Basic Information
Saudi Arabia’s full name is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and it’s the largest country in the Middle East. In fact, its huge land area is roughly as big as 28 U.S. states put together!
Saudi Arabia - Facts for Kids
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Facts About Saudi Arabia For Kids
The capital city of Saudi Arabia is Riyadh, a modern city that’s home to more than 7 million people — that’s like having 80 huge football stadiums full of people!
The official language of Saudi Arabia is Arabic, and the way they write is different from English — they write from right to left!
Saudi Arabia uses a special currency called the Saudi Riyal, and each Riyal is divided into 100 smaller units called halalas — just like how one dollar has 100 cents!
The Saudi Arabian flag is green with Arabic writing on it and a sword underneath — the green color represents Islam and the sword represents justice!
The national animal of Saudi Arabia is the Arabian Camel, also known as the dromedary, which can drink up to 30 gallons (114 liters) of water in just 13 minutes!
Geography & Nature
Saudi Arabia is mostly covered by deserts, including the famous Rub’ al Khali (Empty Quarter), which is the biggest sand desert in the world!
The temperature in Saudi Arabian deserts can reach up to 122°F (50°C) during the day — that’s hot enough to fry an egg on the sand!
Saudi Arabia doesn’t have any permanent rivers, but it does have beautiful wadis — valleys that fill with water when it rains!
The Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia is home to beautiful coral reefs where more than 1,200 different kinds of fish live!
Saudi Arabia has special trees called date palms that can survive in the desert and produce sweet dates — there are more than 30 million of these trees in the country!
The Arabian Oryx, a beautiful white antelope that almost went extinct, was saved by Saudi Arabia and now lives freely in protected areas!
Saudi Arabia has mountains that are so tall, sometimes it actually snows on them in winter — even though most of the country is a hot desert!
Saudi Arabia’s coastline stretches for 1,640 miles (2,640 kilometers) — that’s like walking from New York to Miami!
Culture & Traditions
During the holy month of Ramadan, Saudi families often break their daily fast with sweet dates and special foods called iftar!
Many Saudi men wear a white robe called a thobe and a red and white checkered head covering called a ghutrah!
Saudi women often wear beautiful abayas — long, flowing dresses that can be decorated with amazing patterns and designs!
In Saudi Arabia, during Ramadan, kids have a special night called Gargee’an! They dress up in bright, traditional clothes and walk around their neighborhood singing happy songs.
Saudi Arabia is home to two of the most important mosques in Islam — the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina!
Traditional Saudi dance called Al-Ardha involves dancers carrying swords and moving to the rhythm of drums — it’s the national dance of Saudi Arabia!
Saudi families often eat sitting on cushions on the floor, using their right hand and sharing food from a large communal plate — it’s a sign of friendship and unity!
Traditional Saudi coffee is called Qahwa, and it’s flavored with cardamom and served in small cups without handles!
Many Saudi schools start early in the morning to avoid the afternoon heat, and students wear special uniforms to school!
Saudi families love to share a special breakfast food called mutabbaq — it’s like a stuffed pancake filled with meat, cheese, or vegetables!
Many Saudi homes have a special room called a majlis where families gather to talk, drink tea, and spend time together!
History & Heritage
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932 by King Abdulaziz Al Saud, who united different regions into one country!
People have been living in Saudi Arabia for more than 12,000 years — archaeologists have found ancient rock art proving this!
In Saudi Arabia, Mada’in Saleh (also known as Hegra), is a fascinating ancient city carved into rock — it’s like a smaller version of the famous Petra in Jordan!
The first modern school in Saudi Arabia opened in 1926, and now there are more than 30,000 schools across the country!
The ancient trade route called the Incense Route passed through Saudi Arabia, carrying precious spices and perfumes!
Saudi Arabia is home to more than 4,000 archaeological sites, including ancient villages, fortresses, and cave paintings!
The city of Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia, has a traditional area called Al-Balad with beautiful old buildings made from coral stone!
Saudi Arabia has many traditional markets called souqs where people have been trading goods for hundreds of years!
Modern Life & Technology
Saudi Arabia is building a futuristic city called NEOM that will run entirely on renewable energy!
The Kingdom Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, will be the world’s tallest building when it’s finished — taller than 10 football fields stacked on top of each other!
Saudi children can visit amazing theme parks like Al-Shallal in Jeddah, which has the largest double-loop roller coaster in Asia!
Saudi Arabia has a modern railway system that includes a super-fast train that can travel between cities at 300 kilometers per hour!
Many Saudi students learn to use computers and tablets in school starting from kindergarten!
Saudi Arabia hosts the world’s largest camel festival, where more than 40,000 camels participate in beauty contests and races!
The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology has one of the world’s fastest supercomputers!
Saudi Arabia is building huge solar power plants in the desert to create clean energy from the sun!
Daily Life & Customs
Many Saudi families enjoy weekend picnics in the desert, bringing traditional foods and drinks to share!
Saudi children often celebrate their birthdays with family gatherings featuring special sweets called mamoul!
In Saudi schools, students learn both Arabic and English starting from an early age!
Many Saudi homes have a special area called a diwaniya where people gather to drink coffee and chat!
Saudi children love to play traditional games like seven stones (similar to bowling) and hide-and-seek!
During special occasions, Saudi houses are decorated with beautiful geometric patterns called mashrabiya!
Nature & Wildlife
The Arabian leopard, one of the rarest cats in the world, still lives in the mountains of Saudi Arabia!
Saudi Arabia has beautiful desert flowers that appear suddenly after it rains, covering the sand in purple and white!
