15 Interesting Facts about Saudi Arabia You May Not Know

15 Interesting Facts about Saudi Arabia You May Not Know
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If you want to know, some of the most interesting, and less known facts about Saudi Arabia, then keep watching, because that's what we are discussing, in this video. So, without any further ado, let's begin.

Saudi Arabia is an oil-rich Middle Eastern country bordering with Yemen, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq and Jordan. It dominates the Arabian Peninsula and remains an important regional power. Saudi Arabia is the 13th-largest country in the world, and the second largest in the Arab world (behind only Algeria) at 830,000 square miles.The Arabian Peninsula is the world’s largest peninsula. It's also the only nation with coasts on the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. Let’s see some interesting facts about Saudi Arabia.

Number 1. There are no rivers located in Saudi Arabia. It is the largest country in the world that does not have a river.

Number 2. Over 95% of Saudi Arabia is desert or semi-desert, and the country is home to some of the largest desert areas in the world, including Al Nafud (Nafud Desert) in the north and Rub al-Khali (Empty Quarter) in the south. Only 1.45% of the land is arable. Despite all these facts, interestingly, Saudi Arabia has the largest garden in the world.

Number 3. Riyadh’s camel market is one of the largest in the world and sells about 100 camels per day.

Number 4. Drinking of coffee or gahwa is very prevalent in Saudi Arabia. In Saudi culture, the host must offer gahwa to his guests in the smallest cup possible, which implies that the host intends the guest stay for a long period, if by chance the gahwa is offered in a larger cup, the guest will feel offended and may even walk away in a huff.

Number 5. 80% of the labor force in Saudi Arabia is non-national, and Immigrants make up more than 30% of the total Saudi population.

Number 6. The King’s Cup, which pits up to 2,000 participants racing across a 19 km track, is an epic camel race which takes place annually during the Al-Jenandriyah National Festival in Saudi Arabia.

Number 7. Saudi Arabian men typically dress in thobes, a lightweight cotton garment which is almost always white; bischts, a garment equal to an academic graduation gown; and gutras, or the traditional head scarf.

Number 8. Horses have played a key role in Arabian history. Arabian horses were bred for their fine features, speed, and endurance and were essential aids in the spread of the Islamic Empire.

Number 9. The kingdom's oil reserves are huge. Saudi Arabia's Ghawar field is the largest in the world. It has an estimated 75 billion barrels of oil left.

Number 10. Saudi Arabia's petroleum sector makes up 45% of GDP, which makes it bigger than the total GDPs of Iraq, Morocco, Rwanda, and Tonga combined.

Number 11. Saudi Arabia's annual military expenditure is four times as much as the GDP of Afghanistan. Saudi Arabia's military expenditure increased to $80.8 billion in 2014, up from 2013's $67 billion, which puts them in third place for military expenditure, behind the US and China.

Number 12. Saudi Arabia desalinates more seawater than any other country. This is due in part because its only known aquifer has a mere 20% of its water left.

Number 13. Saudi Arabia is building Kingdom Tower, which will be the world's tallest building in 2018. It's going to stand one kilometer tall.

Number 14. 47% of Saudi Arabia's population is under the age of 24. Over a quarter of Saudi Arabia's population is under 14 years old, and almost half of the population is under 24 years old.

Number 15. The Arabian Peninsula is the world’s largest peninsula. It's also the only nation with coasts on the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf.

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