| Background: |
In 1902 Abdul al-Aziz
Ibn SAUD captured Riyadh and set out on a 30-year campaign
to unify the Arabian peninsula. In the 1930s, the discovery
of oil transformed the country. 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. A burgeoning population, aquifer
depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum
output and prices are all major governmental concerns. |
| 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:
1,960,582 sq km
land: 1,960,582 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly more
than one-fifth the size of the US |
| Land
boundaries: |
total:
4,415 km
border countries: Iraq 814 km, Jordan 728 km,
Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen
1,458 km |
| Maritime
claims: |
contiguous
zone: 18 NM
continental shelf: not specified
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Climate: |
harsh, dry desert
with great extremes of temperature |
| Terrain: |
mostly
uninhabited, sandy desert |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m |
| Natural
resources: |
petroleum,
natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
2%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 56%
forests and woodland: 1%
other: 41% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
4,350 sq km (1993
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:
Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
| Geography
- note: |
extensive
coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great
leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian
Gulf and Suez Canal |
| Population: |
22,757,092
note: includes 5,360,526 non-nationals (July
2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
42.52% (male 4,932,465; female 4,743,908)
15-64 years: 54.8% (male 7,290,840; female
5,179,393)
65 years and over: 2.68% (male 334,981; female
275,505) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
3.27% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
37.34
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
5.94 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
1.32 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.41 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.22 male(s)/female
total population: 1.23 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
51.25
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 68.09 years
male: 66.4 years
female: 69.85 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
6.25 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.01% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Saudi(s)
adjective: Saudi or Saudi Arabian |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Arab 90%,
Afro-Asian 10% |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 62.8%
male: 71.5%
female: 50.2% (1995 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
conventional short form: Saudi Arabia
local long form: Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah as
Suudiyah
local short form: Al Arabiyah as Suudiyah |
| Government
type: |
monarchy |
| 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 |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of
state: King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz
Al Saud (since 13 June 1982); Crown Prince and First Deputy
Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud
(half-brother to the monarch, heir to the throne since 13
June 1982, regent from 1 January to 22 February 1996); note
- the monarch is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: King and Prime Minister
FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 13 June 1982); Crown
Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz
Al Saud (half-brother to the monarch, heir to the throne
since 13 June 1982, regent from 1 January to 22 February
1996); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and
head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers is appointed by
the monarch and includes many royal family members
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary |
| Legislative
branch: |
a consultative
council (90 members and a chairman appointed by the monarch
for four-year terms) |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Council
of Justice |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
none allowed |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
none |
| International
organization participation: |
ABEDA, AfDB,
AFESD, AL, AMF, BIS, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-19, G-77, GCC, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC,
OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer) |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador BANDAR bin Sultan bin Abd al-Aziz
Al Saud
chancery: 601 New Hampshire Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 342-3800
consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, and
New York |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Wyche FOWLER, Jr.
embassy: Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter,
Riyadh
mailing address: American Embassy Riyadh, Unit
61307, APO AE 09803-1307; International Mail: P. O. Box
94309, Riyadh 11693
telephone: [966] (1) 488-3800
FAX: [966] (1) 488-7360
consulate(s) general: Dhahran, Jiddah (Jeddah) |
| Flag
description: |
green with large
white Arabic script (that may be 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); green
is the traditional color of Islam |
| Economy
- overview: |
This is an
oil-based economy with strong government controls over major
economic activities. Saudi Arabia has the largest reserves
of petroleum in the world (26% of the proved 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, 40% of GDP, and 90% of
export earnings. About 35% of GDP comes from the private
sector. Roughly 5 million foreign workers play an important
role in the Saudi economy, for example, in the oil and
service sectors. Saudi Arabia was a key player in the
successful efforts of OPEC and other oil producing countries
to raise the price of oil in 1999-2000 to its highest level
since the Gulf war by reducing production. Riyadh expects to
have a moderate budget deficit in 2001, in part because of
increased spending for education and other social programs.
The government in 1999 announced plans to begin privatizing
the electricity companies, which follows the ongoing
privatization of the telecommunications company. The
government is expected to continue calling for private
sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and
increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi
population. Shortages of water and rapid population growth
will constrain government efforts to increase
self-sufficiency in agricultural products. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $232 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
4% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $10,500 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
6%
industry: 47%
services: 47% (1998 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
0.5% (2000) |
| Labor
force: |
7 million
note: 35% of the population in the 15-64 age
group is non-national (July 1998 est.) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture 12%,
industry 25%, services 63% (1999 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$66 billion
expenditures: $66 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
| Industries: |
crude oil
production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals,
cement, construction, fertilizer, plastics |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
1% (1997 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
120 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
111.6 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
wheat, barley,
tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs,
milk |
| Exports: |
$81.2 billion
(f.o.b., 2000) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
petroleum and
petroleum products 90% |
| Exports
- partners: |
Japan 18%, US
18%, France 4%, South Korea, Singapore, India (1999) |
| Imports: |
$30.1 billion
(f.o.b., 2000) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and
equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles |
| Imports
- partners: |
US 25%, Japan
10%, Germany 7%, Italy 5%, France, UK (1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$26.3 billion
(2000 est.) |
| Economic
aid - donor: |
pledged $100
million in 1993 to fund reconstruction of Lebanon; since
1993, Saudi Arabia has committed $208 million for assistance
to the Palestinians |
| Currency: |
Saudi riyal (SAR) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Saudi riyals per
US dollar - 3.7450 (fixed rate since June 1986) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
3.1 million
(1998) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
1 million
note: in 1998, the government contracted for
the installation of 575,000 additional Group Speciale Mobile
(GSM) cellular telephone lines over 15 months to raise the
total number of subscribers to more than one million; Riyadh
planned to further expand the GSM system in 1999 by adding
an additional one million lines (1998) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: modern system
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay,
coaxial cable, and fiber-optic cable systems
international: microwave radio relay to
Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan;
coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan; submarine cable to
Djibouti, Egypt and Bahrain; satellite earth stations - 5
Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat,
and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region) |
| 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
Service Providers (ISPs): |
42 (2001) |
| Internet
users: |
400,000 (2001) |
| Railways: |
total:
1,390 km
standard gauge: 1,390 km 1.435-m gauge (448 km
double track) (1992) |
| Highways: |
total:
146,524 km
paved: 44,104 km
unpaved: 102,420 km (1997 est.) |
| Pipelines: |
crude oil 6,400
km; petroleum products 150 km; natural gas 2,200 km
(includes natural gas liquids 1,600 km) |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Ad Dammam, Al
Jubayl, Duba, Jiddah, Jizan, Rabigh, Ra's al Khafji, Mishab,
Ras Tanura, Yanbu' al Bahr, Madinat Yanbu' al Sinaiyah |
| Merchant
marine: |
total:
71 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,154,619 GRT/1,533,732
DWT
ships by type: cargo 11, chemical tanker 8,
container 5, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 3, passenger
1, petroleum tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll
off 13, short-sea passenger 8 (2000 est.) |
| Airports: |
206 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
70
over 3,047 m: 31
2,438 to 3,047 m: 11
1,524 to 2,437 m: 23
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
136
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 77
914 to 1,523 m: 39
under 914 m: 15 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Land Force
(Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard,
Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary) |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
17 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 5,894,691 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 3,291,185 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males:
233,402 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$18.3 billion
(FY00) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
13% (FY00) |
| Disputes
- international: |
a final border
resolution was agreed to with Qatar in March of 2001;
location and status of boundary with UAE is not final, de
facto boundary reflects a 1974 agreement; a June 2000 treaty
delimited the boundary with Yemen, but final demarcation
requires adjustments based on tribal considerations |
| Illicit
drugs: |
death penalty for
traffickers; increasing consumption of heroin and cocaine |
|
