Saudi Arabia
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
المملكة العربية السعودية
Al-Mamlakah al-‘Arabiyyah as-Su‘ūdiyyah
FLAG OF SAUDI ARABIA
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Major Geographical Physical Regions and Climate of the Saudi Arabia
Geographically, Saudi Arabia is divided into four major regions. :
1.Central region, a high country in the heart of the Kingdom :
The Central Region, considered the heartland of Saudi Arabia both physically and culturally, is a vast eroded plateau, consisting of areas of uplands, broad valleys and dry rivers. The area also contains a number of marshes. These are thought to be the remnants of inland seas which existed in ancient geological times. Most of the Central Region is arid, with some oases in the north around Qasim.
At the center of the Central Region is the royal capital of Riyadh.
The area around Kharj which lies south of Riyadh has now become a major source of wheat, part of the Kingdom's burgeoning agricultural industry; while 300 miles to the north of Riyadh lies the Qasim region, an even larger farming area which has contributed on a massive scale to the Kingdom's self-sufficiency in wheat and poultry.
The climate of the region is hot and dry in summer and cold in winter. Summer temperatures sometimes exceed 45 degrees centigrade, while in winter the temperature falls to 5 degrees centigrade or lower.
2.Western region, which lies along the Red Sea coast:
Aerial view of the Holy City of Makkah In this region is the busy seaport of Jiddah, known as the Islamic Port of Jiddah, a thriving commercial center. Of greatest note is that the Western Region contains the holiest cities of Islam - Makkah and Madinah - which are visited by some two million Muslims annually.
The coastal area of the Western Region is renowned for its humidity, with summer temperatures rising to above 40 degrees centigrade.
3. Southern region, in the southern Red Sea-Yemen border area :
Asir, with some juniper trees, wild olive trees and even some larger trees is the only part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to support forest.
The Southern Region has always been relatively densely populated. With the implementation of government irrigation schemes, the agricultural potential of the region is being increasingly exploited.
Qar'a Asir
4.Eastern region, the sandy and stormy eastern part of Saudi Arabia, the richest of all the regions in petroleum :
Up the coast is the site of the Kingdom's new industrial complex at Jubail. The fertile oasis-cities of Qatif and Hofuf are also located here.
A special weather phenomenon affecting chiefly the Eastern Region is the north-westerly winds called the Shamals. These are prevalent during late spring and early summer, reaching their greatest frequency in June.
Night view of industrial area in Jubail
CLIMATE
Due to its diverse range of geographical features, the Kingdom’s climate
is extremely varied. Generally speaking though, for the vast majority
of the country the climate is hot in the summer and cold and rainy in
the winter and frosts occur in winter. The humidity along the coasts is
high.
The western and southwestern regions of the Kingdom enjoy the mildest climate. The central parts of the Kingdom are extremely hot and dry in the summer and cold in the winter. The humidity tends to rise in the coastal areas. During spring and summer most parts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have little rain unlike the mountainous areas of the southwest where heavy rains during the summer are common.
Saudi Arabia has a desert climate. Extreme heat and aridity are characteristic of most of Saudi Arabia. It is one of the few places in the world where summer temperatures above 50°C (120°F) are common, while in winter frost or snow can occur in the interior and the higher mountains.
In Jeddah it is warm for most of the year. Riyadh,
which is inland, is hotter in summer and colder in winter, when
occasional heavy rainstorms occur. The Rub al Khali seldom receives
rain, making Saudi Arabia one of the driest countries in the world.
The
average temperature range in January is 8° to 20°C (47° to 68°F) in
Riyadh and 19° to 29°C (66° to 83°F) in Jeddah. The average range in
July is 27° to 43°C (81° to 109°F) in Riyadh and 27° to 38°C (80° to
100°F) in Jeddah. Precipitation is usually sparse, although sudden
downpours can lead to violent flash floods in wadis. Annual rainfall in
Riyadh averages 100 mm (4 in) and falls almost exclusively between
January and May; the average in Jeddah is 54 mm (2.1 in) and occurs
between November and January.
Major Geographical Attraction of International Travel in Saudi Arabia
Natural Resources
Some of the world’s largest oil and natural gas fields lie beneath Saudi Arabia and its offshore waters, representing the country’s most economically important natural resource. In 2002 Saudi Arabia’s oil reserves were estimated at 1.8 billion barrels. Before the discovery and exploitation of these reserves in the mid-20th century, Saudi Arabia was one of the poorest countries in the world. Its relatively small population subsisted in a harsh environment with little agricultural land and limited water resources. Saudi Arabia lacks permanent lakes and rivers, but considerable reserves of underground water have been discovered across the country. These have been used to increase agricultural production and provide water for the growing population. Desalination plants on the Arabian Gulf and Red Sea coasts provide important, if expensive, sources of water. In addition, a number of dams built across wadis capture seasonal rainwater temporarily.
Some of the world’s largest oil and natural gas fields lie beneath Saudi Arabia and its offshore waters, representing the country’s most economically important natural resource. In 2002 Saudi Arabia’s oil reserves were estimated at 1.8 billion barrels. Before the discovery and exploitation of these reserves in the mid-20th century, Saudi Arabia was one of the poorest countries in the world. Its relatively small population subsisted in a harsh environment with little agricultural land and limited water resources. Saudi Arabia lacks permanent lakes and rivers, but considerable reserves of underground water have been discovered across the country. These have been used to increase agricultural production and provide water for the growing population. Desalination plants on the Arabian Gulf and Red Sea coasts provide important, if expensive, sources of water. In addition, a number of dams built across wadis capture seasonal rainwater temporarily.
- Oil Resources
According to the latest estimates (2001), the Kingdom's recoverable reserves now stand at 261.8 billion barrels. This figure represents an increase of 1.8 billion barrels on the 1993 estimate of 260 billion barrels. (An increase in recoverable reserves, despite the daily extraction of millions of barrels of oil, is made possible by the discovery of new oil fields and improved technology in exploiting existing field.)
Current estimates mean that Saudi Arabia has roughly 25% of the world's proven oil reserves.
As techniques for extraction improve and new reserves are found, it is estimated that the oil reserves of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will last for some 90 years. - Gas Resources
The 1989 (1409/10 AH) Aramco study put the Kingdom's proven gas reserves at 177.3 trillion cubic feet, an increase of 25% over the last estimate. This figure remained little altered in 1993 (1413/14 AH) when the estimate, now expressed in cubic meters, was 5.2 trillion (approximately 4.2% of world reserves). According to the latest estimates (2001) the Kingdom's gas reserves stand at 219.5 trillion cubic feet (6.22 trillion cubic meters), approximately 4% of world reserves.
In the early years of oil exploitation, natural gas from the oil fields was burnt off in gas flares. Conscious of the need to conserve its energy reserves, the Kingdom now gathers the natural gas (methane and ethane) emanating from the oil fields in the Eastern region in order to supply the vast industrial complexes at Jubail in the Eastern region and Yanbu on the western side of the Kingdom.
Today, almost all the natural gas at the Kingdom's disposal is effectively utilized. - Mineral Resources
In addition to its vast oil and gas reserves, the Kingdom is rich in mineral deposits. Three thousand years ago, the mine known as the Cradle of Gold (Mahad Al-Dhahab), some 180 miles north of Jeddah, was a rich source of gold, silver and copper.
According to the Fourth Five Year Plan, gold had been discovered at some 600 sites around the Kingdom and a total of 29 prospects have been drilled. The Mahad Al-Dhabab gold mine was re-opened by Petromin with the intention of developing a high-grade underground gold mine with a capacity of 400 tons of ore per day. This venture encouraged further exploration for gold elsewhere in the Kingdom.
Silver and base metal deposits (bauxite, copper, iron, lead, tin and zinc), as well as non-metallic minerals (bentonite, diatomite, fluorite, potash and high-purity silica sand) have all been discovered, attesting to the wealth that remains, still largely unexploited, beneath the Kingdom's soil. - Water Resources
In a country with the geography and climate of the Kingdom, water is a natural resource which must be highly valued and conserved. The Kingdom draws its water from four main sources:- Surface water, which is to be found predominantly in the west and south-west of the country. In 1985 (1405/06 AH), surface water provided 10% of the Kingdom's supply.
- Ground water, held in aquifers, some of which are naturally replenished, while others are non-renewable. In 1985 (1405/06 AH), ground water provided 84% of the Kingdom's supply but it is noteworthy that most of this water came from non-renewable aquifers.
- Desalinated seawater, a source of water production in which the Kingdom is now a world leader. Desalination technology, which also produces electricity, has reached an advanced stage of technology in the Kingdom and, by 1985 (1405/06 AH), this source was providing 5% of the Kingdom's supply.
- Reclaimed wastewater, a source of water which is still in its early stages but which offers scope for considerable expansion. In 1985 (1405/06 AH), the reclamation of wastewater provided 1% of the Kingdom's supply.
According to the Saline Water Conversion Corporation, in 2000 (1420/21 AH) there were 27 desalination plants producing 814 million cubic meters of desalinated water (more than 600 million gallons a day) and providing more than 70 per cent of the required drinking water. Work was underway to build three desalination plants at Khobar, Jubail and Shuaiba.
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