The Government of Saudi Arabia - The World Countries

Saudi Arabia - Government

Based on the etymolgy of Saudi Arabia, it was named after the ruling dynasty of the country, the House of Saud; the name Arabia can be traced back at least as far as the ancient Romans, who referred to the peninsula as "Arabia Felix" (Arabia the Fortunate). The Government system in this country is the absolute monarchy type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 13 regions (manatiq, singular - mintaqah); Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah (Northern Border), Al Jawf, Al Madinah al Munawwarah (Medina), Al Qasim, Ar Riyad (Riyadh), Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern), 'Asir, Ha'il, Jazan, Makkah al Mukarramah (Mecca), Najran, Tabuk

National symbols

Palm tree over two crossed swords.

The flag

The National flag of Saudi Arabia has .

The National Anthem

Title
Lyric/music

More about the government of Saudi Arabia

Constitution
Date of Independence	23 September 1932 (unification of the kingdom)
National holiday	Saudi National Day (Unification of the Kingdom), 23 September (1932)
Legal system	Islamic (sharia) system with some elements of Egyptian, French, and customary law; commercial disputes handled by special committees
International law organization participation	has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
History	1 March 1992 -- Basic Law of Government, issued by royal decree, serves as the constitutional framework and is based on the Qur'an and the life and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad
Amendment process	Proposed by the king directly or proposed to the king by the Consultative Assembly or by the Council of Ministers; passage by the king through royal decree
Citizenship
Citizenship by birth	no
Citizenship by descent only	the father must be a citizen of Saudi Arabia; a child born out of wedlock in Saudi Arabia to a Saudi mother and unknown father
Dual citizenship recognized	no
Residency requirement for naturalization	5 years
Executive Branch
Chief of state	King SALMAN bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 23 January 2015)
Head of government	Crown Prince and Prime Minister MUHAMMAD BIN SALMAN bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 27 September 2022)
Cabinet	Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch every 4 years and includes many royal family members
Election/appointment process	none; the monarchy is hereditary; an Allegiance Council created by royal decree in 2006 established a committee of Saudi princes who have a voice in selecting future Saudi kings
Legislative branch
Legislature name	Shura Council (Majlis Ash-Shura)
Legislative structure	Unicameral
Number of seats	151 (all appointed)
Scope of elections	Full renewal
Term in office	4 years
Most recent election date	9/2/2024
Percentage of women in chamber	19.9%
Expected date of next election	August 2028
Judicial branch
Highest court(s)	High Court (consists of the court chief; organized into circuits with 3-judge panels, except for the criminal circuit, which has a 5-judge panel for cases involving major punishments)
Judge selection and term of office	High Court chief and chiefs of the High Court Circuits appointed by royal decree on the recommendation of the Supreme Judiciary Council, a 10-member body of high-level judges and other judicial heads; new judges and assistant judges serve 1- and 2-year probations, respectively, before permanent assignment
Subordinate courts	Court of Appeals; Specialized Criminal Court, first-degree courts composed of general, criminal, personal status, and commercial courts; Labor Court; a hierarchy of administrative courts
Diplomatic representation in the US
Chief of mission	Ambassador Reema Bint Bandar Bin Sultan AL SAUD (since 8 July 2019)
Chancery	601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
Telephone	[1] (202) 342-3800
FAX	[1] (202) 295-3625
Email address and website	[email protected] https://www.saudiembassy.net/
Consulate(s) general	Houston, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
Chief of mission	Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Alison DILWORTH (since January 2025)
Embassy	Riyadh 11564
Mailing address	6300 Riyadh Place, Washington DC 20521-6300
Telephone	[966] (11) 835-4000
FAX	[966] (11) 488-7360
Email address and website	[email protected] https://sa.usembassy.gov/
Consulate(s) general	Dhahran, Jeddah
National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites	7 (7 cultural, 1 natural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales	Hegra Archaeological Site (al-Hijr / Madā ͐ in Ṣāliḥ) (c); At-Turaif District in ad-Dir'iyah (c); Historic Jeddah, the Gate to Makkah (c); Rock Art in the Hail Region of Saudi Arabia (c); Al-Ahsa Oasis, an Evolving Cultural Landscape (c); Ḥimā Cultural Area (c); ‘Uruq Bani Ma’arid (n);The Cultural Landscape of Al-Faw Archaeological Area (c)