Riyadh Region

Riyadh (Arabic الرياض, DMG Ar-Riyad ) is a province in Saudi Arabia, which is located in the center of the country. It has an area of ​​404 240 square kilometers and a population of 6,349,971 (as of 2010 ). The population density is 15.7 inhabitants per square kilometer. The provincial capital is Riyadh, the capitol of Saudi Arabia. Other large cities are Ushaiger, Thadiq, Al Majma'ah, Diriyah, Layla, As Sulayyil and Afif.

The original inhabitants were almost exclusively Arabs. Today, 90 percent of the population of Arab descent, either native Saudis and people from the Arab world, especially Egyptians, Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. The remaining ten percent are mostly of African or Asian descent.

In ancient times, the area was more than steppe desert, there was much more oases and urban centers than it is today, which allowed a nomadic pastures economy. Because of the desert climate, the province is habitable only in the existing oases. Major industries are the manufacture of building materials, the food industry and the petroleum-refining industry.