77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC,
UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador BANDAR Bin Sultan; Chancery at
601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20037; telephone (202) 342-3800;
there are Saudi Arabian Consulates General in Houston, Los Angeles, and
New York;
US--Ambassador Charles W. FREEMAN; Embassy at Collector Road M,
Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh (mailing address is P. O. Box 9041, Riyadh 11143,
or APO New York 09038); telephone p966o (1) 488-3800; there are US Consulates
General in Dhahran and Jiddah (Jeddah)

Flag: green with large white Arabic script (that may be translated
as There is no God but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God) above a
white horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); green is the
traditional color of Islam

- Economy
Overview: By far the most important economic activity is the production of
petroleum and petroleum products. The petroleum sector accounts for about 85% of
budget revenues, 80% of GDP, and almost all export earnings. Saudi Arabia has
the largest reserves of petroleum in the world, is the largest exporter of
petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC. Oil wealth has provided a per
capita GDP that is comparable to most industrialized countries. Saudi Arabia is
one of the few countries where consumer prices have been dropping or showing
little change in recent years.

GDP: $73 billion, per capita $4,720; real growth rate 3.2% (1988)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (1989 est.)

Unemployment rate: 0% (1989 est.)

Budget: revenues $31.5 billion; expenditures $38.1 billion,
including capital expenditures of $NA (1990)

Exports: $24.5 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--petroleum
and petroleum products 89%; partners--Japan 26%, US 26%, France 6%,
Bahrain 6%

Imports: $21.8 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities--manufactured goods, transportation equipment, construction
materials, processed food products; partners--US 20%, Japan 18%, UK 16%,
Italy 11%

External debt: $18.9 billion (December 1989 est.)

Industrial production: growth rate 6.1% (1980-86)

Electricity: 25,066,000 kW capacity; 50,000 million kWh produced,
3,100 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries: crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic
petrochemicals, cement, small steel-rolling mill, construction, fertilizer,