Local short name form

Official name

Area

Population

Capital

Currency

International telephone access code

ISO 3166 country codes

Car nationality plate code

Internet country code

GRC Country Code

   Note: This section last updated 14th March 2021

   1,234.45

(where . indicates the decimal separator and , the thousands separator)

   ۱٫۲۳۴٬۴۵

(where ٬ indicates the decimal separator and ٫ the thousands separator)

   Note: This section last updated 8th June 2021

   dd/mm/yyyy 

   14:32   

The national language is Standard Arabic . There are 200 000 speakers of Gulf Spoken Arabic ; 6 000 000 of Hijazi Spoken Arabic and 8 000 000 of Najdi Spoken Arabic .

   Note: This section last updated 16th February 2014

Saudi Arabian company legal forms include:

   Branch   
   Commercial Agency 
   JSC – Joint Stock Corporation    
   LLC – Limited Liability Company 
   Partnership   
   Sponsorship 
   TCR – Temporary Commercial Registration    

   Note: This section last updated 30th October 2022

Deliveries are mainly to post office boxes as, in much of the kingdom, the infrastructure does not exist to allow house-to-house deliveries.

In October 2022, a new preferred address format was announced, written in this form:

   Addressee name 
   Building number[ ]Street name 
   Unit/shop/apartment/office number 
   Additional code number[ ]District name 
   Postal code 
   City name  

For example:

A preference has also been expressed to include the short address code (see below) in addresses on a separate line:

   Addressee name 
   Short address code 
   Building number[ ]Street name 
   Unit/shop/apartment/office number 
   Additional code number[ ]District name 
   Postal code 
   City name 

For example:

However, it is likely that the older format will continue to be used for some time to come:

   Addressee name
   Building number[ ]Street name[ ]District name
   Unit/shop/apartment/office number
   City name[ ]Postal code

for example

The postal code is written to the left of the city if the address is written in Arabic script, to the right if written in Latin script.

Saudi Arabia is in the process of altering their address and postal system to allow house-to-house deliveries. This new system is based on a code which is based on GIS location and the existing 5-digit postal code. This code has the format:

   9999-99999-9999

The middle five numbers are the existing postal code.

For buildings facing onto roads which have a more east/west direction, the first four digits will be in the range 2000-5999 and the final four digits will be an additional number. For buildings facing onto roads with a more north/south direction the final four numbers will fall in the range 6000-9999 and the first four numbers will be an additional number. These numbers in the ranges 2000 to 5999 and 6000 to 9999 (confusingly called “building numbers”) will be odd if the building is on the right-hand side of the road as one moves from west to east or from south to north; and even if it is on the left-hand side of the road as one moves from west to east or from south to north.

Though these codes can be used on their own, they are being integrated into full street addressing, with the first four digits representing a building number and the final nine an enriched postal code in this way:

   Building number[ ]Street name
   Additional code number[ ]District 
   Postal Code 
   City

for example:

   8228 King Abdulaziz Road
   2121 Al Amal 
   12643
   Riyadh

Short address codes, consisting of four letters followed by the four-digit building number, have also been introduced, and may be found in addresses. The first letter is a region code.

These codes are not generally used by the public. As they are positional codes rather than postal codes in the traditional sense, I do not categorise them as postal codes in this resource.

For full details of this system, refer to splonline.com.sa/en/national-address-1/

   A table containing information about the relevant position of elements within address blocks can be acquired 

   Note: This section last updated 1st November 2022

Postal codes consist of a block of 5 digits. There are about 37000 of them.

In geographical postal code, the first digit, as mapped below, indicates a postal region. Postal codes can commence with any digit between 1 and 8.

The second digit indicates a postal sector. The number 1 is reserved for government and “exceptional” use. The regional centre is assigned the number 2. Sectors generally to the south of this centre are assigned even numbers, those generally to the north are assigned odd numbers:

Map from Saudi Post

The third digit represents a postal branch. The way that this number is assigned within a sector depends on whether the sector is landlocked, runs parallel to the sea, or is on the sea but not running parallel to it. Again, the number 1 is reserved for government and special purposes.

The fourth digit represents a postal division. These can be of varying sizes based on terrain, population density and road patterns. Each number between 1 and 9 may be used.

The final digit represents a postal square, ranging in size between 1x1 and 4x4 km, depending on the degree of urbanization and based, where possible, on grid street patterns.

Map from Saudi Post

For full details of this system, refer to address.gov.sa/en/

In postal codes for post office boxes, the first two digits indicate the postal zone and the final three the delivery point.

   Metadata containing postal code formatting rules, exceptions and regular expressions can be acquired 

Saudi Arabia - Postal code format graphic

Saudi Arabia - Postal code format

Saudi Arabia - Postal code specifics

Saudi Arabia - Postal code regular expression

Saudi Arabia - Postal code level of coverage

Saudi Arabia - Postal code map

   Note: This section last updated 19th June 2015

Refer to Exonyms in Saudi Arabia for full lists of place names in Saudi Arabia in other languages.

   Alternate place name forms/postal code tables can be acquired at http://www.grcdi.nl/settlements.htm 

   Other language place name data can be acquired at http://www.grcdi.nl/otherlanguageplace.htm 

Saudi Arabia has 13 provinces (minţaqat, singular - minţaqah). These are:

Region	First postal code digit
Al Bahah	6
Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah	7
Al Jawf	7
Al Madinah	4
Al Qasim	5
Ar Riyad	1
Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern Province)	3
’Asir	6
Ha’il	5
Jizan	8
Makkah	2
Najran	6
Tabuk	4

Administrative districts graphic

   Note: This section last updated 18th October 2013

Saudi Arabian area codes have 2 digits when called from abroad. Subscriber numbers have 8 digits. Mobile numbers have the area code 5 or 6.