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| Introduction | Saudi Arabia |
| Background: | 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. Today, the monarchy is ruled by a son of ABD AL-AZIZ, 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. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all ongoing governmental concerns. |
| People | Saudi Arabia |
| Population: | 25,795,938 note: includes 5,576,076 non-nationals (July 2004 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 38.3% (male 5,039,578; female 4,845,937) 15-64 years: 59.3% (male 8,810,705; female 6,494,770) 65 years and over: 2.3% (male 327,047; female 277,901) (2004 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 21.2 years male: 22.8 years female: 19.1 years (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 2.44% (2004 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 29.74 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death rate: | 2.66 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -2.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.36 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.18 male(s)/female total population: 1.22 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 13.7 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 15.72 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 75.23 years male: 73.26 years female: 77.3 years (2004 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 4.11 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.01% (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA |
| Nationality: | noun: Saudi(s) adjective: Saudi or Saudi Arabian |
| Ethnic groups: | Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10% |
| Religions: | Muslim 100% |
| Languages: | Arabic |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 78.8% male: 84.7% female: 70.8% (2003 est.) |
| Government | Saudi Arabia |
| 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 |
| Government type: | monarchy |
| Capital: | Riyadh |
| 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 |
| Independence: | 23 September 1932 (Unification of the Kingdom) |
| National holiday: | Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932) |
| Constitution: | governed according to Shari'a (Islamic law); the Basic Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was introduced in 1993 |
| Legal system: | based on Islamic law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Suffrage: | none 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 |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 13 June 1982, but largely incapacitated since late 1995); Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud since 13 June 1982, also Saudi Arabian National Guard Commander since 1963 and de facto ruler since early 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, but largely incapacitated since late 1995); Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud since 13 June 1982, also Saudi Arabian National Guard Commander since 1963 and de facto ruler since early 1996; 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 |
| Legislative branch: | Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (120 members and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year terms) |
| Judicial branch: | Supreme Council of Justice |
| Political parties and leaders: | none |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | none |
| 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, ISO, ITU, LAS, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador BANDAR bin Sultan bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud chancery: 601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, and New York telephone: [1] (202) 342-3800 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador James Curtis OBERWETTER 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: [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 |
| Communications | Saudi Arabia |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 3,502,600 (2003) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 7,238,200 (2003) |
| Telephone 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) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998) |
| Radios: | 6.25 million (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 117 (1997) |
| Televisions: | 5.1 million (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .sa |
| Internet hosts: | 15,931 (2004) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 22 (2003) |
| Internet users: | 1.5 million (2003) |
| Transportation | Saudi Arabia |
| Railways: | total: 1,392 km standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and sidings) (2003) |
| Highways: | total: 151,470 km paved: 45,592 km unpaved: 105,878 km (1999) |
| Pipelines: | condensate 212 km; gas 1,780 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,191 km; oil 5,068 km; refined products 1,162 km (2004) |
| 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 |
| Merchant marine: | total: 66 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,306,706 GRT/1,963,191 DWT registered in other countries: 54 (2003 est.) by type: cargo 5, chemical tanker 11, container 4, livestock carrier 2, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 23, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 10, short-sea/passenger 6 foreign-owned: Egypt 3, Greece 4, Norway 2, Sudan 1, United Kingdom 3 |
| Airports: | 204 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways: | total: 72 over 3,047 m: 32 2,438 to 3,047 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 23 |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 129 under 914 m: 12 (2004 est.) over 3047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 39 1,524 to 2,437 m: 72 |
| Heliports: | 5 (2003 est.) |
| Military | Saudi Arabia |
| Military branches: | Land Force (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary) |
| Military manpower - military age and obligation: | 18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2004) |
| Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 8,240,714 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 4,725,514 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 246,343 (2004 est.) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $18 billion (2002) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 10% (2002) |
| Transnational Issues | Saudi Arabia |
| Disputes - international: | nomadic groups on border region with Yemen resist demarcation of boundary; Yemen protests Saudi erection of a concrete-filled pipe as a security barrier in 2004 to stem illegal cross-border activities in sections of the boundary; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue discussions on a maritime boundary with Iran; because the treaties have not been made public, the exact alignment of the boundary with the UAE is still unknown and labeled approximate |
| Refugees and internally displaced persons: | refugees (country of origin): 240,000 (Palestinian Territories) (2004) |
| Illicit drugs: | death penalty for traffickers; increasing consumption of heroin, cocaine, and hashish; not a major money-laundering center, improving anti-money-laundering legislation |
| This page was last updated on 16 December, 2004 |
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