Occupying four-fifths of the Arabian Peninsula,
Saudi Arabia is the largest country on the peninsula. Located
in the southwestern corner of Asia, Saudi Arabia covers an
area of about 2,240,000 square kilometres or 864,900 square
miles (estimates vary) of which more than half is desert.
The country is bordered by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba
to the west, by the Republic of Yemen and the Sultanate of
Oman to the south, the Arabian Gulf, the United Arab Emirates
and Qatar to the east, and Jordan, Iraq and Kuwait to the
north. The richest oil fields in the world are found in the
eastern region. Riyadh, the capital and largest city, is located
in the east central region of the country. Jeddah, the second
largest city, is the country's main port on the Red Sea. It
is also the main port through which pilgrims enter to perform
Umrah, Haj, or to visit the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
Saudi Arabia is a monarchy ruled by the Al Saud family. The
Al Saud dynasty dates back to the mid-18th century with Mohammed
bin Saud, who was the ruler of Diriyah in central Arabia.
The late King Abdul'Aziz Al Saud founded the modern Saudi
state, established 23 September 1932. The present ruler is
King Fahd bin Abdul'Aziz Al Saud who has ruled since 1982
and in whose rule the written constitution and bill of rights
were introduced. King Fahd's half brother, Crown Prince Abdullah
bin Abdul'Aziz is the first deputy prime minister and commander
of the national guard.
Oil is the most important industry in Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom
has the world's largest proven reserves and is the largest
producer in OPEC, totalling one-third of output. Saudi Arabia
has the capacity to produce 10 million barrels per day, bpd.
Working toward diversifying its economy, the Kingdom is promoting
heavy industry, such as petrochemicals, fertilizers, and steel.
Traditionally fishing and agriculture were sources of revenue
for the Kingdom and today Saudi Arabia is one of the world's
leading producers of dates and the fishing industry continues
to grow.
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