Our Country
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia comprises almost four-fifths of the Arabian Peninsula, an area approximately one-third the size of the continental United States. Geographically, it is situated in the southwestern part of Asia. The eastern part of Saudi Arabia is a plateau that begins with the great Nafud desert in the north, continues along the Arabian Gulf and culminates in the world's largest sand desert, the Rub Al-Khali (Empty Quarter), in the south. To the west of this plateau is the Najd, the heartland of the peninsula, known for its spectacular escarpments and gravel and sand deserts. The capital city of Riyadh is located in Najd. A chain of mountains in western Saudi Arabia runs parallel to the Red Sea. The Hijaz region along the Red Sea contains the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah, the port city of Jeddah and the summer capital of Taif

Facts

Official name
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Capital
Riyadh

Population
25,795,938 note: includes 5,576,076 non-nationals (July 2004 est.) Population density 7.3 per sq km / 18.9 per sq mi

Population distribution
77.3% urban, 22.7% rural

Land area
2,331,000 sq km (900,000 sq mi)

Type of government
Monarchy

Government leader
King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud

Official language
Arabic, but English is widely spoken in commerce and business

Official religion
Islam

Currency
Saudi riyal $1 = 3.75 riyals

Power
Both 110 and 220 volts, 60 cycles AC 380 volts is used for industrial purposes

Working hours
Government: 7:30am-2:30pm Private businesses and shops: about 9:30am-2:00pm, and about 5:00pm-10:00pm. The work week begins on Saturday and runs through to Wednesday or Thursday.

Official holidays
Friday is the Islamic day of rest, corresponding to Sunday in the west. Government offices are also closed on Thursdays.

Public holidays
There are two every year: Eid Al Fitr which comes after the month of Ramadhan, the month of fasting; and Eid Al Adha which is during the month of pilgrimage or Hajj.

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.

Time zone
GMT +3 hours

International dialing code
+966