Capital: Riyadh
Calling Code: +966
Currency: Saudi riyal (SR) (SAR)
Driving Side: Right
Official Language: Arabic
Official Religion: Sunni Islam
Population: 30,770,375 (2014)
Time Zone: AST (UTC+3)
Saudi Arabia, officially known as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is geographically the fifth-largest state in Asia and second-largest state in the Arab world after Algeria. It is bordered by Jordan and Iraq to the north, Kuwait to the northeast, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates to the east, Oman to the southeast, and Yemen to the south.
It is separated from Israel and Egypt by the Gulf of Aqaba. It is the only nation with both a Red Sea coast and a Persian Gulf coast, and most of its terrain consists of arid inhospitable desert or barren landforms.
Fascinating Riyadh, the capital, is a showpiece for modern Saudi Arabia, Jeddah blends ancient and modern and has an enchanting old city made of coral, while the Red Sea coast has world-class diving. And for Muslim travellers, Mecca and Medina represent the most sacred destination you can imagine.
The vast majority of tourism in the Kingdom revolves around pilgrimages to Mecca, with more than 10 million travellers visiting Islam's holy city each year. Yet the world's largest exporter of oil and one of the richest countries on the planet is trying to change that fact and encourage travellers to stay for longer.
Most visitors will need to acquire a visa, although this requirement doesn't apply to citizens of certain countries including Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar.