortality rate: total
Life expectancy at birth: total population
Total fertility rate: 4.05 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.01% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun
Ethnic groups: Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%
Religions: Muslim 100%
Languages: Arabic
Literacy: definition
Government Country name: conventional long form
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
Independence: 23 September 1932 (unification of the kingdom)
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
Suffrage: adult male citizens age 21 or older note
Executive branch: chief of state
Legislative branch: Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (120 members and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year terms)
Judicial branch: Supreme Council of Justice
Political parties and leaders: none
Political pressure groups and leaders: none
International organization participation: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, BIS, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission
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
Economy Economy - overview: This is an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. Saudi Arabia possesses 25% 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 75% of budget revenues, 45% of GDP, and 90% of export earnings. About 40% of GDP comes from the private sector. Roughly five and a half million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, for example, in the oil and service sectors. The government in 1999 announced plans to begin privatizing the electricity companies, which follows the ongoing privatization of the telecommunications company. The government is encouraging private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population. Priorities for government spending in the short term include additional funds for education and for the water and sewage systems. Economic reforms proceed cautiously because of deep-rooted political and social conservatism.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $310.2 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $12,000 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture
Labor force: 6.62 million note
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 12%, industry 25%, services 63% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate: 25% (unofficial estimate) (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.8% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): 17.2% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget: revenues
Public debt: 75% of GDP (2004 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, construction, fertilizer, plastics, commercial ship repair, commercial aircraft repair
Industrial production growth rate: 2.8% (2004 est.)
Electricity - production: 138.2 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel
Electricity - consumption: 128.5 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2002)
Oil - production: 9.021 million bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption: 1.55 million bbl/day (2003)
Oil - exports: 7.92 million bbl/day (2003)
Oil - imports: 0 bbl/day (2003)
Oil - proved reserves: 261.7 billion bbl (2004 est.)
Natural gas - production: 56.4 billion cu m (2002)
Natural gas - consumption: 56.4 billion cu m (2002)
Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2002)
Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2002)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 6.339 trillion cu m (2004)
Current account balance: $51.5 billion (2004 est.)
Exports: $113 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 90%
Exports - partners: US 18.2%, Japan 14.9%, South Korea 9.5%, China 6.1%, Taiwan 4.5%, Singapore 4.1% (2004)
Imports: $36.21 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles
Imports - partners: US 15.3%, Japan 9.8%, Germany 8.1%, China 6.6%, UK 5.7% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $23.62 billion (2004 est.)
Debt - external: $34.35 billion (2004 est.)
Economic aid - donor: pledged $100 million in 1993 to fund reconstruction of Lebanon; since 2000, Saudi Arabia has committed $307 million for assistance to the Palestinians; pledged $240 million to development in Afghanistan; pledged $1 billion in export guarantees and soft loans to Iraq
Currency (code): Saudi riyal (SAR)
Currency code: SAR
Exchange rates: Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.745 (2004), 3.745 (2003), 3.745 (2002), 3.745 (2001), 3.745 (2000)
Fiscal year: 1 March - 28 February
Communications Telephones - main lines in use: 3,502,600 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 7,238,200 (2003)
Telephone system: general assessment
Radio broadcast stations: AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios: 6.25 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 117 (1997)
Televisions: 5.1 million (1997)
Internet country code: .sa
Internet hosts: 15,931 (2004)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 22 (2003)
Internet users: 1.5 million (2003)
Transportation Railways: total
Highways: total
Pipelines: condensate 212 km; gas 1,780 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,191 km; oil 5,068 km; refined products 1,162 km (2004)
Ports and harbors: Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Jiddah, Yanbu' al Sinaiyah
Merchant marine: total
Airports: 201 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total
Airports - with unpaved runways: total
Heliports: 5 (2004 est.)
Military Military branches: Land Force (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary)
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2004)
Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49
Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49
Manpower reaching military service age annually: males
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $18 billion (2002)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 10% (2002)
Transnational Issues Disputes - international: despite resistance from nomadic groups, the demarcation of the Saudi Arabia-Yemen boundary established under the 2000 Jeddah Treaty is almost complete; Yemen protests Saudi erection of a concrete-filled pipe as a security barrier in 2004 to stem illegal cross-border activities in sections of the boundary; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue discussions on a maritime boundary with Iran; because the treaties have not been made public, the exact alignment of the boundary with the UAE is still unknown
Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin)
Illicit drugs: death penalty for traffickers; increasing consumption of heroin, cocaine, and hashish; not a major money-laundering center, improving anti-money-laundering legislation
Last updated: 20 October, 2005
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