SaudiArabië

Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is a country in Western Asia on the Arabian Peninsula. It borders Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen, with coastlines on the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. The capital is Riyadh, and major cities include Jiddah and Mecca. The official language is Arabic, and Islam is the state religion, with Mecca and Medina central to the Muslim world.

Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy in practice. It was unified in 1932 by Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, and for decades its economy has depended on oil wealth. The kingdom is a leading member of OPEC and OPEC+. The Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is the de facto ruler, guiding broad social and economic reforms under the Vision 2030 plan to diversify the economy and modernize society.

The discovery of oil in 1938 transformed the economy and spurred rapid development. Saudi Aramco, the state-controlled oil company, holds vast reserves and dominates production. Vision 2030 seeks diversification into tourism, mining, finance, logistics, and entertainment, supported by large-scale initiatives such as the NEOM megacity and Red Sea tourism projects.

Saudi Arabia pursues a more active regional and international role, including involvement in regional diplomacy and conflicts, and strengthening ties with major powers. Reforms since the 2010s expanded some social freedoms, especially for women, while the government maintains strict controls on dissent and faces ongoing international scrutiny over rights protections.