Jump to content

Saudi Arabia

Change links
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Saudi)
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
المملكة العربية السعودية  (Arabic)
Script error: The function "transl" does not exist.
Emblem of Saudi Arabia
Emblem
Motto: لا إله إلا الله، محمد رسول الله
Script error: The function "transl" does not exist.
"There is no god but God, Muhammad is the Messenger of God"[1][a] (shahada)
Anthem: النشيد الوطني السعودي
"Script error: The function "transl" does not exist."
"Chant of the Saudi Nation"
Alternate Emblem:[b]
Capital
and largest city
Riyadh
24°39′N 46°46′E / 24.650°N 46.767°E / 24.650; 46.767
Official languagesArabic[5]
Religion
Sunni Islam (official)[6]
Demonym(s)
  • Saudi
  • Saudi Arabian
GovernmentUnitary Islamic absolute monarchy
• King
Salman
Mohammed bin Salman
LegislatureConsultative Assembly[c]
Establishment
• Emirate of Diriyah
22 February 1727
• Emirate of Nejd
1824
• Emirate of Riyadh
13 January 1902
• Emirate of Nejd and Hasa
15 January 1913
• Sultanate of Nejd
29 November 1921
• Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd
8 January 1926
• Unification and Proclamation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
23 September 1932
• Basic Law of Saudi Arabia
31 January 1992
Area
• Total
2,149,690[9] km2 (830,000 sq mi) (12th)
• Water (%)
0.7
Population
• 2022 census
Neutral increase 32,175,224[10] (48th)
• Density
15/km2 (38.8/sq mi) (174th)
GDP (PPP)2025 estimate
• Total
Increase $2.230 trillion[11] (17th)
• Per capita
Increase $61,923[11] (15th)
GDP (nominal)2025 estimate
• Total
Decrease $1.084 trillion[11] (19th)
• Per capita
Decrease $30,099[11] (34th)
Gini (2013)Steady 45.9[12]
medium
HDI (2023)Increase 0.900[13]
very high · 37th
CurrencySaudi riyal (SR)[d] (SAR)
Time zoneUTC+3 (AST)
Driving sideright
Calling code+966
ISO 3166 codeSA
Internet TLD

Saudi Arabia,[e] officially known as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA),[f] is a country in West Asia including most of the Arabian Peninsula. The land area is roughly 2,150,000 km2 (830,000 sq mi), so Saudi Arabia is geographically the 5th-largest state in Asia and 2nd-largest state in the Arab world after Algeria. Saudi Arabia is bordered by Jordan and Iraq to the north, Kuwait to the northeast, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates to the east, Oman to the southeast, and Yemen to the south.

Overview

[change | change source]

It is separated from Palestine and Egypt by the Red Sea. It is the only nation with both a Red Sea coast and a Persian Gulf coast, and most of its land is dry and barren. Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Arabs and Islam [15] and sometimes called "the Land of the Two Holy Mosques" in reference to Al-Masjid al-Haram (in Mecca), and Al-Masjid an-Nabawi (in Medina), the two holiest places in Islam. Arabic is the only official language in Saudi Arabia.

Religion

[change | change source]

Sunni Islam is the state religion.[16] The practice of non-Islamic religions is not allowed in public but it is allowed in private.[17] The Hanbali school of faith has a big influence, and the ultra-conservative Wahhabism religious movement within Sunni Islam has been called "the predominant feature of Saudi culture".

Many Muslims from around the world visit Mecca in Saudi Arabia to make a pilgrimage. The pilgrimage is one of the "pillars of Islam". Other big cities are Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. The pilgrimage is called hajj in the Arabic language. Somebody who makes a pilgrimage to Mecca is called a hajji in the Arabic language. People who are not Muslim are not allowed to enter Mecca. Most Saudis speak the Arabic language.

Saudi Arabia has the world's largest petroleum reserves and is the world's largest oil exporter.[18] Oil accounts for more than 90% of exports and nearly 75% of government revenues, facilitating the creation of a welfare state.[19] However, human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have expressed concern about the state of human rights in Saudi Arabia. The currency of Saudi Arabia is referred to as the Saudi Riyal.[20] Saudi Arabia became the first Arab country to take over the G20 presidency.[21] In 2020, Saudi Arabia have a 20 riyal banknote to mark G20 presidency.[22] Saudi Arabia virtually hosted the G20 summit in Riyadh on November 21-22 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[23]

Demographics

[change | change source]

Saudi Arabia is the largest state in western Asia by land area (most of the Arabian Peninsula) and the second-largest in the Arab World. It has an estimated population of 27 million, of which 8.8 million are registered foreign expatriates and an estimated 1.5 million are illegal immigrants. Saudi nationals comprise an estimated 16 million people.[24] Saudi Arabia has cities that are important to the Muslim religion.

National food

[change | change source]

There is a national food called Kabsa. It is made with rice and meat. Many Saudi Arabian people eating Kabsa for lunch and sometimes for dinner. It can be made with spices and camel meat, lamb, chicken or fish.

The area of modern-day Saudi Arabia formerly consisted of four distinct regions: Hejaz, Najd, and parts of Eastern Arabia (Al-Ahsa) and Southern Arabia ('Asir). The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932 by Ibn Saud. He united the four regions into a single state through a series of conquests beginning in 1902 with the capture of Riyadh, the ancestral home of his family, the House of Saud. The country has since been an absolute monarchy, governed along Islamic lines.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded by Abdul-Aziz bin Saud (known for most of his career as Ibn Saud) in 1932. The conquests which eventually led to the creation of the Kingdom began in 1902 when he captured Riyadh, the ancestral home of his family, the House of Saud, from the Rashidi Emirate. The Saudi Arabian government, which is an absolute monarchy, refers to its system of government as being Islamic. It has a strong basis in Wahhabism, a minority school of thought in Islam. The kingdom is sometimes called "The Land of the Two Holy Mosques" in reference to Masjid al-Haram (in Mecca), and Masjid al-Nabawi (in Medina), the two holiest places in Islam.

Politics

[change | change source]
Verses from the Quran. The Quran is the official constitution of the country and a primary source of law. Arabia is unique in enshrining a religious text as a political document

Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy.[25] However, according to the Basic Law of Saudi Arabia adopted by royal decree in 1992, the king must comply with Sharia (Islamic law) and the Quran, while the Quran and the Sunnah (the traditions of Muhammad) are declared to be the country's constitution.[26] The primary source of law is the Islamic Sharia derived from the teachings of the Qur'an and the Sunnah (the traditions of the Prophet).[27] Saudi Arabia is unique among modern Muslim states in that Sharia is not codified and there is no system of judicial precedent, giving judges the power to use independent legal reasoning to make a decision. Saudi judges tend to follow the principles of the Hanbali school of jurisprudence (or fiqh) found in pre-modern texts[28] and noted for its literalist interpretation of the Qur'an and hadith.[29]

Because the judge is empowered to disregard previous judgments (either his own or of other judges) and may apply his personal interpretation of Sharia to any particular case, divergent judgements arise even in apparently identical cases,[30] making predictability of legal interpretation difficult.[31] The Sharia court system constitutes the basic judiciary of Saudi Arabia and its judges (qadi) and lawyers form part of the ulema, the country's Islamic scholars.

Royal decrees are the other main source of law; but are referred to as regulations rather than laws because they are subordinate to the Sharia.[27] Royal decrees supplement Sharia in areas such as labor, commercial and corporate law. Additionally, traditional tribal law and custom remain significant.[32] Extra-Sharia government tribunals usually handle disputes relating to specific royal decrees.[33] Final appeal from both Sharia courts and government tribunals is to the King and all courts and tribunals follow Sharia rules of evidence and procedure.[34]

In Saudi Arabia, music and dance are important parts of life. People usually sing traditional songs together with poetry. They play instruments like the rabābah, which is similar to a three-string fiddle, and percussion instruments such as the ṭabl (drum) and the ṭār (tambourine). The country's national dance is Ardah, a sword dance from Najd. Men form lines or circles and sing poetry while performing it.[35] Bedouin poetry, known as nabaṭī, is also well-liked.[36]

Since 1985, a cultural heritage festival named Jenadriyah is celebrated once every year, for two weeks.[36]

A Saudi woman wearing a traditional niqab.

A hijab is a traditional Islamic norm whereby women are required "to draw their outer garments around them (when they go out or are among men)" and dress in a modest manner.[37] Saudi Arabia is different from many Islamic societies in the extent of the covering that it considers Islamically correct hijab (everything except the hands and eyes) and the fact that covering is enforced by Mutaween or religious police.

Among unrelated men, women must cover the parts of the body that are awrah (private). In much of Islam, a women's face is not considered awrah. In Saudi Arabia and some other Arab states, all of the body is considered awrah except the hands and eyes. Accordingly, most women are expected to wear the hijab (head covering), a full black cloak called an abaya, and a face-veil called niqab. Many historians and Islamic scholars argue that the Quran was interpreted to require the veil as part of adapting it to tribal traditions.[38] [39][40][41]

Geography

[change | change source]
Deserts of Saudi Arabia - panoramio (5)

Saudi Arabia is home to the largest mass of sand on earth,[42] known as the Rub-al Khali desert (Rub-al Khali means "empty quarter"). The temperature is very hot. There are almost no rivers or lakes in the country. There are many wadis.

The countries of Yemen and Oman are south of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is west of Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Iraq, and Jordan. All of these countries, except Jordan and Iraq, make the Arabian Peninsula.

Animal life includes wolves, hyenas, mongooses, baboons, hares, sand rats, and jerboas. There used to be many larger animals such as gazelles, oryx, and leopards. By the 1950s hunting from motor vehicles made these animals almost extinct. Birds include falcons (which are caught and trained for hunting), eagles, hawks, vultures, sand grouse and bulbuls. There are several species of snakes, many of which are venomous, and numerous types of lizards. There is a wide variety of marine life in the Persian Gulf. Domesticated animals include camels, sheep, goats, donkeys, and chickens.

Because it is mostly a desert Saudi Arabia’s plant life is mostly small herbs and shrubs that need little water. There are a few small areas of grass and trees in southern Asir. The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) is widespread.

Provinces

[change | change source]

Saudi Arabia is divided into 13 provinces.[43] The provinces are divided into 136 governorates.[44]

No.RegionCapital
Provinces of Saudi Arabia
1Al Jawf (or Jouf)Sakaka
2Northern BordersArar
3TabukTabuk
4Ha'ilHa'il
5Al MadinahMedina
6Al QasimBuraidah
7MakkahMecca
8Al RiyadhRiyadh
9Eastern ProvinceDammam
10Al Bahah (or Baha)Al Bahah
11AsirAbha
12JizanJizan
13NajranNajran

These are the largest cities in Saudi Arabia.

Largest cities by population
(
mill.
Riyadh8.5
Jeddah4.6
Mecca1.7
Medina1.3RiyadhJeddahMecca
Dammam2.5
Ta'if0.7
Buraydah0.6
Tabuk0.5
Abha0.4
Khamis Mushait0.4MedinaDammamAbha
  1. ↑ The Shahādah (Statement of faith) is sometimes translated into English as 'There is no god but Allah', using the romanization of the Arabic word Allāh instead of its translation. The word Allāh (Arabic: اللَّٰه) literally translates as God.[2][3][4]
  2. ↑ This is the alternate emblem of Saudi Arabia, it is used by both the government and royal family it is placed on all embassies and used by the various ministries of the government.
  3. ↑ The Assembly or Shura Council, has no real legislative power.[7] As its role is only consultative it is not considered to be a legislature.[8]
  4. ↑ Pegged to the United States dollar (USD) at 3.75 riyals per USD since 1986[14]
  5. ↑ Arabic: السعودية as-Su‘ūdiyya or as-Sa‘ūdiyya
  6. ↑ Arabic: المملكة العربية السعودية al-Mamlaka al-‘Arabiyya as-Su‘ūdiyya, audio speaker iconArabic pronunciation (help·info)

References

[change | change source]
  1. ↑ "About Saudi Arabia: Facts and figures". The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Washington, DC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2012.
  2. ↑ "God". Islam: Empire of Faith. PBS. Archived from the original on 27 March 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  3. ↑ 'Islam and Christianity', Encyclopedia of Christianity (2001): Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews also refer to God as Allah.
  4. ↑ L. Gardet. "Allah". Encyclopaedia of Islam Online.
  5. ↑ "Basic Law of Governance". Ministry of Education. Ministry of Education – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Archived from the original on 5 December 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  6. ↑ "Saudi Arabia" (PDF). U.S. Department of State. According to the basic law, Sunni Islam is the official religion and the country's constitution is the Qur'an and the Sunna (traditions and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad).
  7. ↑ Hefner, Robert W. (2009). Remaking Muslim Politics: Pluralism, Contestation, Democratization. Princeton University Press. p. 202. ISBN 978-1-4008-2639-1.
  8. ↑ "Analysts: Saudi Arabia Nervous About Domestic Discontent". Voice of America. VoA News – English. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
  9. ↑ "Saudi Arabia". CIA World Factbook. Archived from the original on 19 March 2021. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  10. ↑ "Saudi Arabia Census Shows Total Population of 32.2 Million, of Which 18.8 Million are Saudis". وكالة الأنباء السعودية (in Arabic). 2023-05-31. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "World Economic Outlook Database, April 2025 Edition. (Saudi Arabia)". www.imf.org. International Monetary Fund. 22 April 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  12. ↑ "The World Factbook". CIA.gov. Central Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on 19 March 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  13. ↑ "Human Development Report 2025" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 6 May 2025. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 May 2025. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  14. ↑ Strohecker, Karin (27 April 2016). "Saudi riyal peg pressure eases, but not gone". reuters.com. Reuters. Archived from the original on 3 October 2023. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  15. ↑ "Cultural Dimension of Saudi Arabia". sauditourism. sauditourism. Archived from the original on 11 November 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  16. ↑ "The Basic Law of Government, Chapter one". Archived from the original on 2012-01-18. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
  17. ↑ "International Religious Freedom Report 2010: Saudi Arabia". U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. 2010. Retrieved 2011-03-02.
  18. ↑ Soldatkin, Vladimir; Nastassia Astrasheuskaya (November 9, 2011). "Saudi Arabia to overtake Russia as top oil producer-IEA". Reuters. Archived from the original on 18 October 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
  19. ↑ "The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia – A Welfare State". Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, London. Archived from the original on 24 August 2011. Retrieved 1 May 2010.
  20. ↑ Staff, Communicate. "The Emerging Trends Shaping the Future of Brands in Saudi Arabia". www.communicateonline.me. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
  21. ↑ AFP. "Saudi Arabia takes over G20 presidency from Japan". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-12-15.
  22. ↑ "Saudi Arabia issues new twenty-riyal banknote to mark G20 presidency". Al Arabiya English. 2020-10-25. Retrieved 2025-12-16.
  23. ↑ "Saudi Arabia to hold G20 summit virtually amid coronavirus pandemic". Al Arabiya English. 2020-09-28. Retrieved 2025-12-16.
  24. ↑ "Saudi Arabia". American Bedu. Archived from the original on 20 October 2011. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  25. ↑ World and Its Peoples: the Arabian Peninsula. Marshall Cavendish. 2007. p. 78. ISBN 978-0-7614-7571-2.
  26. ↑ Robbers, Gerhard (2007). Encyclopedia of world constitutions, Volume 1. p. 791. ISBN 978-0-8160-6078-8.
  27. 1 2 Campbell, Christian (2007). Legal Aspects of Doing Business in the Middle East. Lulu.com. p. 265. ISBN 978-1-4303-1914-6.
  28. ↑ Hefner, Robert W. (2011). Shari'a Politics: Islamic Law and Society in the Modern World. Indiana University Press. p. 58. ISBN 978-0-253-22310-4.
  29. ↑ Campo, Juan Eduardo (2006). Encyclopedia of Islam. Facts on File. p. 288. ISBN 978-0-8160-5454-1.
  30. ↑ Otto, pp. 161–162
  31. ↑ The Report: Saudi Arabia 2009. Data Saudi. 2022. p. 202. ISBN 978-1-902339-00-9.
  32. ↑ Otto, p. 157
  33. ↑ Esposito, John L. (1998). Islam and politics. Syracuse University Press. pp. 110–112. ISBN 978-0-8156-2774-6.
  34. ↑ Campbell, Christian (2007). Legal Aspects of Doing Business in the Middle East. Lulu.com. pp. 268–269. ISBN 978-1-4303-1914-6.
  35. ↑ "Al-Ardha – The National Sword Dance of Saudi Arabia". Saudi Arabesque. 2016-08-25. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
  36. 1 2 "Culture & Art | The Embassy of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia". www.saudiembassy.net. Archived from the original on 24 March 2024. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  37. ↑ "The Question of Hijab: Suppression Or Liberation?". islamswomen.com. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  38. ↑ "Niqab". BBC. 3 September 2009. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  39. ↑ Abdullah Atif Samih (7 March 2008). "Do women have to wear niqaab?". Islam Q&A. Archived from the original on 23 September 2009. Retrieved 2 June 2008.
  40. ↑ Munajjid (7 March 2008). "Shar'i description of hijab and niqaab". Islam Q&A. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2008.
  41. ↑ "Correct view on the ruling on covering the face". Archived from the original on 18 February 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  42. ↑ Vincent, Peter (2008). Saudi Arabia: an environmental overview. Taylor & Francis. p. 141. ISBN 978-0-415-41387-9. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
  43. ↑ "Saudi Arabia: Administrative divisions". arab.net. Retrieved 2008-09-21.
  44. ↑ "The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques agrees to the addition of 46 new governorates and centers". Ar Riyadh. 26 April 2012. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018.

[1]

Other websites

[change | change source]
Find more about
Saudi Arabia
at Wikipedia's sister projects
Search Wiktionary Definitions from Wiktionary
Search Commons Media from Commons
Search Wikinews News stories from Wikinews
Search Wikiquote Quotations from Wikiquote
Search Wikisource Source texts from Wikisource
Search Wikibooks Textbooks from Wikibooks
Search Wikiversity Learning resources from Wikiversity
  1. ↑ "Al-Riyadh | DataSaudi". datasaudi.sa. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
Retrieved from "https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Saudi_Arabia&oldid=10697283"