The national symbols of Saudi Arabia are official and unofficial flags, icons or cultural expressions that are emblematic, representative or otherwise characteristic of Saudi Arabia and of its culture.
| Title | Name of Symbol | Picture |
|---|---|---|
| National flag | Flag of Saudi Arabia |  |
| Coat of arms | Coat of arms of Saudi Arabia |  |
| National anthem | an-Našīd al-Waṭanī as-Suʿūdī English: "National Anthem of Saudi Arabia" [1] | |
| National flower | Arfaj (Rhanterium epapposum) [2] |  |
| National bird | Falcon [3] |  |
| National animal | Arabian camel [4] |  |
| National dish | Kabsa [5] |  |
| National dance | Ardah [6] |  |
Saudi Arabia is the fourth largest state in the Arab world, with a reported population of 32,175,224 as of 2022. 41.6% of inhabitants are immigrants. Saudi Arabia has experienced a population explosion in the last 40 years, and continues to grow at a rate of 1.62% per year.
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia and the Middle East. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about 2,150,000 km2 (830,000 sq mi), making it the fifth-largest country in Asia and the largest in the Middle East. It is bordered by the Red Sea to the west; Jordan, Iraq, and Kuwait to the north; the Persian Gulf, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to the east; Oman to the southeast; and Yemen to the south. The Gulf of Aqaba in the northwest separates Saudi Arabia from Egypt and Israel. Saudi Arabia is the only country with a coastline along both the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, and most of its terrain consists of arid desert, lowland, steppe, and mountains. The capital and largest city is Riyadh; other major cities include Jeddah and the two holiest cities in Islam, Mecca and Medina. With a population of almost 32.2 million, Saudi Arabia is the fourth most populous country in the Arab world.
The national flag of Saudi Arabia, also known as the al-Alam, is a green background with Arabic inscription and a sword in white. The inscription is the Islamic creed, or shahada: "There is no deity but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God". The current design has been used by the government of Saudi Arabia since 15 March 1973.
The Saudi riyal is the currency of Saudi Arabia. It is abbreviated as ر.سSAR, or SR (Saudi Arabian Riyal/Saudi Riyal). It is subdivided into 100 halalas. The currency is pegged to the US dollar at a constant rate of exchange.
Dammam is the capital of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. With a population of 1,532,300 as of 2022, Dammam is the kingdom's fourth-most populous city after Riyadh, Jeddah, and Mecca. Dammam constitutes the core of the Dammam metropolitan area, also known as the Greater Dammam area, which comprises the 'Triplet Cities' of Dammam, Dhahran, and Khobar. The region is closely linked to the city through social, economic, and cultural ties. As of 2022, the Dammam metropolitan area's population was 2,190,900.
The Arabian oryx or white oryx is a medium-sized antelope with a distinct shoulder bump, long, straight horns, and a tufted tail. It is a bovid, and the smallest member of the genus Oryx, native to desert and steppe areas of the Arabian Peninsula. The Arabian oryx was extinct in the wild by the early 1970s, but was saved in zoos and private reserves, and was reintroduced into the wild starting in 1980.
Rhanterium epapposum is a plant of the family Asteraceae. Native to the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar where it is known locally as arfaj. The arfaj consists of a complicated network of branches scattered with small thorny leaves and bright yellow flowers about 1.5 cm wide. The arfaj flower is also the national flower of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. It is a bushy shrub approximately 80 cm in height. The leaves are small and narrow, and in late spring it will start flowering (April–May). It is considered one of the main desert forage plants for camels and sheep.
The Arab states of the Persian Gulf or the Arab Gulf states refers to a group of Arab states bordering the Persian Gulf. There are seven member states of the Arab League in the region: Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Yemen is bound to the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, based on history and culture.
Saudi Awwal Bank is a Riyadh-based Saudi joint stock company in which global banking group HSBC owns a minority stake. The bank traces its origins to the British Bank of the Middle East which was acquired by HSBC in 1959. In response to restrictions on foreign ownership of banks in Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arab British Bank (SABB) was created in 1978 to manage HSBC branches and assets in the country.
Saudi Telecommunication Company (Group) (stylized as stc; Arabic: شركة الاتصالات السعودية) provides ICT services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, across the Middle East and Europe. The group offers landline and fixed infrastructure, mobile and data services, and broadband & cloud computing services. stc Group also offers online payments, telecommunications, IOT, 5G, e-gaming, cybersecurity, digital entertainment, and fintech.
Kabsa or makbūs/machbūs is an Arab mixed rice dish that originates from Saudi Arabia or Yemen. It is commonly regarded as a national dish in all the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council. It can also be found in regions such as southern Iran and Gaza in Palestine.
Saudi Arabian cuisine varies according to the diverse landscapes and regions of the country. The environmental, geographic, and cultural diversity within this vast area has led to a wide variety of dishes. Saudi Arabia encompasses different regions, resulting in cuisines from the Central region, Eastern, Southern and Western regions. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia's position along global trade routes has led to the introduction of various spices.
Filipinos in Saudi Arabia are migrants or descendants of the Philippines who live in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is currently the largest employer of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), and has the largest Filipino population in the Middle East. Filipinos make up the fourth-largest group of foreigners in Saudi Arabia, and are the second-largest source of remittances to the Philippines.
Jarir Marketing Company, also known as Jarir Bookstore, is a Saudi Arabian establishment founded by Abdulrahman Nasser Al-Agil. Currently, Jarir has a paid-up capital of SR 1.20 Billion. Jarir’s headquarters is located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Jarir operates through two divisions namely Retail, under the trademark of Jarir Bookstore, and a Wholesale division.
Al Riyadh is a Riyadh-based, pro-government Saudi daily newspaper. Its sister paper was Riyadh Daily that was in circulation between 2003 and 1 January 2004. Al Riyadh is one of the dominant papers in Nejd.
Kuwait and Iran have longstanding historical ties spanning hundreds of years, particularly in the pre-oil era. Relations were negatively influenced by the Iranian Revolution in 1979 and the Iran–Iraq War in the 1980s. Relations improved after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.
Neom is an urban area being built by Saudi Arabia in Tabuk. Launched in 2017 by crown prince Mohammad bin Salman, the site is at the northern tip of the Red Sea, due east of Egypt across the Gulf of Aqaba and south of Jordan. The total planned area of Neom is 26,500 km2 (10,200 sq mi). Multiple regions are planned, including a floating industrial complex, global trade hub, tourist resorts and a linear city powered by renewable energy sources.
Rashad Muhammad al-Alimi is a Yemeni politician currently serving as the chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council since 7 April 2022.
Events in the year 2023 in Saudi Arabia.
