Saudi Arabia is an Arabic country situated in southwest Asia. Go through this article and explore some fun and interesting facts about Saudi Arabia.

Facts About Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is an Arabic country situated in southwest Asia, at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa. The country extends from the Red Sea in the west to the Arabian Gulf in the east. It stands bordered by Jordan in the northwest; Iraq in the north and northeast; Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates in the east; Oman in the southeast; and Yemen in the south. Saudi Arabia occupies most of the Arabian Peninsula and is the largest country in Middle East, in terms of area. In case you want to know more about Saudi Arabia, make use of the fun and interesting facts provided in the lines below.
Image: Eugene Regis@flickr
 
Fun and Interesting Facts about Saudi Arabia 
  • The official name of Saudi Arabia is the 'Kingdom of Saudi Arabia'.
  • The capital of Saudi Arabia is Riyadh, which is also the largest city of the country.
  • The official language of Saudi Arabia is Arabic.
  • Saudi Arabia follows the system of 'Absolute Monarchy'.
  • Islam is the dominant religion in Saudi Arabia.
  • The currency of Saudi Arabia is Riyal (SAR).
  • Saudi Arabia is the largest country in Middle East, in terms of area.
  • Saudi Arabia houses Mecca and Medina, the two holiest places in Islam. This is why, it is also known as "The Land of The Two Holy Mosques".
  • Mecca is the birthplace of the Prophet Mohammad, while Medina is the place where He moved to, in 622 AD.
  • Abdul-Aziz bin Saud founded the 'Kingdom of Saudi Arabia', after capturing Al-Saud’s ancestral home of Riyadh, in 1902.
  • The 'Kingdom of Saudi Arabia' was declared in 1926, recognized in 1927 and unified in 1932.
  • Saudi Arabia is the leading petroleum exporter of the world. In fact, petroleum exports form the base of Saudi economy.
  • In Saudi Arabia, oil accounts for more than 90 percent of exports and nearly 75 percent of government revenues.
  • It is believed that the tomb of Eve is located in the Jeddah city of Saudi Arabia.
  • Al-Hijr, an archaeological site that was earlier known as Hegra, was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008.
  • The 'Cradle of Gold', a mine situated around 200 miles from Jeddah, was once the greatest gold mine in the entire Africa and Middle East.
  • The Holy Mosque in Mecca served as the first place of worship for Muslims.
  • Richard Burton, a British explorer, entered Mecca in 1853, in the disguise of a Muslim.
  • ARAMCO, a company in Saudi Arabia, is the largest producer of oil in the world.
  • Saudi Arabia was a founding member of OPEC.
  • The King Fahd Causeway that connects Saudi Arabia with Bahrain is 15.5 miles long and is one of the longest causeways in the world.
  • Prince Sultan Ibn Salman became the first Arab and first Muslim to travel in space, when he went aboard the space shuttle Discovery, in 1985.
  • Amongst the eight industrial cities built by Saudi Arabia, in order to expand its non-oil economy, Jubail is the biggest and the most important one.
  • Saudi Arabia is one of the driest countries in the world, with rain only in the extreme north and south.
  • The first university in Saudi Arabia was founded in 1957.

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