Government and Economy

FAST FACTS

Government

Saudi Arabia is a monarchy governed by the Al-Saud ruling family.

NEW JOINERS

1. Your Employee File

2. Signing Your Contract

3. Getting Oriented

Joining Nesma Checklist

Nesma in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

1. Geography of KSA

2. Cities

3. People and Culture

4. Government and Economy

5. Arabic Basics

Time Zone

GMT +3

Flag

White letters with the Muslim creed, “There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”

Emblem

A date palm, representing vitality and growth with two crossed swords symbolizing justice and strength rooted in faith

Currency

The Saudi Riyal is pegged to the US Dollar at 1 USD = 3.75 SR. There are also 100 halalah coins per 1 SAR; however, coins are rarely used and prices may be rounded to the nearest riyal.

GLOBAL LEADERSHIP

The Kingdom hosts the Muslim World League, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the Islamic Development Bank, and the Gulf Cooperation Council. It also makes generous donations to the Islamic Development Fund, which provides assistance for community infrastructure projects and the Islamic Organization for Science, Technology and Development.

MEMBERSHIPS

Saudi Arabia is a full member of over 53 major international organizations including, among others: the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC, founding member); the United Nations (since 1945); the World Trade Organization (WTO, since 2005); the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC, founding member); and the G-20.

ECONOMY

Saudi Arabia holds roughly 16% of the world’s proven oil reserves, and oil exports provide approximately 80% of the country’s revenue. The Kingdom initially devoted oil revenues to developing infrastructure, industry and agriculture. Later development plans were devoted to diversification to lessen the country’s dependence on oil revenues. Other sectors such as power generation and telecommunications are growing quickly. In 2015, KSA opened its stock market to foreign investors. It has the largest stock market in the Middle East. As of 2014, the Kingdom’s top 6 export partners were China 13.3%, Japan 13%, US 12.9%, South Korea 10%, India 8.9%, and Singapore 4%.

LAWS

Laws are strictly enforced in the Kingdom for nationals and expats alike. Be sure to:

- Always carry your personal ID or iqama (residence permit)
- Ensure that your documents are not expired and your passport is valid for at least 6 months
- Know that possession of drugs, narcotics and alcohol constitutes a serious criminal offense
- Know that consumption of pork is illegal - you will not find it on menus and cannot bring it into the country
- Know that some over-the-counter pharmaceuticals can be prohibited, so check before you bring them to the country
- Avoid taking photos of any government buildings

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Police 999

Fire Service 998

Ambulance 997

Traffic Police (Al Moroor) 993

Page updated

Report abuse