Category Unitary state | Number 13 Regions | |
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Location Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Populations 320,524 (Northern Borders) – 6,915,006 (Makkah) Areas 58,050 km (22,412 sq mi) (Al-Qassim) – 672,520 km (259,662 sq mi) (Eastern Province) Government Region Government, National Government | ||
Saudi Arabia is divided into 13 regions (Arabic: مناطق إدارية; manātiq idāriyya, sing. منطقة إدارية; mintaqah idariyya). Each region is divided into governorates (Arabic: محافظات; muhafazat, sing. محافظة; muhafazah) and the region capital, which has the status of municipality (amanah) headed by mayors (amin). There are 118 entities combined. The governorates are further subdivided into subgovernorates (marakiz, sing. markaz).
Provinces
From their organizations in 1932 until 1980, Saudi Arabia was divided into six (initially five) administrative-territorial entities, the provinces of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Asir Province (Southern), El Hasa Province (Eastern), Hejaz Province (Western), Nejd Province (Central), Rub al Khali Province (Southeastern), and Shammar Province (Northern). Around 1980, the Northern Province was created from the Western and Central.