1995 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1995 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 1,960,582 sq km land area: 1,960,582 sq km comparative area: slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US
Climate
harsh, dry desert with great extremes of temperature
Coastline
2,640 km
Environment
current issues: desertification; depletion of underground water resources; the lack of perennial rivers or permanent water bodies has prompted the development of extensive seawater desalination facilities; coastal pollution from oil spills natural hazards: frequent sand and dust storms international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea
International disputes
large section of boundary with Yemen not defined; status of boundary with UAE not final; Kuwaiti ownership of Qaruh and Umm al Maradim islands is disputed by Saudi Arabia
Irrigated land
4,350 sq km (1989 est.)
Land boundaries
total 4,415 km, Iraq 814 km, Jordan 728 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km
Land use
arable land: 1% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 39% forest and woodland: 1% other: 59%
Location
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen
Map references
Middle East
Maritime claims
contiguous zone: 18 nm continental shelf: not specified territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper
Note
extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal
Terrain
mostly uninhabited, sandy desert
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 43% (female 3,952,573; male 4,065,224) 15-64 years: 55% (female 4,078,001; male 6,219,737) 65 years and over: 2% (female 203,372; male 210,669) (July 1995 est.)
Birth rate
38.78 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate
5.54 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Ethnic divisions
Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%
Infant mortality rate
48.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Labor force
5 million-6 million by occupation: government 34%, industry and oil 28%, services 22%, agriculture 16%
Languages
Arabic
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 68.5 years male: 66.79 years female: 70.3 years (1995 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 62% male: 73% female: 48%
Nationality
noun: Saudi(s) adjective: Saudi or Saudi Arabian
Net migration rate
3.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Population
18,729,576 (July 1995 est.) note: a 1992 census gives the number of Saudi citizens as 12,304,835 and the number of residents who are not citizens as 4,624,459
Population growth rate
3.68% (1995 est.)
Religions
Muslim 100%
Total fertility rate
6.48 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
13 provinces (mintaqah, singular - mintaqat); Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah, Al Jawf, Al Madinah, Al Qasim, Ar Riyad, Ash Sharqiyah, Asir, Hail, Jizan, Makkah, Najran, Tabuk
Capital
Riyadh
Constitution
none; governed according to Shari'a (Islamic law)
Digraph
SA
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: Ambassador BANDAR bin Sultan Abd al-Aziz Al Saud chancery: 601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 342-3800 consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, and New York
Executive branch
chief of state and head of government: King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 13 June 1982); Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (half-brother to the King, appointed heir to the throne 13 June 1982) cabinet: Council of Ministers; dominated by royal family members appointed by the king
FAX
[966] (1) 482-4364 consulate(s) general: Dhahran, Jiddah (Jeddah)
Flag
green with large white Arabic script (that may be 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); green is the traditional color of Islam
Independence
23 September 1932 (unification)
Judicial branch
Supreme Council of Justice
Legal system
based on Islamic law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
a consultative council comprised of 60 members and a chairman who are appointed by the King for a term of four years
P. O. Box 94309, Riyadh 11693; APO AE 09803-1307 telephone: [966] (1) 488-3800
Member of
ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-19, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Names
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
National holiday
Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932)
Political parties and leaders
none allowed
Suffrage
none
Type
monarchy
US diplomatic representation
chief of mission: Ambassador Raymond E. MABUS, Jr. embassy: Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 61307, Riyadh; International
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for about 10% of GDP, 16% of labor force; subsidized by government; products - wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus fruit, mutton, chickens, eggs, milk; approaching self-sufficiency in food
Budget
revenues: $39 billion expenditures: $50 billion, including capital expenditures of $7.5 billion (1993 est.)
Currency
1 Saudi riyal (SR) = 100 halalah
Economic aid
donor: pledged bilateral aid (1979-89), $64.7 billion; pledged $100 million in 1993 to fund reconstruction of Lebanon
Electricity
capacity: 17,550,000 kW production: 46 billion kWh consumption per capita: 2,430 kWh (1993)
Exchange rates
Saudi riyals (SR) per US$1 - 3.7450 (fixed rate since late 1986), 3.7033 (1986)
Exports
$39.4 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 92% partners: US 20%, Japan 18%, Singapore 5%, France 5%, South Korea 5% (1992)
External debt
$18.9 billion (December 1989 est., includes short-term trade credits)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Illicit drugs
death penalty for traffickers; increasing consumption of heroin and cocaine
Imports
$28.9 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, motor vehicles, textiles partners: US 21%, Japan 14%, UK 11%, Germany 8%, Italy 6%, France 5% (1992)
Industrial production
growth rate 20% (1991 est.); accounts for 35% of GDP, including petroleum
Industries
crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, cement, two small steel-rolling mills, construction, fertilizer, plastics
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1% (1993 est.)
National product
GDP - purchasing power parity - $173.1 billion (1994 est.)
National product per capita
$9,510 (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate
-3% (1994 est.)
Overview
This is a well-to-do oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. About 46% of GDP comes from the private sector. Economic (as well as political) ties with the US are especially strong. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues, 35% of GDP, and almost all export earnings. Saudi Arabia has the largest reserves of petroleum in the world (26% of the proved total), ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC. For the 1990s the government intends to bring its budget, which has been in deficit since 1983, back into balance, and to encourage private economic activity. Roughly four million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, for example, in the oil and banking sectors. For about a decade, Saudi Arabia's domestic and international outlays have outstripped its income, and the government has cut its foreign assistance and is beginning to rein in domestic programs. For 1995, the country looks for improvement in oil prices and will continue its policies of restraining public spending and encouraging non-oil exports.
Unemployment rate
6.5% (1992 est.)
Communications
Radio
broadcast stations: AM 43, FM 13, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Telephone system
1,624,000 telephones; modern system local: NA intercity: extensive microwave and coaxial and fiber optic cable systems international: 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; earth stations - 5 INTELSAT (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 ARABSAT, and 1 INMARSAT
Television
broadcast stations: 80 televisions: NA
Transportation
Airports
total: 211 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 30 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 22 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 4 with paved runways under 914 m: 21 with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 73 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 43
Highways
total: 151,530 km paved: 60,610 km unpaved: 90,920 km (1992 est.)
Merchant marine
total: 71 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 855,452 GRT/1,233,477 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 12, chemical tanker 5, container 3, liquefied gas tanker 1, livestock carrier 4, oil tanker 22, passenger 1, refrigerated cargo 4, roll-on/roll-off cargo 11, short-sea passenger 7
Pipelines
crude oil 6,400 km; petroleum products 150 km; natural gas 2,200 km (includes natural gas liquids 1,600 km)
Ports
Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Duba, Jiddah, Jizan, Rabigh, Ras al Khafji, Ras al Mishab, Ras Tanura, Yanbu' al Bahr, Yanbu' al Sinaiyah
Railroads
total: 1,390 km standard gauge: 1,390 km 1.435-m gauge (448 km double track)
Military and Security
Branches
Land Force (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Coast Guard, Frontier Forces, Special Security Force, Public Security Force
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $17.2 billion, 13.8% of GDP (1994) ________________________________________________________________________ SENEGAL
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 5,303,679; males fit for military service 2,949,842; males reach military age (17) annually 164,220 (1995 est.)