Saudi Arabia — Capital, Flag and Country Facts

Explore Saudi Arabia: capital Riyadh, population, flag, geography, languages, history and culture.

Saudi Arabia is in Asia. Its capital is Riyadh.

Climate

Mostly hot desert with extreme heat in summer; cooler in the highlands with rare rainfall

Vast sandy desert including the Rub' al Khali, central plateau, and mountains along the western Red Sea coast

Saudi Arabia has no rivers — it's the largest country in the world without one.

Saudi Arabia's oil reserves are the second-largest in the world at roughly 267 billion barrels.

The country's Empty Quarter (Rub' al Khali) is the largest contiguous sand desert on Earth.

622: Prophet Muhammad's Hijra from Mecca to Medina marks the start of the Islamic calendar

1744: First Saudi State is established

1932: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is unified under Abdulaziz ibn Saud

1938: Oil is discovered in commercial quantities

2016: Vision 2030 reform plan is announced to diversify the economy

2018: Women are granted the right to drive