It’s the 92nd Saudi National Day, a day where we celebrate everything we love about the kingdom, and so we thought it was only appropriate to list 92 things about Saudi Arabia you might or might not have known. Let’s go!
1- Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Middle East.
2- Saudi Arabia has 6 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
3- Saudi Arabia is the birth place of the religion of Islam and home to the holiest sites, Mecca and Medina.
4- Some years ago, 400 ancient ‘gates’ were discovered in the Arabian Desert.
5- The Formula 1 Street Circuit that was held in Jeddah was the second-fastest in the world.
6- The Arabian oryx, native to Saudi Arabia, was once classified as extinct, however the government managed to restore the species making it the only documented case in history of an extinct animal being restored.
7- Riyadh has the largest camel market in the world.
8- Saudi Arabia is home to the world’s largest, uninterrupted sand desert, Rub al-Khali.
Moon rise at the Rub' al Khali Desert, 'Empty Quarter', Arabian Peninsula.(2) pic.twitter.com/OhfT9yH0wZ
— irina (@StudioIra) September 17, 2021
9- King Khalid Airport is the world’s largest airport.
10- Almost half of Saudi Arabia’s population is under 24, making for quite the young country!
11- Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the world without a river, although there are many wadis and other bodies of water.
From a stroll through Khairah Forest Park to a look at the Al Bahah Museum for Antiquities and National Heritage, Al Bahah has plenty of nature and heritage to put on display.https://t.co/U7vetbiaot
— About Her (@AboutHerOFCL) September 17, 2022
12- During the period of Hajj, the number of people that visit Mecca are more than double its usual population.
13- The Arabian Peninsula is the largest peninsula in the world.
14- 350 million years ago, it is said that the kingdom of Saudi Arabia had a 20-foot mushroom in existence.
15- King Fahd’s Fountain in Jeddah is the tallest fountain in the world.
16- The name of the capital of Saudi Arabia, ‘Riyadh’ translates to ‘the garden’ in English.
17- Saudi Arabia exports more petrol than any other country in the world.
18- The Saudi Arabian flag is green because of its importance in Islam. The color is indicative of peace, life and fertility.
The Saudi flag is the focal point of the new Saudi National Day's logo, and it's encircled by other symbols that stand for the key components of Vision 2030.https://t.co/oTghdQO5iZ
— About Her (@AboutHerOFCL) September 1, 2022
19- On the topic of flags, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia has the only national flag in the world’s to show a writing inscription in the form of its main design.
20- It is very well known that Saudi Arabia is one of the most generous countries in the world, as they donate over $4 billion in aid each year to other developing countries.
21- There is a 43-year old haunting shipwreck in Tabuk, which is also one of the cool tourist attraction in Saudi Arabia.
22- abal Al Sawda is the highest peak in KSA.
23- In addition to all the amazing thing NEOM, the futuristic city of Saudi Arabia, has to offer, it will also be 10 degrees coolers than all the rest of the GCC.
24- The perfect place to live, no? A whopping number of 1.5 million tons of dates are harvested in Saudi Arabia every year.
25- The biggest working clock face in the world is located in The Abraj Al Bait Towers in Mecca.
26- UNESCO has declared the art of Arabic calligraphy an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
27- Saudi Arabia is the 13th largest country in the world.
28- Saudi Arabia’s capital has 7,387,817 people, the largest population by city in the kingdom.
29- In 1935, Ibn Saud, the the first king of Saudi Arabia was knighted by Queen Elizabeth of England.
30- There is an abandoned village called Al Habala in Saudi Arabia and it is only accessible by cable car. The views on route are incredible.
31- Family is very important to Saudi Arabians, and it is considered the center of Saudi society.
32- The Saudi stock market is the 9th largest in the world.
33- Saudi Arabis is believed to become a world leader in digital tech with the large investments it has been making in both local talent and resources.
34- Al-Ahsa Oasis is the largest oasis in the world.
35- Al-Jubail is the largest desalination plant in the world, and you guessed it, it’s located in Saudi Arabia.
36- Saudi Arabia’s tallest volcano is at 2,093m is Jabal Abiyadh.
37- Hegra was the first heritage site in Saudi Arabia to be added as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
38- You can stargaze and catch a very clear sight of the stunning Milky Way at AlGharam in Saudi Arabia.
39- The historical Old Town of Al Ula is one of the sites along the pilgrimage route from Damascus to Mecca.
40- Almost half of Saudi Arabia’s gamers are women.
41- There are more than 200,000 trees on the AlUla farm.
42- Jeddah has more than 40 branches of Al Baik, one of the most popular chain restaurants in the country, and a nostalgic part of many Saudi youth!
43- Eve’s Tomb is believed to be located somewhere in Jeddah.
44- Jeddah has a floating mosque, and its considered to be one of the most beautiful mosques in the country.
45- Once completed, Jeddah will be home to the tallest tower in the world; The Jeddah Tower.
46- The oldest university in Saudi Arabia is in Riyadh, the capital and it is called the Al Ahsa college Of Technology which dates back to its founding year in 1409.
47- Ad-Diriyah is home to The Masmak Fort, a clay and mudbrick fortress, that dates back to the 1800s.
Masmak Fort #Riyadh pic.twitter.com/yBHbbQ34jW
— Javier Ollero (@rayasycuadros) December 18, 2018
48- Another fun fact about Ad-Diriyah is that it is home to the formation of the first Saudi state and has major cultural significance in the kingdom.
49- Riyadh was first originally named and established as Hajr.
50- Riyadh is home to 4000 or more mosques.
51- Prince Sultan bin Salman was the first Muslim and Arab to travel in space when he traveled aboard an American space shuttle.
52- The largest city in the Gulf Cooperation Council is Saudi Arabia’s Khobar.
53- Khobar is known as the Triplet City as it forms a unique triangle with Dammam and Dahran.
54- Diving is a common sport in Saudi Arabia with many beautiful coral reefs to explore.
55- Khobar grew from a small fishing village mostly inhabited by the Al-Dossary tribe members.
56- King Fahd Causeway is made up of of 536 bridges on 5 pylons and 7 embankments in Gulf’s water.
57- Umluj is home to more than 1,200 fish species, and the interesting thing is that 10% only be witnessed in the Red Sea.
58- There are 102 islands in Umluj.
59- The largest serving of Sayadieh in the world was created in Saudi Arabia.
60- There is a dormant volcano in Saudi Arabia called Harrat Lunayyir.
61- In Tabuk, a discovery happened of the oldest human fossil of the remains of an ancient 85,000-year-old man.
62- There are more than 300 varieties of dates grown in Saudi Arabia with different flavors and forms.
63- Snow falls in some areas in Saudi Arabia like Tabuk.
Photos: People enjoying the snow that capped the mountains of Tabuk, Saudi Arabia on Saturday morning ❄ pic.twitter.com/1VWGfs9T63
— About Her (@AboutHerOFCL) January 2, 2022
64- Saudi Arabia has a national dance that is performed by swords! According to historians, it was created as a pre-war ritual by the Shammar tribe.
65- The first coffee house in the world was said to have been founded in Mecca in the 1470s.
66- Saudi Arabia’s history is quite rich and cross-cultural as it has been inhabited for around 125,000 years by people who have migrated from other regions, leaving ancient tools in the country.
67- Medina, Saudi Arabia is where Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon his name, is buried.
68- Saudi Arabia holds a 19km camel race known as King’s Cup camel race, as part of the Janadriyah National Festival.
69- Saudi Arabia is the largest producer of dates in the world.
70- Saudi Arabia is currently creating a 170km one-building vertical city right in the desert.
71- Traditionally in Saudi Arabia, when Oud incense is lit, the burner is distributed around from one guest to the other, to depict Saudi Arabian hospitality.
72- Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the kingdom among the younger Saudi Arabians.
73- The largest mirrored building in the world is in Saudi Arabia. Yes, you guessed it right, it’s the Maraya building in Al Ula.
74- There are no taxes in Saudi Arabia, but there is a Zakat annual rate of 2.5 percent on assets.
75- Umluj is home to the incredible species of Dugongs, which can live up to 73 years.
76- Saudi Arabia is one of the safest countries to travel to, as the crime rate is extremely low.
77- NEOM is located at the crossroads of the world, meaning that 40% of the world’s population will be able to reach the city is under 4 hours.
78- Kabsa is known to be the most famous dish in Saudi Arabia and is considered by many people to be the national dish of the kingdom.
79- Al-Kharj is the largest city by area in Saudi Arabia, with 17,452 m2 of area.
80- Coffee shop culture is an integral part of the everyday lives of Saudi Arabians.
81- Saudi Arabia has 8 World Guinness records.
82- Entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia is highly rewarded, as the Kingdom is known to be ahead in the Arab region with regulatory reforms related to entrepreneurship.
83- The world’s largest gaming event was held in Saudi Arabia.
84- The Saudi Cup is the biggest horse-racing event in the country and is usually attended by members of the royal families and other prominent figures in society. The fashion at the event is also watched closely where many attendees wear garments by local designers.
85- Saudi Arabia held one of the largest music festivals in the world, MDLBeast Soundstorm Festival and it was the dubbed as the ultimate “rave in a desert”.
86- This goes without saying, but good weather in Saudi Arabia is available all year from 15°C to 38°C.
87- Saudi Arabia is home to one of the most resilient reefs in the world.
The unspoiled nature of Al-Lith Island shows off the best features of the Red Sea.https://t.co/yl00tgzlAt
— About Her (@AboutHerOFCL) September 5, 2022
88- Saudi Arabian fashion designers are among the most known in the region, as they have dressed many A-list international celebrities like Queen Rania, Beyonce, Lupita Nyong’o and more.
89- With a value of more than $32.1 billion USD, Saudi Arabia’s ICT market (information and communication technology) is the largest one in the Middle East.
90- Saudi Arabia is the second biggest tourism destination in the Middle East.
91- Saudi Arabia has 210 museums in the country ranging from science, tech, and heritage to art and culture.
92- Saudi Arabia are among the most hospitable people in the region, if you are an invited into a Saudi household you will be treated like family.
