Saudi Arabia

Population

35.3M

Rank #45

Source: World Bank

Capital

Riyadh

Source: REST Countries

Region

Africa

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan

Source: REST Countries

GDP (Nominal)

$1.24T

Rank #18

Source: World Bank

Land Area

2.1M km²

Rank #13

Source: REST Countries

Life Expectancy

78.732 yrs

Source: World Bank

Historical Trends

Population Trend (5-Year)

Source: World Bank

GDP Trend (5-Year, Nominal USD)

Source: World Bank

Geography

Area: 2,149,690 km²

Landlocked: No

Independent: Yes

Climate: harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes

Terrain: mostly sandy desert

Elevation: mean elevation: 665 m lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m

Natural Hazards: frequent sand and dust stormsvolcanism: despite many volcanic formations, there has been little activity in the past few centuries; volcanoes include Harrat Rahat, Harrat Khaybar, Harrat Lunayyir,...

Environmental 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...

Land Use: agricultural land: 80.7% (2011 est.) forest: 0.5% (2011 est.) other: 18.8% (2011 est.)

Geography 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...

Natural Resources

petroleumnatural gasiron oregoldcopper

People & Society

Fertility Rate

2.28

Population

35.3M

Ethnic Groups

Arab (90%)Afro-Asian (10%)

Religions

other (includes Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, and Sikh) note: despite having a large expatriate community of various faiths (more than (30%)

Economy

GDP per Capita

$35,121.663

GDP per Capita PPP

71,375.373
(2024)

GNI per Capita

35,630
(2024)

Gini Index

Not Available

Unemployment

3.518%
(2024)

Inflation

1.688%
(2024)

Public Debt

Not Available

Energy

Electricity Access

100%
(2023)

Renewable Energy

0.1%
(2021)

CO₂ Emissions

652.511 Mt
(2024)

Energy Intensity

5.81 MJ/$
(2021)

Renewable Electricity

0.065%
(2021)

Environment

Forest Coverage

0.454% of land
(2023)

Protected Areas

3.8% of land
(2002)

Communications

Internet Users

100%
(2024)

Mobile Penetration

157.775%
(2023)

Broadband Subscribers

43.573%
(2023)

Transportation

Air Transport Freight

1,036.791 M ton-km
(2023)

Container Port Traffic

10,459,765 TEU
(2022)

Airports

302,451.4

Rail Lines

2,939 km

Roads Total

321,259.39 km(©IRF)

Military

Military Forces

Ministry of Defense: Royal Saudi Land Forces, Royal Saudi Naval Forces (includes marines, special forces, naval aviation), Royal Saudi Air Force, Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces, Royal Saudi Strategic...

Personnel Strength

the Saudi military forces have about 225,000 active troops; approximately 125,000 under the Ministry of Defense (75,000 Land Forces; 13,500 Naval Forces; 35,000 Air Force/Air Defense; 2,500 Strategic...

Military Expenditure (USD)

$80.33B

Military Expenditure (% of GDP)

7.30%

Military Expenditure History

8% of GDP (2019) 9.5% of GDP (2018) 10.2% of GDP (2017) 10% of GDP (2016) 13% of GDP (2015)

Deployments

est. 2,500-10,000 Yemen (probably varies depending on operations) (April 2020)

Equipment & Inventories

the inventory of the Saudi military forces, including the SANG, includes a mix of mostly modern weapons systems from the US and Europe, particularly France and the UK; since 2010, France, the UK, and...

Service Age & Obligation

17 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription; in 2018, women were allowed to serve as soldiers in the internal security services under certain requirements

Education

Pre-Primary Enrollment

18.32%
(2021)

Primary Enrollment

103.984%
(2024)

Secondary Enrollment

110.663%
(2024)

Tertiary Enrollment

83.884%
(2024)

Education Spending

5.115% of GDP
(2023)

Adult Literacy Rate

97.93%
(2024)

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

13.815:1
(2018)

Health

Physicians per 1,000

3.406
(2023)

Safe Water Access

99.041%
(2024)

Safe Drinking Water

Not Available

Under-5 Mortality

6.2 per 1,000
(2023)

Maternal Mortality (World Bank)

20.477 per 100,000
(2021)

Hospital Beds per 1,000

76.429
(2021)

UHC Coverage Index

83
(2023)

Measles Immunization

97%
(2024)

Social Indicators

Extreme Poverty Rate

Not Available

Food Insecurity

2.5%
(2023)

Youth NEET Rate

11.453%
(2024)

Governance

Women in Government

19.868%
(2024)

Voice & Accountability

-1.42
(Weak)
(2023)

Political Stability

-0.21
(Below Average)
(2023)

Government Effectiveness

0.80
(Above Average)
(2023)

Regulatory Quality

0.52
(Above Average)
(2023)

Rule of Law

0.41
(Above Average)
(2023)

Control of Corruption

0.54
(Above Average)
(2023)

Government

Government Type

absolute monarchy

Legal System

Islamic (sharia) legal system with some elements of Egyptian, French, and customary law; note - several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees

Executive Branch

chief of state: King and Prime Minister SALMAN bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 23 January 2015); Crown Prince MUHAMMAD BIN SALMAN bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (born 31 August 1985); note - the monarch is...

Legislative Branch

description: unicameral Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (150 seats; members appointed by the monarch to serve 4-year terms); note - in early 2013, the monarch granted women 30 seats on the...

Judicial Branch

highest courts: High Court (consists of the court chief and organized into circuits with 3-judge panels, except for the criminal circuit, which has a 5-judge panel for cases involving major...

International Organizations

ABEDA AfDB (nonregional member)AFESD AMF BIS CAEUCPFAO

National Symbols

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...

National Symbols

palm tree surmounting two crossed swords; national colors: green, white

National Anthem

name: "Aash Al Maleek" (Long Live Our Beloved King) lyrics/music: Ibrahim KHAFAJI/Abdul Rahman al-KHATEEB note: music adopted 1947, lyrics adopted 1984

Safety

Homicide Rate

0.935 per 100,000
(2019)

Travel Information

Language(s): Arabic

Currency: SAR (ر.س)

Timezone(s): UTC+03:00

Landlocked: No

Independent: Yes

Driving Side: Right

Calling Code: +966

Car Sign: SA

Week Starts: Sunday

Photos

Dark-colored volcanic cones sprout from an ancient lava field in this high-resolution satellite photo. The field, known as Harrat Al Birk, covers 1,800 sq km (700 sq mi) and is the only volcanic field along Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coastline. However, many such lava fields dot the Arabian Peninsula and can range in age from 2 million to 30 million years old. Image courtesy of USGS.

This is not a moonscape. The western half of the Arabian peninsula contains not only large expanses of sand and gravel, but extensive lava fields known as haraat (harrat for a named field). One such field is the 14,000-sq km (5,400 sq mi) Harrat Khaybar, located approximately 137 km (85 mi) to the northeast of the city of Al Madinah (Medina). The volcanic field was formed by eruptions over the past 5 million years; the most recent of which took place about A.D. 600-700. Image courtesy of NASA.

Area comparison map

3 photos available

Data sources: World Bank, UN Data • Updated daily •Learn about our data

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Saudi Arabia