Saudi Arabia vs. United Arab Emirates
Geography
| Saudi Arabia | United Arab Emirates | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen | Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia |
| Geographic coordinates | 25 00 N, 45 00 E | 24 00 N, 54 00 E |
| Map references | Middle East | Middle East |
| Area | total: 2,149,690 sq km land: 2,149,690 sq km water: 0 sq km | total: 83,600 sq km land: 83,600 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US | slightly larger than South Carolina; slightly smaller than Maine |
| Land boundaries | total: 4,272 km border countries (7): Iraq 811 km, Jordan 731 km, Kuwait 221 km, Oman 658 km, Qatar 87 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1307 km | total: 1,066 km border countries (2): Oman 609 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km |
| Coastline | 2,640 km | 1,318 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 18 nm continental shelf: not specified | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
| Climate | harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes | desert; cooler in eastern mountains |
| Terrain | mostly sandy desert | flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert; mountains in east |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: As Sarawat range, 3,000 m lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m mean elevation: 665 m | highest point: Jabal Yibir 1,527 m lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m mean elevation: 149 m |
| Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper | petroleum, natural gas |
| Land use | agricultural land: 80.7% (2018 est.) arable land: 1.5% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 79.1% (2018 est.) forest: 0.5% (2018 est.) other: 18.8% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 4.6% (2018 est.) arable land: 0.5% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.5% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 3.6% (2018 est.) forest: 3.8% (2018 est.) other: 91.6% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 16,200 sq km (2012) | 923 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | frequent sand and dust storms volcanism: despite many volcanic formations, there has been little activity in the past few centuries; volcanoes include Harrat Rahat, Harrat Khaybar, Harrat Lunayyir, and Jabal Yar | frequent sand and dust storms |
| Environment - current issues | desertification; depletion of underground water resources; the lack of perennial rivers or permanent water bodies has prompted the development of extensive seawater desalination facilities; coastal pollution from oil spills; air pollution; waste management | air pollution; rapid population growth and high energy demand contribute to water scarcity; lack of natural freshwater resources compensated by desalination plants; land degradation and desertification; waste generation, beach pollution from oil spills |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
| Geography - note | Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the world without a river; extensive coastlines on the Persian Gulf and Red Sea allow for considerable shipping (especially of crude oil) through the Persian Gulf and Suez Canal | strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil |
| Total renewable water resources | 2.4 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 150 million cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | historically a population that was mostly nomadic or semi-nomadic, the Saudi population has become more settled since petroleum was discovered in the 1930s; most of the economic activities - and with it the country's population - is concentrated in a wide area across the middle of the peninsula, from Ad Dammam in the east, through Riyadh in the interior, to Mecca-Medina in the west near the Red Sea | population is heavily concentrated to the northeast on the Musandam Peninsula; the three largest emirates - Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah - are home to nearly 85% of the population |
Source: CIA Factbook
