Saudi Arabia

• historically a population that was mostly nomadic or semi-nomadic, the Saudi population has become more settled since petroleum was discovered in the 1930s;
• most of the economic activities - and with it the country's population - is concentrated in a wide area across the middle of the peninsula, from Ad Dammam in the east, through Riyadh in the interior, to Mecca-Medina in the west near the Red Sea

• Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the world without a river;
• extensive coastlines on the Persian Gulf and Red Sea allow for considerable shipping (especially of crude oil) through the Persian Gulf and Suez Canal

noun:

Saudi(s)

adjective:

Saudi or Saudi Arabian

• historically a population that was mostly nomadic or semi-nomadic, the Saudi population has become more settled since petroleum was discovered in the 1930s;
• most of the economic activities - and with it the country's population - is concentrated in a wide area across the middle of the peninsula, from Ad Dammam in the east, through Riyadh in the interior, to Mecca-Medina in the west near the Red Sea

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.09 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

1.52 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

1.61 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

1.12 male(s)/female

total population:

1.3 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

improved:

total: 100% of population

unimproved:

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

improved:

total: 100% of population

unimproved:

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

• 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;
• air pollution;
• waste management

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

particulate matter emissions:

78.38 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions:

563.45 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions:

45.47 megatons (2020 est.)

urban population:

84.5% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization:

1.69% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

16,125,701 tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually:

2,418,855 tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

15% (2015 est.)

municipal:

3.15 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial:

1 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural:

19.2 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

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

etymology:

• named after the ruling dynasty of the country, the House of Saud;
• the name "Arabia" can be traced back many centuries B.C., the ancient Egyptians referred to the region as "Ar Rabi"

name:

Riyadh

geographic coordinates:

24 39 N, 46 42 E

time difference:

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology:

the name derives from the Arabic word "riyadh," meaning "gardens," and refers to various oasis towns in the area that merged to form the city

• 13 regions (manatiq, singular - mintaqah);
• Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah (Northern Border), Al Jawf, Al Madinah al Munawwarah (Medina), Al Qasim, Ar Riyad (Riyadh), Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern), 'Asir, Ha'il, Jazan, Makkah al Mukarramah (Mecca), Najran, Tabuk

history:

1 March 1992 - Basic Law of Government, issued by royal decree, serves as the constitutional framework and is based on the Qur'an and the life and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad

amendments:

• proposed by the king directly or proposed to the king by the Consultative Assembly or by the Council of Ministers;
• passage by the king through royal decree;
• Basic Law amended many times, last in 2017

• Islamic (sharia) legal system with some elements of Egyptian, French, and customary law;
• note - several secular codes have been introduced;
• commercial disputes handled by special committees

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

the father must be a citizen of Saudi Arabia; a child born out of wedlock in Saudi Arabia to a Saudi mother and unknown father

dual citizenship recognized:

no

residency requirement for naturalization:

5 years

• 18 years of age;
• restricted to males;
• universal for municipal elections

chief of state:

• King and Prime Minister SALMAN bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 23 January 2015);
• Crown Prince MUHAMMAD BIN SALMAN bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (born 31 August 1985);
• note - the monarch is both chief of state and head of government

head of government:

King and Prime Minister SALMAN bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 23 January 2015); Crown Prince MUHAMMAD BIN SALMAN bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (born 31 August 1985)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch every 4 years and includes many royal family members

elections/appointments:

• none;
• the monarchy is hereditary;
• an Allegiance Council created by royal decree in October 2006 established a committee of Saudi princes for a voice in selecting future Saudi kings

description:

• unicameral Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (150 seats; members appointed by the monarch to serve 4-year terms);
• note - in early 2013, the monarch granted women 30 seats on the Council

note: composition as of 2013 - men 121, women 30, percent of women 19.9%

highest courts:

High Court (consists of the court chief and organized into circuits with 3-judge panels, except for the criminal circuit, which has a 5-judge panel for cases involving major punishments)

judge selection and term of office:

• High Court chief and chiefs of the High Court Circuits appointed by royal decree upon the recommendation of the Supreme Judiciary Council, a 10-member body of high-level judges and other judicial heads;
• new judges and assistant judges serve 1- and 2-year probations, respectively, before permanent assignment

subordinate courts:

• Court of Appeals;
• Specialized Criminal Court, first-degree courts composed of general, criminal, personal status, and commercial courts;
• Labor Court;
• a hierarchy of administrative courts

chief of mission:

Ambassador Princess REEMA bint Bandar Al Saud (since 8 July 2019)

chancery:

601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037

telephone:

[1] (202) 342-3800

FAX:

[1] (202) 295-3625

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://www.saudiembassy.net/

consulate(s) general:

Houston, Los Angeles, New York

chief of mission:

ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Martina STRONG (since February 2021)

embassy:

Riyadh 11564

mailing address:

6300 Riyadh Place, Washington DC 20521-6300

telephone:

[966] (11) 835-4000

FAX:

[966] (11) 488-7360

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://sa.usembassy.gov/

consulate(s) general:

Dhahran, Jeddah

• 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;
• the flag is manufactured with differing obverse and reverse sides so that the Shahada reads - and the sword points - correctly from right to left on both sides

note: the only national flag to display an inscription as its principal design; one of only three national flags that differ on their obverse and reverse sides - the others are Moldova and Paraguay

name:

"Aash Al Maleek" (Long Live Our Beloved King)

lyrics/music:

Ibrahim KHAFAJI/Abdul Rahman al-KHATEEB

note: music adopted 1947, lyrics adopted 1984

Fitch rating:

A (2019)

Moody's rating:

A1 (2016)

Standard & Poors rating: A- (2016)

agriculture:

6.7%

industry:

21.4%

services:

71.9% (2005 est.)

total:

27.2%

male:

21.5%

female:

43.8% (2020 est.)

lowest 10%:

NA

highest 10%:

NA

• broadcast media are state-controlled;
• state-run TV operates 4 networks;
• Saudi Arabia is a major market for pan-Arab satellite TV broadcasters;
• state-run radio operates several networks;
• multiple international broadcasters are available

• the innovative King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (informally known as Ithra, meaning "enrichment") opened on 1 December 2017 in Dhahran, Eastern Region;
• its facilities include a grand library, several museums, an archive, an Idea Lab, a theater, a cinema, and an Energy Exhibit, all which are meant to provide visitors an immersive and transformative experience

number of registered air carriers:

12 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 230

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

39,141,660 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

1,085,470,000 mt-km (2018)

total:

5,410 km (2016)

standard gauge:

5,410 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and sidings) (2016)

total:

221,372 km (2006)

paved:

47,529 km (includes 3,891 km of expressways) (2006)

unpaved:

173,843 km (2006)

total:

392

by type:

bulk carrier 5, container ship 1, general cargo 21, oil tanker 58, other 307 (2021)

major seaport(s):

Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Jeddah, King Abdulla, Yanbu'

container port(s) (TEUs):

Ad Dammam (1,822,642), Jeddah (4,433,991), King Abdulla (2,020,683) (2019)

• the inventory of the Saudi military forces, including the SANG, includes a mix of mostly modern weapons systems from the US and Europe;
• since 2010, the US is the leading supplier of armaments, followed by France and the UK;
• Saudi Arabia is the world's largest arms importer (2021)

• 17-40 for men;
• no conscription;
• as of 2021, women (aged 17-40) were allowed to serve in the Army, Air Defense, Navy, Strategic Missile Force, medical services, and internal security forces up to the rank of non-commissioned officer (2021)

• in 2015, a Saudi-led coalition of Arab states intervened militarily in Yemen in support of the Republic of Yemen Government against the separatist Huthis;
• as of 2021, the coalition (consisting largely of Saudi forces) and the Huthis continued to engage in fighting, mostly with air and missile forces, although heavy ground fighting was also reportedly taking place over the key province of Marib;
• the Saudis have conducted numerous air strikes in northern Yemen, while the Huthis have launched attacks into Saudi territory with ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles armed with explosives;
• the Saudi-led coalition controlled the country’s airspace and the port of Hodeida;
• Saudi Arabia also has raised and equipped paramilitary/militia security forces in Yemen--based largely on tribal or regional affiliation--to deploy along the Saudi-Yemen border, especially the areas bordering the governorates of Saada and Al-Jawf

• Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS);
• al-Qa’ida;
• al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T

• 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

stateless persons:

• 70,000 (2020);
• note - thousands of biduns (stateless Arabs) are descendants of nomadic tribes who were not officially registered when national borders were established, while others migrated to Saudi Arabia in search of jobs;
• some have temporary identification cards that must be renewed every five years, but their rights remain restricted;
• most Palestinians have only legal resident status;
• some naturalized Yemenis were made stateless after being stripped of their passports when Yemen backed Iraq in its invasion of Kuwait in 1990;
• Saudi women cannot pass their citizenship on to their children, so if they marry a non-national, their children risk statelessness

current situation:

• Saudi Arabia is a destination country for men and women subjected to forced labor and, to a lesser extent, forced prostitution;
• men and women primarily from South and Southeast Asia and Africa voluntarily travel to Saudi Arabia to work in domestic service, construction, agriculture or other low-skilled jobs, but some subsequently face conditions indicative of involuntary servitude (many are forced to work months or years beyond their contract term because employers withhold passports and required exit visas);
• women, primarily from Asian and African countries, are reported to be forced into prostitution in Saudi Arabia

tier rating:

• Tier 2 Watch List — Saudi Arabia does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, but is making significant efforts to do so and was upgraded to Tier 2 Watch List;
• the government enacted the country’s first-ever national referral mechanism (NRM) and increased the number of prosecutions and convictions under the anti-trafficking law;
• victims are identified and referred for care;
• the government convicted and sentenced two Saudi officials complicit in trafficking crimes;
• however, the government continued to fine, jail, and/or deport migrant workers for prostitution or immigration violations who may have been trafficking victims;
• authorities regularly misclassified potential trafficking crimes as labor law violations rather than as criminal offenses (2020)

• regularly sentences drug traffickers to the death penalty, although a moratorium on executions for drug offences has been in place since at least 2020;
• improving anti-money-laundering legislation and enforcement