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 The
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the
largest country on the Arabian
Peninsula. It is in southwest
Asia, at the crossroads of
Europe, Asia and Africa;
extending from the Red Sea in
the west to the Arabian Gulf in
the east; bordered on the north
by Jordan, Iraq and Kuwait, on
the south, by Yemen and Oman,
and on the east by the United
Arab Emirates, Qatar and
Bahrain.
Demographics
Saudi Arabia's population as if
2005 was estimated to be about
26.4 million, including about
5.6 million foreign residents.
Due to rapid economic and urban
growth, more than 95% of the
population now is settled. The
birth rate is 29.56 births per
1,000 people. The death rate is
only 2.62 deaths per 1,000
people. Some cities and oases
have densities of more than
1,000 people per square
kilometer (2,600/sq mi).
Language:
Arabic, English is widely spoken
in urban areas.
Climate:
 March weather is great in Saudi
Arabia but usually extreme heat
and aridity are characteristic
of most of Saudi Arabia.
The average winter temperature
range is 8° to 20°C (47° to 68
°F) in January in interior
cities such as Riyadh and 19° to
29 °C (66° to 83 °F) in Jeddah
on the Red Sea coast. The
average summer range in July is
27° to 43°C (81° to 109°F) in
Riyadh and 27° to 38 °C (80° to
100 °F) in Jeddah. Nighttime
temperatures in the mid desert
can be famously chilly even in
summer, as sand gives up daytime
heat rapidly once the sun has
set.
Time:
Greenwich mean time plus three (
GMT+3) Eastern Standard time
plus eight( seven during
daylight Saving Time).
Business:
Government offices Saturday
through Wednesday from 7:30 am
to 2:30 pm; private businesses
from 8:00 am to noon and 3:00 pm
to 6:00 pm; general banking from
8:00 am until noon and from 4:00
pm until 7:00 pm and markets and
shops from 8:00 am until 10:00
pm.
Currency:
Saudi Riyal (SR) pegged to U.S.
dollar ($1=SR3.745); bank notes,
in Arabic and English, in
denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50,
100 and 500 riyals; coins in
denominations of 5, 10, 25, 50
and 100 halalahs, with 100
halalahs equal to one riyal;
metric system in use.
Airline:
Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAA),
for reservations, 1-800-4SAUDIA
or
www.saudiairlines.com
Useful Links:
Hotels:
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