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Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Background: Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam and home to Islam's
two holiest shrines in
Mecca and Medina, and 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 country remains a leading producer of oil and natural gas and holds approximately
25% 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.
Geography Saudi Arabia
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: 2,149,690 sq km
land: 2,149,690 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US
Land boundaries: total: 4,431 km
border countries: Iraq 814 km, Jordan 744 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km,
Qatar 60 km,
UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km
Coastline: 2,640 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 18 nm
continental shelf: not specified
Climate: harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes
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: 1.67%
permanent crops: 0.09%
other: 98.24% (2005)
Irrigated land: 16,200 sq km (2003)
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: Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea,
Marine Dumping, 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
People Saudi Arabia
Population: 27,019,731
note: includes 5,576,076 non-nationals (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 38.2% (male 5,261,530/female 5,059,041)
15-64 years: 59.4% (male 9,159,519/female 6,895,616)
65 years and over: 2.4% (male 342,020/female 302,005) (2006 est.)
Median age: total: 21.4 years
male: 22.9 years
female: 19.4 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.18% (2006 est.)
Birth rate: 29.34 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 2.58 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate: -4.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006
est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.33 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.13 male(s)/female
total population: 1.2 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 12.81 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 14.71 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 10.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.67 years
male: 73.66 years
female: 77.78 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.01% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: Saudi(s)
adjective: Saudi or Saudi Arabian
Ethnic groups: Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%
Religions: Muslim 100%
Languages: Arabic
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 78.8%
male: 84.7%
female: 70.8% (2003 est.)
Government Saudi Arabia
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
Capital: name: Riyadh
geographic coordinates: 24 38 N, 46 43 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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 law; the Basic
Law that articulates the government's
rights and responsibilities was introduced in 1993
Legal system: based on Shari'a law, several secular codes
have been introduced; commercial
disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: adult male citizens age 21 or older
note: voter registration began in November 2004 for partial municipal council
elections held nationwide
from February through April 2005
Executive branch: chief of state: King and Prime Minister
ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud
(since 1 August 2005); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SULTAN bin Abd al- Aziz
Al Saud (half brother of
the monarch, born 5 January 1928) note - the monarch is both the chief of
state and head of government
head of government: King and Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud
(since 1 August 2005);
Heir Apparent Crown Prince SULTAN bin Abd al- Aziz Al Saud (half brother of
the monarch, born
5 January 1928)
cabinet: Council of Ministers is appointed by the monarch every four years
and includes many royal
family members
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; note - a new Allegiance Commission
created by royal
decree in October 2006 established a committee of Saudi princes that will
play a role in selecting
future Saudi kings, but the new system will not take effect until after Crown
Prince Sultan becomes king
Legislative branch: Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura
(120 members and a chairman appointed
by the monarch for four-year terms); note - in October 2003, Council of Ministers
announced 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; in November 2004, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs
initiated voter registration for
partial municipal council elections held nationwide from February through
April 2005
Judicial branch: Supreme Council of Justice
Political parties and leaders: none
Political pressure groups and leaders: none
International organization participation: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD,
AMF, BIS, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS,
MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO,
UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
(vacant); Ambassador Designate
Adil al-Ahmed al-JUBAYR
chancery: 601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 342-3800
FAX: [1] (202) 944-3113
consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission:
Ambassador James C. OBERWETTER
embassy: Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh
mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 61307, APO AE 09803-1307; International
Mail:
P. O. Box 94309, Riyadh 11693
telephone: [966] (1) 488-3800
FAX: [966] (1) 488-3989
consulate(s) general: Dhahran, Jiddah (Jeddah)
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 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
Economy Saudi Arabia
Economy
- overview: This is an oil-based economy with strong government controls
over major economic activities. Saudi Arabia possesses 25% 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 75%
of budget revenues, 45% of GDP, and 90% of export earnings. About 40% of GDP
comes from the private sector. Roughly 5.5 million foreign workers play an
important role in the Saudi economy, particularly in the oil and service sectors.
The government is encouraging private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's
dependence on oil and increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi
population. The government is promoting private sector and foreign participation
in the power generation, telecom, natural gas, and petrochemical industries.
As part of its effort to attract foreign investment and diversify the economy,
Saudi Arabia acceded to the WTO in December 2005 after many years of negotiations.
With high oil revenues enabling the government to post large budget surpluses,
Riyadh has been able to substantially boost spending on job training and education,
infrastructure development, and government salaries.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $374 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $286.2 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.9% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): $13,800 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.3%
industry: 67%
services: 29.8% (2006 est.)
Labor force: 7.125 million
note: more than 35% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national
(2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 12%
industry: 25%
services: 63% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate: 13% among Saudi males only (local bank
estimate; some estimates range as high
as 25%) (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest
10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.9% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): 16.2% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget: revenues: $189.2 billion
expenditures: $107.6 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006
est.)
Public debt: 32.5% of GDP (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons,
dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk
Industries: 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
Industrial production growth rate: 1.9% (2006 est.)
Electricity - production: 155.2 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption: 144.4 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004)
Oil - production: 9.475 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption: 1.845 million bbl/day (2004)
Oil - exports: 7.92 million bbl/day (2003)
Oil - imports: 0 bbl/day (2003)
Oil - proved reserves: 262.7 billion bbl (2006 est.)
Natural gas - production: 65.68 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 65.68 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 6.654 trillion cu m (1 January
2005 est.)
Current account balance: $103.8 billion (2006 est.)
Exports: $204.5 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 90%
Exports - partners: US 16.8%, Japan 16.5%, South Korea 9.3%,
China 7.1%, Singapore 5.2%, Taiwan 4.3% (2005)
Imports: $64.16 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, foodstuffs,
chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles
Imports - partners: US 14.8%, Japan 9%, Germany 8.2%, China
7.4%, UK 4.7% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $31.63 billion (2006 est.)
Debt - external: $47.39 billion (2006 est.)
Economic aid - donor: pledged $100 million in 1993 to fund
reconstruction of Lebanon; since 2000,
Saudi Arabia has committed $307 million for assistance to the Palestinians;
pledged $230 million to
development in Afghanistan; pledged $1 billion in export guarantees and soft
loans to Iraq; pledged
$133 million in direct grant aid, $187 million in concessional loans, and
$153 million in export credits
for Pakistan earthquake relief
Currency (code): Saudi riyal (SAR)
Currency code: SAR
Exchange rates: Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.745 (2006),
3.747 (2005), 3.75 (2004), 3.75 (2003), 3.75 (2002)
Fiscal year: 1 March - 28 February
Communications Saudi Arabia
Telephones
- main lines in use: 4.5 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 13.3 million (2005)
Telephone system: general assessment: modern system
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and fiber-optic
cable systems
international: country code - 966; 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 hosts: 10,931 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 22 (2003)
Internet users: 3.2 million (2006)
Transportation Saudi Arabia
Airports:
208 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 73
over 3,047 m: 32
2,438 to 3,047 m: 13
1,524 to 2,437 m: 24
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 135
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 75
914 to 1,523 m: 40
under 914 m: 12 (2006)
Heliports: 6 (2006)
Pipelines: condensate 212 km; gas 1,880 km; liquid petroleum
gas 1,183 km; oil 4,531 km; refined
products 1,150 km (2006)
Railways: total: 1,392 km
standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and sidings) (2005)
Roadways: total: 152,044 km
paved: 45,461 km
unpaved: 106,583 km (2000)
Merchant marine: total: 60 ships (1000 GRT or over) 837,272
GRT/1,064,377 DWT
by type: cargo 5, chemical tanker 15, container 4, passenger/cargo 8, petroleum
tanker 18, refrigerated
cargo 1, roll on/roll off 9
foreign-owned: 9 (Egypt 2, Kuwait 5, Sudan 1, UAE 1)
registered in other countries: 55 (Bahamas 12, Comoros 3, Dominica 3, French
Southern and Antarctic
Lands 1, Liberia 24, Marshall Islands 1, Norway 3, Panama 8) (2006)
Ports and terminals: Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Jiddah, Yanbu' al Sinaiyah
Military Saudi Arabia
Military
branches: Land Forces (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force,
National Guard, Ministry of
Interior Forces (paramilitary)
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age (est.);
no conscription (2004)
Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49:
7,648,999
females age 18-49: 5,417,922 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 6,592,709
females age 18-49: 4,659,347 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age
18-49: 247,334
females age 18-49: 234,500 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $18 billion (2002)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 10% (2002)
Transnational Issues Saudi Arabia
Disputes
- international: 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
Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country
of origin): 240,015 (Palestinian Territories) (2006)
Trafficking in persons: current situation: Saudi Arabia is
a destination country for workers from South and
Southeast Asia who are subjected to conditions that constitute involuntary
servitude including being
subjected to physical and sexual abuse, non-payment of wages, confinement,
and withholding of passports as a restriction on their movement; domestic
workers are particularly vulnerable because some are confined to the house
in which they work, unable to seek help; Saudi Arabia is also a destination
country for Nigerian, Yemeni, Pakistani, Afghan, Somali, Malian, and Sudanese
children trafficked for forced begging and involuntary servitude as street
vendors; some Nigerian women were reportedly trafficked into Saudi Arabia
for commercial sexual exploitation tier rating: Tier 3 - Saudi Arabia does
not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking
and is not making significant efforts to do so
Illicit drugs: death penalty for traffickers; increasing
consumption of heroin, cocaine, and hashish;
improving anti-money-laundering legislation and enforcement.