The 13 provinces and their capitals:
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Riyadh Province
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Riyadh |
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Makkah Province
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Makkah |
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Madinah Province
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Madinah |
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Qasim Province
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Buraidah |
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Eastern Province
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Dammam |
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Asir Province
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Abha |
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Tabuk Province
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Tabuk |
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Hail Province
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Hail |
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Northern Border Province
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Ar'ar |
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Jizan Province
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Jizan |
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Najran Province
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Najran |
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Baha Province
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Baha |
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Jouf Province
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Sakakah |
Affiliations
founding member of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), United Nations, League of Arab States, Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), and Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC); member of many international organizations, including the World Bank , the International Monetary Fund, and the World Trade Organization (WTO); and signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Telecom
country code 966; area codes Riyadh - 1, Jeddah/Makkah/Taif - 2, Dammam/Dhahran - 3, Madinah/Tabuk/Yanbu - 4.
Time
Greenwich Mean Time plus three (GMT+3) = Eastern Standard Time plus eight (seven during Daylight Savings Time).
Calendar
Islamic (Hijrah), dating from emigration of the Prophet Muhammad from Makkah to Madinah; weekend, Thursday and Friday.
The 12 months of the Islamic lunar year
Muharram, Safar, Rabi' Al-Awal, Rabi' Al-Akher, Jumada Al-Awal, Jumada Al-Akher, Rajab, Sha'ban, Ramadan, Shawwal. Dhu Al-Qadah , Dhu Al-Hajjah .
Holidays
closure of all offices and schools on Eid Al-Fitr, the feast of the breaking of the fast, from the evening of the twenty-fifth day of Ramadan through the fifth day of Shawwal; Eid Al-Adha, the culmination of the Hajj, from the fifth through fifteenth day of Dhu Al-Hajjah; and September 23, National Day.
Business
Government offices Saturday through Wednesday from 7:30 am to 2:30 pm; private businesses from 8:00 am to noon and 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm; general banking from 8:00 am until noon and from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm and markets and shops from 8:00 am until 10:00 pm.
Currency
Saudi Riyal (SR) pegged to U.S. dollar ($1=SR3.745); bank notes, in Arabic and English, in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500 riyals; coins in denominations of 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 halalahs, with 100 halalahs equal to one riyal; metric system in use.
Travel notes
Entry visas required. In the United States of America, visa section at Embassy: 601 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20037, (202) 342-3800; consulates in New York, Houston and Los Angeles.
Airline
Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAA), from New York and Washington, DC, with connections through United Airlines. For reservations, 1-800-4SAUDIA or www.saudiairlines.com.
Hotels
include international chains such as Four Seasons, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, Le Meridien, Sheraton, and Westin.
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