Saudi Arabia: Overview

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)

Location: Western Asia, Arabian Peninsula (80%). Borders: Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Yemen, Red Sea, Persian Gulf. Maritime: Egypt, Eritrea, Sudan, Iran.

Key Facts

• Area: 2.15M km² (12th largest; 2nd Arab after Algeria).
• Population: ~36.9M (2024 est.); ~60% <30 yrs; 38% expatriates.
• Capital: Riyadh (7.7M metro).
• Holy Cities: Mecca (Masjid al-Haram, Kaaba), Medina (Al-Masjid an-Nabawi) — Islam's holiest sites.
• Government: Absolute monarchy (Basic Law 1992). King = Head of State & PM. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (de facto ruler).
• Economy: Oil = 50% GDP, 70% export, 60% revenue. Vision 2030: diversify (tourism, tech, mining, logistics).
• OPEC leader: Swing producer; ~12M bpd capacity.
• Language: Arabic (official); English (business).
• Religion: Sunni Islam (official); Wahhabi/Salafi interpretation dominant. Non-Muslim worship restricted.

Modern Transformation

• Social: Women driving (2018), cinema (2018), mixed-gender events, guardianship reforms.
• Economic: PIF ($700B+ sovereign fund) investing globally; NEOM ($500B giga-project), Red Sea Global, Qiddiya.
• Geopolitical: Yemen war (since 2015), Iran rivalry, Abraham Accords holdout, US security partner, China strategic partner.

Saudi Arabia: Oil superpower, Islamic heartland, rapidly reforming society.