The provinces of Saudi Arabia, also known as regions (Arabic: مناطق المملكة العربية السعودية, romanized: Manāṭiq al-Mamlakat il-'Arabiyyat il-Sa'udiyyah), are the 13 first-level administrative divisions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.[1][2][3]
| Provinces of Saudi Arabia مناطق المملكة العربية السعودية | |
|---|---|
| Category | Provinces within a unitary state |
| Location | Kingdom of Saudi Arabia |
| Number | 13 |
| Populations | 373,577 (Northern Borders Province) – 8,591,748 (Riyadh Province) |
| Areas | 9,920 km2 (3,831 sq mi) (Al-Bahah Province) – 672,520 km2 (259,662 sq mi) (Eastern Province) |
| Government |
|
| Subdivisions | |
History
editAfter the unification of Saudi Arabia, the kingdom was divided into seven provinces: the 'Asir Province, Al Hasa' Province, the Hejaz Province, the Najd Province, the Rub' al-Khali Province and the Shammar Province.[1]
King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud issued Royal Order A/92 on March 2, 1992, known as Law of the Provinces,[4] which provided for the division of the kingdom into 13 provinces. Subsequently, the five previous provinces were divided into thirteen regions, called provinces (manātiq), each governed by administrative bodies called the emirates of the provinces (imārāt al-manātiq). The provinces form the first-level administrative division of the Organization of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and are further divided into 136 governorates (muḥāfaẓāt), which are the second-level division,[3] which are further subdivided into 1,347 municipal-level units (marakiz), and further subdivided into villages (qura) and neighborhoods (ahya).
Government
editEach province is governed by an Emir (provincial governor), who is assisted by the deputy emir, called nā'ib. The persons holding these positions are appointed by the King of Saudi Arabia. The emir is given the rank of minister, while the deputy emir is given the rank of excellence.[3]
List
edit| Province | Historical region |
Capital (central city) |
Governorates | Marakiz | Population (2022 census)[5] |
Area (km2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 'Asir Province | Southern Arabia | Abha | 6 [11] (17) | 101 | 2,024,285 | 76,693 |
| Al-Bahah Province | Hejaz | Al Bahah | 4 [5] (9) | 35 | 339,174 | 9,921 |
| Al-Jawf Province | Northern Arabia | Sakaka | 2 [1] (3) | 33 | 595,822 | 100,212 |
| Al-Qassim Province | Najd | Buraidah | 5 [7] (12) | 153 | 1,336,179 | 58,046 |
| Eastern Province | Eastern Arabia (Bahrain) | Dammam | 7 [5] (12) | 107 | 5,125,254 | 672,522 |
| Ḥa'il Province | Najd | Ḥaʼil | 1 [7] (8) | 84 | 746,406 | 103,887 |
| Jazan Province | Southern Arabia | Jazan | 5 [11] (16) | 31 | 1,404,997 | 11,671 |
| Mecca Province | Hejaz | Makkah | 9 [7] (16) | 111 | 7,769,994 | 153,128 |
| Medina Province | Hejaz | Madinah | 4 [4] (8) | 90 | 2,389,452 | 151,990 |
| Najran Province | Southern Arabia | Najran | 1 [5] (6) | 59 | 592,300 | 149,511 |
| Northern Borders Province | Northern Arabia | Arar | 2 [1] (3) | 17 | 373,577 | 111,797 |
| Riyadh Province | Najd | Riyadh | 12 [10] (22) | 453 | 8,591,748 | 404,240 |
| Tabuk Province | Hejaz | Tabuk | 4 [2] (6) | 73 | 886,036 | 146,072 |
| Total | 13 | 62 [76] (138) | 1,347 | 32,175,224 | 2,149,690 | |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Saudi Arabia Regions". www.statoids.com.
- ^ "The New Addressing". Saudi Post. 2013. Archived from the original on 3 March 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
- ^ a b c "Organization of the Emirate of Makkah Province". Ministry of Interior.
- ^ "Law of the Provinces | The Embassy of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia". www.saudiembassy.net. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia: Regions & Major Cities - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
External links
editMedia related to Provinces of Saudi Arabia at Wikimedia Commons