23 Astonishing Facts About Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia, located on the Arabian Peninsula, is a nation known for its significant cultural and economic influence in the Middle East. Rich in oil reserves, it is one of the world’s leading oil producers and exporters, which drives its economy. The country is home to two of Islam’s holiest cities, Mecca and Medina, making it a major religious center for Muslims worldwide. Saudi Arabia’s landscape features vast deserts, including the Rub’ al Khali or Empty Quarter, and its cities, like Riyadh and Jeddah, blend traditional Arab architecture with modern development. Recent efforts to diversify the economy through initiatives like Vision 2030 are reshaping the nation’s global role and internal dynamics.

1. The country share land border with many countries. It shares borders with Jordan, Iraq, and Kuwait to the north. The Persian Gulf, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Oman to the east. It also shares a portion of the border with Oman to the southeast and Yemen to the south and southwest. The country also has maritime boundaries with the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba to the west.
2. Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy system. Although, the King must comply with Sharia (that is, Islamic law) and the Qur’an. The Qur’an and the Sunnah are declared to be the country’s constitutions.
3. There are no rivers or lakes in the country, and there is not enough rainfall too. It is the biggest country on the planet producing water extracted from saline seawater.
4. Rubʿ al-Khali desert is the world’s largest continuous desert on the planet. It occupies more than one-fourth of the total land area of Saudi Arabia and has a variety of topography.
5. King Fahd’s Fountain King is the tallest water fountain on the planet and pumps water from 260 meters to 312 meters above the red sea.
6. Healthcare in the country is absolutely free for its citizens.
7. Ras Al Khair is the largest desalination plant on the planet and processes 1,036,000 m³ of water each day. Also, there are two other Saudi plants that are in the list of the top 5 largest desalination plants in the world.
8. In Saudi Arabia, water is more expensive than a liter of petrol.
9. Alcohol of any kind is banned in the country. Those who break the law are subject to hundreds of lashes, deportation, fines, or imprisonment.
10. Gambling in the country is completely an illegal act and can put the practiser in jail for six months.
11. As it is an Islamic country, you are not allowed to bring poke or consume any pork item in the country.
12. Being a homosexual or transgender is illegal in the nation and is completely not supported by society nor even the government.
13. Saudi Arabia’s biggest exports are crude petroleum ($236 billion), refined petroleum ($45.3 billion), ethylene polymers ($13.1 billion), propylene polymers ($6.4 billion), and acyclic alcohols ($6.19 billion), with the majority exported to China ($68 billion), India ($46.2 billion), Japan ($36.5 billion), South Korea ($36 billion), and the United States ($23.9 billion).
14. Saudi Arabia’s main imports are cars ($13.2 billion), broadcasting equipment ($5.43 billion), gold ($5.22 billion), refined petroleum ($4.87 billion), and packaged medicines ($3.08 billion), with the majority coming from China ($36.5 billion), the United Arab Emirates ($27.8 billion), the United States ($11 billion), India ($10.1 billion), and Germany ($7.1 billion).
15. Before 24 June 2018, there was a complete ban on women from driving cars.
16. In Saudi Arabia, it is prohibited for a single man to sit in the family area of a restaurant.
17. The mecca and Medinah are the most prestigious shrines for Muslims and are situated in Saudi Arabia. Non-Muslims are not allowed to visit the holy place, and it is a punishable act for those who try to break this law.
18. The Buraydah camel market is the largest camel market on the globe, and every day thousands of camels are traded here.
19. Saudi Arabia has the 2nd highest oil reserves on the planet after veninzula. It has 266,578,000,000 barrels of oil reserve which constitutes 16.2% of world oil.
20. The country is the second-largest date-producing country on the globe, with a production of 1,122.82 (1,000 metric tonnes).
21. Marjan Complex is the biggest oil field on the planet, with about 17,238,800,384 boe of oil.
22. Saudi Arabia is the largest arms importer on the planet, while India is the second-largest arms importer.
23. The Jeddah Tower of Saudi Arabia which is in construction and once completed it will be the tallest building in the world. It will be the first building in the world to be 1 Km in height.