Saudi Arabia

Official nameKingdom of Saudi Arabia
Name in local languageالمملكة العربية السعودية ; Al-Mamlakah Al-ʾĀrabīyah As-Saʿūdīyah (ar)
ContinentAsia
SubcontinentWestern Asia
Population (ranking: 44e)33,413,660 inhabitants (2018)
Population growth2.46 % / year
Area2,149,690 km²
Density15.54 inhabitants / km²
GDP (ranking: 18e)782.483 billions $USD (2018)
GDP/capita (ranking)23,219 $USD (2018)
GDP growth2.20 % / year (2018)
Life expectancy (ranking)75.00 years (2018)
Birth rate21.50 ‰ (2014)
Fertility rate2.00 children / woman (2017)
Death rate (ranking)3.50 ‰ (2014)
Infant mortality rate (ranking)6.30 ‰ (2017)
Literacy rate99.22 % (2013)
Official languagesArabic
CurrencySaudi riyal (SAR)
HDI (ranking: 55e)0.857 / 1 (2018)
EPI (ranking)57.47 (2018)
GovernmentUnitary Islamic absolute monarchy
Head of StateKing Salman
National Day23 September (kingdom foundation in 1932)
ISO CodesSA, SAU
DemonymSaudi Arabian
Tourists (ranking)16,109,000 people (2017)
Arabie saoudite – petite
The status of women remains a major concern

Saudi Arabia is an absolute Islamic monarchy led by the Saud family since its creation in 1932 by Ibn Saud. Occupying 80% of the Arabian Peninsula, it is the largest country in the Middle East with an area of more than 2.1 million square kilometers. The country has Islam for state religion and Arabic for official language; it houses the two most important holy places of Islam, Masjid al-Haram (in Mecca) and Masjid al-Nabawi (in Medina).
The country shares borders with many countries: Yemen to the south, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain to the east, Kuwait, Iraq and Jordan to the north. It is bordered on the east by the Persian Gulf, and on the west by the Red Sea, facing Egypt, Sudan and Eritrea.

Désert Rub al-Khali, Arabie saoudite
Rub al-Khali desert, Saudi Arabia
Djeddah - Jet d'eau du roi Fahd
Jeddah – King Fahd’s Water Jet. Source: Wikipedia
See all related maps or articles
Urban areas (2015)
Urban areasPopulation
Riyadh6,920,365 inhabitants
Jeddah4,082,184 inhabitants
Dammam2,407,603 inhabitants
Mecca1,969,861 inhabitants
Medina1,374,567 inhabitants
Hofuf1,220,655 inhabitants
Ta'if1,135,356 inhabitants
Buraidah708,869 inhabitants
Tabuk653,466 inhabitants
Khamis Mushait590,251 inhabitants
Ha'il475,005 inhabitants
Jubail448,429 inhabitants
Hafar Al-Batin447,283 inhabitants
Al-Kharj435,461 inhabitants
Abha421,921 inhabitants
Najran379,836 inhabitants
Yanbu345,850 inhabitants
Al Qunfudhah (Kunfuda)311,133 inhabitants
See all urban areas
Administrative divisions
ProvincesPopulationArea
Al Bahah (Al-Bah)471,755 inhabitants9,921 km²
Al Jawf (Al-Jowf)506,372 inhabitants100,212 km²
Al Qasim (Al-Qaim)1,402,974 inhabitants58,046 km²
Asir (Aseer)2,194,463 inhabitants76,693 km²
Frontières du Nord (Al-Hudud ach-Chamaliya - Northern Borders)367,433 inhabitants111,797 km²
Haïl (Hael)685,820 inhabitants103,887 km²
Jizan (Jazan)1,568,727 inhabitants11,671 km²
La Mecque (Makkah)8,099,473 inhabitants153,128 km²
Médine (Madinah)2,061,383 inhabitants151,990 km²
Najran581,789 inhabitants149,511 km²
Orientale (Ach-Charqiya - Eastern)4,762,871 inhabitants672,522 km²
Riyad (Riyadh)7,910,864 inhabitants404,240 km²
Tabouk907,494 inhabitants146,072 km²
See all administrative divisions
See also