Portal:Saudi Arabia

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The Saudi Arabia Portal – بوابة المملكة العربية السعودية

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Flag of Saudi Arabia	Emblem of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia's Location

Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it is one of the countries situated in the Gulf region. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about 2,150,000 km² (830,000 sq mi), making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the largest in the Middle East, and the 12th-largest in the world. It is bordered by the Red Sea to the west; Jordan, Iraq, and Kuwait to the north; the Persian Gulf, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to the east; Oman to the southeast; and Yemen to the south. The Gulf of Aqaba in the northwest separates Saudi Arabia from Egypt and Israel. Saudi Arabia is the only country with a coastline along both the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, and most of its terrain consists of arid desert, lowland, steppe, and mountains. The capital and largest city is Riyadh; other major cities include Jeddah and the two holiest cities in Islam, Mecca and Medina. With a population of almost 32.2 million, Saudi Arabia is the fourth most populous country in the Arab world. (Full article...)

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Masjid al-Qiblatayn

Medina, officially Al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (Arabic: المدينة المنورة, romanized: al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah, lit. 'The Luminous City', Hejazi Arabic pronunciation: [al.maˈdiːna al.mʊˈnawːara]) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (المدينة, al-Madina), is the capital of Medina Province (formerly known as Yathrib) in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia. It is one of the oldest and most important places in Islamic history. One of the most sacred cities in Islam, the population as of 2022 is 1,411,599, making it the fourth-most populous city in the country. Around 58.5% of the population are Saudi citizens and 41.5% are foreigners. Located at the core of the Medina Province in the western reaches of the country, the city is distributed over 589 km² (227 sq mi), of which 293 km² (113 sq mi) constitutes the city's urban area, while the rest is occupied by the Hejaz Mountains, empty valleys, agricultural spaces and older dormant volcanoes.

Medina is generally considered to be the "cradle of Islamic culture and civilization". The city is considered to be the second- serving as the holiest and third-holiest cities respectively. Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (lit. 'The Prophet's Mosque') is of exceptional importance in Islam and serves as burial site of the prophet Muhammad, by whom the mosque was built in 622 CE (first year of the Hijrah). Observant Muslims usually visit his tomb, or rawdhah, at least once in their lifetime during a pilgrimage known as Ziyarat, although this is not obligatory. The original name of the city before the advent of Islam was Yathrib (Arabic: يَثْرِب), and it is referred to by this name in Chapter 33 (Al-Aḥzāb, lit. 'The Confederates') of the Quran. It was renamed to Madīnat an-Nabī (lit. 'City of the Prophet' or 'The Prophet's City') after Muhammad's death and later to al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (lit. 'The Enlightened City') before being simplified and shortened to its modern name, Madinah (lit. 'The City'), from which the English-language spelling of "Medina" is derived. Saudi road signage uses Madinah and al-Madinah al-Munawwarah interchangeably. (Full article...)

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Did you know (auto-generated)

... that Saudi Arabian poet Hamad al-Hajji lost three members of his family during his childhood and later suffered from schizophrenia until he died at the age of 49 after a lung disease?
... that Saudi Arabian broadcaster beoutQ pirated and resold beIN Sports programmes during the Qatar diplomatic crisis?
... that the bombing of Mokha was described as one of the deadliest attacks by the Saudi Arabian–led coalition against Yemen, leaving between 65 and 120 dead, including 10 children?
... that The Twins, a 1930 story by Abd al-Quddus al-Ansari, was called the first Saudi Arabian novel?
... that Saudi Arabian historian Sa'd ibn Junaydil took high school graduation exams with his students, as he had yet to obtain a high school diploma?
... that due to U.S. support for Saudi-led operations in Yemen, both Saudi Arabia and the United States may be held responsible for war crimes?

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News

8 November 2024 – Terrorism in Yemen: A Yemeni government soldier opens fire on Saudi troops in Seiyun, Yemen, killing two and injuring one other. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and the Houthis are suspected to be the perpetrators of the attack, however no group claimed responsibility. (AP)
19 October 2024 –: Protesters storm and damage the office of the Saudi-owned MBC TV channel in Baghdad, Iraq, after the channel aired a programme which called Hamas and Hezbollah leaders "terrorists". The Iraq Communications and Media Commission later suspends MBC's operations in Iraq in response to the incident. (New Arab) (Roya News)

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Related portals

Religions in Saudi Arabia

Arab states

Other countries

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WikiProjects

WikiProject Saudi Arabia

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Things you can do

Expand Saudi Arabia stub articles located at Category:Saudi Arabia stubs
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This is a Good article, an article that meets a core set of high editorial standards.

Shaherkani at the 2012 Olympics

Wojdan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahrkhani (or "Shaherkani"; Arabic: وجدان علي سراج الدين شهرخاني; born 1 February 1996) is a Saudi judoka who was one of two women selected to represent the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She was the first woman to represent Saudi Arabia at the Olympics. (Full article...)

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Muhammad Foreign workers in Saudi Arabia Black Stone Jeddah Tower Legal system of Saudi Arabia Siege of Mecca (692) Demolition of al-Baqi Women's football in Saudi Arabia Faisal of Saudi Arabia Hajj Al-Masjid an-Nabawi 2018 Ad Diriyah ePrix Manal al-Sharif Siege of Mecca (683) McMahon–Hussein Correspondence Alid revolt of 762–763 Abu Sa'id al-Jannabi Battle of the Trench

Selected picture

Image 1Nasseef House is a historical structure in Al-Balad, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. As of 2009 it is a museum and cultural center which has special exhibits and lectures given by historians.
Image 2A view of Jabal Sawda, a peak located in Saudi Arabia, with an elevation of around 3,000 metres (9,843 ft).^[1]
Image 3Sunset view from Farasan Island, the largest island of the Farasan Islands, in the Red Sea. It is located some 50 km offshore from Jizan, the far southwestern part of Saudi Arabia.

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More did you know

... that there are between zero and 30,000 political prisoners in Saudi Arabia?

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Topics

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General images

The following are images from various Saudi Arabia-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Wall painted with Al-Qatt Al-Asiri (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 2Supplicating pilgrim at Masjid Al Haram, Mecca (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 3The surviving insurgents of the seizure of the Grand Mosque, 1979 under custody of Saudi authorities, c. 1980. (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 4King Abdullah practicing falconry, a traditional pursuit in Saudi Arabia (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 5Bisht Being Sewn in Al-Ahsa (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 6Soldiers in the Arab Army during the Arab Revolt of 1916–1918, carrying the Flag of the Arab Revolt and pictured in the Arabian Desert. (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 7Red and white keffiyeh commonly worn in the desert held with a black agal (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 8Territorial evolution of the Third Saudi State (1902–1934) (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 9The Rashidun Caliphate reached its greatest extent under Caliph Uthman, c. 654 (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 10Abdulaziz Al Saud, founder of Saudi Arabia (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 11Saudi football fans cheering for their national football team at the FIFA World Cup (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 12Abdulaziz (left) and Roosevelt aboard USS Quincy during their historic 1945 meeting (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 13Sections of Saudi Arabia and neighbouring countries formed a part of the Roman Empire. (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 14The tribes of Arabia at the time of the spread of Islam (expandable map) (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 15Saudi males dressed and prepared for ardah, the national dance. It also includes swords, poetry, and singing. (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 16The Mosque of the Prophet in Medina containing the tomb of Muhammad (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 17The Arabian Peninsula in 1914 (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 18Pakistani workers at Al Masjid Nabawi (the Prophet's Mosque) in Medina (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 19VOX Cinemas movie theater (center) at Riyadh Front in 2023 (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 20Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt (1789–1848) (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 21Faisal (left) and Nasser in Cairo, 1969 (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 22Dammam No. 7, the oil well where commercial volumes of oil were first discovered in Saudi Arabia on March 4, 1938. (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 23Saudi woman wearing a niqāb in Riyadh. Many women commonly wear a niqab or a burqa in Saudi Arabia. (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 24Residential homes in Yanbu (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 25Serenata, a Filipino children's choir in Jeddah (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)
Image 26The first Saudi State 1727–1818 (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 27Abdulaziz (left) and Farouk checking an Egyptian Army unit in 1946. Other people picture include princes Fahd, Abdullah, and Mishaal, as well as prince Muhammad Abdel Moneim. (from History of Saudi Arabia)
Image 28A family fishing in Jeddah (from Culture of Saudi Arabia)