Saudi Arabia

Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaAl Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Suudiyah

monarchyIndependence 23 September 1932 (unification)

Saudi Arabia as the 1995 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 80 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalRiyadh

Area1,960,582 sq km

LocationMiddle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea,

Populationas each edition published it

18.73 million July 1995 est. · 17.12m in 1990

Population growth% a year

3.68% 1995 est. · 3.3% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 18.8 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

68.5 years 1995 est. · 67.32 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

6.48 children per woman 1995 est. · 6.8 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

48.9 deaths per 1,000 live births 1995 est. · 71 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$9,510 1994 est. · $6,500 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

-3% 1994 est. · 3.6% in 1993

Geography

Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, | north of Yemen

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Land useshare of 1,960,582 sq km

arable land 1%permanent crops 0%meadows and pastures 39%forest and woodland 1%other 59%irrigated 4,350 sq km (1989 est.)

Area

1,960,582sq km

land area: 1,960,582 sq kmcomparative area: slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US

Coastline

2,640km

contiguous zone: 18 nmcontinental shelf: not specifiedterritorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

4,415km

total · Iraq 814 km, Jordan 728 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km

Location

Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen

International disputes

large section of boundary with Yemen not defined;
status of boundary with UAE not final;
Kuwaiti ownership of Qaruh and Umm al Maradim islands is disputed by Saudi Arabia

Climate

harsh, dry desert with great extremes of temperature

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper

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
natural hazards:: frequent sand and dust storms
international agreements:: party to - Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea

Note

extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal

People

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Population

18,729,576

(July 1995 est.)note: a 1992 census gives the number of Saudi citizens as 12,304,835 and the number of residents who are not citizens as 4,624,459growth rate: 3.68% (1995 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1995 est.)

Birth

38.78Death

5.54Net migration

3.56

Male · female(1995 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years68.5

66.79 · 70.3

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy62%

73% · 48%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1990)

Labor force

5million

-6 millionby occupation: government 34%, industry and oil 28%, services 22%, agriculture 16%

Age structure

0-14 years:: 43% (female 3,952,573; male 4,065,224)
15-64 years:: 55% (female 4,078,001; male 6,219,737)
65 years and over:: 2% (female 203,372; male 210,669) (July 1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate

48.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Saudi(s)
adjective:: Saudi or Saudi Arabian

Government

Monarchy

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Names

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

Administrative divisions

13 provinces (mintaqah, singular - mintaqat);
Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah, Al Jawf, Al Madinah, Al Qasim, Ar Riyad, Ash Sharqiyah, Asir, Hail, Jizan, Makkah, Najran, Tabuk

National holiday

Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932)

Constitution

none; governed according to Shari'a (Islamic law)

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 and 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 King, appointed heir to the throne 13 June 1982)
cabinet:: Council of Ministers; dominated by royal family members appointed by the king

Legislative branch

a consultative council comprised of 60 members and a chairman who are appointed by the King for a term of four years

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, 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, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador BANDAR bin Sultan 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

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Raymond E. MABUS, Jr.
embassy:: Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh
mailing address:: American Embassy, Unit 61307, Riyadh; International

Mail

P. O. Box 94309, Riyadh 11693; APO AE 09803-1307; telephone: [966] (1) 488-3800

FAX

[966] (1) 482-4364; consulate(s) general: Dhahran, Jiddah (Jeddah)

Flag

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

This is a well-to-do oil-based economy with strong | government controls over major economic activities.

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GDP per capita, PPP

$9,510

(1994 est.)

Real growth rate

-3%

(1994 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 20% (1991 est.); accounts for 35% of GDP, including petroleum

Inflation, consumer prices

(1993 est.)

Unemployment rate

6.5%

(1992 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$39 billionExpenditures

$50 billion (1993 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $7.5 billion

Installed generating capacity, 17,550,000 kW

Electricity production

46 billionElectricity consumption per capita

2,430 (1993)

Overview

This is a well-to-do oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. About 46% of GDP comes from the private sector. Economic (as well as political) ties with the US are especially strong. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues, 35% of GDP, and almost all export earnings.

Saudi Arabia has the largest reserves of petroleum in the world (26% of the proved total), ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC. For the 1990s the government intends to bring its budget, which has been in deficit since 1983, back into balance, and to encourage private economic activity.

Roughly four million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, for example, in the oil and banking sectors. For about a decade, Saudi Arabia's domestic and international outlays have outstripped its income, and the government has cut its foreign assistance and is beginning to rein in domestic programs.

For 1995, the country looks for improvement in oil prices and will continue its policies of restraining public spending and encouraging non-oil exports.

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $173.1 billion (1994 est.)

Exports

$39.4 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

commodities:: petroleum and petroleum products 92%
partners:: US 20%, Japan 18%, Singapore 5%, France 5%, South Korea 5% (1992)

Imports

$28.9 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

commodities:: machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, motor vehicles, textiles
partners:: US 21%, Japan 14%, UK 11%, Germany 8%, Italy 6%, France 5% (1992)

External debt

$18.9 billion (December 1989 est., includes short-term trade credits)

Industries

crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, cement, two small steel-rolling mills, construction, fertilizer, plastics

Agriculture

accounts for about 10% of GDP, 16% of labor force;
subsidized by government;
products - wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus fruit, mutton, chickens, eggs, milk;
approaching self-sufficiency in food

Illicit drugs

death penalty for traffickers; increasing consumption of heroin and cocaine

Economic aid

donor: pledged bilateral aid (1979-89), $64.7 billion; pledged $100 million in 1993 to fund reconstruction of Lebanon

Currency

1 Saudi riyal (SR) = 100 halalah

Exchange rates

Saudi riyals (SR) per US$1 - 3.7450 (fixed rate since late 1986), 3.7033 (1986)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Transportation

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Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 211 in all

over 3,047 m

2,438 to 3,047 m

1,524 to 2,437 m

914 to 1,523 m

under 914 m

1,524 to 2,438 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

151,530Railroads

1,390

Highways: paved: 60,610 km · unpaved: 90,920 km (1992 est.) · Railroads: standard gauge: 1,390 km 1.435-m gauge (448 km double track)

Railroads

total:: 1,390 km
standard gauge:: 1,390 km 1.435-m gauge (448 km double track)

Highways

total:: 151,530 km
paved:: 60,610 km
unpaved:: 90,920 km (1992 est.)

Pipelines

crude oil 6,400 km;
petroleum products 150 km;
natural gas 2,200 km (includes natural gas liquids 1,600 km)

Ports

Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Duba, Jiddah, Jizan, Rabigh, Ras al Khafji, Ras al Mishab, Ras Tanura, Yanbu' al Bahr, Yanbu' al Sinaiyah

Merchant marine

total:: 71 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 855,452 GRT/1,233,477 DWT
ships by type:: bulk 1, cargo 12, chemical tanker 5, container 3, liquefied gas tanker 1, livestock carrier 4, oil tanker 22, passenger 1, refrigerated cargo 4, roll-on/roll-off cargo 11, short-sea passenger 7

Communications

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Telephone system

1,624,000 telephones; modern system

local:: NA
intercity:: extensive microwave and coaxial 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;
earth stations - 5 INTELSAT (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 ARABSAT, and 1 INMARSAT

Radio

broadcast stations:: AM 43, FM 13, shortwave 0
radios:: NA

Television

broadcast stations:: 80
televisions:: NA

Defense Forces

Land Force (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, | National Guard, Coast Guard, Frontier Forces, Special Security Force, | Public Security Force

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