Saudi Arabia — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Saudi Arabia: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
Saudi Arabia — in Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen. Political status: absolute monarchy. It covers 2,149,690 sq km. Terrain: mostly sandy desert. Climate: harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes.
| Capital | Riyadh |
|---|---|
| Population | 36,544,431 (2024 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $2.213 trillion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $62,700 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 1.8% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 1.7% (2024 est.) |
| Unemployment | 3.9% (2024 est.) |
| Public debt | 13.1% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $360.897 billion (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $317.012 billion (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 77.2 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 32.8 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 85% of total population (2023) |
| Government | absolute monarchy |
| Independence | 23 September 1932 (unification of the kingdom) |
| Languages | Arabic (official) |
Saudi Arabia’s GDP is $2.213 trillion (2024 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $1.238 trillion (2024 est.). Real GDP grew 1.8% (2024 est.). See where Saudi Arabia ranks among all 195 countries by GDP.
POWER --/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — nine components, 135 indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
A steady quarter: no single development moved the needle for the kingdom. The long oil-and-investment game set the trajectory, as it always does.
Jul–Sep 2026 confirmed continuity over change — Riyadh's momentum is structural, measured in years rather than quarters.
- What our model rewards: public debt under 13% of GDP — room to maneuver; inflation tamed at 1.7%
- What drags it down: only 2% of electricity from low-carbon sources
Oil, Natural gas, Iron ore, Gold, Copper.
Energy is the physical base of economic power — what a country can generate, move and burn decides what it can build, sell and defend.
| Electricity access | 100% (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity mix (CIA) | fossil fuels: 99.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 0.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 0.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) |
| Energy consumption per capita (CIA) | 349.692 million Btu/person (2023 est.) |
| Primary energy consumption (OWID) | 3,290.4 TWh (2024) |
| Electricity generation (OWID) | 454.6 TWh (2024) |
| Energy per capita (OWID) | 96,883 kWh per person (2024) |
| Electricity generation mix (OWID) | Gas 63.3%, Oil 34.5%, Solar 1.8%, Wind 0.3% (2024) |
| Low-carbon share of electricity (OWID) | 2.2% (2024) |
Sources: CIA World Factbook, Energy section; Our World in Data (IEA/Ember), 2024.
Trade shows what the world buys from a country and what the country must buy from the world — the balance between the two is a direct measure of economic leverage.
| Exports | $360.897 billion (2024 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $317.012 billion (2024 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Surplus of $43.9 billion (2024), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key industries | crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, ammonia, industrial gases, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), cement, fertilizer, plastics, metals, commercial ship repair, commercial aircraft repair, construction |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
Mohammed bin Salman — Crown Prince and Prime Minister. King SALMAN bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 23 January 2015)
Saudi Arabia maintains 104 embassies and 19 consulates abroad, hosts 128 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to EU Brussels, Arab League Cairo, UN Geneva, UN New York, UNESCO Paris, OPEC Vienna. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 104 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 19 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 128 |
| Multilateral missions | EU Brussels, Arab League Cairo, UN Geneva, UN New York, UNESCO Paris, OPEC Vienna |
Source: Outbound: Lowy Institute Global Diplomacy Index 2024 (via Wikipedia 'List of countries by number of diplomatic missions'). Hosted: counted from Wikipedia 'List of diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia' numbered embassy list in Riyadh (1-128, crawled 2026-10-01). Multilateral: Wikipedia 'List of diplomatic missions of Saudi Arabia'.
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 2640 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 90 + 69 heliports (registration prefix HZ) |
| Major seaports | Dammam, Duba, Jiddah, Jizan, Ju Aymah Oil Terminal, Ras Tannurah, Ras Al Khafji, Ras Al Mishab |
| Railways | 5410 km |
| Pipelines | 209 km condensate, 2,940 km gas, 1,183 km liquid petroleum gas, 5,117 km oil, 1,151 km refined products (2013) |
| Top container ports (TEU) | Jeddah (4,882,342 TEU, 2021); King Abdulla (2,813,920 TEU, 2021); Ad Dammam (1,770,000 TEU, 2021) |
Major airports
Abha International Airport (AHB) — Abha; Al-Ahsa International Airport (HOF) — Hofuf; Al-Jawf International Airport (AJF) — Al-Jawf; Al-Ula International Airport (ULH) — Al-Ula; Hail International Airport (HAS) — Hail; King Abdulaziz Air Base (DHA) — Dhahran; King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) — Jeddah; King Fahd International Airport (DMM) — Ad Dammam; King Khalid International Airport (RUH) — Riyadh; Neom Bay Airport (NUM) — Sharma.
Showing 10 of 15 major airports.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | absolute monarchy |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Saudi Arabia.
Historical timeline of Saudi Arabia
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of Saudi Arabia — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is Saudi Arabia's power score?
Saudi Arabia has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.