CIA - The World Factbook

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. A male descendent of Ibn Saud, his son ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz, rules the country today as required by the country's 1992 Basic Law. 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 has continued the cautious reform program begun when he was crown prince. To promote increased political participation, the government held elections nationwide from February through April 2005 for half the members of 179 municipal councils. In December 2005, King ABDALLAH completed the process by appointing the remaining members of the advisory municipal councils. The king instituted an Inter-Faith Dialogue initiative in 2008 to encourage religious tolerance on a global level; in February 2009, he reshuffled the cabinet, which led to more moderates holding ministerial and judicial positions, and appointed the first female to the cabinet. The country remains a leading producer of oil and natural gas and holds more than 20% 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 December 2005, and promotes foreign investment in the kingdom. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all ongoing governmental concerns.

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

slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US

harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes

mostly uninhabited, sandy desert

petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper

frequent sand and dust storms

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

extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal

28.21 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

2.45 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

-8.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

3.77 children born/woman (2010 est.)

Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%

13 provinces (mintaqat, singular - mintaqah); Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah (Northern Border), Al Jawf, Al Madinah, Al Qasim, Ar Riyad (Riyadh), Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern), 'Asir, Ha'il, Jizan, Makkah, Najran, Tabuk

23 September 1932 (unification of the kingdom)

Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932)

governed according to Islamic law; the Basic Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was promulgated by royal decree in 1992

based on sharia law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

21 years of age; male

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 half of the members of local and provincial assemblies and a third of the members of the national Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura incrementally over a period of four to five years, to date no such elections have been held or announced

Supreme Council of Justice

Ansar Al Marah (supports women's rights)

ABEDA, AfDB (nonregional member), AFESD, AMF, BIS, FAO, G-20, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, 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, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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

Saudi Arabia has an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. It possesses about 20% 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. Roughly 5.5 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 December 2005 after many years of negotiations. The government has begun establishing six "economic cities" in different regions of the country to promote economic development. Five years of high oil prices during 2004-08 gave the Kingdom ample financial reserves to manage the impact of the global financial crisis, but tight international credit, falling oil prices, and the global economic slowdown reduced Saudi economic growth in 2009, prompting the postponement of some economic development projects. Saudi authorities supported the banking sector during the crisis by making direct capital injections into banks, reducing rates, and publicly affirming the government's guarantee of bank deposits.

$585.8 billion (2009 est.)

$584.7 billion (2008 est.)

$560 billion (2007 est.)

$384 billion (2009 est.)

24.2% of GDP (2009 est.)

20.3% of GDP (2009 est.)

18.9% of GDP (2008 est.)

2.5% (31 December 2008)

NA% (31 December 2007)

$113.2 billion (31 December 2008)

$102.4 billion (31 December 2007)

$134.3 billion (31 December 2008)

$109.5 billion (31 December 2007)

$NA (31 December 2008)

$66.94 billion (31 December 2007)

$246.3 billion (31 December 2008)

$515.1 billion (31 December 2007)

$326.9 billion (31 December 2006)

wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk

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

179.1 billion kWh (2007 est.)

165.1 billion kWh (2007 est.)

10.78 million bbl/day (2008 est.)

2.38 million bbl/day (2008 est.)

8.728 million bbl/day (2007 est.)

79,250 bbl/day (2007 est.)

266.7 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.)

80.44 billion cu m (2008 est.)

7.319 trillion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)

$24.56 billion (2009 est.)

$132.6 billion (2008 est.)

$180.5 billion (2009 est.)

$313.4 billion (2008 est.)

petroleum and petroleum products 90%

US 17.2%, Japan 15.3%, South Korea 10.2%, China 9.4%, India 5.9%, Taiwan 4.6%, Singapore 4.4% (2008)

$86.61 billion (2009 est.)

$108.3 billion (2008 est.)

machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles

US 12%, China 10.4%, Japan 7.6%, Germany 7.3%, South Korea 5.1%, Italy 4.7%, India 4.5%, UK 4% (2008)

$39.98 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$30.59 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$72.45 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$82.13 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$149.3 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$108.5 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$20.57 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$18.07 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

Saudi riyals (SAR) per US dollar - 3.75 (2009), 3.75 (2008), 3.745 (2007), 3.745 (2006), 3.747 (2005)

AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998)

condensate 212 km; gas 1,880 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,183 km; oil 4,241 km; refined products 1,148 km (2009)

Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Jiddah, Yanbu' al Sinaiyah

Ministry of Defense and Aviation Forces: Royal Saudi Land Forces, Royal Saudi Naval Forces (includes Marine Forces and Special Forces), Royal Saudi Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Malakiya as-Sa'udiya), Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces, Royal Saudi Strategic Rocket Forces, Saudi Arabian National Guard (SANG)

18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2004)

10% of GDP (2005 est.)

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

death penalty for traffickers; improving anti-money-laundering legislation and enforcement