Portal:Saudi Arabia

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The Saudi Arabia Portal – بوابة المملكة العربية السعودية

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Saudi Arabia's Location

Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it is one of the countries situated in the Gulf region. 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, the largest in the Middle East, and the 12th-largest in the world. 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. (Full article...)

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Diriyah (Arabic: الدِرْعِيّة, ad-Dir‘īyah, approximate meaning ‘place of armor’), formerly romanized as Dereyeh and Dariyya, is a town and governorate in Saudi Arabia. Located on the northwestern outskirts of the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Diriyah was the original home of the Saudi royal family, and served as the capital of the Emirate of Diriyah under the first Saudi dynasty from 1727 to 1818. Today, the town is the seat of the Diriyah Governorate, which also includes the villages of Uyayna, Jubayla, and Al-Ammariyyah, among others—and is part of Ar Riyad Province.

The Turaif district, the first capital of Saudis in Diriyah, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010. The layout of the city itself can be studied in the National Museum of Saudi Arabia with the help of a large-scale detailed model of the city on display there. Diriyah also hosts the Diriyah ePrix race for the Formula E championship. (Full article...)

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Did you know (auto-generated)

... that the documentary film Jihad Rehab features interviews with former inmates from the Guantanamo Bay detention camp who are now in the Care Rehabilitation Center, a "jihad rehab" in Saudi Arabia?
... that the 2021 film West Side Story was banned in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain, likely due to the transgender character Anybodys?
... that Saudi Arabian broadcaster beoutQ pirated and resold beIN Sports programmes during the Qatar diplomatic crisis?
... that the bombing of Mokha was described as one of the deadliest attacks by the Saudi Arabian–led coalition against Yemen, leaving between 65 and 120 dead, including 10 children?
... that Saudi Arabian poet Hamad al-Hajji lost three members of his family during his childhood and later suffered from schizophrenia until he died at the age of 49 after a lung disease?
... that Saudi Arabian historian Sa'd ibn Junaydil took high school graduation exams with his students, as he had yet to obtain a high school diploma?

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News

1 January 2025 – Capital punishment in Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia announces the execution of six Iranian nationals convicted of smuggling hashish. In Tehran, the Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned the Saudi ambassador in protest. (AP)
24 December 2024 – Capital punishment in Saudi Arabia: Human rights organization Reprieve reports that Saudi Arabia executed 330 people this year. (First Post)
11 December 2024 – 2034 FIFA World Cup: FIFA announces that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 FIFA World Cup. (Khaleej Times)
10 December 2024 – Syrian civil war: Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Saudi Arabia condemn Israel's actions in Syria and the United Nations special envoy for Syria calls on Israel to stop its military movements and bombardments inside Syria. (The Times of Israel)

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Related portals

Religions in Saudi Arabia

Arab states

Other countries

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WikiProjects

WikiProject Saudi Arabia

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Things you can do

Expand Saudi Arabia stub articles located at Category:Saudi Arabia stubs
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This is a Good article, an article that meets a core set of high editorial standards.

Al-Sharif in 2011

Manal al-Sharif (Arabic: منال الشريف, romanized: Manāl Aš-Šarīf, pronounced [maˈnaːl aʃːaˈriːf]; born 25 April 1979) is a Saudi women's rights activist who helped start a right-to-drive campaign in 2011. Wajeha al-Huwaider filmed al-Sharif driving a car as part of the campaign. The video was posted on YouTube and Facebook. Al-Sharif was detained on 21 May 2011, released, and rearrested the following day. On 30 May, al-Sharif was released on bail, on the conditions of returning for questioning if required, not driving, and not talking to the media. The New York Times and Associated Press associated the women's driving campaign as part of the Arab Spring and the long duration of al-Sharif's detention due to Saudi authorities' fear of protests.

Following her driving campaign, al-Sharif remained an active critic of the Saudi government, tweeting on issues including imprisoned female foreign workers, the lack of elections for the Shura Council, and the murder of Lama al-Ghamdi. Her work has been recognized by Foreign Policy, Time, and the Oslo Freedom Forum. (Full article...)

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Muhammad Foreign workers in Saudi Arabia Black Stone Jeddah Tower Legal system of Saudi Arabia Siege of Mecca (692) Demolition of al-Baqi Women's football in Saudi Arabia Faisal of Saudi Arabia Hajj Al-Masjid an-Nabawi 2018 Ad Diriyah ePrix Siege of Mecca (683) Wojdan Shaherkani McMahon–Hussein Correspondence Alid revolt of 762–763 Abu Sa'id al-Jannabi Battle of the Trench

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Image 1A view of Jabal Sawda, a peak located in Saudi Arabia, with an elevation of around 3,000 metres (9,843 ft).^[1]
Image 2Nasseef House is a historical structure in Al-Balad, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. As of 2009 it is a museum and cultural center which has special exhibits and lectures given by historians.
Image 3Sunset view from Farasan Island, the largest island of the Farasan Islands, in the Red Sea. It is located some 50 km offshore from Jizan, the far southwestern part of Saudi Arabia.

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More did you know

... that Ahmadiyya is banned in Saudi Arabia, and therefore Ahmadi Muslims are not permitted to perform the Islamic pilgrimage?

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Topics

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General images

The following are images from various Saudi Arabia-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1The first Saudi State 1727–1818 (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 2The tribes of Arabia at the time of the spread of Islam (expandable map) (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 3Territorial evolution of the Third Saudi State (1902–1934) (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 4Wall painted with Al-Qatt Al-Asiri (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 5The Mosque of the Prophet in Medina containing the tomb of Muhammad (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 6Saudi woman wearing a niqāb in Riyadh. Many women commonly wear a niqab or a burqa in Saudi Arabia. (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 7VOX Cinemas movie theater (center) at Riyadh Front in 2023 (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 8The surviving insurgents of the seizure of the Grand Mosque, 1979 under custody of Saudi authorities, c. 1980. (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 9Serenata, a Filipino children's choir in Jeddah (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 10Bisht Being Sewn in Al-Ahsa (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 11Saudi football fans cheering for their national football team at the FIFA World Cup (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 12The Arabian Peninsula in 1914 (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 13Dammam No. 7, the oil well where commercial volumes of oil were first discovered in Saudi Arabia on March 4, 1938. (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 14Red and white keffiyeh commonly worn in the desert held with a black agal (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 15King Abdullah practicing falconry, a traditional pursuit in Saudi Arabia (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 16Abdulaziz (left) and Roosevelt aboard USS Quincy during their historic 1945 meeting (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 17Supplicating pilgrim at Masjid Al Haram, Mecca (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 18Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt (1789–1848) (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 19A family fishing in Jeddah (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 20Pakistani workers at Al Masjid Nabawi (the Prophet's Mosque) in Medina (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 21Residential homes in Yanbu (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 22Saudi males dressed and prepared for ardah, the national dance. It also includes swords, poetry, and singing. (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 23Abdulaziz Al Saud, founder of Saudi Arabia (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 24Soldiers in the Arab Army during the Arab Revolt of 1916–1918, carrying the Flag of the Arab Revolt and pictured in the Arabian Desert. (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 25Faisal (left) and Nasser in Cairo, 1969 (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 26Sections of Saudi Arabia and neighbouring countries formed a part of the Roman Empire. (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 27The Rashidun Caliphate reached its greatest extent under Caliph Uthman, c. 654 (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 28Abdulaziz (left) and Farouk checking an Egyptian Army unit in 1946. Other people picture include princes Fahd, Abdullah, and Mishaal, as well as prince Muhammad Abdel Moneim. (from History of Saudi Arabia)