10 Fun Facts About Saudi Arabia

This is the land of ancient history and intriguing culture which has many aces up its sleeves. Here are some interesting Saudi Arabia fun facts that you probably did not learn before!

1. World’s Largest Airport

One of the most interesting fun facts about Saudi Arabia is that it hosts the largest airport by area in the entire world. King Fahd International Airport in Dammam: the airport is even more gigantic, it covers an area of 780 sq kilometers or 300 sq miles, and it is even state-sized and larger than Bahrain!

2. It was entitled “No Rivers But Plenty of Water”

One of the fun and amazing facts about the Saudi Arabian kingdom is that it lacks permanent rivers among all the countries of the world. Nevertheless, Saudi Arabia is a leader in the water desalination process; the kingdom provides approximately 50 percent of its water from the sea.

3. The Empty Quarter

When it comes to geographical fun facts about Saudi Arabia, one cannot but mention the Rub’ al Khali or the “Empty Quarter”. It is the biggest single sand mass in the world and extends over an area of approximately 650,000 square kilometers (250,000 square miles) in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, and the UAE.

4. A Land of Camels

Camels are a must-mention when talking about fun facts about Saudi Arabia. It has over 1. 5 million camels, and these are well known as ‘ships of the desert’ and are very much associated with Saudi Arabia and its folklore.

5. The Birthplace of Coffee

Here’s a delicious entry to our fun facts about Saudi Arabia: it is also important to note that coffee culture is believed to have originated in this part of the world. Yemen was the first country to grow coffee the beverage later found its way to Saudi Arabia which is part of Arab hospitality.

6. A Young Population

Another interesting statistic of the population of Saudi Arabia is that it is one of the youngest populations globally. It has a young population, with about 50% of the Saudi population being below 25 years of age, thus making Saudi Arabia a country of young talents.

7. The World’s Largest Oasis

Al-Ahsa Oasis in the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia has been accredited by the Guinness World Records as the largest self-contained oasis in the world. Thus, this piece of trivia about Saudi Arabia demonstrates the studied country’s vast and varied geography.

8. A Meteorite Destination

One of the interesting but unknown facts about Saudi Arabia is that it has become one of the world’s meteorite hunting grounds. The large desert areas in the country help in easy identification and collection of these space rocks with the country housing some of the world’s most exotic meteorites.

9. Saudi Arabia’s coral reefs

Although most people associate Saudi Arabia with deserts, one of the lesser-known fun facts about Saudi Arabia is that it has some of the world’s cleanest coral reefs. The Red Sea on the Saudi Arabia coast has about 1250 types of fish and 250 types of coral.

10. A Growing Tourism Industry

Completing our fun facts about Saudi Arabia is the fact that the country’s tourism industry is developing at a good pace. New to the experience of the world, the Saudi Arabian government has recently launched tourist visas from 2019, to welcome people from different parts of the world to explore the country’s culture, heritage, and landscapes.

The articles given above can only provide a glimpse of how interesting Saudi Arabia, a Middle Eastern kingdom, can be. From its massive sand deserts to its youthful population and newly emerging tourism sector, Saudi Arabia is a country of shocks and wonders.