Saudi Arabia

Official Sites of Saudi Arabia




The Saudi Consultative Assembly, or Shura Council, is the formal advisory body of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Image: Shura council


The political system of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy and an Islamic theocracy. There are no political parties or national elections. The royal family dominates the political system. The King performs legislative, executive and judicial functions, he is chief of state and head of government. Since 1993 there is a quasi-legislative body, the Consultative Assembly (Majlis al-Shūrā), the formal advisory body of the kingdom. Islamic law (Sharīʿah) is the main source of legislation.

Official Sites of Saudi Arabia

Note: External links will open in a new browser window.

 House of Saud
Saudi Royal Family Website. Latest News and Information on the Saudi Royals.

Saudi National Portal
The Unified National Platform for all Government services in the Kingdom.

Saudi Vision 2030
The agenda of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 is the strategic framework to reduce Saudi Arabia's dependence on oil.

Majlis Al-Shura
The Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia.

Ministry of Hajj and Umrah
Official website of the ministry with comprehensive information about the Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia website also provides information about Saudi Missions Abroad and foreign missions in the country.

Diplomatic Missions
Permanent Mission of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the UN
Saudi Arabia's representation to the United Nations.
Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia
London, UK
Saudi Arabia Royal Embassy
Washington, USA
Diplomatic Missions of Saudi Arabia
Diplomatic Missions of Saudi Arabia abroad.

Statistics
General Authority for Statistics
National Statistical Office of Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia in Figures
Saudi Arabia key statistical data.


Weather
Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME)
Weather Forecast for Saudi Arabia.



Prince Mohammed and his father, King Salman, are often found in "a network of marble-columned palaces and countryside retreats" in Riyadh.
Image: ActiveSteve
 

Maps of Saudi Arabia



Map of Saudi Arabia (click the map to enlarge)
Image: © nationsonline.org

Maps

Map of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Political Map of Saudi Arabia.

Google Earth Saudi Arabia
Searchable map/satellite view of Saudi Arabia.
Google Earth Riyadh
Searchable map/satellite view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's capital.
Google Earth Mecca (Makkah)
Searchable map/satellite view of Mecca, the holy city of Islam, where the Prophet Muhammad was born.

Map of the Arabian Peninsula
Political Map of the Arabian Peninsula.
Map of the Persian Gulf
Political Map of the Persian Gulf.
Map of the Red Sea
Political and topographic map of the Red Sea.
Map of Countries of Western Asia and the Middle East
Political map of the countries of Western Asia and the Middle East.
Map of Western Asia
Map of Western Asia and the Middle East region.
Map of Northern Africa and the Middle East
Political Map of North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Middle East.
Map of Asia
Reference Map of Asia.



Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, the Prophet's Mosque in Medina (Al Madinah), Saudi Arabia.
Image: Mardetanha 

 

Arts & Culture of Saudi Arabia



Arabia is the birthplace of the Arabic language. The origin of Arabic, one of the Semitic languages, is still a highly debated topic. Today, the language is used by hundreds of millions of people worldwide and is one of the United Nations' six official working languages.
Image: Andrey Filippov

Arts & Culture

King Faisal Foundation
A global philanthropic organization inspired by Islamic values.

Ministry of Culture & Information
Official website of Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Culture and Information.

King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Qur'an
A Leading Islamic Establishment that Serves the Qur'an and Sunnah.

King Fahed National Library
Official website of the library (in Arabic).

The National Museum, Riyadh
The museum presents the rich history of the Arabian Peninsula and the eternal message of Islam.

Al-Hajj and Al-Omra (`Umrah)
Information on the Hajj Farewell Pilgrimage, Hajj, and Umrah rituals; the sacred Kaaba and the Prophet's mosque.

Arabian Rock Art Heritage
Explore rock art in the remote landscape of Saudi Arabia.



Traditional mud architecture in Najran, a city in southwestern Saudi Arabia near the border with Yemen.
Image: Richard Mortel 
 

Business & Economy of Saudi Arabia



The Central Business District of Riyadh with Al Faisaliyah Center, Olaya Towers, and the Kingdom Centre. The capital, the largest city, and the economic powerhouse of Saudi Arabia, is surrounded by the an-Nafud desert.
Image: Richard Mortel 


Saudi Arabia's economy
Saudi Arabia has an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. According to the Saudi government, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the world's leading oil-exporting country. It is estimated that the country has between 16% and 22% of the world's known oil reserves, but a growing population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are major governmental concerns. And this is where Saudi Vision 2030 comes into play, a strategic framework to reduce Saudi Arabia's dependence on oil, to diversify its economy, and develop the public service sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, recreation, and tourism.

Saudi Vision 2030
No less than 96 strategic goals are to be achieved with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, which is why the kingdom's Council for Economic and Development Affairs has established 13 programs to realize the ambitious vision.


Ministry of Commerce and Industry
Official ministry website. The ministry is responsible for the commerce and investment sectors in the kingdom.

Council of Saudi Chambers
The Council of Saudi Chambers is the umbrella and only legitimate representative of the Saudi business community.



Banks
Al Rajhi Banking & Investment Corp.
Al Rajhi Bank, with its headquarters in Riyadh, is the world's largest Islamic bank by capital.
National Commercial Bank
NBC (or AlAhli) was the first Saudi bank. Today, it is one of the Arab world's largest financial institutions; its head office is in Jeddah.
Riyad Bank
The Riyad Bank is a major financial institution in Saudi Arabia with headquarters in Riyadh.
SAMBA
Samba Financial Group SJSC, formerly known as The Saudi American Bank, is a multinational Saudi banking company with headquarters in Riyadh.

Tadawul
Tadawul is the stock exchange of the Kingdom with headquarters in Riyadh.

Mubasher
Real-time prices from the Saudi stock market.


Largest Saudi Arabian Companies

Aramco
The Saudi Arabian Oil Company is a global player in the petroleum industry.
SABIC
Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, based in Riyadh, is a multinational chemical manufacturing company and a subsidiary of Saudi Aramco.
Kingdom Holding Company
KHC is a Saudi investment holding company based in Riyadh.
SAFCO
Saudi Arabian Fertilizer Company was the first petrochemical company in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Electricity Company
SECO is a Saudi Arabian electric energy company based in Riyadh.
Saudi Telecom
STC is a major telecommunications provider in Saudi Arabia.
Almarai
Almarai is a multinational Saudi Arabian dairy company.
Ma'aden
The Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma'aden) is a government-owned (50%) mining company.

Major companies of Saudi Arabia
Wikipedia list of the largest companies in Saudi Arabia.


Transportation

Airline
Saudia
Saudia is the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, formerly known as Saudi Arabian Airlines.

Ports
Saudi Ports Authority
The largest Port Network in the Middle East.
 
 

Tourism in Saudi Arabia



Praying people at Masjid al-Haram, the Great Mosque of Mecca.
Image: Najamuddin Shahwani

Destination Saudi Arabia - Travel and Tour Guides

Discover Saudi Arabia:
Jeddah and King Fahd's Fountain, Rub' Al Khali desert adventure, Souk Al Majlis (Divan Heritage Souk), Eimarah Palace Najran, Old Eimarah Palace in Al-Ras, Khuzam Palace, the historic district of Al Dir'iya, Madain Saleh (Al-Hijr) archaeological site, and much more.


Saudi
Comprehensive information about tourism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by the Saudi Tourism Authority.


Supreme Commission for Tourism
The site provides information about the tourism sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.


Emirate of Makkah
The official website of the Emirate Makkah Al-Mokaramah, which covers an area of 150 000 km² and has a population of more than 6 million people. The emirate hosts the pilgrims from all around the world who visit the holy city in Makkah (Mecca).


Wikivoyage Saudi Arabia
Wikipedia's travel guide to Saudi Arabia in many languages.



Qasr al Farid, the largest tomb in the archeological compound of Mada'in Saleh (Al-Hijr), a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Image: Richard.hargas

 

UNESCO World Heritage Sites



Ruins in the At-Turaif District in ad-Dir'iyah, the first capital of the Saudi Dynasty.
Image: edward musiak
 

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Saudi Arabia
There are five cultural UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, eleven properties are listed on UNESCO's Tentative List (see the List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Saudi Arabia).


Al-Ahsa Oasis, an Evolving Cultural Landscape
Al-Ahsa Oasis shows traces of continuous human settlement in the Gulf region from the Neolithic to the present. The world's largest oasis includes gardens, caves, canals, springs, fountains, a drainage lake, and historic buildings in an urban setting. The oasis, covering more than 85 km², is fed by a huge underground aquifer and irrigated by the flow of more than 280 artesian springs.

Al-Hijr Archaeological Site (Madâin Sâlih)
Al-Hijr (Madâin Sâlih) was the first recognized world heritage site in Saudi Arabia. Al-Hijr is the largest preserved site of the Nabataean civilization south of Petra in Jordan. The archaeological site is known for its well-preserved monumental tombs with decorated facades dating from the 1st century BC to the 1st century AD.

At-Turaif District in ad-Dir'iyah
Dir'iyah was the first capital of the Saudi Dynasty. The town is located in the center of the Arabian Peninsula, north-west of Riyadh. From 1744 to 1818, the settlement served as the capital of the Emirate of Diriyah under the first Saudi dynasty.

Historic Jeddah, the Gate to Makkah
Jeddah is a Saudi Arabian port city on the Red Sea. In the 7th-century, Jeddah was an important trading port for the Indian Ocean trade routes, through which goods were transported to the holy city of Mecca. The port still is the gateway for many Muslim pilgrims who come to Mecca by sea.

Rock Art in the Hail Region of Saudi Arabia
In two places in the desert of the Ha'il region, ancient people left their traces 10,000 years ago. Numerous rock paintings have been found near Mount Umm Sinman and in the Shuwaymis area.




Historic Jeddah. The Old Town of the port city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Image: Tahir Mahmood
 

Education in Saudi Arabia



Laboratory buildings of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Thuwal, with residential buildings and town mosque in the background.
Image: A. T. Service


King Saud University (KSU)
King Saud University was founded in 1957 (1376/77 AH) as Riyadh University; iit was one of the first higher education institutions in Saudi Arabia.

King Abdul Aziz University (KAU)
Founded in 1967 (1386/87 AH), Jeddah and Madinah.

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
KAUST is a research university and the first mixed-gender campus in Saudi Arabia.

King Faisal University (KFU)
Founded in 1975 (1395 AH), Hofuf and in Dammam, Eastern Province.

King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals
The leading public university in Dhahran was founded in 1963 (1382/83 AH). Dhahran is an important administrative center for the Saudi oil industry.

Umm Al-Qur'a Islamic University
The large public Islamic university in Mecca was established in 1949 (1369 AH) as the College of Sharia; it was made a university in 1981.

Islamic University of Madinah
The Islamic University of Madinah was founded in 1961 (1380/81 AH). There is a Faculty for Islamic Law (Shari'ah) and various institutes to study the Holy Koran and other Islamic Studies, such as Da'wa (Call to Islam) and Usul Al-Din (Fundamental beliefs), Islamic traditions (Hadith) and the Arabic language.

King Abdulaziz City for Science & Technology (KACST)
The scientific organization of the Saudi Arabian Government is based in Riyadh,and promotes science and technology in the country, with a number of research centers and institutes.
 
 

Environment & Nature



Dunes in the Rub' Al Khali, also known as the Empty Quarter. The world's largest sand desert extends from central Saudi Arabia south to Yemen and east to the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
Image: viktor.manuela


There are urgent and critical environmental problems facing the Kingdom. Mainly desertification, the depletion of underground water resources, the lack of rivers with constant stream throughout the year or permanent water bodies, the development of extensive desalination plants, and pollution by oil spills, air pollution, and waste disposal.


Environmental organizations in Saudi Arabia

Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture
The ministry is supervising and developing the environment, water, and agriculture affairs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection
Saudi Arabia's environmental protection agency.

National Center for Monitoring Environmental Compliance
Saudi Arabia's National Center for Environmental Compliance.

National Center for Meteorology
Saudi Arabia's National Center for Meteorology offers meteorological information.


Saudi Gulf Environmental Protection Company (SEPCO)
SEPCO is the first company in the Middle East specialized in biological waste treatment.

Saudi Environmental Society
SENS is a national non-profit society for the development of the Saudi environment and improving the residents’ conditions in regions and provinces that suffer environmental problems. (account suspended)

National Center for Wildlife Development (NCW)
NCW develops and implements plans to preserve wildlife in its natural ecology and proposes the establishment of proper protected areas and reserves for wildlife in the Kingdom.

Environment and Energy | UNDP in Saudi Arabia
About the United Nations Development Programme in Saudi Arabia.

Prince Saud al-Faisal Wildlife Research Center
According to its website, the Saudi Wildlife Authority is responsible for the conservation and development of wildlife in Saudi Arabia.
 
 

Saudi Arabia History



The mosque surrounding the Kaaba in Mecca is called al-Masjid al-Haram ("The Sacred Mosque"). According to Islamic belief, the Kaaba was the first masjid (place of worship) on Earth, and the second was the Temple in Jerusalem. The original Kaaba is much older than Islam; the pre-Islamic monument was rededicated by Muhammad in 631-32 C.E.
Image: Tahir Mahmood


The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932 by Ibn Saud. He united the four regions on the Arabian Peninsula into a single state through a series of conquests that began in 1902 with the capture of Riyadh, the ancestral seat of his family, the House of Saud. In September 1932, the dual kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd was united under the name Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.


History
History lesson by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Washington, DC.

Saudi Arabia profile - Timeline
Timeline of Saudi Arabia's history (BBC)

History Saudi Arabia
Wikipedia series about the history of Saudi Arabia.
 

Additional Information

Selected country profiles of Saudi Arabia published by international organizations.


Amnesty International: Saudi Arabia
Amnesty International is a non-governmental organization focused on human rights.

BBC Country Profile: Saudi Arabia
Country profiles by the British public service broadcaster.

BTI Transformation Index Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia Country Report 2020 by Bertelsmann Stiftung.

FAO: Saudi Arabia
UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

Freedom House: Saudi Arabia
The U.S. government-funded non-profit organization whose goal is to promote liberal democracies worldwide.

GlobalEDGE: Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia ranking by the Global business knowledge portal.

The Heritage Foundation: Saudi Arabia
Index of Economic Freedom by The Heritage Foundation, an American conservative think tank.

Human Rights Watch: Saudi Arabia
HRW conducts research and advocacy on human rights.

OEC: Saudi Arabia
The Observatory of Economic Complexity provides the latest international trade data.

Reporters Without Borders: Saudi Arabia
RSF (Reporters sans frontières) is an international NGO that defends and promotes media freedom.

Wikipedia: Saudi Arabia
Wikipedia's Saudi Arabia page in many languages.

Worldbank Data: Saudi Arabia
World Development Indicators database.

The CIA World Factbook -- Saudi Arabia
CIA World Factbook Saudi Arabia Page.