Official Name: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Political System: Monarchy System
The Kingdom's King and the Prime Minister: The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud.
Government type: The system of government in the Kingdom goes in accordance with Articles (7) and (8) of the Basic Law of Government as follows:
Article (7): The law in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia derives its power from the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and both govern this system and all country regulations.
Article (8): Governance in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is based on justice, consultation, and equality in accordance with Islamic law.
Location: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is located in the far south-west of Asia. It is bordered by the Red Sea on the west, the Persian Gulf, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates on the east, Kuwait, Iraq, and Jordan on the north, and Yemen and Oman on the south.
Capital: Riyadh.
Area: The area of the Kingdom is about two million square kilometers.
Climate: Saudi Arabia has a desert climate; hot during summer and cold during winter.
Official language: Arabic, and English is used in many business communications.
Major cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Makkah, Madinah, and Taif.
Administrative division of the Kingdom: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia consists of 13 administrative regions each of which includes a number of provinces. There are 43 Category (A) provinces and 61 Category (B) provinces in the Kingdom.
Working Hours:
- Government Offices: From 7:30 am to 02:30 pm, and during Ramadan, from 10 am to 03:00 pm.
- Banks: From 9:30 am to 04:30 pm, and during Ramadan, from 10 am to 04:00 pm.
- Private Sectors: Working hours vary from one facility to another and from one area to another, and during the month of Ramadan, working hours are usually during the evening in most business establishments.
Official Holidays:
Apart from the weekend (Thursday and Friday), there are two Eid holidays and the National Day
Eid Al-Fitr holiday is from Ramadan 25th to Shawwal 5th
Eid al-Adha holiday is from the 5th to the 15th of Thul-Hijjah
The National Day is on the 23rd of September
All government organizations and departments do not operate during the holidays; however the numbers of days in private sector holidays vary from one establishment to another.
Time: GMT+3.
Currency: The basic unit of currency in the Kingdom of Saudi is the Saudi Riyal, which equals 100 halals, and one dollar is equivalent to 3.75 riyals.
Scales and balances: The Kingdom depends on the metric system of measurement, and on kilograms for measuring weight.
Power lines: 110 and 220 volt lines are available in the Kingdom, and 330 volt lines exist for industries.
The Kingdom's international phone code: 966 then the key to the region as follows:
Riyadh (1), Jeddah (2), and Dammam (3)
Internet code: sa
Prices of Public Services:
Electricity:
- Industrial: All types of usages $0.033
- Agricultural: $0.013 to $0.032 per kilowatt depending on types of monthly consumption.
- Commercial and residential: The price of the kilowatt ranges between $0.013 to $0.070 depending on types of monthly consumption.
Water: The price of one cubic meter ranges between $0.03 to $1.60 depending on types of monthly consumption.
Fuel:
Gasoline (octane 91) $0.16 per liter
Gasoline (octane 95) $0.20 per liter
Kerosene U.S. $0.17 per liter
Diesel $0,067 per liter
Gas $0.75 per million units
Population
27 Million People |
Population |
2.3% |
Population Increase |
|
Population Distribution According to Sex |
50.2%
49.8% |
Males
Females |
|
Population Distribution According to Nationality |
73%
27% |
Saudi
Non-Saudi |
|
Population Distribution According to Age |
33%
46%
21% |
Below 15
From 15 - 39
40 and above |
66% |
Dependency |
|
Population Distribution According to Regions |
24.5%
25.1%
14.7%
7.3%
6.8%
21.6% |
Riyadh
Makkah
Eastern Region
Aseer
Al-Madina
Other regions |
Source: Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency – The 45th annual report 1430 - 2009
Labor market:
|
Total Number of Laborers in the Kingdom: 8.02 Million |
47% |
Saudis |
%53 |
Non-Saudis |
|
Government Sector: 899.7 Thousand Laborers |
%92 |
Saudis |
%8 |
Non-Saudis |
|
Private Sector: 6.2 Million Laborers |
%13.3 |
Saudis |
%86.7 |
Non-Saudis |
Distribution of employees in the private sector according to the main economic activities:
%40 |
Building & Construction |
%23 |
Wholesale & Retail Trade |
%11 |
Social Services |
%11 |
Manufacturing Industries |
%15 |
Other Sectors |
• The average monthly wage of male workers in the private sector $358.
• The average monthly wage of female workers in the private sector $502.