Country profile
Saudi Arabia
General information
Flagge von Saudi-Arabien / Flag of Saudi Arabia
Photo: Bundesregierung
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy in the Near East. It accounts for a large part of the Arabian Peninsula and borders on the Red Sea in the west and the Persian Gulf in the east. Its 2.15 million square kilometres (six times the size of Germany) are home to around 33 million people, of whom 9 million are legal aliens. Most of them come from Arab countries (especially Egypt, Jordan and Sudan) or from Asia (primarily Pakistan, India, the Philippines and Indonesia).
The capital city is Riyadh.
The official language is Arabic. English is widely used in business.
Economic data
Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, based on purchasing power parity (PPP): USD 53,802
Real change in GDP between 2010 and 2015: 27.6 %
Gross national debt as percentage of GDP: 5 %
Percentage of women (aged 15-64) in gainful employment: 16.7 %
Youth unemployment rate (15-24 year-olds): 31.0 %
National currency: Saudi riyal (SAR) / Rate of exchange: EUR 1 = SAR 3.9888 (as at November 2016)
Additional information
Country information from the Federal Foreign Office
Website of the Saudi Arabian government