POPULATION
According to the 1992 census, the population of Saudi Arabia is 12,304,000. Additionally, there are 4,625,000 expatriates living in the Kingdom. It is a traditional society that combines the virtues of Bedouin life with a talent for commerce and an underlying devotion to the principles of Islam. Riyadh, the capital of the Kingdom, is the largest city with a population of more than two million. Jeddah, the mainland, air and sea gateway on the Red Sea coast, has a population of about two million. Other main cities including Makkah, Madinah, Dammam, Jubail, Yanbu, Al-Ahsa, Buraidah, Unaiza, Tabouk, Al-Taif, Hail, Abha, etc., have populations of about 500,000 to one million people.
LANGUAGE
Arabic is the official language of Saudi Arabia. It is the language of the Quran (the holy book of Islam). Through its eloquence and the spread of Islam, Arabic has become one of the most widely used languages of the world. English is also used in the Kingdom, most frequently in conducting business.