Saudi Arabia

Riyadh is the capital of Saudi Arabia, serving as the seat of the king, government ministries, and foreign embassies. It’s the country’s largest city and political center, located on the Najd plateau. While Mecca is Islam’s holiest city and Jeddah is the main Red Sea port and commercial gateway, neither is the political capital. Dammam is the heart of the Eastern Province’s oil industry. Remember it this way: “Riyadh Rules” — R for Riyadh, R for Rule (government). The name Riyadh means “gardens,” a nod to its oasis origins, and today it’s a rapidly modernizing metropolis central to Saudi Vision 2030.