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Geography
| State: | Riyadh, Central Region | | Country: | Saudi Arabia | Elevation:
| 2008 feet
| Latitude:
| 24.6408 | | Longitude: | 46.7729 |
Maps
 Map of Riyadh |  Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia
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See large map of Saudi Arabia (opens new window)
Population
Population:
| 4.26 million (1425 H/February 2005)
| Growth rate:
| 4.2% (1997-2005)
8.1% (1989-1997)
| | Saudi nationals: | 2,800,000 (66%) | | Non-Saudis: | 1,460,000 (34%) | | | | Saudis < 20 years old:
| 56%
| Saudis 21-40 years old:
| 30%
| Saudis > 40 years old:
| 14%
| | | | Non-Saudis < 20 years old:
| 30%
| Non-Saudis 21-40 years old:
| 54%
| Non-Saudis > 40 years old:
| 16%
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Climate
| Average Summer Temperature: | 45ºC-54ºC | | Average Winter Temperature: | 15ºC | | Annual Rainfall: | 4 inches | | Humidity: | 17%
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Quick Facts
| Country dialing code: | 966
| | Telephone area code: | 1
| Time zone:
| GMT +03:00 | Electricity:
| 125/215 Volts AC, 50/60Hz | Ethnic Mix:
| Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10% | | Major Industries: | Crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, cement, steel-rolling mills, construction, fertilizers and plastics.
| | Religion: | Sunni Muslims 85% and Shiite Muslims 15%. Other religions cannot be publicly practiced in Saudi Arabia as it is against the law. |
Did you Know?
- Riyadh has been selected as the key city to attract tourists.
- Saudi laws are very strict. Pornographic magazines, alcohol, religious texts ( except the Qur'an ), animals and plants are strictly prohibited. Severe punishment is given to anyone caught with these items.
- Women need to cover according to Islamic dress. Riyadh is more conservative city than others.
For a city that can be explored on foot, Riyadh has over 60 shopping malls. Locals are known to be shopaholics and the spending capacity is estimated at 41 billion Saudi riyals ( 10.93 billion U.S. dollars per year ).
Orientation
The word 'Riyadh' when translated into English, means 'the gardens.' Although deserts make up most of the city, mountains and green pastures in some parts of Riyadh come as a pleasant surprise. This capital city of Saudi Arabia, located in the central region of Nejd, is an arid area that occupies more than 600 square miles and makes for 14% of the country’s population.
Surrounded by the Persian Gulf to the west and the Arabian Gulf to the east, Riyadh is bordered by Kuwait, Iraq and Jordan. The city has few lakes and rivers and rain showers are infrequent.
Sources: - Higher Authority for the Development of Riyadh
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