Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a sovereign Arab state in Western Asia constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula. With a land area of approximately 2,150,000 km2(830,000 sq mi), Saudi Arabia is geographically the fifth-largest state in Asia and second-largest state in the Arab world after Algeria.
The area of modern-day Saudi Arabia formerly consisted of four distinct regions: Hejaz, Najd and parts of Eastern Arabia (Al-Ahsa) and Southern Arabia (‘Asir).[7] The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932 by Ibn Saud. He united the four regions into a single state through a series of conquests beginning in 1902 with the capture of Riyadh, the ancestral home of his family, the House of Saud. Saudi Arabia has since been an absolute monarchy, effectively a hereditary dictatorship governed along Islamic lines. The state has a total population of 28.7 million, of which 20 million are Saudi nationals and 8 million are foreigners. The state’s official language is Arabic.
The country is currently undergoing many cultural changes with the introduction of tourist visas later this year and with cinemas having recently been reopened as well as woman gaining the right to drive from July 2018. The dress code in Saudi Arabia is strict with women having to Saudi Arabia has quite a strict dress code with women normally wearing an abaya when in public. Most expatriate teachers and other Western oil/gas/construction professionals live in expatriate gated communities(compounds) with amenities like movie theatres, pools, shops etc. Normal clothing can be worn within these compounds.
Quick Facts:
King: Salman of Saudi Arabia
Capital City: Riyadh
International dialling code: +966
Currency: Saudi riyal (SAR)
Population: 28.29 million (2012)