Official Name |
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
(Al-Mamlaka al-Arabiya as-Saudiya) |
Capital |
Riyadh (Population 3,500,000) |
Area |
2,149,690 square kilometers
(5.7 times greater than the size of Japan) |
Population |
23,630,000 (2006)
Saudi 17,250,000 / Non-Saudi 6,380,000 |
Language |
Arabic |
Religion |
Islam |
Head of State and Prime Minister |
King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques |
National Day |
September 23, commemorating the foundation of the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932. |
Currency |
Saudi Riyal (SR)
3.75 SR= $ 1 |
Highest Court |
Supreme Council of Justice |
Administrative Regions |
Al-Baha, Al-Jouf, Asir, Eastern, Hail, Jizan, Madinah, Makkah, Najran, Northern Border, Qasim, Riyadh, Tabouk |
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 Flag
green background, with in white letters the Muslim creed in Arabic:
There is no god but God: Muhammad is the Messenger of God." |
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Emblem
a date palm, representing vitality and growth, and two crossed swords, symbolizing justice and strength rooted in faith. |
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Location
southwest Asia, at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa; extending from the Red Sea in the west to the Arabian Gulf in the east; bordered on the north by Jordan, Iraq and Kuwait, on the south, by Yemen and Oman, and on the east by the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain. |
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Anthem, "Sarei Lil Majd Walaya"
Translation:
Speed up your pace towards glory and loftiness
My Glory is for the Creator of Heaven
Raise the green streaming fly high, carrying the written light
Oh my beloved country repeat Allah Akbar (God is Great)
Oh my beloved country you have lived as an honor for the Muslims
Long Live the King for the Homeland and the Flag |
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Terrain
varied; fairly barren and harsh, with salt flats, gravel plains and sand deserts; a few man-made lakes but no permanent streams; in the south, the Rub Al-Khali (Empty Quarter), the largest sand desert in the world; in the southwest, mountain ranges of over 9,000 feet.
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Climate
June through August, over 110 degrees Fahrenheit midday in the desert; humidity in coastal regions up to 100 percent; elsewhere, mild; possible winter temperatures in the northern and central regions dropping below freezing; rainfall, from none at all for up to 10 years in the Rub Al-Khali, to 20 inches a year in the mountains of Asir Province. |
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Government
Islamic state based on principles prescribed by the Holy Qur'an and Shari'ah (Islamic law); Provincial Council System, Consultative Council (Majlis Al-Shura), and Council of Ministers. |
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Telecom
Country Code 966
Area Codes
-Riyadh 1
-Jeddah/Makkah/Taif 2
-Dammam/Dhahran 3
-Madinah/Tabuk/Yanbu 4 |
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Time
Greenwich Mean Time plus three (GMT+3) = Eastern Standard Time plus eight (seven during Daylight Savings Time). |
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Calendars
Islamic (Hijrah), dating from emigration of the Prophet Muhammad from Makkah to Madinah; weekend, Thursday and Friday. |
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The 12 months of the Islamic lunar year
Muharram, Safar, Rabi' Al-Awal, Rabi' Al-Akher, Jumada Al-Awal, Jumada Al-Akher, Rajab, Sha'ban, Ramadan, Shawwal. Dhu Al-Qadah , Dhu Al-Hajjah. |
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Holidays
closure of all offices and schools on Eid Al-Fitr, the feast of the breaking of the fast, from the evening of the last day of Ramadan through the third day of Shawwal; and Eid Al-Adha, the culmination of the Hajj, from the tenth through twelfth of Dhu Al-Hajjah. |
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Business
Government offices Saturday through Wednesday from 7:30 am to 2:30 pm; private businesses from 8:00 am to noon and 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm; general banking from 8:00 am until noon and from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm and markets and shops from 8:00 am until 10:00 pm. |
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