Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Third Saudi state; unified by Ibn Saud; custodian of the two holy mosques.

☾ The Coming of Islam

The birthplace of Islam

Arabia is the cradle of Islam: Mecca, where the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ was born and first preached, and Medina, to which he emigrated, lie within the modern kingdom, which takes shape historically around the heartland of the faith.

☾ Religious Composition

A Sunni majority and custodianship of the holy cities

Saudis are predominantly Sunni Muslim; the state is associated with the reformist movement of Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb (18th century) in alliance with the Āl Saʿūd, and there is a Twelver Shiʿi minority concentrated in the Eastern Province. The king bears the title Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.

Demographic shares are approximate.

▤ Scholars & Institutions

Mecca, Medina and the Ḥajj

The sanctuaries of Mecca and Medina draw millions of pilgrims each year for the Ḥajj and ʿUmra, and the kingdom's stewardship of the two holiest sites in Islam gives it a singular place in the Muslim world.

At a glance