What is the capital of Saudi Arabia?
Riyadh stands on a desert plateau, the Najd, in the centre of the Arabian Peninsula, along Wadi Hanifa at about 600 metres.
Riyadh is the capital and seat of government of Saudi Arabia, a role it has held since 1932. Saudi Arabia itself has an estimated population of 36,973,555 (2025).
Riyadh is also the largest city in Saudi Arabia, which is the usual arrangement, though it is far from universal: see the countries where capital and largest city differ.
Riyadh at a glance
| City population | 7,009,100 (2022) |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan area | 7,820,551 (2022) |
| Country | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia |
| Capital since | 1932 |
| Largest city in Saudi Arabia | Riyadh |
| Time zone | UTC+03:00 (AST) |
| Currency | Saudi riyal (SAR) |
About Riyadh
Riyadh has been the capital of Saudi Arabia since 1932, Riyadh became the capital when the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932, and grew rapidly from a walled desert town on oil wealth.
Riyadh is Saudi Arabia's largest city and the largest on the Arabian Peninsula.
It grew from a small walled town into one of the region's biggest cities in the decades after oil was discovered.
City facts sourced from Wikipedia: Riyadh.
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Saudi Arabia?
Is Riyadh the largest city in Saudi Arabia?
What is the population of Riyadh?
Where is Riyadh located?
When did Riyadh become the capital of Saudi Arabia?
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What currency is used in Riyadh?
Capitals of neighbouring countries
See the full profile of Saudi Arabia on its country page, or browse every capital city.
Capital and country data from open datasets; city and metropolitan populations are hand-curated per city and cited where they are shown. Populations of countries come from the World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL). Full sources and vintage on the data page. Last updated . Report a correction.