The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Saudi Arabia: The

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the Arab ...

, or KSA, is a

sovereign country A sovereign state or sovereign country, is a political entity represented by one central government that has supreme legitimate authority over territory. International law defines sovereign states as having a permanent population, defined terri ...

that comprises the central portion of the

Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plat ...

Southwest Asia Western Asia, West Asia, or Southwest Asia, is the westernmost subregion of the larger geographical region of Asia, as defined by some academics, UN bodies and other institutions. It is almost entirely a part of the Middle East, and includes Ana ...

. Saudi Arabia is bordered by

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

on the northwest,

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

on the north and northeast,

Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Ku ...

Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...

Bahrain Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and a ...

, and the

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (Middle East, The Middle East). It is ...

on the east,

Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of ...

on the southeast, and

Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the north and Oman to the northeast and ...

on the south. The

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bo ...

lies to the northeast and the

Red Sea The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; ...

to its west. It has an estimated population of 34,218,169, and its size is approximately 2,150,000 square km (830,000 square miles). The Kingdom is sometimes called "The Land of The Two Holy Mosques" in reference to

Mecca Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow v ...

and

Medina Medina,, ', "the radiant city"; or , ', (), "the city" officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (, , Turkish: Medine-i Münevvere) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (, ), is the Holiest sites in Islam, second-holiest city in Islam, ...

, the two holiest places of

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...

. The Kingdom was founded by Abdul-Aziz bin Saud, whose efforts began in 1902 when he captured the Al-Saud's ancestral home of

Riyadh Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the ...

, and culminated in 1932 with the proclamation, and recognition of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is the world's leading petroleum exporter and

petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...

exports fuel the

Saudi economy The economy of Saudi Arabia is the largest in the Middle East and the eighteenth largest in the world. A permanent and founding member of the OPEC, Saudi Arabia is also a member of the G20 forum as one of the world's largest economies. Saud ...

. Oil accounts for more than 90 percent of exports and nearly 75 percent of government revenues, facilitating the creation of a

welfare state A welfare state is a form of government in which the state (or a well-established network of social institutions) protects and promotes the economic and social well-being of its citizens, based upon the principles of equal opportunity, equita ...

, which the government has found difficult to fund during periods of low oil prices.Gulf Daily News

Human rights Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...

groups such as

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and s ...

and

Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human ...

have repeatedly expressed concern about the state of

human rights in Saudi Arabia Human rights in Saudi Arabia are a topic of concern and controversy. The Saudi government, which mandates both Muslim and non-Muslim observance of Islamic law under the absolute rule of the House of Saud, has been accused of and denounced by var ...

, although these concerns have been dismissed by the Saudi government.

General reference

Pronunciation Pronunciation is the way in which a word or a language is spoken. This may refer to generally agreed-upon sequences of sounds used in speaking a given word or language in a specific dialect ("correct pronunciation") or simply the way a particular ...

: * Common English country name:

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the Ara ...

* Official English country name: The

Adjectives In linguistics, an adjective (abbreviated ) is a word that generally modifies a noun or noun phrase or describes its referent. Its semantic role is to change information given by the noun. Traditionally, adjectives were considered one of the ...

: Saudi,

Saudi Arabian Saudis ( ar, سعوديون, Suʿūdiyyūn) are people identified with the country of Saudi Arabia. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. The Saudis are composed mainly of Arabs and primarily speak a regional dialect ...

Demonym A demonym (; ) or gentilic () is a word that identifies a group of people (inhabitants, residents, natives) in relation to a particular place. Demonyms are usually derived from the name of the place (hamlet, village, town, city, region, province, ...

(s): *

Etymology Etymology () The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the form of words ...

: Name of Saudi Arabia * International rankings of Saudi Arabia *

ISO country codes ISO 3166-1 (''Codes for the representation of names of countries and their subdivisions – Part 1: Country codes'') is a standard defining codes for the names of countries, dependent territories, and special areas of geographical interest. It ...

: SA, SAU, 682 *

ISO region codes ISO 3166-2 is part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and defines codes for identifying the principal subdivisions (e.g., provinces or states) of all countries coded in ISO 3166-1. The ...

: See ISO 3166-2:SA *

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, p ...

country code top-level domain A country code top-level domain (ccTLD) is an Internet top-level domain generally used or reserved for a country, sovereign state, or dependent territory identified with a country code. All ASCII ccTLD identifiers are two letters long, and all ...

.sa .sa is the Latin alphabet Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) of Saudi Arabia. Domains of this type can be registered through SaudiNIC, a department of the Communications and Information Technology Commission. The Arabic alphabet ccT ...

Geography of Saudi Arabia

Geography of Saudi Arabia The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a country situated in Southwest Asia, the largest country of Arabia, by the Arabian Peninsula, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen. Its extensive coastlines on the Persian Gulf and Red Se ...

* Saudi Arabia is: a

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, whi ...

* Location: **

Northern Hemisphere The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the Equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined as being in the same celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the solar system as Earth's Nort ...

and

Eastern Hemisphere The Eastern Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth which is east of the prime meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and west of the antimeridian (which crosses the Pacific Ocean and relatively little land from pole ...

Eurasia Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelag ...

***

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

****

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

***

Time zone A time zone is an area which observes a uniform standard time for legal, commercial and social purposes. Time zones tend to follow the boundaries between countries and their subdivisions instead of strictly following longitude, because it ...

Saudi Arabia Standard Time Saudi Arabia Standard Time ( ar, التوقيت القياسي السعودي, At-Tawqīt al-qiyāsiyy as-suʿūdiyy), abbreviated as SAST, is the standard time zone of Saudi Arabia. The time zone is 3 hours ahead of UTC ( UTC+03:00) with no dayl ...

(

UTC+03 UTC+03:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +03:00. In areas using this time offset, the time is three hours later than the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Following the ISO 8601 standard, a time with this offset would be wri ...

) ** Extreme points of Saudi Arabia *** High:

Jabal Sawda Jabal Sawda ( ar, جَبَل ٱلسُّوْدَة ', ) is a peak located in Saudi Arabia, with a claimed elevation of , on the basis of which it is claimed to be the highest point in Saudi Arabia. In a 2018 GPS survey the peak's elevation wa ...

*** Low:

and

0 m ** Land boundaries: 4,431 km :: 1,458 km :: 814 km :: 744 km :: 676 km :: 457 km :: 222 km :: 60 km :* Coastline: 2,640 km * Population of Saudi Arabia: 34,218,169 - 40th most populous country * * Area of Saudi Arabia: 2,149,690 km² * Atlas of Saudi Arabia

Environment of Saudi Arabia

Environment of Saudi Arabia The desert-covered Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the geographically largest country in the Middle East. Moreover, it accounts for 65% of the overall population of the GCC countries and 42% of its GDP. Saudi Arabia does not have a strong history in e ...

* Climate of Saudi Arabia * Renewable energy in Saudi Arabia * Geology of Saudi Arabia * Protected areas of Saudi Arabia ** Biosphere reserves in Saudi Arabia ** National parks of Saudi Arabia *

Wildlife of Saudi Arabia The wildlife of Saudi Arabia is substantial and varied. Saudi Arabia is a very large country forming the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula. It has several geographic regions, each with a diversity of plants and animals adapted to their own particular ...

** Fauna of Saudi Arabia *** Birds of Saudi Arabia *** Mammals of Saudi Arabia *

Saudi Environmental Society The Saudi Environmental Society (SENS) is a Saudi society was founded as a national non-profit society in 2006 according to a decision of the Ministry of Social Affairs No. (34770), and is registered in the charities records under the number (335 ...

Natural geographic features of Saudi Arabia

* Glaciers of Saudi Arabia * Islands of Saudi Arabia * Lakes of Saudi Arabia *

Mountains of Saudi Arabia A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher th ...

** Volcanoes in Saudi Arabia *

Rivers of Saudi Arabia A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...

** Waterfalls of Saudi Arabia * Valleys of Saudi Arabia *

World Heritage Sites in Saudi Arabia The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) established in 1972 is engaged in the protection and preservation of cultural or natural heritage. There are 6 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Saudi Arabia inscribed fr ...

Al-Ahsa Oasis ''Al-Aḥsāʾ'' ( ar, الْأَحْسَاء, ''al-ʾAhsā''), also known as al-Ḥasāʾ () or Hajar (), is a traditional oasis historical region in eastern Saudi Arabia whose name is used by the Al-Ahsa Governorate, which makes up much of th ...

**Al-Hijr Archaeological Site ( Madâin Sâlih) ** At-Turaif District in ad-Dir'iyah ** Historic Jeddah ** Rock Art in the Hail Region

Regions of Saudi Arabia

Regions of Saudi Arabia The Provinces of Saudi Arabia, also known as Regions, and officially the Emirates of the Provinces of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (), are the 13 first-level administrative divisions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. History After the unification ...

Ecoregions of Saudi Arabia

List of ecoregions in Saudi Arabia

Administrative divisions of Saudi Arabia

Administrative divisions of Saudi Arabia * Emirates of Saudi Arabia ** Governorates of Saudi Arabia *** Municipalities of Saudi Arabia

= Emirates of Saudi Arabia

= Governorates of Saudi Arabia

= Municipalities of Saudi Arabia

= Municipalities of Saudi Arabia *

Capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...

of Saudi Arabia:

Demography of Saudi Arabia

Demographics of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia is the fourth largest state in the Arab world, with a reported population of 35,013,414 as of 2018. 38.3% of inhabitants are immigrants. Saudi Arabia has experienced a population explosion in the last 40 years,Zuhur, Sherifa. ''Sau ...

Government and politics of Saudi Arabia

Politics of Saudi Arabia The politics of Saudi Arabia takes place in the context of a unitary absolute monarchy along Islamic lines, where the King is both the head of state and government. Decisions are, to a large extent, made on the basis of consultation among the Ki ...

Form of government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is ...

: *

of Saudi Arabia:

Elections in Saudi Arabia Elections in Saudi Arabia are rare. Municipal elections were last held in 2015, the first time women had the right to vote and stand as candidates. History The first municipal elections in Saudi Arabia took place in the mid-1920s in the Hijaz cit ...

Political parties in Saudi Arabia Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...

Branches of the government of Saudi Arabia

Executive branch of the government of Saudi Arabia

Head of state A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and ...

King of Saudi Arabia The king of Saudi Arabia is the monarchial head of state and ruler of Saudi Arabia who holds absolute power. He is the head of the Saudi Arabian royal family, the House of Saud. The king is called the "Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques" (), a ...

Head of government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, a ...

Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia The prime minister of Saudi Arabia is the chair of the Council of Ministers and head of government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Mohammed bin Salman has been Prime Minister since 27 September 2022. The post has always been held by either the K ...

Cabinet of Saudi Arabia The Saudi Council of Ministers ( ar, مجلس الوزراء السعودي ''Majlis al-Wuzarā' as-Su‘ūdī'') is the cabinet of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is led by the King. The council consists of the king, the Crown Prince, and cabi ...

Legislative branch of the government of Saudi Arabia

Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia The Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia ( ar, مجلس الشورى السعودي, Maǧlis aš-Šūrā s-Saʿūdiyy), also known as ''Majlis ash-Shura'' or ''Shura Council,'' is the formal advisory body of Saudi Arabia. It is a deliberative a ...

Judicial branch of the government of Saudi Arabia

Judiciary of Saudi Arabia The judiciary of Saudi Arabia is a branch of the government of Saudi Arabia that interprets and applies the laws of Saudi Arabia. The legal system is based on the Islamic code of Sharia, with its judges and lawyers forming part of the country's r ...

Supreme Judicial Council of Saudi Arabia Supreme Council of Magistracy of Saudi Arabia ( ar, المجلس الأعلى للقضاء) is a seven-eleven member council appointed by the King in the legal system of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It supervises the lower courts of Saudi Arabia &n ...

Foreign relations of Saudi Arabia

Foreign relations of Saudi Arabia Foreign relations of Saudi Arabia are the diplomatic and trade relations between Saudi Arabia and other countries around the world. The foreign policy of Saudi Arabia is focused on co-operation with the oil-exporting Gulf States, the unity o ...

Diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia Diplomatics (in American English, and in most anglophone countries), or diplomatic (in British English), is a scholarly discipline centred on the critical analysis of documents: especially, historical documents. It focuses on the conventions, ...

International organization membership

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a member of: * The executive board of UNESCO for 2019-2023 *

African Development Bank Group The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) or (BAD) is a multilateral development finance institution headquartered in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, since September 2014. The AfDB is a financial provider to African governments and private companies in ...

(AfDB) (nonregional member) *

Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa The Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) (Banque Arabe pour le Développement Economique en Afrique) (المصرف العربي للتنمية الاقتصادية في أفريقيا) was established pursuant to the resolution o ...

(ABEDA) * Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD) *

Arab Monetary Fund The Arab Monetary Fund (AMF) is a regional Arab organization, a working sub-organization of the Arab League. It was founded 1976, and has been operational since 1977. History The first president and director of the Arab Monetary Fund, from 1 ...

(AMF) *

Bank for International Settlements The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) is an international financial institution owned by central banks that "fosters international monetary and financial cooperation and serves as a bank for central banks". The BIS carries out its work th ...

(BIS) *

Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf ( ar, مجلس التعاون لدول العربية الخليج ), also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC; ar, مجلس التعاون الخليجي), is a regional, interg ...

(GCC) *

Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)french: link=no, Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture; it, Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l'Alimentazione e l'Agricoltura is an intern ...

(FAO) *

Group of 77 The Group of 77 (G77) at the United Nations (UN) is a coalition of 134 developing countries, designed to promote its members' collective economic interests and create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the United Nations. There were 77 fou ...

(G77) * Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (G20) *

International Atomic Energy Agency The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. It was established in 195 ...

(IAEA) *

International Bank for Reconstruction and Development The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) is an international financial institution, established in 1944 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, that is the lending arm of World Bank Group. The IBRD offers ...

(IBRD) *

International Chamber of Commerce The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC; French: ''Chambre de commerce internationale'') is the largest, most representative business organization in the world. Its over 45 million members in over 100 countries have interests spanning every sec ...

(ICC) *

International Civil Aviation Organization The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international a ...

(ICAO) *

International Criminal Police Organization The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO; french: link=no, Organisation internationale de police criminelle), commonly known as Interpol ( , ), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and cri ...

(Interpol) *

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is a worldwide humanitarian aid organization that reaches 160 million people each year through its 192-member National Societies. It acts before, during and after disas ...

(IFRCS) *

International Finance Corporation The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is an international financial institution that offers investment, advisory, and asset-management services to encourage private-sector development in less developed countries. The IFC is a member of ...

(IFC) *

International Fund for Agricultural Development The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD; french: link=no, Fonds international de développement agricole (FIDA)) is an international financial institution and a specialised agency of the United Nations that works to addres ...

(IFAD) *

International Hydrographic Organization The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) is an intergovernmental organisation representing hydrography. , the IHO comprised 98 Member States. A principal aim of the IHO is to ensure that the world's seas, oceans and navigable waters ...

(IHO) *

International Labour Organization The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is the first and o ...

(ILO) *

International Maritime Organization The International Maritime Organization (IMO, French: ''Organisation maritime internationale'') is a specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating shipping. The IMO was established following agreement at a UN conference ...

(IMO) *

International Mobile Satellite Organization The International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO) is the intergovernmental organization that oversees certain public satellite safety and security communication services provided via the Inmarsat satellites. Some of these services concer ...

(IMSO) *

International Monetary Fund The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. Its stated mission is "working to foster glo ...

(IMF) *

International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swis ...

(IOC) *

International Organization for Standardization The International Organization for Standardization (ISO ) is an international standard development organization composed of representatives from the national standards organizations of member countries. Membership requirements are given in A ...

(ISO) *

International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and ...

(ICRM) *

International Telecommunication Union The International Telecommunication Union is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for many matters related to information and communication technologies. It was established on 17 May 1865 as the International Telegraph Unio ...

(ITU) *

International Telecommunications Satellite Organization The International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (ITSO) is an intergovernmental organization charged with overseeing the public service obligations of Intelsat, which was privatized in 2001. It incorporates the principle set forth ...

(ITSO) *

Inter-Parliamentary Union The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU; french: Union Interparlementaire, UIP) is an international organization of national parliaments. Its primary purpose is to promote democratic governance, accountability, and cooperation among its members; other ...

(IPU) *

Islamic Development Bank The Islamic Development Bank ( ar, البنك الإسلامي للتنمية, abbreviated as IsDB) is a multilateral development finance institution that is focused on Islamic finance for infrastructure development and located in Jeddah, Saudi ...

(IDB) *

League of Arab States League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * '' The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football Sports * Sports league * Rugby league, full contact foo ...

(LAS) *

Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) is an international financial institution which offers political risk insurance and credit enhancement guarantees. These guarantees help investors protect foreign direct investments against ...

(MIGA) *

Nonaligned Movement The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a forum of 120 countries that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. After the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide. The movement originated in the aftermath ...

(NAM) *

Organisation of Islamic Cooperation An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is an entity—such as a company, an institution, or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose. The word is derived from ...

(OIC) *

Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is an intergovernmental organisation and the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which entered into force on 29 April 1997. The OPCW, with its 193 member ...

(OPCW) *

Organization of American States The Organization of American States (OAS; es, Organización de los Estados Americanos, pt, Organização dos Estados Americanos, french: Organisation des États américains; ''OEA'') is an international organization that was founded on 30 Apri ...

(OAS) (observer) *

Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries The Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) is a multi-governmental organization headquartered in Kuwait which coordinates energy policies among oil-producing Arab nations. OAPEC's primary objective is safeguarding the cooperati ...

(OAPEC) *

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC, ) is a cartel of countries. Founded on 14 September 1960 in Baghdad by the first five members (Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela), it has, since 1965, been headquart ...

(OPEC) *

Permanent Court of Arbitration The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) is a non-UN intergovernmental organization located in The Hague, Netherlands. Unlike a judicial court in the traditional sense, the PCA provides services of arbitral tribunal to resolve disputes that a ...

(PCA) *

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...

(UN) *

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is an intergovernmental organization within the United Nations Secretariat that promotes the interests of developing countries in world trade. It was established in 1964 by the ...

(UNCTAD) *

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

(UNESCO) *

United Nations Industrial Development Organization The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) (French: Organisation des Nations unies pour le développement industriel; French/Spanish acronym: ONUDI) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that assists countries in ...

(UNIDO) *

United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees. UNRWA's mandate encompasses Palestinians displaced by the 1948 P ...

(UNRWA) *

Universal Postal Union The Universal Postal Union (UPU, french: link=no, Union postale universelle), established by the Treaty of Bern of 1874, is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) that coordinates postal policies among member nations, in addition to ...

(UPU) *

World Customs Organization The World Customs Organization (WCO) is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. The WCO works on customs-related matters including the development of international conventions, instruments, and tools on topics su ...

(WCO) *

World Federation of Trade Unions The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) is an international federation of trade unions established in 1945. Founded in the immediate aftermath of World War Two, the organization built on the pre-war legacy of the International Federation o ...

(WFTU) *

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level o ...

(WHO) *

World Intellectual Property Organization The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO; french: link=no, Organisation mondiale de la propriété intellectuelle (OMPI)) is one of the 15 specialized agencies of the United Nations (UN). Pursuant to the 1967 Convention Establishi ...

(WIPO) *

World Meteorological Organization The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for promoting international cooperation on atmospheric science, climatology, hydrology and geophysics. The WMO originated from the Inter ...

(WMO) *

World Tourism Organization The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is the United Nations specialized agency entrusted with the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism. Its headquarters are in Madrid, Spain. UNWTO is the leading inter ...

(UNWTO) *

World Trade Organization The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates international trade. With effective cooperation in the United Nations System, governments use the organization to establish, revise, and ...

(WTO)

Law and order in Saudi Arabia

* Capital punishment in Saudi Arabia *

Constitution of Saudi Arabia The Basic Law of Saudi Arabia (alternative name: Basic System of Governance; ar, النظام الأساسي للحكم, ') is a constitution-like charter divided into nine chapters, consisting of 83 articles. The Basic Law (in Article One) st ...

Crime in Saudi Arabia Crime in Saudi Arabia is low compared to industrialized nations. Criminal activity does not typically target foreigners and is mostly drug-related. Petty crime such as pickpocketing and bag snatching does occur, but is extremely uncommon. During ...

Human rights in Saudi Arabia Human rights in Saudi Arabia are a topic of concern and controversy. The Saudi government, which mandates both Muslim and non-Muslim observance of Islamic law under the absolute rule of the House of Saud, has been accused of and denounced by var ...

** LGBT rights in Saudi Arabia ** Freedom of religion in Saudi Arabia ** Women's rights in Saudi Arabia *** Gender segregation in Saudi Arabia *

Law enforcement in Saudi Arabia The legal system of Saudi Arabia is based on Sharia, Islamic law derived from the Qur'an and the Sunnah (the traditions) of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The sources of Sharia also include Islamic scholarly consensus developed after Muhammad's ...

* Royal Saudi Arabia Police Force ** Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice *** Mutaween (religious police)

Military of Saudi Arabia

Military of Saudi Arabia The Saudi Arabian Armed Forces (SAAF) ( ar, القُوَّات المُسَلَّحَة العَرَبِيَّة السُّعُودِيَّة, Al-Quwwat al-Musallahah al-Malakiyah as-Su’ūdiyah), also known as the Royal Saudi Armed Forces, ar ...

* Command ** Commander-in-chief: *** Ministry of Defence of Saudi Arabia * Forces ** Defense Forces *** Army of Saudi Arabia *** Navy of Saudi Arabia *** Air Force of Saudi Arabia *** Royal Saudi Air Defense ***

Royal Saudi Strategic Missile Force The Royal Saudi Strategic Missile Force ( ar, قوة الصواريخ الإستراتيجية الملكية السعودية) or RSSMF is the fifth branch of the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces, responsible for commissioning long-range strategic m ...

** Guard Forces ***

Royal Guard A royal guard is a group of military bodyguards, soldiers or armed retainers responsible for the protection of a royal person, such as the emperor or empress, king or queen, or prince or princess. They often are an elite unit of the regular arm ...

***

National Guard National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. Nat ...

* Military ranks of Saudi Arabia

Local government in Saudi Arabia

History of Saudi Arabia

History of Saudi Arabia The history of Saudi Arabia as a nation state began with the emergence of the Al Saud dynasty in central Arabia in 1727 and the subsequent establishment of the Emirate of Diriyah. Pre-Islamic Arabia, the territory that constitutes modern Saudi ...

* Timeline of the history of Saudi Arabia *

Ancient towns in Saudi Arabia Thirteen ancient towns have been discovered in Saudi Arabia up to the present day. These include Qaryat al-Fāw, the Al-Ukhdūd archeological area, Hegra (Madā'in Ṣālih), Jubbah, Tārūt, Al-Shuwayḥaṭiyah, Thāj, Taimaa and Dūmat Al-Jand ...

Economic history of Saudi Arabia The economy of Saudi Arabia is the largest in the Middle East and the eighteenth largest in the world. A permanent and founding member of the OPEC, Saudi Arabia is also a member of the G20 forum as one of the world's largest economies. Saud ...

History of the oil industry in Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabian oil was first discovered by the Americans in commercial quantities at Dammam oil well No. 7 in 1938 in what is now modern day Dhahran. Background On January 15, 1902, Ibn Saud took Riyadh from the Rashid tribe. In 1913, his forces ...

Military history of Saudi Arabia The Saudi Arabian Armed Forces (SAAF) ( ar, القُوَّات المُسَلَّحَة العَرَبِيَّة السُّعُودِيَّة, Al-Quwwat al-Musallahah al-Malakiyah as-Su’ūdiyah), also known as the Royal Saudi Armed Forces, ar ...

* Modern history of Saudi Arabia

Culture of Saudi Arabia

Culture of Saudi Arabia *

Architecture of Saudi Arabia The Architecture of Saudi Arabia is adapted to its geography and climate, and reflects the uniqueness of Arabian culture. It is located on the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a Mediterranean and subtropical desert climate. The climate of ...

** Tallest buildings in Saudi Arabia * Cuisine of Saudi Arabia * Festivals in Saudi Arabia * Languages of Saudi Arabia *

Media in Saudi Arabia Most newspapers are privately owned but are subsidized and regulated by the government in Saudi Arabia. The " Basic Law" of the kingdom states that the mass media's role is to educate and inspire national unity; consequently, most popular grievances ...

** Newspapers in Saudi Arabia **

Television in Saudi Arabia Television in Saudi Arabia was introduced in 1965, but is now dominated by just five major companies: Middle East Broadcasting Center, SM Enterprise TV, Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation, Rotana and Saudi TV. Together, they control 80% of the ...

National symbols of Saudi Arabia The national symbols Saudi Arabia are official and unofficial flags, icons or cultural expressions that are emblematic, representative or otherwise characteristic of Saudi Arabia and of its culture. Symbol References {{Reflist National sym ...

Emblem of Saudi Arabia The Saudi Arabian national emblem ( ar, شعار السعودية) was adopted in 1950. According to the Saudi Basic Law, it consists of two crossed swords with a palm tree in the space above and between the blades. The two swords represent t ...

** Flag of Saudi Arabia **

National anthem of Saudi Arabia The national anthem of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, , "Chant of the Saudi Nation" was first officially adopted in 1950 without lyrics. The piece was gifted by the then Egyptian King Farouq when King Abdulaziz made a visit to Egypt. It was then ...

* People of Saudi Arabia * Polygamy in Saudi Arabia * Prostitution in Saudi Arabia *

Public holidays in Saudi Arabia Public holidays in Saudi Arabia ( Arabic: العطل الرسمية في السعودية ) In Saudi Arabia there are few holidays, compared with other countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council, but they have long-term holidays from 10 to 12 days. ...

* Records of Saudi Arabia *

Religion in Saudi Arabia Islam is the state religion of Saudi Arabia. Law requires citizens to be Muslim, and, public worship by adherents of religions other than Islam is forbidden. Any non-Muslim foreigner attempting to acquire Saudi Arabian nationality must convert to I ...

** Buddhism in Saudi Arabia ** Christianity in Saudi Arabia ** Hinduism in Saudi Arabia **

Irreligion in Saudi Arabia Irreligion in Saudi Arabia is difficult to measure as it is illegal to leave the Islamic faith in the country. Most atheists in Saudi Arabia communicate with each other via the internet. According to a 2012 poll by WIN-Gallup International, 19% of ...

** Islam in Saudi Arabia *** Shia Islam in Saudi Arabia ***

Ahmadiyya in Saudi Arabia Ahmadiyya is a persecuted branch of Islam in Saudi Arabia. Although there are many foreign workers and Saudi citizens belonging to the Ahmadiyya movement in Saudi Arabia, Ahmadis are officially banned from entering the country and from performing ...

** Judaism in Saudi Arabia ** Sikhism in Saudi Arabia *

Mada'in Saleh Hegra ( grc, Ἕγρα), known to Muslims as Al-Hijr (), also known as Mada’in Salih ( ar, مَدَائِن صَالِح, madāʼin Ṣāliḥ, lit=Cities of Salih), is an archaeological site located in the area of Al-'Ula within Medina Provin ...

Rock Art in the Ha'il Region Rock Art in the Ha'il Region ( ar, الفنون الصخرية في منطقة حائل) is the fourth site in Saudi Arabia to be inscribed on the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites.

Art in Saudi Arabia

* Art in Saudi Arabia * Cinema of Saudi Arabia * Literature of Saudi Arabia *

Music of Saudi Arabia The music of Saudi Arabia includes both Western and traditional music. The most distinguished musician in recent Saudi history is Tariq Abdulhakeem, who composed hundreds of famous Saudi songs for himself as well as for other singers; Saraj Omar ha ...

* Theatre in Saudi Arabia

Sports in Saudi Arabia

Sport in Saudi Arabia Sport in Saudi Arabia is an important part of Saudi Arabian culture and the country participates in many international sporting competitions. Football is a particularly popular sport and Saudi Arabia has won the Asian Cup on three occasions, whil ...

* List of sports venues in Saudi Arabia *

Football in Saudi Arabia Football is the most popular sport in Saudi Arabia. Football in Saudi Arabia is governed by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation (SAFF) ( ar, الاتحاد السعودي لكرة القدم). It was founded in 1956. It administers both the club ...

Saudi Arabia national football team The Saudi Arabia national football team ( ar, المنتخب العربي السعودي لكرة القدم) represent Saudi Arabia in men's international football. They are known as ''Al-Suqour Al-Khodhur'' (The Green Falcons) in reference to ...

Saudi Arabian Football Federation The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF, ar, الاتحاد العربي السعودي لكرة القدم) is the football governing body of Saudi Arabia. Founded in 1956, its responsibilities include administration of club competitions an ...

Saudi Arabia at the Olympics Saudi Arabia has competed in twelve Summer Olympic Games. They first appeared in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany. Saudi Arabia made their debut in the Winter Olympics in 2022. Women's participation in the Olympics Prior to Jun ...

* Sports venues in Saudi Arabia

Economy and infrastructure of Saudi Arabia

Economy of Saudi Arabia The economy of Saudi Arabia is the largest in the Arab world, Middle East and the eighteenth largest in the world. A permanent and founding member of OPEC, the OPEC, Saudi Arabia is also a member of the G20 forum as one of the world's largest ...

* Economic rank, by nominal GDP (2018): 18th *Member of Group of Twenty (G20) * Agriculture in Saudi Arabia * Banking in Saudi Arabia ** Banks in Saudi Arabia *

Communications in Saudi Arabia Telecommunications in Saudi Arabia have evolved early in the Kingdom since the establishment the Directorate of Post, Telephone and Telegraph (PTT) in 1926. History The Directorate of Post, Telephone and Telegraph (PTT) was the first governmen ...

Internet in Saudi Arabia Telecommunications in Saudi Arabia have evolved early in the Kingdom since the establishment the Directorate of Post, Telephone and Telegraph (PTT) in 1926. History The Directorate of Post, Telephone and Telegraph (PTT) was the first governmen ...

Telephone numbers in Saudi Arabia Numbering plan The country's country calling code is +966. Saudi Arabia's numbering plan is the following: *011 XXX XXXX - Riyadh & the greater central region *012 XXX XXXX - Western region, includes Makkah, Jeddah, Taif, Rabigh *013 XXX XXXX- ...

Companies of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia is a sovereign Arab state in Western Asia constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula. The country's command economy is petroleum-based but slowly diversifying; in 2017 58% of budget revenues and 85% of export earnings came from t ...

* Currency of Saudi Arabia: Riyal **

ISO 4217 ISO 4217 is a standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that defines alpha codes and numeric codes for the representation of currencies and provides information about the relationships between individual ...

: SAR *

Energy in Saudi Arabia Energy in Saudi Arabia involves petroleum and natural gas production, consumption, and exports, and electricity production. Saudi Arabia is the world's leading oil producer and exporter. Saudi Arabia's economy is petroleum-based; oil accounts ...

Nuclear energy in Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia has no nuclear power plants. However, the country has plans to create a domestic nuclear industry in anticipation of high growth in domestic energy consumption. The government's objective is to use nuclear plants to replace oil-fired ...

Oil industry in Saudi Arabia Energy in Saudi Arabia involves petroleum and natural gas production, consumption, and exports, and electricity production. Saudi Arabia is the world's leading oil producer and exporter. Saudi Arabia's economy is petroleum-based; oil accounts ...

** Solar power in Saudi Arabia *

Health care in Saudi Arabia Health care in Saudi Arabia is a national health care system in which the government provides free universal healthcare coverage through a number of government agencies. There is also a growing role and increased participation from the private sect ...

* Mining in Saudi Arabia * Saudi Arabian Stock Exchange *

Saudi Parallel Market (Nomu) The Saudi Parallel Market (Nomu), is a parallel equity market in Saudi Arabia launched the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) on 26 February 2017 with lighter listing requirements. Nomu serves as an alternative platform for companies to be publicly lis ...

Tourism in Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia is the second biggest tourist destination in the Middle East with over 16 million visiting in 2017. Although most tourism in Saudi Arabia still largely involves religious pilgrimages, there is growth in the leisure tourism sector. ...

* Transport in Saudi Arabia **

Airports in Saudi Arabia This is a list of airports in Saudi Arabia, grouped by type and sorted by location. Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is the largest Arab country of the Middle East. It is bordered by Jordan and Iraq on the north and northeast ...

** Rail transport in Saudi Arabia ** Roads in Saudi Arabia * Water supply and sanitation in Saudi Arabia ** Irrigation in Saudi Arabia

Education in Saudi Arabia

Education in Saudi Arabia Public education—from primary education through college—is open to every Saudi citizen. The second largest governmental spending in Saudi Arabia goes for education. Saudi Arabia spends 8.8% of its gross domestic product on education, which i ...

Universities and colleges in Saudi Arabia A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...

References

External links

Online Newspapers in Saudi Arabia

Arab versus Asian migrant workers in the GCC countries

* ttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4230685.stm BBC "Q&A: Saudi municipal elections"
BBC "Saudis' first exercise in democracy"

Hesbah.com site of Authority for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice
Forum for Saudis to anonymously report "un-Islamic" activities to the Mutaween.
"Saudi says US human trafficking criticism unfounded"

"Documentation of Internet Filtering in Saudi Arabia"The Ideology of Terrorism and Violence in Saudi Arabia: Origins, Reasons and Solution
* (844 KB) ; Government

Saudi Ministry Education
Saudi Arabian Information Resource
Saudi Ministry of Media
Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia
in

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morg ...

; Overviews;
BBC News Country Profile - ''Saudi Arabia''

CIA World Factbook - ''Saudi Arabia''

Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports regarding Saudi Arabia

includes Background Notes, Country Study and major reports
U.S. Energy Information Administration - Country Energy Profiles - Saudi Arabia
; Directories
''SAMIRAD website - Saudi Arabia Market Information and Directory''
directory category

*
Yahoo! - ''Saudi Arabia''
directory category
Datarabia - Saudi Royal Family, Business Directory - ''Saudi Arabia''
directory category ; Other links

- a novel set in contemporary Saudi Arabia
Asinah - Saudi Arabia

British Business Group, Jeddah

eSaudi.info Information about Saudi Arabia Historical

U.S. Department of Justice: Foreign Agents Registration Act
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Saudi Arabia

* Economic history of Saudi Arabia

Economic history Economic history is the academic learning of economies or economic events of the past. Research is conducted using a combination of historical methods, statistical methods and the application of economic theory to historical situations and i ...

History History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...