Saudi Arabia Country & Tourist Information

Location
Middle East.

Area
2,240,000 sq km (864,869 sq miles).

Population
27.6 million (2007 estimate).

Population Density
12.3 per sq km.

Capital
Riyadh (royal).
Population: 4.7 million (UN estimate 2005). Jeddah (administrative). Population: 3.2 million (UN estimate 2001; including suburbs).

Government
Absolute monarchy since 1932.

Language
Arabic. English is spoken in business circles.

Religion
The majority of Saudi Arabians follow Islam; around 90% are Sunni Muslim, but Shia Muslims predominate in the Eastern Province.

Time
GMT + 3.

Electricity
127/220 volts AC, 60Hz.

Head of State
Prime Minister and King Abdullah Bin-Abd-al-Aziz Al Saud since 2005.

Recent History
In 2002, as the American government geared up to launch operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Saudis made it clear that they would prefer the Americans to move elsewhere from their military base in Saudi Arabia. They did, and Qatar became the main command and control center for these recent US military operations.

King Abdullah succeeded the late King Fahd, his half brother, in August 2005. As crown prince, Abdullah had been the effective ruler of Saudi Arabia since the former king suffered a stroke in the mid 1990s.

Regarded in the Arab world as a supporter of wider Arab interests, King Abdullah has criticized US support for Israel and Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory.

Telephone
Country code: 966. A sophisticated telecommunications network and satellite, microwave and cable systems span the country.

Mobile Telephone
International roaming agreements exist with some mobile phone companies. Coverage is mostly good.

Internet
The Ministry of Post, Telegraph and Telephones provides Internet facilities in most cities. E-mail can also be accessed from many hotels and Internet cafes.

Media
Saudi Arabia has a very tightly controlled media environment and criticism of the Government, the royal family and religious tenets are not really tolerated - although there are signs of an increasing tolerance emerging. The state-run Broadcasting Service of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (BSKSA) is responsible for all broadcasting in the kingdom. The Minister of Culture and Information oversees radio and TV operations. Viewers in the country’s east can pick up TV stations from more liberal Gulf neighbors. The government blocks access to websites that it deems offensive. Newspapers tend to follow the lead of the state-run news agency on whether or not to publish stories on sensitive subjects.

Post
Internal and international services available from the Central Post Office. Post is delivered to box numbers. Airmail to Europe takes up to one week.

Press
• Saudi newspapers are created by royal decree.
• Pan-Arab papers, subject to censorship, are available.
• The main newspapers include Al-Jazirah, Ar-Riyadh and Okaz.
• English-language dailies include Arab News and Saudi Gazette.

Radio
• Private radio and TV stations cannot operate from Saudi soil.
• Saudi Radio is state-run.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2009-December 2010 period.

2009
21 Sep Eid al-Fitr/ Djoulde Soumae (Ramadan ends).
23 Sep Saudi National Day.
28 Nov Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice).

2010
11 Sep Eid al-Fitr/ Djoulde Soumae (Ramadan ends).
23 Sep Saudi National Day.
17 Nov Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice).

Note
Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Eid al-Fitr, Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Some disruption may continue into Eid al-Fitr itself. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha may last anything from two to 10 days, depending on the region. During Hajj (when pilgrims visit Mecca) all government establishments and some businesses will be closed for 10 to 14 days.

Contact Information:

Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in the UK
30 Charles Street, London W1J 5DZ, UK
Visa section: 30-32 Charles Street, London W1J 5DZ, UK
Tel: (020) 7917 3000.
Website: www.saudiembassy.org.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 0900-1600, Fri 0900-1500.
Consular section: Mon-Fri 0900-1130 (visa applications); Mon-Thurs 1400-1530 (passport collection), Fri 1330-1430.

Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in the USA
601 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA
Tel: (202) 342 3800 (information section) or 944 3126 (visa section).
Website: www.saudiembassy.net


Next Page »

Related Saudi Arabia Content