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Saudi Arabia

✨ The kingdom of golden sands

Saudi Arabia is the largest country on the Arabian Peninsula and one of the largest in Asia, covering about 2.15 million square kilometres. It occupies most of the peninsula and has coastlines along the Red Sea to the west and the Arabian Gulf to the east. It shares land borders with Jordan, Iraq and Kuwait in the north, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman in the east, and Yemen in the south. Much of the country consists of dry plateaus and vast deserts.

The Rub' al Khali, or Empty Quarter, in the southeast is one of the world's largest continuous sand deserts. In the west, the Hejaz mountain ranges run parallel to the Red Sea, while the Asir region farther south receives more rainfall and has a greener landscape. Riyadh, located in the interior, is the capital and largest city. Jeddah, on the Red Sea coast, is another major urban and commercial centre.

Saudi Arabia has an arid climate, with very little rainfall across most of the country and high temperatures during much of the year. Conditions vary with altitude and location: mountain areas can be considerably cooler, while coastal regions are often more humid. Despite the dryness, the country contains diverse habitats, including deserts, mountains, coastal wetlands and coral reefs.

Its economy has long been strongly linked to petroleum, and Saudi Arabia remains one of the world's major oil producers and exporters. Natural gas, mining, manufacturing, transport, finance and tourism have also gained importance as the economy has diversified. The country is home to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, which are major destinations for Muslim pilgrims. Arabic is the official language. Saudi Arabia's geography, energy resources and position between the Red Sea and the Gulf give it an important role in regional trade and transport.

💡 Did you know?

Did you know that in Saudi Arabia there is a desert so large it is called the 'Empty Quarter' (Rub' al Khali)? It is an ocean of giant sand dunes spanning four countries! Some dunes are as high as the Eiffel Tower. It is one of the driest and quietest places on Earth. In the past, only camel caravans dared to cross this golden sand labyrinth, guiding themselves by the stars.

Imagine an ancient city hidden in the desert, with palaces carved directly into giant rocks. That's Al-'Ula (or Hegra). The Nabataeans, the same people who built Petra in Jordan, created these wonders 2,000 years ago. One can see hundreds of magnificent tombs with incredible details, remained almost intact thanks to the dry desert climate. It looks like an adventure movie set!

Saudi Arabia is building one of the craziest projects in history: 'The Line.' It is a futuristic city that will look like a long giant mirror 170 kilometers long placed in the desert. Inside, people will live above each other in a vertical garden, without any cars or roads. Everything will be accessible in a 5-minute walk, and a super fast train will connect the two ends of the city in just 20 minutes!