Saudi Arabia
Background
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is a country in West Asia that occupies most of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the Red Sea on the west and the Persian Gulf on the east, and it shares land borders with Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen. The capital and largest city is Riyadh, while Mecca and Medina are the two holiest cities in Islam and are located within its territory. With a land area of about 2.15 million square kilometers and a population of nearly 32.2 million, it is the largest country in the Middle East and a major state in the Arab world.
The country is politically and economically significant because it is a regional power, a major non-NATO ally, and the only Arab member of the G20. Its economy is among the largest in the Middle East and is heavily shaped by hydrocarbons, with Saudi Arabia ranking as the world’s second-largest oil producer and leading oil exporter. It also holds the world’s second-largest oil reserves and sixth-largest gas reserves, giving it substantial influence in global energy markets and in international economic and diplomatic affairs. Saudi Arabia is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the United Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Arab League, and OPEC.
Modern Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932 by King Abdulaziz, who united Hejaz, Najd, and other regions through military and political campaigns. Since then it has been governed as an absolute monarchy under the House of Saud, and its Basic Law defines it as a sovereign Arab Islamic state with Islam as its official religion and Arabic as its official language. The kingdom’s modern role has also been shaped by petroleum development, first discovered in 1938, and by its position in Middle Eastern security affairs, including its intervention in the Yemeni Civil War. In recent years, it has introduced limited social and cultural reforms, while the Russian Foreign Ministry has recently warned Russian citizens against travel to Saudi Arabia amid regional hostilities.
Timeline
Russia’s Foreign Ministry warned Russian citizens against traveling to Saudi Arabia amid ongoing regional hostilities.
Warning for Citizens of the Russian Federation Planning Travel AbroadThe ministry cited Saudi Arabia as one of the Gulf states where connecting flights could be cancelled because of the unrest.
Warning for Citizens of the Russian Federation Planning Travel Abroad
Documents
Warning for Citizens of the Russian Federation Planning Travel Abroad
Russia's Foreign Ministry warned citizens against travel to Gulf states amid ongoing regional hostilities, citing risks of cancelled connecting flights and personal safety concerns.