2000 Edition

Background

In 1902 Abdul al-Aziz Ibn SAUD captured Riyadh and set out on a 30-year campaign to unify the Arabian peninsula. In the 1930s, the discovery of oil transformed the country. 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. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all major governmental concerns.

Area

land

1,960,582 sq km

total

1,960,582 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US

Climate

harsh, dry desert with great extremes of temperature

Coastline

2,640 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m

lowest point

Persian Gulf 0 m

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

Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

25 00 N, 45 00 E

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

4,350 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

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

total

4,415 km

Land use

arable land

2%

forests and woodland

1%

other

41% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

0%

permanent pastures

56%

Location

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

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

18 nm

continental shelf

not specified

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

frequent sand and dust storms

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper

Terrain

mostly uninhabited, sandy desert

Age structure

0-14 years: 43% (male 4,781,695; female 4,607,038) 15-64 years: 55% (male 7,093,567; female 4,969,848) 65 years and over: 2% (male 309,638; female 261,720) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

37.47 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

6.02 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%

Infant mortality rate

52.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

Arabic

Life expectancy at birth

female

69.51 years (2000 est.)

male

66.11 years

total population

67.77 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

50.2% (1995 est.)

male

71.5%

total population

62.8%

Nationality

adjective

Saudi or Saudi Arabian

noun

Saudi(s)

Net migration rate

1.36 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

22,023,506

note

includes 5,360,526 non-nationals (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

3.28% (2000 est.)

Religions

Muslim 100%

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.43 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.18 male(s)/female

total population

1.24 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

6.3 children born/woman (2000 est.)

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

Capital

Riyadh

Constitution

governed according to Shari'a (Islamic law); the Basic Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was introduced in 1993

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

Data code

SA

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Wyche FOWLER, Jr.

embassy

Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh

mailing address

American Embassy Riyadh, Unit 61307, APO AE 09803-1307; International Mail: P. O. Box 94309, Riyadh 11693

telephone

(1) 488-3800

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037

chief of mission

Ambassador BANDAR bin Sultan bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud

consulate(s) general

Houston, Los Angeles, and New York

telephone

(202) 342-3800

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers is appointed by the monarch and includes many royal family members

chief of state

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 monarch, heir to the throne since 13 June 1982, regent from 1 January to 22 February 1996); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government

elections

none; the monarch is hereditary

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 monarch, heir to the throne since 13 June 1982, regent from 1 January to 22 February 1996); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government

FAX

(1) 488-7360

consulate(s) general

Dhahran, Jiddah (Jeddah)

Flag description

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

Government type

monarchy

Independence

23 September 1932 (unification)

International organization participation

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BIS, 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, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)

Judicial branch

Supreme Council of Justice

Legal system

based on Islamic law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

a consultative council (90 members and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year terms)

National holiday

Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932)

Political parties and leaders

none allowed

Suffrage

none

Agriculture - products

wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk

Budget

expenditures

$49.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

revenues

$41.9 billion

Currency

1 Saudi riyal (SR) = 100 halalah

Debt - external

$28 billion (1998 est.)

Economic aid - donor

pledged $100 million in 1993 to fund reconstruction of Lebanon; since 1993, Saudi Arabia has committed $208 million for assistance to the Palestinians

Economy - overview

This is an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. 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. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues, 40% of GDP, and 90% of export earnings. About 35% of GDP comes from the private sector. Roughly 4 million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, for example, in the oil and service sectors. Saudi Arabia was a key player in the successful efforts of OPEC and other oil producing countries to raise the price of oil in 1999 to its highest level since the Gulf War by reducing production. Although oil prices are expected to remain relatively high in 2000, Riyadh expects to have a $7.5 billion budget deficit in part because of increased spending for education and other social problems. The government in 1999 announced plans to begin privatizing the electricity companies, which follows the ongoing privatization of the telecommunications company. The government is expected to continue calling for private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population. Shortages of water and rapid population growth will constrain government efforts to increase self-sufficiency in agricultural products.

Electricity - consumption

102.423 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

110.132 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

Saudi riyals (SR) per US$1 - 3.7450 (fixed rate since June 1986)

Exports

$48 billion (f.o.b., 1999)

Exports - commodities

petroleum and petroleum products 90%

Exports - partners

Japan 17%, US 15%, South Korea 11%, Singapore 8%, India 4%, France 4% (1998)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $191 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

6%

industry

47%

services

47% (1998 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $9,000 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

1.6% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$28 billion (f.o.b., 1999)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles

Imports - partners

US 21%, UK 9%, Japan 9%, Germany 6%, France 5%, Italy 4% (1998)

Industrial production growth rate

1% (1997 est.)

Industries

crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, cement, construction, fertilizer, plastics

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-1.2% (1999)

Labor force

7 million

note

35% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1998 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 12%, industry 25%, services 63% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

NA%

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

6 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios

6.25 million (1997)

Telephone system

modern system

domestic

extensive microwave radio relay 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; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)

Telephones - main lines in use

3.1 million (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1 million

note

in 1998, the government contracted for the installation of 575,000 additional Group Speciale Mobile (GSM) cellular telephone lines over 15 months to raise the total number of subscribers to more than one million; Riyadh planned to further expand the GSM system in 1999 by adding an additional one million lines (1998)

Television broadcast stations

117 (1997)

Televisions

5.1 million (1997)

Airports

205 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

72 over 3,047 m: 31 2,438 to 3,047 m: 13 1,524 to 2,437 m: 23 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

133 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 77 914 to 1,523 m: 39 under 914 m: 13 (1999 est.)

Heliports

4 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

44,104 km

total

146,524 km

unpaved

102,420 km (1997 est.)

Merchant marine

ships by type

cargo 12, chemical tanker 7, container 5, liquified gas 1, livestock carrier 3, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 17, refrigerated cargo 4, roll-on/roll-off 12, short-sea passenger 8 (1999 est.)

total

70 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,071,003 GRT/1,388,802 DWT

Pipelines

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

Ports and harbors

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

Railways

standard gauge

1,390 km 1.435-m gauge (448 km double track) (1992)

total

1,390 km

Military branches

Land Force (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$18.1 billion (FY97)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

12% (FY97)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 5,786,089 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 3,225,809 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - military age

17 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

221,026 (2000 est.)

Disputes - international

large section of boundary with Yemen not defined; location and status of boundary with UAE is not final, de facto boundary reflects 1974 agreement; Kuwaiti ownership of Qaruh and Umm al Maradim islands is disputed by Saudi Arabia; June 1999 agreement has furthered the goal of definitively establishing the border with Qatar

Illicit drugs

death penalty for traffickers; increasing consumption of heroin and cocaine

SENEGAL