Saudi Arabia - Tourism and Travel

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia makes up most of the Arabian Peninsula, which is located in southwest Asia.

Saudi Arabia has an area of 849,925 square miles (2,200,000 square kilometers).

There are plains in the east along the Persian Gulf, as well as along the southeast. These rise to semi-desert or desert plateaus in the center of the country.

Mountains running parallel to the Red Sea are in the west. The Asir and Hejaz mountains were once connected to the highlands of Sudan and Eritrea. They became separated more than 50 million years ago, when the Red Sea opened up.

Saudi Arabia is an arid country with hot summers and warm winters.

The city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia is the most holy place in Islam. More than two million pilgrims visit it every year. Every Muslim is requited to make a Hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca at least once in their lifetime.

According to Islam, the Ka'bah, a cloth-covered shrine in Mecca, is the most sacred place in the world.

25,721,000 people live in Saudi Arabia, more than four fifths of whom live in urban areas, including the capital, Riyadh.

90% of the population is Arab, and the rest are Afro-Asian.

85% are Sunni Muslim. The rest are Shi'a Muslim.

There are over four million foreign workers employed in Saudi Arabia. They mostly work in the oil industry and the service industry.

The official language of Saudi Arabia is Arabic.

Saudi Arabia has the largest oil reserves in the world, most of which are along the Persian Gulf coast. As a result it is an extremely wealthy country. It also has a large amount of natural gas reserves.

Oil - both crude and refined - makes up more than 90 percent of Saudi Arabia's exports. The country imports most of its food and raw materials.

Saudi Arabia's government is a monarchy.

The official currency of Saudi Arabia is the Saudi Riyal, which is equal to 100 halalat.