Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦
Saudi Arabia is a country in Asia with a population of 36,408,820. Its capital is Riyadh. The official currency is SAR, and the main languages are Arabic.
Quick facts
- Capital: Riyadh
- Continent: Asia
- Population: 36,408,820
- Area: 2,149,690 km²
- Density: 16.9 people per km²
- Currency: SAR
- Languages: Arabic
- ISO code: SA
Where Saudi Arabia sits
Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦 is one of 48 countries in Asia, with its capital at Riyadh. It covers 2,149,690 square kilometres — 12th in the world — and is home to about 36,408,820 people, 41st globally.
The countries it shares a continent with include China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh. If you are learning geography region by region — which works far better than alphabetically, because memory for places is spatial — those are the ones to learn alongside it.
How Saudi Arabia compares
Raw figures are hard to hold on their own, so it helps to anchor them. In population, Saudi Arabia sits closest to Angola and Morocco. In land area, its nearest counterparts are Mexico and Democratic Republic of the Congo.
At 16.9 people per square kilometre it is about 3.5 times below the world average of 59.4. It ranks higher by area than by population, so it is more spacious than its population alone suggests.
Arabic is an official language in 25 countries here, among them Algeria, Bahrain, Chad and Comoros, and 20 others. The SAR is used by Saudi Arabia and no one else.
To see Saudi Arabia next to every other country, sort the country rankings by population, area or density; its currency and languages are listed alongside every other country's in world currencies and world languages.
How to remember Saudi Arabia
Riyadh means 'gardens', after the oasis towns that grew together to form the city. It is both the capital and the largest city. For the flag, remember green with white writing and a sword underneath.
The flag of Saudi Arabia: green and white
🇸🇦 The flag is a green flag with the Shahada, the Muslim declaration of faith, written in white Arabic script above a white sword. Green is the traditional colour of Islam, and the sword stands for safety and justice. Because the flag carries the Shahada, it is made with the same text on both sides so it reads correctly, and it is never flown at half-mast.
Region and neighbours
Saudi Arabia is a large country in West Asia that covers most of the Arabian Peninsula, between the Red Sea to the west and the Persian Gulf to the east. It shares land borders with 7 countries: Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yemen.
- Jordan 🇯🇴 — capital Amman
- Iraq 🇮🇶 — capital Baghdad
- Kuwait 🇰🇼 — capital Kuwait City
- Qatar 🇶🇦 — capital Doha
- United Arab Emirates 🇦🇪 — capital Abu Dhabi
- Oman 🇴🇲 — capital Muscat
- Yemen 🇾🇪 — capital Sana'a
Three facts about Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Arabia is the fifth-largest country in Asia and the twelfth-largest in the world.
- Mecca and Medina, the two holiest cities in Islam, are in Saudi Arabia.
- The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932 by King Abdulaziz, who united several regions of Arabia into one state.
Sources: Wikipedia: Saudi Arabia, Wikipedia: Flag of Saudi Arabia, Wikipedia: Riyadh, CIA World Factbook.
Quiz yourself on Saudi Arabia
- Asian capitals quiz — match Saudi Arabia to Riyadh
- Asian flags quiz — spot the Saudi Arabia flag among its neighbours
Quizzes that include Saudi Arabia
Three angles are worth covering for any country — where it is, what its flag looks like, and what its capital is. For Saudi Arabia those are:
- Asia map quiz — place it on a blank map
- Asia flags quiz — identify its flag among its neighbours
- Asia capitals quiz — match it to Riyadh
- Saudi Arabia capital quiz — five quick questions starting with Saudi Arabia
- Daily Map Challenge — five countries to find on a blank world map, the same five for everyone each day
Doing all three for one continent before moving on is far more efficient than learning flags globally, then capitals globally, then the map.
Read more about Saudi Arabia
- Capital of Saudi Arabia: Riyadh — the capital in detail, with size and density rankings
- All 48 countries of Asia
Nearby countries
- Afghanistan 🇦🇫 — capital Kabul
- Armenia 🇦🇲 — capital Yerevan
- Azerbaijan 🇦🇿 — capital Baku
- Bahrain 🇧🇠— capital Manama
- Bangladesh 🇧🇩 — capital Dhaka
- Bhutan 🇧🇹 — capital Thimphu
- Brunei 🇧🇳 — capital Bandar Seri Begawan
- Cambodia 🇰🇠— capital Phnom Penh
- China 🇨🇳 — capital Beijing
- Georgia 🇬🇪 — capital Tbilisi
- India 🇮🇳 — capital New Delhi
- Indonesia 🇮🇩 — capital Jakarta
Frequently asked questions
What are the colours of the Saudi Arabia flag?
The flag of Saudi Arabia is a green flag with the Shahada, the Muslim declaration of faith, written in white Arabic script above a white sword. Green is the traditional colour of Islam, and the sword stands for safety and justice. Because the flag carries the Shahada, it is made with the same text on both sides so it reads correctly, and it is never flown at half-mast.
Which countries border Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia shares land borders with Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yemen.
How can I remember the capital of Saudi Arabia?
Riyadh means 'gardens', after the oasis towns that grew together to form the city. It is both the capital and the largest city. For the flag, remember green with white writing and a sword underneath.