Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is a large country in the Middle East. It takes up most of the Arabian Peninsula. Saudi Arabia has vast deserts, is one of the hottest countries on Earth, and has some of the largest oil reserves in the world.

Land and People

About 36 million people live in Saudi Arabia. The capital is Riyadh. Most of the country is desert, including the Rub' al Khali, the largest sand desert in the world. It barely rains and temperatures can reach over 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

Tall carved stone shaped like a person from long ago.
Tall carved stone shaped like a person from long ago. (Wolfgang Sauber / Wikimedia Commons)

Culture and Fun Facts

Mecca in Saudi Arabia is the holiest city in Islam. Millions of Muslims travel there every year for the Hajj pilgrimage. Saudi people eat kabsa, a rice and meat dish. The country has so much oil that it changed from a desert kingdom to a modern nation in just decades.

Fun Facts

  • Saudi Arabia has the largest continuous sand desert in the world called the Empty Quarter.
  • About 2 million people visit Mecca for the Hajj pilgrimage every year.
  • Saudi Arabia has no permanent rivers.

Did You Know?

Saudi Arabia is building a futuristic city called NEOM in the desert. Part of it, called The Line, is planned to be a city in a straight line that is 105 miles long but only 660 feet wide. It would run on clean energy and have no cars.