The Birthplace of Islam, Now Pursuing the Most Ambitious National Transformation in the World
Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam — Mecca, where the Prophet Muhammad was born around 570 AD, and Medina, where he died and is buried — and remains the religion’s spiritual heart. Roughly 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide face Mecca during their five daily prayers; approximately 2-3 million perform the Hajj pilgrimage each year. The Saudi monarch holds the title “Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques” (al-Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina), giving the kingdom unique religious legitimacy in the Sunni world.
The country also sits on roughly 17% of the world’s proven oil reserves — the second-largest after Venezuela by recent estimates — and Saudi Aramco, the state oil company, was for years the world’s most valuable company by market capitalisation. Oil revenue has funded the kingdom’s transformation from a Bedouin society of perhaps 3 million people in 1932 (when the modern Saudi state was established) to a regional power of nearly 37 million today.
Modern Saudi Arabia under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (since 2017) is undergoing the most ambitious national transformation in the world — Vision 2030, a programme to diversify the economy away from oil, develop tourism (the country only opened to general tourist visas in 2019), modernise social rules (driving for women approved 2018, cinemas allowed 2017), and build mega-projects like NEOM, the Red Sea coast resort areas, and Diriyah. The reforms have been accompanied by political consolidation and continued restrictions on dissent.
A Brief History
Pre-Islamic Arabia
The Arabian Peninsula has been inhabited for thousands of years; the Nabataean civilisation that left the famous rock-cut tombs at Hegra (Madain Saleh) flourished in northwestern Arabia in the 1st century BC.
The Birth of Islam
Muhammad ibn Abdullah — born around 570 AD in Mecca — received what Muslims believe were divine revelations beginning around 610 AD. By his death in 632 AD, most of the Arabian Peninsula was united under Islam. Subsequent Caliphates spread the religion across the Middle East, North Africa, Spain, Persia, and Central Asia within a century.
The Saud Dynasty
The House of Saud is one of the world’s most enduring dynasties. The first Saudi state (1727-1818) and second Saudi state (1824-1891) both eventually fell. King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud founded the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 23 September 1932, unifying most of the Arabian Peninsula under his rule.
Oil and the Modern Kingdom
Oil was discovered in Saudi Arabia in 1938. Production grew massively after WWII; oil revenues transformed Saudi society and enabled the country to fund global Sunni Islamic institutions and infrastructure.
Modernisation
King Salman acceded in 2015. His son Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has been Crown Prince since 2017, with effective control over policy. Vision 2030 and the controversial 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi have defined his international profile.
Geography and Climate
Saudi Arabia covers 2,149,690 km² — about the size of Western Europe — and is dominated by desert. The Empty Quarter (Rub’ al Khali) in the south is the largest contiguous sand desert in the world.
Climate
Hot desert — summers regularly exceed 45°C; winters are mild on the coasts.
Culture, Language and Religion
Arabic is the official language. The country’s religious life is shaped by Wahhabi/Salafi Islamic interpretations historically, though MBS’s reforms have begun moderating some of the strictest social rules.
The Economy
Saudi Arabia has the world’s 18th-largest economy (~$1.1 trillion GDP in 2024) and is one of the world’s largest oil producers and exporters. Key sectors: oil and gas (Saudi Aramco), petrochemicals (SABIC), construction, increasingly tourism and entertainment.
Cuisine
Saudi cuisine reflects Bedouin, Levantine, and Yemeni influences:
- Kabsa — spiced rice with meat (chicken, lamb, or fish), the national dish
- Shawarma and other Levantine staples
- Mandi — Yemeni-origin slow-cooked meat over rice
- Falafel and hummus — widely eaten
Nature and UNESCO Sites
Saudi Arabia has 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Hegra (Madain Saleh) — the Nabataean rock tombs in AlUla, Diriyah (the original Saudi state’s capital), Historic Jeddah, Rock Art in the Hail Region, and Al-Ahsa Oasis.
Travel Guide
Entry
Saudi Arabia opened to general tourist visas in 2019. Most Western nationalities can obtain a tourist e-visa.
Best Seasons
October-March is the optimal window.
Budget
Mid-range $100-$200 per day.
Surprising Facts
- Saudi women were prohibited from driving until 2018 — the country was the last in the world to allow it.6
- The Empty Quarter (Rub’ al Khali) is the world’s largest contiguous sand desert (650,000 km²), straddling Saudi Arabia, Oman, the UAE, and Yemen.1
- Mecca is closed to non-Muslims — the city has been off-limits to non-Muslims for centuries, enforced at multiple checkpoints.6
- The Kaaba is dressed annually in a new black silk kiswa embroidered with gold and silver Quranic verses — produced by a special factory in Mecca.6
- Saudi Arabia covers 80% of the Arabian Peninsula — the world’s largest peninsula by area.4
- The King Fahd International Airport in Dammam is the largest airport in the world by land area (776 km²) — though Riyadh’s airport handles more traffic.3
Sources and References
See the list of cited sources in the page frontmatter.