Saudi Arabia
Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaAl Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Suudiyah
monarchyIndependence 23 September 1932 (unification of the kingdom)
Saudi Arabia as the 2006 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 128 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
In 1902, ABD AL-AZIZ bin Abd al-Rahman Al Saud captured Riyadh and set out on a 30-year campaign to unify the Arabian Peninsula. A son of ABD AL-AZIZ rules the country today, and the country's Basic Law stipulates that the throne shall remain in the hands of the aging sons and grandsons of the kingdom's founder. 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 Operation Desert Storm remained a source of tension between the royal family and the public until the US military's near-complete withdrawal to neighboring Qatar in 2003. The first major terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia in several years, which occurred in May and November 2003, prompted renewed efforts on the part of the Saudi government to counter domestic terrorism and extremism, which also coincided with a slight upsurge in media freedom and announcement of government plans to phase in partial political representation.
As part of this effort, the government permitted elections - held nationwide from February through April 2005 - for half the members of 179 municipal councils. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all ongoing governmental concerns.
Geography
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen
18 fieldsLand useshare of 1,960,582 sq km
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, 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
19 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2006 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2006 est.)
Male · female
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.)
Government
Monarchy; King and Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 1 August 2005); King and Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 1 August 2005)
18 fieldsCountry 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
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
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) 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
- 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
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, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador TURKI al-Faysal bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud
- 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
This is an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities.
45 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2005 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
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 has begun to permit private sector and foreign investor participation in the power generation and telecom sectors. As part of its effort to attract foreign investment and diversify the economy, Saudi Arabia acceded to the WTO in 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.
Labor force
6.76 million note: more than 35% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate
13% among Saudi males only (local bank estimate; some estimates range as high as 25%) (2004 est.)
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
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
Exchange rates
Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.747 (2005), 3.75 (2004), 3.75 (2003), 3.75 (2002), 3.75 (2001)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone 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)
Transportation
9 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right
Networkskm
Pipelines
- condensate 212 km;
- gas 1,880 km;
- liquid petroleum gas 1,183 km;
- oil 4,531 km;
- refined products 1,150 km (2006)
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)
Military
Land Forces (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary)
6 fieldsMilitary branches
Land Forces (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary)
Manpower available for military service
- males age 18-49:
- 7,648,999
- females age 18-49:
- 5,417,922 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually
- males age 18-49:
- 247,334
- females age 18-49:
- 234,500 (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues
4 fieldsDisputes - international
- despite resistance from nomadic groups, the demarcation of the Saudi Arabia-Yemen boundary established under the 2000 Jeddah Treaty is almost complete;
- Saudi Arabia still maintains the concrete-filled pipe as a security barrier along sections of the border with Yemen in 2004 to stem illegal cross-border activities;
- Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue discussions on a maritime boundary with Iran;
- the United Arab Emirate 2006 Yearbook published a map and text rescinding the 1974 boundary with Saudi Arabia, as stipulated in a treaty filed with the UN in 1993, on the grounds that the agreement was not formally ratified
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): 240,000 (Palestinian Territories) (2005)
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
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Saudi Arabia.” The World Factbook 2006. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/saudi-arabia/2006.