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29 March 2024

Saudi population put at 29.2m

Published
By Staff

Saudi Arabia’s population stood at around 29.2 million at the end of 2012, including nearly 9.4 million expatriates, or about 32 per cent, according to official data.

The population is projected to record an average 3.3 per cent growth in the coming years to reach around 30.2 million at the end of 2013 and nearly 31.2 million at the end of 2014 before rising to 37.2 million at the end of 2020.

Government figures published in the Arabic language daily Al Eqtisadiah showed around 54 per cent of the Gulf Kingdom’s population were males at the end of 2012.

The western province of Makkah had the highest population of around 7.4 million at the end of 2012, more than a quarter of the country’s total population. The Riyadh province came second, with around 7.3 million.

“Expatriates accounted for around 32 per cent of the Kingdom’s population at the end of 2012 but are projected to fall to nearly 26.6 per cent at the end of 2013 as a result of measures taken by the government to ease reliance on foreigners,” the report said.

It did not specify those measures but Saudi Arabia, the largest Arab economy and the world’s top oil supplier, launched an aggressive drive two years ago to forge its massive private sector to gradually replace expatriates with Saudis.