Riyadh - The Capital of Saudi Arabia

Population
7,676,654
Language
Arabic
Continent
Asia
Since
1932
Eco Ranking
110/195

Source: Environmental Performance Index 2024.

About Riyadh

Riyadh's rise to capital status is inseparable from the political unification of the Arabian Peninsula by Ibn Saud. Having recaptured Riyadh from the rival Al Rashid clan in 1902, Ibn Saud spent the next three decades consolidating control over the Hejaz, Nejd, and other territories through military conquest and political alliance. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was formally proclaimed on 23 September 1932, with Riyadh as its capital and Nejd heartland of the Al Saud dynasty. The city houses the royal court, the Council of Ministers, and the Consultative Assembly (Majlis al-Shura). Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy governed under Islamic law (Sharia), with the king serving simultaneously as head of state, head of government, and the supreme religious authority as Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. Riyadh has expanded from a walled mud-brick city of fewer than 30,000 in 1932 to a metropolis of over 7.6 million, one of the fastest urban expansions in history, driven by oil revenues.

About Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy with no elected legislature, political parties, or formal constitution separate from the Quran and Sunna. The country holds the world's second largest proven oil reserves and is the dominant power in the Gulf Cooperation Council. Vision 2030, the reform programme launched under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, aims to diversify the economy away from oil dependency.

View Riyadh on the map

View Riyadh - The Capital of Saudi Arabia on the map

Flight time from Riyadh to other capitals

CityDistance (km)Flight Time
Abu Dhabi8000h 56m
Rome37004h 21m
Paris47005h 32m
London49005h 46m
Singapore67007h 53m
Cape Town72008h 28m
Tokyo870010h 14m
Washington, D.C.1080012h 42m
Canberra1260014h 49m
Buenos Aires1290015h 11m

Capitals with similar population to Riyadh

CityPopulation
Luanda8,330,047
Bangkok8,305,218
Hanoi8,053,663
Riyadh7,676,654
Baghdad7,216,040
Bogotá7,181,469
Madrid6,642,000

Capitals with similar eco ranking to Riyadh

CityEco Rank
Bishkek108
Cape Town109
Tashkent109
Majuro110
Riyadh110
Honiara111
Ouagadougou111

Source: Environmental Performance Index 2024.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Why is Riyadh the capital of Saudi Arabia?

    Riyadh is the ancestral home of the Al Saud dynasty and the political centre from which Ibn Saud launched the unification of Arabia. When the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was proclaimed in 1932, Riyadh's status as the seat of Al Saud power made it the natural capital. It has remained the seat of all central government institutions since the kingdom's founding.

  • When did Riyadh become the capital of Saudi Arabia?

    Riyadh became the capital when the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was formally established on 23 September 1932. The date is celebrated as Saudi National Day. Ibn Saud had controlled Riyadh since recapturing it from the Al Rashid clan in a raid in January 1902.

  • What type of government does Saudi Arabia have?

    Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy. The king holds supreme executive, legislative, and judicial authority. There is no elected parliament, though the appointed Consultative Assembly (Majlis al-Shura) can propose legislation. The Basic Law of Governance, issued in 1992, establishes the Quran and Sunna as the country's constitution.

  • Is Riyadh the largest city in Saudi Arabia?

    Yes. Riyadh is Saudi Arabia's most populous city, with over 7.6 million residents. It is significantly larger than Jeddah, the country's second city and its main commercial port, which has approximately 4.7 million residents. Riyadh's growth has been extraordinarily rapid, it had fewer than 30,000 residents when it became the capital in 1932.

  • What is the Majlis al-Shura?

    The Majlis al-Shura (Consultative Assembly) is Saudi Arabia's appointed advisory council, currently comprising 150 members appointed by the king for four-year terms. It can propose legislation and review royal decrees but has no power to pass binding laws independently. Women were permitted to serve on the council from 2013, when 30 female members were appointed for the first time.

Sights and landmarks

Riyadh offers a mix of historic royal heritage and modern megalomaniac architecture. The Diriyah complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the birthplace of the Al Saud family and the original capital of the First Saudi State; its mud-brick architecture has been restored and developed into a cultural tourism centre. The Kingdom Centre Tower with its iconic upper opening and the Al Faisaliah Tower are the most recognisable landmarks of modern Riyadh. The National Museum of Saudi Arabia offers a broad collection spanning the pre-Islamic and Islamic history of the Arabian Peninsula. Giga-projects such as NEOM and Diriyah Gate are partly directed from Riyadh and represent a new era of ambitious state development.

Climate and best time to visit

Riyadh has a hot desert climate with extreme temperature fluctuations. Summers are merciless: temperatures above 45°C during the day in June–August are normal. Winters are pleasant with daytime temperatures of 15–22°C, but nights in December–January can approach freezing. Spring and autumn, from October to April, are the most attractive periods. Rainfall is very scarce, averaging less than 100 mm per year. Sandstorms are a recurring phenomenon, particularly in spring. Riyadh sits inland on the Najd plateau, making the heat drier than in the coastal regions of the Red Sea or the Persian Gulf.

Regional significance

Riyadh is the administrative heart of the country that houses the two holiest cities in Islam — Mecca and Medina — giving Saudi Arabia unrivalled religious authority in the Muslim world. The kingdom leads the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and has historically helped shape the regional order in the Middle East. The rivalry with Iran for regional influence plays out through proxy conflicts in Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. Normalisation of relations with Israel via the Abraham Accords is being intensively negotiated; Saudi Arabia has not yet joined, but diplomatic pressure is increasing. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman directs foreign policy from Riyadh.

Economy

Saudi Arabia holds the world's largest proven oil reserves after Venezuela, and Saudi Aramco, state-owned, is the world's most profitable company. Oil exports, managed via Riyadh, fund the Saudi state and its extensive social provisions. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is driving the Vision 2030 strategy, aimed at economic diversification, tourism development (AlUla, the Red Sea), sport and entertainment, and reducing dependence on oil. Saudi Arabia only opened its doors to tourism in 2019; cinemas were banned until 2018. The reforms are real but accompanied by political repression.
Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia
Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia

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