World Factbook
Saudi Arabia
Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Suudiyah
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Flag
description: green (traditional Islamic color) with the Shahada, or Muslim creed, in large white Arabic script that translates as, "There is no god but God; Muhammad is the messenger of God;" the text is above a white horizontal saber pointing to the left history: design dates to the early 20th century and is closely associated with the Al Saud family that established the kingdom in 1932; the flag has different sides so that the text reads correctly from right to left and the saber points in the same direction on both sides
note 1: the only national flag that has an inscription as its primary design
note 2: one of three national flags that differ on each side -- the others are Moldova and Paraguay
Capital
name
Riyadh
etymology
the name derives from the Arabic word riyadh , meaning "gardens;" the city was built around a small oasis
time difference
UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
geographic coordinates
24 39 N, 46 42 E
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal for municipal elections
Citizenship
citizenship by birth
no
citizenship by descent only
the father must be a citizen of Saudi Arabia; a child born out of wedlock in Saudi Arabia to a Saudi mother and unknown father
dual citizenship recognized
no
residency requirement for naturalization
5 years
Constitution
history
1 March 1992 -- Basic Law of Government, issued by royal decree, serves as the constitutional framework and is based on the Qur'an and the life and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad
amendment process
proposed by the king directly or proposed to the king by the Consultative Assembly or by the Council of Ministers; passage by the king through royal decree
Country name
etymology
named after the ruling dynasty of the country, the House of Saud; the name Arabia can be traced back at least as far as the ancient Romans, who referred to the peninsula as "Arabia Felix" (Arabia the Fortunate)
local long form
Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Suudiyah
local short form
Al Arabiyah as Suudiyah
conventional long form
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
conventional short form
Saudi Arabia
Independence
23 September 1932 (unification of the kingdom)
Legal system
Islamic (sharia) system with some elements of Egyptian, French, and customary law; commercial disputes handled by special committees
Government type
absolute monarchy
Judicial branch
highest court(s)
High Court (consists of the court chief; organized into circuits with 3-judge panels, except for the criminal circuit, which has a 5-judge panel for cases involving major punishments)
subordinate courts
Court of Appeals; Specialized Criminal Court, first-degree courts composed of general, criminal, personal status, and commercial courts; Labor Court; a hierarchy of administrative courts
judge selection and term of office
High Court chief and chiefs of the High Court Circuits appointed by royal decree on the recommendation of the Supreme Judiciary Council, a 10-member body of high-level judges and other judicial heads; new judges and assistant judges serve 1- and 2-year probations, respectively, before permanent assignment
Executive branch
cabinet
Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch every 4 years and includes many royal family members
chief of state
King SALMAN bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 23 January 2015)
head of government
Crown Prince and Prime Minister MUHAMMAD BIN SALMAN bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 27 September 2022)
election/appointment process
none; the monarchy is hereditary; an Allegiance Council created by royal decree in 2006 established a committee of Saudi princes who have a voice in selecting future Saudi kings
National holiday
Saudi National Day (Unification of the Kingdom), 23 September (1932)
National color(s)
green, white
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites
7 (7 cultural, 1 natural)
selected World Heritage Site locales
Hegra Archaeological Site (al-Hijr / Madā ͐ in Ṣāliḥ) (c); At-Turaif District in ad-Dir'iyah (c); Historic Jeddah, the Gate to Makkah (c); Rock Art in the Hail Region of Saudi Arabia (c); Al-Ahsa Oasis, an Evolving Cultural Landscape (c); Ḥimā Cultural Area (c); ‘Uruq Bani Ma’arid (n);The Cultural Landscape of Al-Faw Archaeological Area (c)
Political parties
none
Legislative branch
term in office
4 years
number of seats
151 (all appointed)
legislature name
Shura Council (Majlis Ash-Shura)
scope of elections
full renewal
legislative structure
unicameral
most recent election date
9/2/2024
expected date of next election
August 2028
percentage of women in chamber
19.9%
National anthem(s)
title
"Aash Al Maleek" (Long Live Our Beloved King)
history
music adopted 1947, lyrics adopted 1984
lyrics/music
Ibrahim KHAFAJI/Abdul Rahman al-KHATEEB
National symbol(s)
palm tree over two crossed swords
Administrative divisions
13 regions ( manatiq , singular - mintaqah ); Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah (Northern Border), Al Jawf, Al Madinah al Munawwarah (Medina), Al Qasim, Ar Riyad (Riyadh), Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern), 'Asir, Ha'il, Jazan, Makkah al Mukarramah (Mecca), Najran, Tabuk
Diplomatic representation in the US
FAX
[1] (202) 295-3625
chancery
601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone
[1] (202) 342-3800
chief of mission
Ambassador Reema Bint Bandar Bin Sultan AL SAUD (since 8 July 2019)
consulate(s) general
Houston, Los Angeles, New York
email address and website
saudisusemb@mofa.gov.sa https://www.saudiembassy.net/
Diplomatic representation from the US
FAX
[966] (11) 488-7360
embassy
Riyadh 11564
telephone
[966] (11) 835-4000
mailing address
6300 Riyadh Place, Washington DC 20521-6300
chief of mission
Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Alison DILWORTH (since January 2025)
consulate(s) general
Dhahran, Jeddah
email address and website
RiyadhACS@state.gov https://sa.usembassy.gov/
International organization participation
ABEDA, AfDB (nonregional member), AFESD, AMF, BIS, BRICS, CAEU, CP, FAO, G-20, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt