Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Arabian Peninsula by land area. It was founded in 1932 by King Abdulaziz Al Saud, who united the central region of Najd with the Hejaz region containing the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy governed along Islamic lines, with over 20 million Saudi citizens and 8 million foreign residents. The majority of the population adheres to the Wahhabi interpretation of Sunni Islam. Saudi Arabia possesses over 20% of the world's proven petroleum reserves and is a leading exporter of oil, which has supported rapid modernization and economic growth in recent decades under successive kings who have ruled the country.

1. Saudi Arabiaofficiallyknownasthe Kingdomof Saudi Arabia,[d]
isthe largestArabstate inWestern
Asiaby landarea (approximately2,150,000 km2
(830,000 sq mi)),constitutingthe bulkof the Arabian
Peninsula,andthe second-largestgeographicallyintheArabworld.
It isborderedby Jordanand Iraq to the north, Kuwaitto the northeast, Qatar, Bahrainand the United
Arab Emirates tothe east, Omanto the southeast,and Yemeninthe south.It isthe onlynationwith
botha RedSeacoast and a PersianGulf coast,and most of itsterrainconsistsof arid inhospitable desert
or barrenlandforms.The areaof modern-daySaudi Arabiaformerlyconsistedof fourdistinct
regions:Hejaz,Najd,andpartsof EasternArabia(Al-Ahsa) andSouthernArabia('Asir). The Kingdomof
Saudi Arabiawas foundedin1932 by Ibn Saud.He unitedthe fourregionsintoasingle state througha
seriesof conquestsbeginningin1902 withthe capture of Riyadh,the ancestral home of hisfamily,
the House of Saud.The country has since beenan absolute monarchy governed
alongIslamiclines. Wahhabi Islamhasbeencalled"the predominantfeature of Saudi culture".Saudi
Arabiaissometimescalled"the Landof the TwoHolyMosques"inreference to Al-Masjidal-
Haram (inMecca), and Al-Masjidan-Nabawi (inMedina),the twoholiestplacesinIslam.The Kingdom
has a total populationof 28.7 million,of which20 millionare Saudi nationalsand8 millionare
foreigners.Saudi Arabiaisthe world'ssecondlargestoil producerandlargest exporter,andcontrolsthe
world'ssecondlargest hydrocarbonreserves.Backedbyitsfossil fuels,the kingdomiscategorizedas
a highincome economy withahigh Human DevelopmentIndex (HDI),andisthe onlyArabcountryto be
part of the G-20 majoreconomies.However,Saudi Arabiahasthe leastdiversified economy in
the CooperationCouncil forthe ArabStatesof the Gulf (GCC). Itis ruledbyan authoritarianregime and
isrankedas "Not Free"by FreedomHouse.Saudi Arabiahasthe fourthhighest militaryexpenditure in
the world, andin 2010-14, SIPRI foundthatSaudi Arabiawas the world'ssecondlargestarmsimporter.
Saudi Arabiaisconsideredaregional andmiddle power.Inadditiontothe GCC,it isan active memberof
the Organisationof IslamicCooperation andOPEC.
The Historyof Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabiatraces itsrootsback to the earliestcivilizationsof the ArabianPeninsula. Overthe
centuries,the peninsulahasplayedanimportantrole inhistoryasan ancienttrade centerand as the
birthplace of Islam,one of the world’smajormonotheisticreligions.
Since KingAbdulaziz Al-Saudestablishedthe modernKingdomof Saudi Arabiain1932, its
transformationhasbeenastonishing.

2. In a fewshortdecades,the Kingdomhasturneditself fromadesertnationtoa modern,sophisticated
state and a major playeronthe international stage.
Early History
The firstconcrete evidence of humanpresenceinthe ArabianPeninsuladatesback15,000 to 20,000
years.Bandsof hunter-gatherersroamedthe land,livingoff wildanimalsandplants.
As the Europeanice cap meltedduringthe lastIce Age,some 15,000 yearsago, the climate inthe
peninsulabecame dry.Vastplainsonce coveredwithlushgrasslandsgave waytoscrublandanddeserts,
and wildanimalsvanished.Riversystemsalsodisappeared,leavingintheirwake the dryriverbeds
(wadis) thatare foundinthe peninsulatoday.
Thisclimate change forcedhumanstomove intothe lushmountainvalleysandoases.Nolongerable to
survive ashunter-gatherers,theyhadtodevelopanothermeansof survival.Asaresult,agriculture
developed –firstinMesopotamia,thenthe Nile RiverValley,andeventuallyspreadingacrossthe
Middle East.
The developmentof agriculture broughtotheradvances.Potteryallowedfarmerstostore food.
Animals,includinggoats,cattle,sheep,horsesandcamels,were domesticated,andpeople abandoned
huntingaltogether.Theseadvancesmade intensivefarmingpossible.Inturn,settlementsbecame more
permanent,leadingtothe foundationsof whatwe call civilization –language,writing,political systems,
art and architecture.
An AncientTrade Center
Locatedbetweenthe twogreatcentersof civilization,the Nile RiverValleyandMesopotamia,the
ArabianPeninsulawasthe crossroadsof the ancientworld.Trade was crucial to the area’sdevelopment;
caravan routesbecame trade arteriesthatmade life possible inthe sparselypopulatedpeninsula.
The people of the peninsuladevelopedacomplex networkof trade routestotransportagricultural
goodshighlysoughtafterinMesopotamia,the Nile Valleyandthe MediterraneanBasin. These items
includedalmondsfromTaif,datesfromthe manyoases,andaromaticssuchas frankincense andmyrrh
fromthe Tihamaplain.
Spiceswere alsoimportanttrade items.Theywere shippedacrossthe ArabianSeafromIndiaand then
transportedbycaravan.

3. The huge caravans traveledfromwhatisnow Oman and Yemen,alongthe greattrade routesrunning
throughSaudi Arabia’sAsirProvince andthenthroughMakkahand Madinah,eventuallyarrivingatthe
urban centersof the northand west.
The people of the ArabianPeninsularemainedlargelyuntouchedbythe political turmoilin
Mesopotamia,the Nile Valleyandthe easternMediterranean.Theirgoodsandserviceswere ingreat
demandregardlessof whichpowerwasdominantatthe moment –Babylon,Egypt,Persia,Greece or
Rome.Inaddition,the peninsula’sgreatexpanse of desertformedanatural barrierthatprotectedit
frominvasionbypowerful neighbors.
The Birth of Islam
Aroundthe year610, Muhammad,a native of the thrivingcommercial centerof Makkah,receiveda
message fromGod(inArabic,Allah) throughthe Angel Gabriel.Asmore revelationsbidhimtoproclaim
the onenessof Goduniversally,the ProphetMuhammad’sfollowinggrew.
In 622, learningof anassassinationplotagainsthim, the Prophetledhisfollowerstothe townof
Yathrib,whichwaslaternamedMadinat Al-Nabi (Cityof the Prophet) andnow knownsimplyas
Madinah.Thiswas the Hijrah,or migration,whichmarksthe beginningof the Islamiccalendar.
Withinthe nextfewyears,severalbattlestookplace betweenthe followersof the ProphetMuhammad
and the pagansof Makkah. By 628, whenMadinahwasentirelyinthe handsof the Muslims,the
Prophethadunifiedthe tribessosuccessfullythathe andhisfollowersreenteredMakkahwithout
bloodshed.
The IslamicEmpire
Lessthan 100 yearsafterthe birthof Islam, the IslamicEmpire extendedfromSpaintopartsof Indiaand
China.Althoughthe political centersof powerhadmovedoutof the ArabianPeninsula,trade flourished
inthe area.
Also,a large numberof pilgrimsbeganregularlyvisitingthe peninsula,withsome settlinginthe twoholy
citiesof Makkah andMadinah. These pilgrimsfacilitatedthe exchange of ideasandculturesbetween
the people of the peninsulaandother civilizationsof the ArabandMuslimworlds.
The emergence of Arabicas the language of international learningwasanothermajorfactorinthe
cultural developmentof the ArabianPeninsula.The Muslimworldbecame acenterforlearningand
scientificadvancesduringwhatisknownasthe “GoldenAge.”Muslimscholarsmade major
contributionsinmanyfields,includingmedicine,biology,philosophy,astronomy,artsandliterature.
Many of the ideasandmethodspioneeredbyMuslimscholarsbecame the foundationof modern
sciences.
The IslamicEmpire thrivedwell intothe 17thcentury,whenitbroke upintosmallerMuslimkingdoms.
The ArabianPeninsulagraduallyenteredaperiodof relativeisolation,althoughMakkahandMadinah
remainedthe spiritualheartof the Islamicworldandcontinuedtoattract pilgrimsfrommanycountries.

4. The First Saudi State
In the early18th century,aMuslimscholarand reformernamedShaikhMuhammadbinAbdul Wahhab
beganadvocatinga returnto the original formof Islam.Abdul Wahhabwasinitiallypersecutedbylocal
religiousscholarsandleaderswhoviewedhisteachingsasa threatto theirpowerbases.He sought
protectioninthe townof Diriyah,whichwasruledbyMuhammad binSaud.
Muhammadbin Abdul WahhabandMuhammad binSaudformedan agreementtodedicate themselves
to restoringthe pure teachingsof Islamtothe Muslimcommunity.Inthat spirit,binSaudestablished
the FirstSaudi State,whichprosperedunderthe spiritualguidance of binAbdul Wahhab,knownsimply
as the Shaikh.
By 1788, the Saudi State ruledoverthe entire central plateauknownasthe Najd.Bythe early19th
century,itsrule extendedtomostof the ArabianPeninsula,includingMakkahandMadinah.
The popularityandsuccessof the Al-Saudrulersarousedthe suspicionof the OttomanEmpire,the
dominantpowerinthe Middle Eastand NorthAfricaat the time.In1818, the Ottomansdispatcheda
large expeditionaryforce armedwithmodernartillerytothe westernregionof Arabia.The Ottoman
army besiegedDiriyah,whichbynowhadgrowninto one of the largestcitiesinthe peninsula.Ottoman
forcesleveledthe citywithfieldgunsandmade itpermanentlyuninhabitable byruiningthe wellsand
uprootingdate palms.
The SecondSaudi State
By 1824, the Al-Saudfamilyhadregainedpolitical control of central Arabia.The Saudi rulerTurki bin
AbdullahAl-Saudtransferredhiscapital toRiyadh,some 20 milessouthof Diriyah,andestablishedthe
SecondSaudi State.Duringhis11-year rule,Turki succeededinretakingmostof the landslostto the
Ottomans.Ashe expandedhisrule,he tookstepstoensure thathispeople enjoyedrights,andhe saw
to theirwell-being.
Under Turki and hisson,Faisal,the SecondSaudi State enjoyedaperiodof peace andprosperity,and
trade and agriculture flourished.The calmwasshatteredin1865 bya renewedOttomancampaignto
extenditsMiddle Easternempireintothe ArabianPeninsula.Ottomanarmiescapturedpartsof the
Saudi State,whichwasruledat the time byFaisal’sson,Abdulrahman.Withthe supportof the
Ottomans,the Al-Rashidfamilyof Hail made aconcertedefforttooverthrow the Saudi State.

5. Facedwitha much largerand betterequippedarmy,AbdulrahmanbinFaisal Al-Saudwasforcedto
abandonhisstruggle in1891. He soughtrefuge withthe Bedouintribesinthe vastsanddesertof
easternArabiaknownasthe Rub’ Al-Khali,or‘EmptyQuarter.’Fromthere,Abdulrahmanandhisfamily
traveledtoKuwait,where theystayeduntil 1902. Withhimwas his youngsonAbdulaziz,whowas
alreadymakinghismarkas a natural leaderanda fierce warriorforthe cause of Islam.
The Modern Kingdomof Saudi Arabia
The young Abdulazizwasdeterminedtoregainhispatrimonyfromthe Al-Rashidfamily,whichhad
takenoverRiyadhand establishedagovernorandgarrisonthere.In1902, Abdulaziz, –accompaniedby
only40 followers –stageda daringnightmarch intoRiyadhtoretake the city garrison,knownasthe
Masmak Fortress.Thislegendaryeventmarksthe beginningof the formationof the modernSaudi state.
AfterestablishingRiyadhashisheadquarters,Abdulazizcapturedall of the Hijaz,includingMakkahand
Madinah,in1924 to 1925. In the process,he unitedwarringtribesintoone nation.
On September23, 1932, the countrywas namedthe Kingdomof Saudi Arabia,anIslamicstate with
Arabicas its national language andthe HolyQur’anas itsconstitution.
KingAbdulaziz(1932-1953)
The legendaryKingAbdulazizwasaremarkable leaderof imaginationand visionwhosetSaudi Arabiaon
the road to modernization.Duringhisrule,KingAbdulazizstartedbuildingthe country’sinfrastructure.
He establishedroadsandbasiccommunicationssystems,introducedmoderntechnology,andimproved
education,healthcare andagriculture.
AlthoughKingAbdulaziznevertraveledbeyondthe Arabworld,he wasa highlysophisticated
statesman.Foreignleadersanddiplomatswhometwithhimcame awayimpressedbyhisintegrityand
honesty.He wasfamousfordispensingwith diplomaticnicetiesinfavorof frankand candiddiscussion.
He wasjust as well knownforkeepinghispromises,whethergiventoasimple Bedouinortoa world
leader.These qualitiesenhancedhisstature asa reliable andresponsible leaderdedicatedto peace and
justice.
KingSaud(1953-1964)
Abdulaziz’eldestsonSaudaccededtothe throne uponhisfather’sdeathin1953. He continuedKing
Abdulaziz’slegacy,creatingthe Councilof Ministersandestablishingthe Ministriesof Health,Education
and Commerce.One of KingSaud’sgreatestsuccesseswasthe developmentof education –underhis
rule manyschoolswere establishedinthe Kingdom, includingitsfirstinstitute of highereducation,King
Saud University,in1957.

6. KingSaudalso made hismark globally.In1957, he became the firstSaudi monarchto visitthe United
States.In1962 he sponsoredaninternationalIslamicconference thatwouldbecome the MuslimWorld
League,headquarteredinMakkah.
KingFaisal (1964-1975)
KingFaisal binAbdulazizwasavisionaryinnovatorwithagreatrespectfor tradition.He initiatedthe first
of a seriesof economicandsocial developmentplansthatwouldtransformSaudi Arabia’s
infrastructure,especiallyindustry,andsetthe Kingdomonapath of rapid growth.He alsoestablished
the firstpublicschoolsforgirls.
In foreignpolicy,KingFaisal showedafirmcommitmenttothe Islamicworld.He wasa central force
behindthe establishmentinJeddahin1971 of the Organizationof the IslamicCooperation (OIC),a
groupof 57 IslamiccountriesthatpromotesIslamicunityandcooperation.
Throughoutthe turbulentperiodof the 1960s and1970s, whichincludedtwoArab-Israeliwarsandthe
oil crisisof 1973, KingFaisal wasa voice for moderation,peace andstability.
KingKhalid(1975-1982)
KhalidbinAbdulazizsucceededKingFaisal in1975. KingKhalidalsoemphasizeddevelopment,andhis
reignwasmarkedby an almostexplosive growthinthe country’sphysical infrastructure.Itwasa period
of enormouswealthandprosperityforSaudi Arabia.
On the international stage,KingKhalidwasaprime moverinformingthe Gulf CooperationCouncil
(GCC) in 1981, an organizationthatpromoteseconomicandsecuritycooperationamongitssix member
countries:Bahrain,Kuwait,Oman,Qatar,the UnitedArabEmiratesandSaudi Arabia.
KingFahd(1982-2005)
Under KingFahdbinAbdulaziz,whoadoptedthe titleCustodianof the TwoHolyMosques,Saudi Arabia
continueditstremendoussocioeconomicdevelopmentandemergedasaleadingpolitical andeconomic
force.
KingFahdwas central to Saudi Arabia’seffortstodiversifyitseconomyandpromote privateenterprise
and investment.He restructuredthe Saudi governmentandapprovedthe firstnationwidemunicipal
elections,whichtookplace in2005.

7. One of KingFahd’sgreatestaccomplishmentsinSaudi Arabiawasa seriesof projectstoexpandthe
Kingdom’sfacilitiestoaccommodate the millionsof pilgrimswhocome tothe countryeachyear.These
projectsinvolvedmajorexpansionsof Islam’stwoholiestsites,the HolyMosque inMakkahand the
Prophet’sMosque inMadinah,aswell asairportsand ports.
In the international arena,KingFahdworkedactivelytoresolve regional andglobal crises.These crises
includedthe Arab-Palestinianconflict,Iraq’sinvasionof Kuwait,the Lebanesecivilwarinadditionto
conflictsinBosnia-Herzegovina,Kosovo,Chechnya,Afghanistan,SomaliaandKashmir.
As CrownPrince in1981, he proposedaneight-pointplantoresolve the Arab-Israeli conflictandgive
the Palestiniansanindependentstate.The planwasconsideredone of the firstattemptstofindajust
and lastingsettlementthattookintoconsiderationthe needsof boththe Arabsand Israel.Itwas
unanimouslyadopted bythe ArabLeague at a summitinFez,Morocco in 1982.
KingFahdalso dedicatedyearsof diplomacytoresolvingthe civilwarinLebanon.He hosteda meeting
of Lebanese membersof parliamentinTaif,Saudi Arabiain1989. The meetingresultedinanational
reconciliationaccordsignedinTaif thatendedthe fightingandopenedthe wayforreconstructionwith
helpfromSaudi Arabiaandother Arabcountries.
Perhapsthe greatestinternational crisisof KingFahd’srule occurredwhenIraqinvadedKuwaiton
August2, 1990. The Kingplayeda keyrole inputtingtogetherthe international coalitionthatdrove Iraqi
forcesout of Kuwait.
KingFahdwas alsoconcernedwithhumanitarianissues.Underhisrule,Saudi Arabiaprovided
emergencyhumanitarianassistancetonumerouscountries,includingSomalia,BosniaandAfghanistan,
as well ascountriessufferingfromnatural disasters,suchasearthquakes(Turkeyin1999, Iran in 2003)
and the tsunami thatstruck SoutheastAsiainDecember2004.
KingAbdullah(2005 - )
Custodianof the Two HolyMosquesKingAbdullahbinAbdulazizaccededtothe throne afterthe death
of KingFahdon August1, 2005.
KingAbdullahwasborninRiyadhin1924, and receivedhisearlyeducationatthe royal court.Influenced
by hisfatherKingAbdulaziz,he developedaprofoundrespectforreligion,historyandArabheritage.His
yearsspentlivinginthe desertwithBedouintribestaughthimtheirvaluesof honor,simplicity,
generosityandbravery,andinstilledinhimthe desire toassistinthe developmentof hispeople.

8. As CrownPrince,he traveledwidelyinthe Kingdomandinauguratedanumberof projectsthroughout
the country.In 2005 he closelymonitoredthe electionprocessforthe country’smunicipal councils.
The Prince’sfirstofficial visittothe UnitedStateswasin1976 whenhe metwithPresidentGeraldFord.
Since then,he hasmade a numberof visitstothe UnitedStates,includinghismostrecentonApril 25,
2005 to PresidentGeorge W.Bush’sranchinCrawford,Texas.
His international diplomacyreflectsSaudi Arabia’sleadershiprole indefense of ArabandIslamicissues
and forthe achievementof worldpeace,stabilityandsecurity.Peace inthe Middle Eastandthe plight
of the Palestiniansare of particularconcerntoKingAbdullah.Hisproposal foracomprehensiveArab-
Israeli peace,presentedatthe BeirutArabSummitin2002, has beenadoptedbythe League of Arab
Statesand isknownas the Arab Peace Initiative.
KingAbdullahhasbeenunwaveringinhiscondemnationof terrorism.Atthe International
CounterterrorismConference inRiyadhinFebruary,2005,he calledforgreaterinternational
cooperationtofightthisglobal problem.
CrownPrince Prince SalmanbinAbdulaziz
His Royal HighnessPrince SalmanbinAbdulazizwasdesignatedCrownPrince of the Kingdomof Saudi
Arabia,andappointedDeputyPrime Minister,byCustodianof the TwoHolyMosquesKingAbdullahbin
AbdulazizonJune 18, 2012, upon the deathof CrownPrince Nayef binAbdulaziz.CrownPrince Salman
alsoservesasMinisterof Defense.
Prince Salmanwasborn inRiyadhon Dec.31, 1935, andreceivedhiseducationatthe Prince’sSchool in
Riyadh.He servedasDeputyGovernorof Riyadhfrom March 1954 to April 1955, andGovernorof
RiyadhfromApril 1955 to December1960 andagain fromFebruary1963 to Nov.5, 2011, whenhe was
appointedMinisterof Defense.
Since 1956, Prince Salmanhas chairedvarioushumanitarianandservice committeesthatprovide relief
fromnatural andman-made disasters. Forhishumanitarianservices,he hasbeenawardedmany
medalsanddecorations,includingawardsfromBahrain,BosniaandHerzegovina,France,Morocco,
Palestine,the Philippines,Senegal,the UnitedNations,Yemen,andthe KingAbdulazizMedal - First
Class.
He isa recipientof several honorarydegreesandacademicawards,includinganhonorarydoctorate
fromthe IslamicUniversityof Madinah,the Prince Salmanacademicaward,andthe Kant Medal by the
Berlin-BrandenburgAcademyof Sciencesand Humanitiesinappreciationof hiscontributionstothe field
of science.
Duringofficial visitstothe UnitedStatesinApril 2012, Prince SalmanmetwithPresidentBarackObama
and a numberof U.S. officials.

9. Geography
Main article:Geographyof Saudi Arabia
Ecoregionsasdelineatedbythe WWF.The yellow line enclosesthe ecoregionsArabianDesert,East
Sahero-Arabianxericshrublandsandtwoothersmallerdesertareas.
Saudi Arabiaoccupiesabout80% of the ArabianPeninsula(the world'slargestpeninsula), lyingbetween
latitudes 16° and33° N, and longitudes34°and56° E. Because the country's southernborderswith
the UnitedArab Emirates andOman are not preciselymarked,the exactsizeof the countryis
undefined.[231]
The CIA WorldFactbook estimates2,149,690 km2
(830,000 sq mi) and listsSaudi Arabiaas
the world's13th largeststate.
Saudi Arabia'sgeographyisdominatedbythe ArabianDesertandassociatedsemi-desertandshrubland
(see satellite imagetoright).Itis,infact, a numberof linkeddesertsandincludesthe
647,500 km2
(250,001 sq mi) Rub' al Khali ("EmptyQuarter") inthe southernpartof the country,the
world'slargestcontiguoussanddesert. There are virtuallynoriversorlakesinthe country,
but wadisare numerous.The fewfertile areasare tobe foundinthe alluvial depositsinwadis,basins,
and oases. The maintopographical feature isthe central plateauwhichrisesabruptlyfromthe RedSea

10. and graduallydescendsintothe Nejdandtowardthe PersianGulf. Onthe RedSeacoast, there isa
narrow coastal plain,knownasthe Tihamahparallel towhichrunsan imposingescarpment.The
southwestprovince of Asirismountainous,andcontainsthe 3,133 m (10,279 ft)MountSawda,whichis
the highestpointinthe country.
The Nejdlandscape:desertandtheTuwaiqEscarpmentnearRiyadh
Exceptfor the southwesternprovince of Asir,Saudi Arabiahasa desertclimatewithextremelyhighday-
time temperaturesandasharp temperature dropatnight.Average summertemperaturesare around
113 °F (45 °C), butcan be as highas 129 °F (54 °C). Inthe winterthe temperature rarelydropsbelow
32 °F (0 °C). Inthe springandautumnthe heatistemperate,temperaturesaveragearound84 °F (29 °C).
Annual rainfall isextremelylow.The Asirregiondiffersinthatitisinfluencedbythe Indian
Oceanmonsoons,usuallyoccurringbetweenOctoberandMarch. Anaverage of 300 mm (12 in) of
rainfall occursduringthisperiod,thatisabout60% of the annual precipitation.[234]
Animal life includeswolves,hyenas, mongooses, baboons,hares,sandrats,andjerboas.Largeranimals
such as gazelles, oryx,andleopardswere relativelynumerousuntilthe 1950s, whenhuntingfrommotor
vehiclesreducedthese animalsalmosttoextinction.Birdsincludefalcons(whichare caughtandtrained
for hunting),eagles,hawks,vultures, sandgrouse andbulbuls.There are several speciesof snakes,many
of whichare venomous,andnumeroustypesof lizards.There isawide varietyof marine life inthe
PersianGulf.Domesticatedanimalsincludecamels,sheep,goats,donkeys,andchickens.Reflectingthe
country'sdesertconditions,Saudi Arabia'splantlife mostlyconsistsof small herbsandshrubsrequiring
little water.There are afewsmall areasof grassand treesinsouthernAsir.The date palm(Phoenix
dactylifera) iswidespread.

11. Buildings in Saudi Arabia
This list of tallest buildings in Saudi Arabia ranks skyscrapers in Saudi Arabia by height. The
tallest building in Saudi Arabia is currently the 120–story Makkah Royal Clock Tower Hotel, which
rises 601 metres (1,972 ft) and was topped out in 2012, it is also the worlds 2nd tallest building. In
August 2011, the Kingdom Tower was approved for construction, when completed in 2018 it will rise
to 1,000 metres (3,281 ft), therefore becoming both the world's tallest building and structure.
1.)The Abraj Al-Bait Towers, also known as the Makkah Royal
Clock Tower Hotel, is a government-owned megatall building
complex inMecca, Saudi Arabia. These towers are a part of
the King Abdulaziz Endowment Project that strives to modernize the
city in catering to its pilgrims. The central hotel building has
the world's largest clock face and is the third tallest building and
fourth tallest freestanding structure in the world. The building
complex is metres away from the world's largestmosque and Islam's
most sacred site, the Masjid al-Haram. The developer and
contractor of the complex is the Saudi Binladin Group, the
Kingdom's largest construction company.The complex was built
after the demolition of the Ajyad Fortress, the 18th-
century Ottomancitadel which stood atop a hill overlooking the
Grand Mosque. The destruction of the fort in 2002 by
the Saudi government sparked Turkish and international outcry
2.) Burj Rafal is a skyscraper hotel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

12. 3.) Kingdom Centre (Arabic: ‫المملكة‬ ‫,)برج‬ is a 65-storey, 302.3 m
(992 ft)skyscraper in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It is the third tallest
skyscraper in the country after the Abraj Al Bait Towers and
the Burj Rafal, and is the world's third tallest building with a hole
after the Shanghai World Financial Centerand TuntexSky Tower.
Besides the shopping mall, Kingdom Tower contains the Four
Seasons Hotel Riyadh and apartments. There is a 56 m
(184 ft) skybridge atop the skyscraper.
The building is situated on 100,000 square metres site with
carparking for 3,000 vehicles.
The upper third of the tower features an inverted parabolic
arch.[5]
The building utilises butt jointed glazing combined with the lack of both distinguished floor
lines and other tall buildings around it. The lower two thirds were constructed with a reinforced
concrete frame while the top third has a tubular steel frame.
The architectural model maker of the Center was Richard Tenguerian.
4.) The Al Faisaliyah Centre (or Al Faisaliah Centre, Arabic: ‫برج‬
‫)الفيصلية‬ is a commercial skyscraper located in the business district
of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It is the third tallest building in Saudi
Arabia after the Kingdom Centreand Abraj Al Bait. It is also called
Star Dome
5.) Suwaiket Tower is a skyscrapersituatedin Khobar, Saudi Arabia.It
isthe tallestbuildinginthe Eastern Province.

13. 6.) King Road Tower is a 34-storeyoffice towerthatislocated
in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The towercontainsthe worldlargest
advertisementLEDscreenmakingita valuedlandmarkforthe city.
King’sRoadTowerin Jeddah,Saudi Arabia.The screenmeasures
almost10,000 sq m and wasdesigned,builtandinstalledbyFrench
companyCitiled,aworldleaderintailor-made “MediaFaçade”projectsforintegrationintoarchitecture.
ThisachievementplacesJeddahfirmlyinthe forefrontof large-scalearchitecturalinnovationandgivesa
dynamicimage tothiscity resolutelyrootedinthe future.
7.) Kingdom Tower (Arabic: ‫المملكة‬ ‫برج‬ Burj al-Mamlakah),
previously known as Mile-High Tower (‫رج‬ ‫ب‬ ‫يل‬ ‫م‬ ‫,)ال‬ is
a skyscraper currently under construction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,
at a preliminary cost ofSR4.6 billion (US$1.23 billion).[9]
It will be the
centrepiece and first phase of a SR75 billion (US$20
billion)[10]
proposed development known as Kingdom City that will
be located along the Red Sea on the north side of Jeddah. If
completed as planned, the tower will reach unprecedented heights,
becoming the tallest building in the world, as well as the first
structure to reach the one-kilometre-high mark. The tower was
initially planned to be 1.6 kilometres (1 mi) high; however, the
geology of the area proved unsuitable for a tower of that height.The
design, created by American architect Adrian Smith, who also
designed Burj Khalifa, incorporates many unique structural and
aesthetic features.
8.)Diamond Tower is a 93-storey, 432-metre
(1,417 ft) supertall skyscraperunder construction in Jeddah, Saudi
Arabia. The tower will be primarily for residential use. Once
completed it will become Saudi Arabia's second-tallest building
and one of the tallest residential buildings in the world.

14. 9.) Lamar Towers are a pair of skyscrapers currently under
construction in the city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.[3][4]
Located
on Jeddah Corniche, Tower 1 will be 321.6 m (1,055 ft) tall
(including antenna) with 72 floors above ground, and Tower 2 will
be 292.66 m (960.2 ft) tall with 62 floors above ground.
The proposal for the project was submitted by Cayan in 2008 and
was approved in the same year. Construction began in 2008 and,
when completed in 2016, Tower 1 will be the tallest building in
Jeddah, till date, surpassing the recently completed National
Commercial Bank. The development is expected to cost about
$600 million. The tower was designed by Saudi Diyar Consultants.
The Construction Management Service is by MIDRAR. The Lamar
company is the main developer of the project and Drake & Scull
Construction are the main contractors for this landmark
development. Lamar means liquid gold in Arabic, which describes the reflection of the golden glass
in the waters of the gulf.