1996 Edition

Description

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

Location

25 00 N, 45 00 E -- Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US

land area

1,960,582 sq km

total area

1,960,582 sq km

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

international agreements

party to - Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea

natural hazards

frequent sand and dust storms

Geographic coordinates

25 00 N, 45 00 E

Geographic note

extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal

International disputes

large section of boundary with Yemen not defined; location and status of boundary with UAE is not final, defacto boundary reflects 1974 agreement; Kuwaiti ownership of Qaruh and Umm al Maradim islands is disputed by Saudi Arabia; 1965 boundary with Qatar, renegotiated and revised in 1992, but not official depiction

Irrigated land

4,350 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Iraq 814 km, Jordan 728 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km

total

4,415 km

Land use

arable land

1%

forest and woodland

1%

meadows and pastures

39%

other

59%

permanent crops

0%

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

Terrain

mostly uninhabited, sandy desert

highest point

Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m

lowest point

Persian Gulf 0 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 43% (male 4,228,660; female 4,103,622) 15-64 years: 55% (male 6,393,384; female 4,240,535) 65 years and over: 2% (male 227,789; female 215,068) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

38.32 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

5.36 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%

Infant mortality rate

46.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Arabic

Life expectancy at birth

female

70.84 years (1996 est.)

male

67.25 years

total population

69 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

female

50.2%

male

71.5%

total population

62.8%

Nationality

adjective

Saudi or Saudi Arabian

noun

Saudi(s)

Net migration rate

1.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

19,409,058 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

3.45% (1996 est.)

Religions

Muslim 100%

Sex ratio

all ages

1.27 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.51 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.06 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

6.45 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Administrative divisions

13 provinces (mintaqah, singular - mintaqat); Al Bahah, Al Hudud Ash Shamaliyah, Al Jawf, Al Madinah, Al Qasim, Ar Riyad, Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern Province), 'Asir, Hail, Jizan, Makkah, Najran, Tabuk

Capital

Riyadh

Constitution

none; governed according to Shari'a (Islamic law)

Data code

SA

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037

chief of mission

Ambassador BANDAR bin Sultan Abd al-Aziz Al Saud

consulate(s) general

Houston, Los Angeles, and New York

telephone

[1] (202) 342-3800

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers is dominated by royal family members appointed by the king

chief of state and head of government

King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 13 June 1982) is an absolute monarch; Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (half-brother to the king, heir to the throne since 13 June 1982, regent from 1 January to 22 February 1996)

FAX

[966] (1) 488-7360

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)

International organization participation

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, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)

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 composed of 60 members and a chairman who are appointed by the king for a term of four years

Name of country

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 of government

monarchy

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission

Ambassador Raymond E. MABUS, Jr.

embassy

Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh

mailing address

American Embassy-Riyadh, Unit 61307, APO AE 09803-1307; International Mail: P. O. Box 94309, Riyadh 11693

telephone

[966] (1) 488-3800

Agriculture

wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk

Budget

expenditures

$40 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1996 est.)

revenues

$35.1 billion

Currency

1 Saudi riyal (SR) = 100 halalah

Economic aid

donor

pledged $100 million in 1993 to fund reconstruction of Lebanon

Economic overview

This is a well-to-do oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. About 40% 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 90% of 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 over 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 1996, the country looks to its policies of maintaining moderate fiscal reforms, restraining public spending, and encouraging non-oil exports.

Electricity

capacity

17,550,000 kW

consumption per capita

2,430 kWh (1993)

production

46 billion kWh

Exchange rates

Saudi riyals (SR) per US$1 - 3.7450 (fixed rate since late 1986)

Exports

$41.7 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)

commodities

petroleum and petroleum products 90%

partners

US 17%, Japan 17%, South Korea 8%, Singapore 7%, France 5% (1994)

External debt

$18.9 billion (December 1989 est., includes short-term trade credits)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $189.3 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

9%

industry

50%

services

41% (1994 est.)

GDP per capita

$10,100 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

0% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

death penalty for traffickers; increasing consumption of heroin and cocaine

Imports

$21.3 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)

commodities

machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, motor vehicles, textiles

partners

US 21%, Japan 12%, UK 8%, Germany 8%, Italy 5% (1994)

Industrial production growth rate

17% (1994 est.)

Industries

crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, cement, two small steel-rolling mills, construction, fertilizer, plastics

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5% (1995 est.)

Labor force

6 million-7 million

by occupation

government 40%, industry, construction, and oil 25%, services 30%, agriculture 5%

Unemployment rate

6.5% (1992 est.)

Branches

Land Force (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Coast Guard, Frontier Forces, Public Security Force

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $12.1 billion, 8.5% of GDP (1996)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

5,405,828

males fit for military service

3,005,900

males reach military age (18) annually

165,010 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 43, FM 13, shortwave 0

Radios

5 million (1993 est.)

Telephone system

modern system

domestic

extensive microwave radio relay 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; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)

Telephones

1.46 million (1993)

Television broadcast stations

80

Televisions

4.5 million (1993 est.) Defense

Airports

total

175

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

22

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

11

with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m

4

with paved runways over 3 047 m

30

with paved runways under 914 m

13

with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

66

with unpaved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

4

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

24 (1995 est.)

with unpaved runways over 3 047 m

1

Heliports

4 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

60,613 km

total

151,532 km

unpaved

90,919 km (1992 est.)

Merchant marine

ships by type

bulk 1, cargo 13, 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 13, short-sea passenger 9 (1995 est.)

total

76 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 944,946 GRT/1,322,167 DWT

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, Ra's al Khafji, Al Mishab, Ras Tanura, Yanbu' al Bahr, Yanbu' al Sinaiyah

Railways

standard gauge

1,390 km 1.435-m gauge (448 km double track) (1992)

total

1,390 km