Provinces of Saudi Arabia

Last updated
Provinces of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
مناطق المملكة العربية السعودية
Category Provinces within a unitary state
Location Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Number 13
Populations373,577 (Northern Borders Province) – 8,591,748 (Riyadh Province)
Areas9,920 km2 (3,831 sq mi) (Al-Baha Province) – 672,520 km2 (259,662 sq mi) (Eastern Province)
Government
Subdivisions

The provinces of Saudi Arabia, also called regions, are the 13 first-level administrative divisions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Each province is headed by a governor and serves as the primary administrative unit of the country. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

History

Prior to the unification of Saudi Arabia in 1932, the Arabian Peninsula was composed of several distinct regions, many of which had been part of or influenced by the Ottoman Empire, including the Hejaz Vilayet and the Lahsa Eyalet. Earlier in the region’s history, the First Saudi state and the Second Saudi state had established Saudi rule over much of Najd and its surroundings, laying the groundwork for later unification efforts. After unification, these historical regions — such as Najd, Asir — along with former Ottoman territories like Hejaz, formed the basis for the kingdom’s evolving administrative divisions, which were later reorganized into modern provinces. [1]

King Fahd issued Royal Order A/92 on March 2, 1992, known as Law of the Provinces, [4] which provided for the division of the kingdom into 13 provinces. Subsequently, the five previous provinces were divided into thirteen provinces, called provinces (manātiq), each governed by administrative bodies called the emirates of the provinces (imārāt al-manātiq). The provinces form the first-level administrative division of the Organization of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and are further divided into 136 governorates (muḥāfaẓāt), which are the second-level division, [3] which are further subdivided into 1,347 municipal-level units (marakiz), and further subdivided into villages (qura) and neighborhoods (ahya).

Government

Each province is governed by an Emir (provincial governor), who is assisted by the deputy emir, called nā'ib. The persons holding these positions are appointed by the King of Saudi Arabia. The emir is given the rank of minister, while the deputy emir is given the rank of excellence. [3]

List

Provinces of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
#ProvinceHistorical
region
Seat / Largest city Governorates Marakiz Population
(2022 census) [5]
Area
(km2)
Density
(per km2)
1 Asir Province South Arabia Abha / Khamis Mushait 171012,024,28576,69326.40
2 Al-Baha Province Hejaz Al-Baha 935339,1749,92134.20
3 Al-Jawf Province Badiyat al-Sham Sakaka 333595,822100,2125.95
4 Al-Qassim Province Najd Buraydah 121531,336,17958,04623.01
5 Eastern Province Eastern Arabia Dammam 121075,125,254672,5227.62
6 Hail Province Najd Hail 884746,406103,8877.19
7 Jazan Province South Arabia Jizan 16311,404,99711,671120.43
8 Mecca Province Hejaz Mecca / Jeddah 171117,769,994153,12850.76
9 Medina Province Hejaz Medina 8902,389,452151,99015.72
10 Najran Province South Arabia Najran 659592,300149,5113.96
11 Northern Borders Province Badiyat al-Sham Arar 317373,577111,7973.34
12 Riyadh Province Najd Riyadh 224538,591,748404,24021.25
13 Tabuk Province Hejaz Tabuk 673886,036146,0726.07
Total131391,34732,175,2242,149,69014.97

Codes

ISO 3166-2:SA – Codes for the Provinces of Saudi Arabia
CodeProvince (EN)Province (AR)
SA-14 Asir Province عسير
SA-11 Al-Baha Province الباحة
SA-08 Northern Borders Province الحدود الشمالية
SA-12 Al-Jawf Province الجوف
SA-03 Medina Province المدينة المنورة
SA-05 Al-Qassim Province القصيم
SA-01 Riyadh Province الرياض
SA-04 Eastern Province الشرقية
SA-06 Hail Province حائل
SA-09 Jazan Province جازان
SA-02 Mecca Province مكة
SA-10 Najran Province نجران
SA-07 Tabuk Province تبوك

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Saudi Arabia Regions". www.statoids.com.
  2. "The New Addressing". Saudi Post. 2013. Archived from the original on 3 March 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 "Organization of the Emirate of Makkah Province". Ministry of Interior.
  4. "Law of the Provinces | The Embassy of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia". www.saudiembassy.net. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  5. "Saudi Arabia: Regions & Major Cities - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 2024-02-05.