Geography

Riyadh: capital of Saudi Arabia

Jeddah: main seaport and business city in western region

Dammam: main seaport and business city in eastern region

Riyadh's King Khalid International: 35 km from Riyadh, with hotel, buffet, bank, post office, shops and car hire.

Dammam's King Fahd International: 50 km northwest of Dammam, with ultra modern facilities including mosque, cargo terminal, restaurant and duty free shop.

Jeddah: bulk cement and grain facilities, containers, ro-ro tankers

Jubail: containers, dry and liquid bulk, tankers

Yanbu: bulk cement, containers

Riyadh: containers dry dock; linked to Dammam by railroad.

Population

15-64         54%

over 65       3%

Afro-Asians:      10%:               

Economic Indicators (2000)

Working Hours and Holidays

Saturday to Thursday is the working week.

Friday is the usual weekly holiday. although many shops remain open. 

0830 - 1200, 1630 - 1930 in Riyadh;

 0900 - 1330, 1630 – 2000 in Jeddah;

0730 - 1200, 1430 - 1730 in Eastern Province

(Closed Thursday afternoon and Friday). 

Government

 0730 - 1430 (closed Thu, Fri);

0930 - 1430 during Ramadan.

Offices close four times a day for prayer for up to half an hour.

Banking    

(Sat-Wed) 0800/0830 - 1200, 1600/1630 - 1900/1930

1000 -1330 during Ramadan.

Shops                     

0800/0830 - 1200, 1600 - 2100/2200;

Closed four times a day for prayer for up to half an hour.  

Public Sector: All day Thursday and Friday.

Private Sector: Thursday afternoon and all day Friday.

Only two official public holidays are observed each year according to the  Islamic calender:

Eid al Fitr :

        25^th Ramadan – 5^thShawal Eid al Adha :

            5^th – 15^th Thul-Hijja 

Entry Regulations

Visitors to Saudi Arabia are required to obtain entry visa from Saudi embassies abroad prior to arrival.

Passports are required and must be valid for at least a period of six month beyond the proposed stay.

Visa application must be accompanied by a copy of the signed contract, a letter from the Saudi employer certified by the Saudi Chamber of Commerce indicating the employment block number and date. In addition, the following is also required:

• A certified and notarized copy of the applicant’s university degree, and an official transcript or a certified and notarized copy of the diploma.

• A letter of release if the applicant has previously worked in Saudi Arabia.

• Visa fees

• A police clearance report.

• An Embassy medical form, filled out completely and submitted with three photographs .

Visa application must be accompanied by:

• An original copy of a letter from a Saudi company, in Arabic, on company letterhead sponsoring the applicant, stamped by a Chamber of Commerce in Saudi Arabia. The letter should include the name of the visa applicant, his/her passport number, company name and address, approximate dates of visit, and the reason for the visit. (Alternatively, the sponsor in the Kingdom can apply directly to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.)

• A letter from the applicant’s company indicating the name of the Saudi Arabian sponsoring company, the nature of the applicant’s visit, the length of stay, and financial responsibility. The letter must include the corporate stamp or seal.

• Visa fees. 

MEMBERSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS & AGREEMENTS

Saudi Arabia occupies a prominent role in regional and international affairs through its membership in numerous organizations. The Kingdom is one of the six founding members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and a founding member of the United Nations, the League of Arab Stated, the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The Kingdom is also a member of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and many other international organizations. Saudi Arabia is a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

African Development Bank (AfDB)
Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (ABEDA)
Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD)
Arab Gulf Programme for United Nations Development Organization (AGFUND)
Arab Monetary Fund (AMF)
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Group of 77
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)
International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL)
International Development Association (IDA)
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent
International Finance Corporation (IFC)
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
International Labor Organization (ILO)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
International Maritime Organization (IMO)
International Maritime Satellite Organization (INMARSAT)
International Olympic Committee (IOC)
International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (INTELSAT)
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
Islamic Development Bank (IDB)
League of Arab States
New York Convention of 1958 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards
Nonaligned Movement (NAM)
Organization of American States (OAS) (observer)
Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC)
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
United Nations (UN)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
Universal Copyright Convention (UCC)
Universal Postal Union (UPU)
World Customs Organization (WCO)
World Health Organization (WHO)
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
World Trade Organization (WTO) -- Accession negotiations underway