Editing Saudi Arabia (section)

== Demographics ==
{{Main|Saudi Arabian people|Demographics of Saudi Arabia}}

[[File:Saudi Arabia population density 2010.png|thumb|Saudi Arabia population density (people per km<sup>2</sup>)]]

Saudi Arabia's reported population is 32,175,224 as of 2022,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-31 |title=Saudi Arabia's population crosses 32 million, census results show |url=http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/article/632956/SAUDI-ARABIA/Saudi-Arabias-population-crosses-32-million-census-results-show |access-date=2023-05-31 |website=Saudigazette |language=English}}</ref> making it the fourth most populous country in the [[Arab world]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=@stats_saudi |url=https://twitter.com/stats_saudi/status/1663858269553668096?s=46&t=H4EEcLIw0913BHpEdhZ33w |access-date=2023-05-31 |website=Twitter |language=en}}</ref> Close to 42% of its inhabitants are immigrants,<ref name="CIA2">{{cite web |date=December 21, 2021 |title=The World Factbook: Saudi Arabia |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/saudi-arabia/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210319180722/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/saudi-arabia |archive-date=March 19, 2021 |access-date=January 4, 2022 |website=Central Intelligence Agency}}</ref> mostly from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Thiollet |first=Hélène |date=2021-08-02 |title=Migrants and monarchs: regime survival, state transformation and migration politics in Saudi Arabia |url=https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-03329591 |journal=Third World Quarterly |language=en |volume=43 |issue=7 |pages=1645–1665 |doi=10.1080/01436597.2021.1948325 |s2cid=238794883}}</ref>

The Saudi population has grown rapidly since 1950, when it was estimated at 3 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/unpp/Panel_profiles.htm |title=World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision |access-date=7 December 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110507035406/http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/unpp/Panel_profiles.htm |archive-date=7 May 2011 |publisher=United Nations}}</ref> For much of the 20th century, the country had one of the highest population growth rates in the world, at around 3% annually;<ref name="long-27">[[#Long|Long]], p. 27</ref> it continues to grow at a rate of 1.62% per year,<ref name="CIA2"/> slightly higher than the rest of the Middle East and North Africa. Consequently, the Saudi [[Youth in Saudi Arabia|people are quite young]] by global standards, with over half the population under 25 years old.<ref>One journalist states that 51% of the Saudi population is under the age of 25: {{cite web |author=Caryle Murphy |date=7 February 2012 |title=Saudi Arabia's Youth and the Kingdom's Future |url=http://www.newsecuritybeat.org/2012/02/saudi-arabias-youth-and-the-kingdoms-future/ |publisher=Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars' Environmental Change and Security Program}} Two other sources state that 60% is under the age of 21: {{cite news |date=3 March 2012 |title=Out of the comfort zone |url=https://www.economist.com/node/21548973 |newspaper=The Economist}}, [[#House|House]], p. 221</ref>

The ethnic composition of Saudi citizens is 90% [[Arab]] and 10% [[Afro-Arab]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/saudi-arabia/|title=Saudi Arabia |work=The World Factbook |date=8 February 2022 |publisher=Cia.gov}}</ref> Most Saudis are concentrated in the southwest; Hejaz, which is the most populated region,<ref>{{cite web |title=Mecca: Islam's cosmopolitan heart |url=http://www.opendemocracy.net/faith-europe_islam/mecca_3882.jsp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181214002857/https://www.opendemocracy.net/faith-europe_islam/mecca_3882.jsp |archive-date=14 December 2018 |access-date=8 July 2014 |quote=The Hijaz is the largest, most populated, and most culturally and religiously diverse region of Saudi Arabia, in large part because it was the traditional host area of all the pilgrims to Mecca, many of whom settled and intermarried there.}}</ref> is home to one-third of the population, followed by neighbouring Najd (28%) and the Eastern Province (15%).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.relooney.info/SI_Milken-Arabia/0-Important_14.pdf |title=Saudi Arabia Population Statistics 2011 (Arabic) |page=11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131115051640/http://www.relooney.info/SI_Milken-Arabia/0-Important_14.pdf |archive-date=15 November 2013}}</ref> As late as 1970, most Saudis lived a subsistence life in the rural provinces, but in the last half of the 20th century, the kingdom has urbanized rapidly: as of 2023, about 85% of Saudis live in urban metropolitan areas—specifically Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam.<ref>[[#House|House]], p. 69: "Most Saudis only two generations ago eked out a subsistence living in rural provinces, but ... urbanization over the past 40 years [so now] .... fully 80% of Saudis now live in one of the country's three major urban centers – Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam."</ref><ref>[[#HT2003|Tripp, ''Culture Shock'', 2003]]: p. 31</ref> As recently as the early 1960s, Saudi Arabia's slave population was estimated at {{gaps|300|000}}.<ref>Willem Adriaan Veenhoven and Winifred Crum Ewing (1976) ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=tIfYPppdbeYC&pg=PA452 Case studies on human rights and fundamental freedoms: a world survey]'', Brill, p. 452. {{ISBN|978-90-247-1779-8}}</ref> [[History of slavery in the Muslim world|Slavery]] was officially abolished in 1962.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/history/slavery_8.shtml |title=Religion & Ethics – Islam and slavery: Abolition |publisher=BBC}}</ref><ref name="autogenerated2">{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.britannica.com/blackhistory/article-24160 |title=Slavery |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120201010846/http://www.britannica.com/blackhistory/article-24160 |archive-date=1 February 2012}}</ref>

{{Largest cities
| country      = Saudi Arabia
| stat_ref     = Data.gov.sa (2013/2014/2016)
| list_by_pop  = List of cities and towns in Saudi Arabia
| div_link     = Regions of Saudi Arabia{{!}}Regions
|img_1 = Riyadh Skyline.jpg
|img_2 = Jeddah Corniche 36.jpg
|img_3 =Mecca, July 2021 09.jpg
|img_4 = MEDINA - panoramio.jpg

|city_1  = Riyadh |div_1=Riyadh Region{{!}}Riyadh |pop_1=<ref>{{cite web|title=About ArRiyadh|url=http://www.arriyadh.com/Eng/Ab-Arriyad/Content/getdocument.aspx?f=%2Fopenshare%2FEng%2FAb-Arriyad%2FContent%2FRiyadh-in-year-2013.doc_cvt.htm|work=High Commission for the Development of Ar-Riyadh|access-date=14 June 2017|archive-date=6 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181206134021/http://www.arriyadh.com/Eng/Ab-Arriyad/Content/getdocument.aspx?f=%2Fopenshare%2FEng%2FAb-Arriyad%2FContent%2FRiyadh-in-year-2013.doc_cvt.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> 6,506,700
|city_2  = Jeddah |div_2=Makkah Region{{!}}Mecca |pop_2=<ref name="Makkah Al-Mokarramah">{{cite web|title=Population Distribution (Saudi and Non Saudi) in Governorates of Makkah Al-Mokarramah Region, 2014 A.D.|url=https://www.stats.gov.sa/sites/default/files/cdsi_data/yb50/Tabels/Chapter2/Table2-3.htm|work=Stats.gov.sa|access-date=14 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160302154408/https://www.stats.gov.sa/sites/default/files/cdsi_data/yb50/Tabels/Chapter2/Table2-3.htm|archive-date=2 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> 3,976,400
|city_3  = Mecca |div_3=Mecca Province{{!}}Mecca |pop_3=<ref name="Makkah Al-Mokarramah"/> 1,919,900
|city_4  = Medina |div_4=Medina Province (Saudi Arabia){{!}}Medina |pop_4=<ref name="Al-Madinah Al-Monawarah">{{cite web|title=Population Distribution (Saudi and Non Saudi) in Governorates of Al-Madinah Al-Monawarah Region, 2013 A.D.|url=http://www.data.gov.sa/en/node/53/download|work=Stats.gov.sa|access-date=14 June 2017|archive-date=31 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190531183628/https://data.gov.sa/en/node/53/download|url-status=dead}}</ref> 1,271,800
|city_5  = Hofuf |div_5=Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia{{!}}Eastern |pop_5=<ref name="Eastern Region">{{cite web|title=Population Distribution (Saudi and Non Saudi) in Governorates of Eastern Region, 2013 A.D.|url=http://www.data.gov.sa/en/node/65/download|work=Stats.gov.sa|access-date=14 June 2017|archive-date=31 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190531183625/https://data.gov.sa/en/node/65/download|url-status=dead}}</ref> 1,136,900
|city_6  = Ta'if |div_6=Mecca Province{{!}}Mecca |pop_6=<ref name="Makkah Al-Mokarramah"/> 1,109,800
|city_7  = Dammam |div_7=Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia{{!}}Eastern |pop_7=<ref name="Eastern Region"/> 975,800
|city_8  = Buraidah |div_8=Al-Qassim Region{{!}}Al-Qassim |pop_8=<ref name="Al-Qaseem">{{cite web|title=Population Distribution (Saudi and Non Saudi) in Governorates of Al-Qaseem Region, 2013 A.D.|url=http://www.data.gov.sa/en/node/55/download|work=Stats.gov.sa|access-date=14 June 2017|archive-date=31 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190531183620/https://data.gov.sa/en/node/55/download|url-status=dead}}</ref> 658,600
|city_9  = Khobar |div_9=Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia{{!}}Eastern |pop_9=<ref name="Eastern Region"/> 626,200
|city_10 = Tabuk, Saudi Arabia{{!}}Tabuk |div_10=Tabuk Region{{!}}Tabuk |pop_10=<ref name="Tabouk">{{cite web|title=Population Distribution (Saudi and Non Saudi) in Governorates of Tabouk Region, 2013 A.D.|url=http://www.data.gov.sa/en/node/75/download|work=Stats.gov.sa|access-date=14 June 2017|archive-date=12 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112235000/https://data.gov.sa/en/node/75/download|url-status=dead}}</ref> 609,000
|city_11 = Qatif |div_11=Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia{{!}}Eastern |pop_11=<ref name="Eastern Region"/> 559,300
|city_12 = Khamis Mushait |div_12=Asir|pop_12=<ref name="Aseer">{{cite web|title=Population Distribution (Saudi and Non Saudi) in Governorates of Aseer Region, 2013 A.D.|url=http://www.data.gov.sa/en/node/61/download|work=Stats.gov.sa|access-date=14 June 2017|archive-date=31 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190531183622/https://data.gov.sa/en/node/61/download|url-status=dead}}</ref> 549,000
|city_13 = Ha'il |div_13=Ha'il Region{{!}}Ha'il |pop_13=<ref name="Hail">{{cite web|title=Population Distribution (Saudi and Non Saudi) in Governorates of Hail Region, 2013 A.D.|url=http://www.data.gov.sa/en/node/67/download|work=Stats.gov.sa|access-date=14 June 2017|archive-date=25 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125210933/https://data.gov.sa/en/node/67/download|url-status=dead}}</ref> 441,900
|city_14 = Hafar al-Batin |div_14=Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia{{!}}Eastern |pop_14=<ref name="Eastern Region"/> 416,800
|city_15 = Jubail |div_15=Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia{{!}}Eastern |pop_15=<ref name="Eastern Region"/> 411,700
|city_16 = Kharj |div_16=Riyadh Region{{!}}Riyadh |pop_16=<ref name="Al-Riyad">{{cite web|title=Population Distribution (Saudi and Non Saudi) in Governorates of Al-Riyad Region, 2013 A.D.|url=http://www.data.gov.sa/en/node/57/download|work=Stats.gov.sa|access-date=14 June 2017|archive-date=31 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190531183619/https://data.gov.sa/en/node/57/download|url-status=dead}}</ref> 404,100
|city_17 = Abha |div_17=Asir |pop_17=<ref name="Aseer"/> 392,500
|city_18 = Najran |div_18=Najran Region{{!}}Najran |pop_18=<ref name="Najran">{{cite web|title=Population Distribution (Saudi and Non Saudi) in Governorates of Najran Region, 2013 A.D.|url=http://www.data.gov.sa/en/node/57/download|work=Stats.gov.sa|access-date=14 June 2017|archive-date=31 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190531183619/https://data.gov.sa/en/node/57/download|url-status=dead}}</ref> 352,900
|city_19 = Yanbu |div_19=Al Madinah Region{{!}}Al Madinah |pop_19=<ref name="Al-Madinah Al-Monawarah"/> 320,800
|city_20 = Al Qunfudhah |div_20=Mecca Province{{!}}Mecca |pop_20=<ref name="Makkah Al-Mokarramah"/> 304,400
}}

=== Language ===
The official language is [[Arabic]].<ref name="CIA World Factbook">[https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/saudi-arabia/ Saudi Arabia]. ''[[The World Factbook]]''. [[Central Intelligence Agency]].</ref><ref name="BLG">{{cite web |title=Basic Law of Governance |url=https://www.moe.gov.sa/en/TheMinistry/AboutKSA/Pages/System-of-Governance.aspx |access-date=1 September 2020 |website=Ministry of Education |publisher=Ministry of Education – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia |archive-date=5 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205091610/https://www.moe.gov.sa/en/TheMinistry/AboutKSA/Pages/System-of-Governance.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref> There are four main regional dialect groups spoken by Saudis: [[Najdi Arabic|Najdi]] (about 14.6 million speakers<ref>[[:ethnologue:ars|Arabic, Najdi Spoken]]. Ethnologue</ref>), [[Hejazi Arabic|Hejazi]] (about 10.3 million speakers<ref>[[:ethnologue:acw|Arabic, Hijazi Spoken]]. Ethnologue</ref>), [[Gulf Arabic|Gulf]] (about 0.96 million speakers<ref>[[:ethnologue:afb|Arabic, Gulf Spoken]]. Ethnologue</ref>) including [[Bahrani Arabic|Baharna dialects]], and Southern Hejaz and Tihama<ref>{{cite book |last1=Prochazka |first1=Theodore |title=Saudi Arabian dialects |date=2015 |publisher=Routledge |location=London |isbn=9781138981294 |page=3 |edition=First issued in paperpack}}</ref> dialects. [[Faifi language|Faifi]] is spoken by about {{gaps|50|000}}. The [[Mehri language]] is also spoken by around {{gaps|20|000}} [[Mehri people|Mehri]] citizens.<ref>{{cite news |last1=الحيدري |first1=فيصل |title=20 ألف سعودي يتحدثون "المهرية" |url=https://www.alwatan.com.sa/article/142226 |access-date=19 September 2022 |work=Watanksa |date=20 June 2012 |language=Arabic}}</ref> [[Saudi Sign Language]] is the principal language of the deaf community, amounting to around {{gaps|100|000}} speakers. The large expatriate communities also speak their own languages, the most numerous of which, according to 2018 data, are [[Bengali language|Bengali]] (~1 {{gaps|500|000}}), [[Tagalog language|Tagalog]] (~{{gaps|900|000}}), [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] (~{{gaps|800|000}}), [[Urdu]] (~{{gaps|740|000}}), [[Egyptian Arabic]] (~{{gaps|600|000}}), [[Rohingya language|Rohingya]], [[North Levantine Arabic]] (both ~{{gaps|500|000}})<ref>{{Cite web|title=Saudi Arabia|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/country/SA/status|access-date=2021-01-19|website=Ethnologue}}</ref> and [[Malayalam]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Basheer |first1=K P M |title=Market for Malayalam films unfolding in Saudi |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/cinema-returns-to-saudi-arabia/article21599013.ece |access-date=17 November 2021 |work=[[The Hindu]] |date=14 September 2017}}</ref>

=== Religion ===
{{Main|Religion in Saudi Arabia}}
[[File:Masjid Quba Mosque.jpg|thumb|[[Quba Mosque]] in [[Medina]], [[Hejaz]] is considered to be one of the [[List of the oldest mosques|oldest mosques]] that dates to the lifetime of the [[Prophets and messengers in Islam|Islamic Prophet]] [[Muhammad]].{{efn|The [[Mosque of the Companions, Massawa|Mosque of the Companions]] in the [[Eritrea]]n city of [[Massawa]] dates to approximately the same period, the 7th century CE.<ref name="Reid2012Massawa">{{cite book |last=Reid |first=Richard J. |title=A History of Modern Africa: 1800 to the Present |publisher=[[John Wiley and Sons]] |chapter=The Islamic Frontier in Eastern Africa |page=106 |isbn=978-0-470-65898-7 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=US6RQtYwasUC |date=12 January 2012 |access-date=15 March 2015}}</ref>}}]]
Virtually all Saudi citizens<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pewforum.org/newassets/images/reports/Muslimpopulation/Muslimpopulation.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091108194815/http://pewforum.org/newassets/images/reports/Muslimpopulation/Muslimpopulation.pdf|title=Mapping the World Muslim Population|archive-date=8 November 2009}}</ref> and residents [[Islam in Saudi Arabia|are Muslim]];<ref name=PewForump.17>[http://www.pewforum.org/files/2009/10/Muslimpopulation.pdf Mapping the World Muslim Population] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180619214725/http://www.pewforum.org/files/2009/10/Muslimpopulation.pdf |date=19 June 2018 }}(October 2009), Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. p. 16 (p. 17 of the PDF).</ref><ref>Data for Saudi Arabia comes primarily from general population surveys, which are less reliable than censuses or large-scale demographic and health surveys for estimating minority-majority ratios.</ref> by law, all citizens of the country are Muslim. Estimates of the [[Sunni]] population range between 85% and 90%, with the remaining 10 to 15% being [[Shia Islam in Saudi Arabia|Shia Muslim]],<ref name=PF2009>{{cite web|title=Mapping the Global Muslim Population. Countries with More Than 100,000 Shia Muslims |url=http://www.pewforum.org/2009/10/07/mapping-the-global-muslim-population/|website=Pew Forum|access-date=12 March 2015|date=7 October 2009|quote=Saudi Arabia ... Approximate Percentage of Muslim Population that is Shia .... 10–15}}</ref><ref name=bbc-shia>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7959531.stm |title=Saudi Arabia's Shia press for rights|publisher= bbc|first1=Anees|last1=al-Qudaihi |date=24 March 2009 |quote=Although they only represent 15% of the overall Saudi population of more than 25 million ...}}</ref><ref name=cfr-shiite>{{cite web|url=http://www.cfr.org/publication/10903/shiite_muslims_in_the_middle_east.html|title=Shia Muslims in the Mideast|publisher=Council on Foreign Relations|first1=Lionel|last1=Beehner|date=16 June 2006|access-date=12 March 2015|quote=Small but potentially powerful Shiite are found throughout the Gulf States ... Saudi Arabia (15 percent)|archive-date=11 April 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100411123648/http://www.cfr.org/publication/10903/shiite_muslims_in_the_middle_east.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Nasr2006 p. 236">Nasr, ''Shia Revival'', (2006) p. 236</ref> practicing either [[Twelver Shi'ism]] or [[Sulaymani|Sulaymani Ismailism]]. The official and dominant form of Sunni Islam is [[Salafism]], commonly known as [[Wahhabism]],<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2wSVQI3Ya2EC&pg=PA54|title=What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam: Second Edition|last=Esposito|first=John L.|year=2011|publisher=Oxford University Press, US|isbn=978-0-19-979413-3|page=54}}</ref><ref name="The Daily Star">[http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=4&article_id=121904 The Daily Star] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101127003849/http://dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=4&Article_id=121904 |date=27 November 2010 }}| Lamine Chikhi| 27 November 2010.</ref>{{efn|Proponents prefer the name ''Salafist,'' considering ''Wahhabi'' derogatory.}} which was founded in the Arabian Peninsula by [[Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab]] in the 18th century. Other denominations, such as the minority [[Shia Islam]], are systematically suppressed.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2009/09/03/saudi-arabia-treat-shia-equally |title=Saudi Arabia: Treat Shia Equally |publisher=Human Rights Watch |date=3 September 2009 |access-date=14 September 2016}}</ref> [[Shia Islam in Saudi Arabia|Shia Muslims in Saudi Arabia]] are largely found in the [[Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia|Eastern Province]], particularly in [[Qatif]] and [[Al-Ahsa Governorate|Al–Ahsa]].<ref name="ibnghannam">{{cite book |last=Ibn Ghannam |first=Hussien |title=Tarikh najd |year=1961 |location=Cairo |page=438}}</ref>

There are an estimated 1.5 million [[Christianity in Saudi Arabia|Christians in Saudi Arabia]], almost all foreign workers.<ref>{{cite book|author=House, Karen Elliott|title=On Saudi Arabia : Its People, past, Religion, Fault Lines and Future|publisher=Knopf|year=2012|page=235}}</ref> Saudi Arabia allows Christians to enter the country as temporary foreign workers but does not allow them to practice their faith openly. There are officially no Saudi citizens who are Christians,<ref>{{cite web | author = Central Intelligence Agency |date=28 April 2010 |title=Saudi Arabia |work=The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/saudi-arabia/ |access-date=22 May 2010}}</ref> as Saudi Arabia forbids religious conversion from Islam ([[Apostasy in Saudi Arabia|apostasy]]) and punishes it by death.<ref>{{cite book|title=Encyclopedia of religious freedom|last=Cookson|first=Catharine|year=2003|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-415-94181-5|page=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofre0000unse/page/207 207]|url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofre0000unse/page/207}}</ref> According to the Pew Research, there are {{gaps|390|000}} [[Hinduism in Saudi Arabia|Hindus in Saudi Arabia]], almost all foreign workers.<ref>[http://www.pewforum.org/2012/12/18/table-religious-composition-by-country-in-numbers/ Table: Religious Composition by Country, in Numbers] Pew Research Center, Washington D.C. (December 2012)</ref> There may be a significant fraction of [[Atheism|atheists]] and [[Agnosticism|agnostics]],<ref name="Gallup">WIN-Gallup 2012 [http://redcresearch.ie/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/RED-C-press-release-Religion-and-Atheism-25-7-12.pdf Global Index of Religion and atheism] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120812210929/http://redcresearch.ie/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/RED-C-press-release-Religion-and-Atheism-25-7-12.pdf |date=12 August 2012 }}</ref><ref>Fisher, M. & Dewey, C. (2013) [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2013/05/23/a-surprising-map-of-where-the-worlds-atheists-live/ A surprising map of where the world's atheists live]. Washington Post, online</ref> although they are officially called "terrorists".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-declares-all-atheists-are-terrorists-in-new-law-to-crack-down-on-political-dissidents-9228389.html|title=All atheists are terrorists, Saudi Arabia declares|date=1 April 2014|newspaper=The Independent|access-date=30 December 2016}}</ref> In its 2017 religious freedom report, the U.S. State Department named Saudi Arabia a [[Country of Particular Concern]], denoting systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.<ref>{{cite web|title=International Religious Freedom Report, 2017|url=http://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2017.USCIRFAnnualReport.pdf|publisher=U.S. Department of State|access-date=26 October 2017}}</ref>

[[Najran]] was once home to historical local [[Christian community of Najran|Christian]] and [[History of the Jews in Saudi Arabia|Jewish communities]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Assegaf |first=Faisal |date=2022-10-27 |title=I am among a few Jews originated from Saudi Arabia still alive |url=https://albalad.co/wawancara/2022A12466/i-am-among-a-few-jews-originated-from-saudi-arabia-still-alive/ |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=albalad.co |language=en-US}}</ref> Prior to establishment of [[Israel]], Najran was home to over 7,000 Jews.<ref>{{Cite web |title=رتبها |url=https://rattibha.com/thread/1254881982942756869 |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=rattibha.com}}</ref><ref name=":2" /> The Jews of Najran are predominantly of [[Yemenite Jews|Yemenite Jewish]] background.<ref name=":2" /> Following the [[establishment of Israel]] and the [[1948 Arab–Israeli War|1948 Arab–Israeli war]], Jews began leaving for [[Yemen]] and from there headed to Israel.<ref name=":2" /> By the 1970s, there were no Jews left in the country.

=== Education ===
{{Main|Education in Saudi Arabia}}
[[File:KAUST laboratory buildings and town mosque.jpg|thumb|Laboratory buildings at [[KAUST]]]]
Education is free at all levels, although [[Higher education in Saudi Arabia|higher education]] is restricted to citizens only.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ukessays.com/essays/education/the-saudi-education-system-education-essay.php|title=Saudi Education System|website=UKEssays.com|access-date=28 April 2019}}</ref> The school system is composed of [[List of schools in Saudi Arabia|elementary, intermediate, and secondary schools]]. Classes are segregated by sex. At the secondary level, students are able to choose from three types of schools: general education, vocational and [[List of technical colleges in Saudi Arabia|technical]], or religious.<ref>{{Cite web |title=K 12 Education System of Saudi Arabia Classes 1 to 12 |url=https://www.saudiarabiaeducation.info/k12/saudi-arabia-k-12-education-system.html |access-date=2022-06-21 |website=www.saudiarabiaeducation.info}}</ref> The rate of literacy is 99% among males and 96% among females in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Literacy rate, adult male (% of males ages 15 and above) {{!}} Data |url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.ADT.LITR.MA.ZS |access-date=2022-07-23 |website=data.worldbank.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Literacy rate, adult female (% of females ages 15 and above) {{!}} Data |url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.ADT.LITR.FE.ZS |access-date=2022-07-23 |website=data.worldbank.org}}</ref> Youth literacy rose to approximately 99.5% for both sexes.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Literacy rate, youth male (% of males ages 15–24) – Saudi Arabia {{!}} Data|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.ADT.1524.LT.MA.ZS?locations=SA|access-date=2022-01-16|website=data.worldbank.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Literacy rate, youth female (% of females ages 15–24) – Saudi Arabia {{!}} Data|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.ADT.1524.LT.FE.ZS?locations=SA|access-date=2022-01-16|website=data.worldbank.org}}</ref>

[[File:Kings Saud University Entrance Gate, Riyadh.jpg|thumb|left|The entrance gate of [[King Saud University]], the kingdom's oldest university, founded in 1957]]

Higher education has expanded rapidly, with large numbers of [[List of universities and colleges in Saudi Arabia|universities and colleges being founded particularly since 2000]]. Institutions of higher education include [[King Saud University]] at Riyadh, the [[Islamic University of Madinah|Islamic University]] at Medina, and the [[King Abdulaziz University]] in Jeddah. [[Princess Nora bint Abdul Rahman University|Princess Norah University]] is the largest women's university in the world. [[King Abdullah University of Science and Technology]], known as KAUST, is the first mixed-gender university campus in Saudi Arabia and was founded in 2009. Other colleges and universities emphasize curricula in sciences and [[Educational technology in Saudi Arabia|technology]], military studies, religion, and medicine. Institutes devoted to Islamic studies, in particular, abound. Women typically receive college instruction in segregated institutions.<ref name=Britannica />
[[File:UIS literacy rate Saudi Arabia population plus15 1990-2015.png|thumb|[[UNESCO Institute for Statistics|UIS]] literacy rate Saudi Arabia population, 15 plus, 1990–2015]]
The ''[[Academic Ranking of World Universities]]'', known as Shanghai Ranking, ranked five Saudi institutions among its 2022 list of the 500 top universities in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Shanghai Ranking's Academic Ranking of World Universities |url=https://www.shanghairanking.com/rankings/arwu/2022 |access-date=2023-04-20 |website=www.shanghairanking.com}}</ref> The [[QS World University Rankings]] lists 14 Saudi universities among the 2022 world's top universities and 23 universities among the top 100 in the [[Arab world]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=QS Arab Region University Rankings 2022 |url=https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/arab-region-university-rankings/2022 |access-date=2022-06-21 |website=Top Universities |language=en}}</ref> The 2022 list of [[U.S. News & World Report Best Global University Ranking]] ranked King Abdulaziz University among the top 50 universities in the world and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology among the top 100 universities in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |title=King Abdulaziz University Wins Global 'Zero Project Award' for 2024 |url=https://english.aawsat.com/node/4877301 |access-date=2024-04-26 |website=english.aawsat.com |language=en}}</ref>

In 2018, Saudi Arabia ranked 28th worldwide in terms of high-quality research output according to the scientific journal ''[[Nature (journal)|Nature]].''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.natureindex.com/annual-tables/2018/country/all|title=2018 tables: Countries/territories|work=Nature Index|access-date=23 August 2018|archive-date=19 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019214046/https://www.natureindex.com/annual-tables/2018/country/all|url-status=dead}}</ref> Saudi Arabia spends 9% of its gross domestic product on education, compared with the global average of 5%.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.arabnews.com/node/1503356/business-economy|title=Saudi Arabia most improved economy for business|date=28 May 2019|website=Arab News|access-date=28 May 2019}}</ref> Saudi Arabia was ranked 44th in the [[Global Innovation Index]] in 2024, up from 68th in 2019.<ref>{{Cite book |author=[[World Intellectual Property Organization]] |year=2024 |title=Global Innovation Index 2024: Unlocking the Promise of Social Entrepreneurship |url=https://www.wipo.int/web-publications/global-innovation-index-2024/en/ |access-date=2024-10-06 |website=www.wipo.int |page=18 |publisher=World Intellectual Property Organization |language=en |doi=10.34667/tind.50062 |isbn=978-92-805-3681-2}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Global Innovation Index 2019|url=https://www.wipo.int/global_innovation_index/en/2019/index.html|access-date=2021-09-02|website=www.wipo.int|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2013-10-28|title=Global Innovation Index|url=https://knowledge.insead.edu/entrepreneurship-innovation/global-innovation-index-2930|access-date=2021-09-02|website=INSEAD Knowledge|language=en|archive-date=2 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210902101622/https://knowledge.insead.edu/entrepreneurship-innovation/global-innovation-index-2930|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Saudi education system has been accused of encouraging [[Islamic terrorism]], leading to reform efforts.<ref name="Reforming Saudi Education">[http://www.slate.com/id/2226874/entry/2226875/ Reforming Saudi Education] Slate 7 September. 2009.</ref><ref>{{Cite news |first=Eli|last=Lake|date=25 March 2014 |title=U.S. Keeps Saudi Arabia's Worst Secret |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/03/25/u-s-keeps-saudi-arabia-s-worst-secret.html |work=[[The Daily Beast]]}}</ref> Following the 9/11 attacks, the government aimed to tackle the twin problems of encouraging extremism and the inadequacy of the country's university education for a modern economy, by slowly modernizing the education system through the "Tatweer" reform programme.<ref name="Reforming Saudi Education" /> The Tatweer programme is reported to have a budget of approximately US$2 billion and focuses on moving teaching away from the traditional Saudi methods of memorization and rote learning towards encouraging students to analyse and problem-solve. It also aims to create an education system which will provide a more secular and vocationally based training.<ref name="chronicle.com">[http://chronicle.com/article/Saudi-Arabias-Education/124771/ "Saudi Arabia's Education Reforms Emphasize Training for Jobs"] ''The Chronicle of Higher Education'', 3 October 2010.</ref><ref>Al-Kinani, Mohammed [http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2008081814710 SR9 billion Tatweer project set to transform education] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511114309/http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2008081814710 |date=11 May 2011 }}. The Saudi Gazette.</ref>

In 2021, the ''[[Washington Post]]'' reported on the measures taken by Saudi Arabia to clean textbooks from paragraphs considered [[Antisemitism|antisemitic]] and [[Sexism|sexist]]. The paragraphs dealing with the punishment of [[homosexuality]] or same-sex relations have been deleted, as well as the expressions of admiration for the extremist martyrdom. Antisemitic expressions and calls to fight the Jews became fewer. David Weinberg, director of international affairs for the [[Anti-Defamation League]], said that references to demonizing Jews, Christians, and Shiites have been removed from some places or have toned down. The U.S. State Department expressed in an e-mail that it welcomed the changes. The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs supports a training programme for Saudi teachers.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/gdpr-consent/?next_url=https%3a%2f%2fwww.washingtonpost.com%2fworld%2fmiddle_east%2fsaudi-arabia-textbooks-education-curriculum%2f2021%2f01%2f30%2f28ebe632-5a54-11eb-a849-6f9423a75ffd_story.html|title=Saudi Arabia scrubs school textbooks of some offensive text|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=30 January 2021}}</ref>

=== Health care ===
{{Main|Health in Saudi Arabia|Health care in Saudi Arabia}}
[[File:Sauditwins 17.jpg|thumb|Saudi twins receiving care from doctors at [[King Abdulaziz Medical City]] in [[Riyadh]]]]

Saudi Arabia has a national health care system in which the government provides free health care services through government agencies. Saudi Arabia has been ranked among the 26 best countries in providing high quality healthcare.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Al-Hanawi|first1=Mohammed Khaled|last2=Khan|first2=Sami A.|last3=Al-Borie|first3=Hussein Mohammed|date=2019-02-27|title=Healthcare human resource development in Saudi Arabia: emerging challenges and opportunities—a critical review|journal=Public Health Reviews|volume=40|issue=1|pages=1|doi=10.1186/s40985-019-0112-4|pmid=30858991|pmc=6391748|issn=2107-6952 |doi-access=free }}</ref> The [[Ministry of Health (Saudi Arabia)|Ministry of Health]] is the major government agency entrusted with the provision of preventive, curative, and rehabilitative health care. The ministry's origins can be traced to 1925, when several regional health departments were established, with the first in Makkah. The various healthcare institutions were merged to become a ministerial body in 1950.<ref>{{cite book|author=David E. Long|title=Culture and Customs of Saudi Arabia|url=https://archive.org/details/culturecustomsof00long|url-access=registration|date=1 January 2005|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-313-32021-7|page=[https://archive.org/details/culturecustomsof00long/page/15 15]}}</ref> The Health Ministry created a friendly competition between each of the districts and between different medical services and hospitals. This idea resulted in the creation of the "Ada'a" project launched in 2016. The new system is a nationwide performance indicator, for services and hospitals. Waiting times and other major measurements improved dramatically across the kingdom.<ref>{{cite web |title=Saudi Arabia's 937 Service Center received 80,007 calls last week |date=15 October 2018 |url=http://www.arabnews.com/node/1387831/saudi-arabia |publisher=[[Arab News]]}}</ref>

[[File:Life_expectancy_in_Saudi Arabia.svg|thumb|left|Historical development of life expectancy in Saudi Arabia]]

A new strategy has been developed by the ministry, known as Diet and Physical Activity Strategy or DPAS for short,<ref>{{cite web |title=It's time to tip the scale against Saudi Arabia's obesity problem |url=http://www.arabnews.com/node/1349476 |publisher=Arab News |date=1 August 2018}}</ref> to address bad lifestyle choices. The ministry advised that there should be a tax increase on unhealthy food, drink, and cigarettes. This additional tax could be used to improve healthcare offerings. The tax was implemented in 2017.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shalhoub |first1=Lulwa |title=New tax doubles the price of cigarettes, energy drinks in Saudi Arabia |date=12 June 2017 |url=http://www.arabnews.com/node/1113771/saudi-arabia |publisher=[[Arab News]]}}</ref> As part of the same strategy, calorie labels were added in 2019 to some food and drink products. Ingredients were also listed as an aim to reduce obesity and inform citizens with health issues to manage their diet.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gillett |first1=Katy |title=Saudi Arabia brings in mandatory calorie labels on menus |date=2 January 2019 |url=https://www.thenational.ae/uae/health/saudi-arabia-brings-in-mandatory-calorie-labels-on-menus-1.808556 |publisher=[[The National (Abu Dhabi)|The National]]}}</ref> As part of the ongoing focus on tackling obesity, women-only gyms were allowed to open in 2017. Sports offered in each of these gyms include bodybuilding, running and swimming to maintain higher standards of health.<ref>{{cite web |last1=White |first1=Charles |title=Saudi Arabia to allow women to use gyms to lose weight |url=https://metro.co.uk/2017/02/13/saudi-arabia-to-allow-women-to-use-gyms-to-lose-weight-6446103/ |publisher=[[Metro (British newspaper)|Metro]] |date=13 February 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Fitness First confirms launch of ladies-only gyms in KSA |date=4 March 2017 |url=http://www.arabnews.com/node/1063326/corporate-news |publisher=[[Arab News]]}}</ref>

[[Smoking in Saudi Arabia|Smoking in all age groups]] is widespread. In 2009 the lowest median percentage of smokers was university students (~13.5%) while the highest was elderly people (~25%). The study also found the median percentage of male smokers to be much higher than that of females (~26.5% for males, ~9% for females). Before 2010, Saudi Arabia had no policies banning or restricting smoking.

The MOH has been awarded "Healthy City" certificates by the [[World Health Organization]] (WHO) for the cities of [[Unayzah]] and [[Riyadh Al Khabra]] as 4th and 5th Healthy Cities in Saudi Arabia.<ref>{{cite tweet |title=#WHA72: Dr Al-Mandhari presented #HealthyCity certificates to Dr Hani Jokhadar @jokhdarh Undersecretary @SaudiMOH to award Unayzah & Riyadh Al Khabra as 4th and 5th healthy cities in The cities were qualified after successful evaluation by @WHO & external experts in March 2019. |user=whoemro |number=1131318112073203712 |publisher=World Health Organization}}</ref>
The WHO had earlier classified three Saudi Arabian cities, [[Ad Diriyah]], [[Jalajil]], and Al-Jamoom as "Healthy city", as part of the WHO Healthy Cities Programme. Recently [[Al-Baha]] has also been classified as a healthy city to join the list of global healthy cities approved by the World Health Organization.<ref>{{cite tweet |title=سمو أمير منطقة #الباحة يتسلم شهادة #المندق الصحية من معالي وزير الصحة بعد تصنيفها كمدينة صحية لتنضم إلى قائمة المدن الصحية العالمية المعتمدة من منظمة الصحة العالمية. وكانت كل من #الدرعية و #جلاجل و #الجموم و #عنيزة و #رياض_الخبراء قد أعلن عنها سابقًا كمدن صحية. |language=ar |trans-title=His Highness, the Emir of Al-Baha region, receives the Al-Mandaq health certificate from His Excellency the Minister of Health after classifying it as a healthy city to join the list of global healthy cities approved by the World Health Organization. Al-Diriyah, Jalajil, Al-Jumum, Onaizah, and Riyadh Al-Khubra were previously declared healthy cities. |user=SaudiMOH |number=1312783064595079170 |publisher=Ministry of Health}}</ref>

In May 2019, the then Saudi Minister of Health [[Tawfiq bin Fawzan AlRabiah]] received a global award on behalf of the Kingdom for combating smoking through social awareness, treatment, and application of regulations.<ref name="smokingaward">{{cite web |title=Saudi Arabia receives global anti-smoking award |url=http://www.arabnews.com/node/1501311/saudi-arabia |publisher=Arab News |date=24 May 2019}}</ref> The award was presented as part of the 72nd session of the [[World Health Assembly]], held in Geneva in May 2019. After becoming one of the first nations to ratify the [[WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control]] in 2005, it plans to reduce tobacco use from 12.7% in 2017, to 5% in 2030.<ref name="smokingaward" />

Saudi Arabia has a life expectancy of 78 years (77 for males and 80 for females) according to the latest data for the year 2022 from the World Bank.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.LE00.IN?locations=SA&most_recent_value_desc=true|title=Life expectancy at birth, total (years) – Saudi Arabia {{!}} Data|website=data.worldbank.org|access-date=14 December 2019}}</ref> Infant mortality in 2022 was 6 per 1000 (6 for males and 5 for females).<ref name=":1" /> In 2022, 71.8% of the adult population was overweight and 40.6% was obese.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.who.int/gho/ncd/risk_factors/overweight_obesity/obesity_adults/en/|title=Overweight and obesity|website=World Health Organization|access-date=25 August 2018}}</ref>

On May 18, 2025, Saudi Arabia announced the openning of the world's first AI-powered doctor clinic in Al Ahsa. The clinic was developed collaboratively by Shanghai-based Synyi AI and the local Almoosa Health Group, the clinic introduces "Dr. Hua," an AI-driven virtual physician capable of independently diagnosing and prescribing treatments. Patients via tablet, describe symptoms and undergoing diagnostic tests like cardiograms and X-rays, facilitated by human medical staff. While Dr. Hua autonomously formulates treatment plans, each is reviewed and approved by a licensed human doctor to ensure accuracy and safety.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2025 |title=Inside Saudi Arabia’s AI doctor clinic: A first in global healthcare |url=https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/inside-saudi-arabias-ai-doctor-clinic-a-first-in-global-healthcare-1.500131227}}</ref>

=== Foreigners ===
{{See also|Foreign workers in Saudi Arabia|Migrant workers in the Gulf region|Kafala system}}

The Central Department of Statistics & Information estimated the foreign population at the end of 2014 at 33% (10.1 million).<ref name="CDSI">{{cite web|url=http://www.arabnews.com/news/697371 |title=KSA population is 30.8m; 33% expats|date=31 January 2015 |publisher=ArabNews.com | access-date=6 November 2015}}</ref> The CIA Factbook estimated that {{as of|2013|lc=on}} foreign nationals living in Saudi Arabia made up about 21% of the population.<ref name="CIA World Factbook" /> Other sources report differing estimates.<ref name="alriyadh.com">{{cite web |author=جريدة الرياض |title=جريدة الرياض : سكان المملكة 27 مليوناً بينهم 8 ملايين مقيم |url=http://www.alriyadh.com/2010/08/05/article549461.html |publisher=Alriyadh.com}}</ref> [[Indians in Saudi Arabia|Indian]]: 1.5 million, [[Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia|Pakistani]]: 1.3 million,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arabnews.com/number-pakistani-expats-exceeds-15-m |title=Number of Pakistani expats exceeds 1.5 m |publisher=Arabnews.com |date=29 August 2012}}</ref> Egyptian: {{gaps|900|000}}, Yemeni: {{gaps|800|000}}, [[Bangladeshis in Saudi Arabia|Bangladeshi]]: {{gaps|400|000}}, [[Filipinos in Saudi Arabia|Filipino]]: {{gaps|500|000}}, Jordanian/Palestinian: {{gaps|260|000}}, [[Indonesians in Saudi Arabia|Indonesian]]: {{gaps|250|000}}, Sri Lankan: {{gaps|350|000}}, Sudanese: {{gaps|250|000}}, [[Syrians in Saudi Arabia|Syrian]]: {{gaps|100|000}} and [[Turks in Saudi Arabia|Turkish]]: {{gaps|80|000}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.un.org/esa/population/meetings/EGM_Ittmig_Arab/P02_Kapiszewski.pdf |title=Arab versus Asian migrant workers in the GCC countries |page=10}}</ref>

According to ''[[The Guardian]]'', {{as of|2013|lc=yes}} there were more than half a million [[Migrant domestic workers|foreign-born domestic workers]]. Most have backgrounds in poverty and come from Africa, the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.<ref name="the guardian1">{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jan/13/saudi-arabia-treatment-foreign-workers |date=13 January 2013 |title=Saudi Arabia's treatment of foreign workers under fire after beheading of Sri Lankan maid |last=Chamberlain |first=Gethin |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=14 January 2013 |archive-date=12 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140307/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jan/13/saudi-arabia-treatment-foreign-workers |url-status=live }}</ref> To go to work in Saudi Arabia, they must often pay large sums to recruitment agencies in their home countries. The agencies then handle the necessary legal paperwork.<ref name="humanrightswatch1">{{cite web |author=Human Rights Watch |url=http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/refworld/rwmain?page=printdoc&amp;docid=412ef32a4 |title='Bad Dreams:' Exploitation and Abuse of Migrant Workers in Saudi Arabia |publisher=United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees |date=14 July 2004 |access-date=14 January 2013 |archive-date=12 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200312095552/https://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/refworld/rwmain?page=printdoc&docid=412ef32a4 |url-status=live }}</ref>

As the Saudi population grows and oil export revenues stagnate, pressure for "Saudization" (the replacement of foreign workers with Saudis) has grown, and the Saudi government hopes to decrease the number of foreign nationals in the country.<ref>{{cite web |author1=P.K. Abdul Ghafour |url=http://www.arabnews.com/node/395511 |title=3 million expats to be sent out gradually |date=21 October 2011 |access-date=7 December 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111108233041/http://www.arabnews.com/node/395511 |archive-date=8 November 2011 |quote="Nearly three million expatriate workers will have to leave the Kingdom in the next few years as the Labour Ministry has put a 20% ceiling on the country's guest workers" }}</ref> Saudi Arabia expelled {{gaps|800|000}} Yemenis in 1990 and 1991<ref>"[https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/apr/01/yemen-guantanamo-al-qaida Yemen's point of no return]". ''The Guardian''. 1 April 2009.</ref> and has built a [[Saudi–Yemen barrier]] against an influx of illegal immigrants and against the smuggling of drugs and weapons.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.hiiraan.com/news2/2008/jan/saudi_authorities_erect_barriers_on_yemeni_border.aspx |title=Saudi authorities erect barriers on Yemeni border |first=Mohammed|last=al-Kibsi|date=12 January 2008 |newspaper=Yemen Observer}}</ref> In November 2013, Saudi Arabia expelled thousands of illegal Ethiopian residents from the kingdom. Various Human Rights entities have criticized Saudi Arabia's handling of the issue.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.persecutionofahmadis.org/saudi-arabia-amnesty-international-calls-for-end-to-arrests-and-expulsions/ |title=Saudi Arabia: Amnesty International calls for end to arrests and expulsions "Persecution of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community |publisher=Persecutionofahmadis.org}}</ref>

Over {{gaps|500|000}} [[Illegal immigration to Saudi Arabia|undocumented migrant workers]]—mostly from Somalia, Ethiopia, and Yemen—have been detained and deported since 2013.<ref>"[https://www.vice.com/en/article/dogs-are-better-than-you-saudi-arabia-accused-of-mass-abuses-during-migrant-worker-crackdown/ 'Dogs Are Better Than You': Saudi Arabia Accused of Mass Abuses During Migrant Worker Crackdown]". [[Vice News]]. 11 May 2015.</ref> An investigation led by ''[[The Sunday Telegraph]]'', exposed the condition of African migrants who were detained in Saudi Arabia allegedly for containing [[Coronavirus disease 2019|COVID-19]] in the kingdom. They were beaten, tortured, and electrocuted. Many of the migrants died due to heatstroke or by attempting suicide, after being severely beaten and tortured. The migrants lack proper living conditions, provision of food and water.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/climate-and-people/investigation-african-migrants-left-die-saudi-arabias-hellish/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/climate-and-people/investigation-african-migrants-left-die-saudi-arabias-hellish/ |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Investigation: African migrants 'left to die' in Saudi Arabia's hellish Covid detention centres|access-date=30 August 2020|website=The Telegraph|date=30 August 2020|last1=Brown|first1=Will|last2=Zelalem|first2=Zecharias}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Foreigners cannot apply for [[permanent residency]], though a specialized [[Premium Residency]] visa became available in 2019.<ref>{{cite news |title=Saudi Arabia Charges Foreigners $213,000 for Permanent Residency |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-23/saudi-arabia-charges-foreigners-213-000-for-permanent-residency |work=Bloomberg |date=23 June 2019}}</ref> Only Muslims can become Saudi citizens.<ref>{{cite book|first=Eleanor|last=Doumato|editor-first1=Sameena|chapter=Saudi Arabia|editor-last1=Nazir|editor-first2=Leigh|editor-last2=Tomppert|title=Women's Rights in the Middle East and North Africa: Citizenship and Justice|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5spje12_is4C&q=Only%2520a%2520muslim%2520can%2520be%2520a%2520saudi%2520citizen&pg=PA259|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|date= 2005 |isbn=978-0-7425-4992-0|page=259}}</ref> Foreigners who have resided in the kingdom and hold degrees in various scientific fields may apply for Saudi citizenship,<ref>{{Cite web|title=تفاصيل النظام|url=https://laws.boe.gov.sa/BoeLaws/Laws/LawDetails/d9f183b6-3afc-4405-834f-a9a700f18571/1|access-date=2021-06-06|website=laws.boe.gov.sa}}</ref><ref>2004 law passed by Saudi Arabia's Council of Ministers. {{cite web|url=http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=58980&d=14&m=2&y=2005 |title=Expatriates Can Apply for Saudi Citizenship in Two-to-Three Months |publisher=Arabnews.com |date=14 February 2005}}</ref> and exception made for Palestinians who are excluded unless married to a male Saudi national, because of [[Arab League]] instructions barring the Arab states from granting them citizenship. Saudi Arabia is not a signatory to the [[Convention relating to the Status of Refugees|1951 UN Refugee Convention]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/12/saudi-arabia-says-reports-of-its-syrian-refugee-response-false-and-misleading |title=Saudi Arabia says criticism of Syria refugee response 'false and misleading' |newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=12 September 2015}}</ref>