Riyadh Province

Riyadh Province, is a province in central Saudi Arabia, covering much of the historic Najd region in the heart of the Arabian Peninsula. Its administrative seat is Riyadh, the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. With a population of 8,591,748 in 2022, it is the most populous province in the Kingdom and the second-largest by area after the Eastern Province.

Population Population development since 1992:

Governorates

Riyadh Province is divided into 22 governorates, which are classified into Category A and Category B. The province also includes the new city of Qiddiya, which is located within the province and is being developed as a new urban area.

Governorate Category Population (2022) Al-Kharj A 373,177 Al-Dawadmi A 200,620 Majmaah A 151,877 Diriyah A 95,834 Wadi Al-Dawasir A 91,535 Al-Zulfi A 74,903 Afif A 71,616 Al-Quway'iyah A 71,410 Al-Muzahmiyya B 62,760 Al-Dilam B 54,822 Al-Aflaj A 54,544 Shaqra A 46,403 Hotat Bani Tamim A 41,854 Rimah B 35,683 Al-Sulayyil B 35,271 B 28,243 Dhurma B 26,299 Huraymila B 21,758 Thadig B 12,510 Al-Ghat A 10,799 Al-Hariq B 10,864 Marat B 9,846

Transportation

Airport

Riyadh Province is served by King Khalid International Airport, an international and domestic hub located north of the capital city. Plans are underway to develop King Salman International Airport, which will encompass the existing airport facility and serve as the base for Riyadh Air to expand international aviation connections.

Inland Port

As an inland territory, the province uses the Riyadh Dry Port as its central logistics and trade connection point. Linked by the Dammam–Riyadh railway line to the Arabian Gulf coast, this facility handles customs, container processing, and distribution for goods entering local industrial markets.

Road and rail

The province is a node in the national highway network, centered on Highway 40 which connects Mecca to the west and Dammam to the east. Urban transit includes the Riyadh Metro network, which operates driverless trains across six lines to service Riyadh city. Regionally, the railway network links the province to the Al-Jouf, Hail, and Al-Qassim provinces, while the planned Saudi Landbridge Project is designed to establish a rail link west to Jeddah.

Provincial government The province is governed by a governor (Emir) appointed by the King of Saudi Arabia, assisted by a deputy governor.

Governor Term of office Monarch(s) Office established Muhammad bin Saad bin Zaid 1929 – 1936 Abdulaziz Nasser bin Abdulaziz 1937 – 1947 Sultan bin Abdulaziz 29 May 1947 – 19 December 1952 Nayef bin Abdulaziz (on behalf of Sultan) 3 March – 19 December 1952 Nayef bin Abdulaziz 20 December 1952 – 18 April 1955 Salman bin Abdulaziz (on behalf of Nayef) 16 March 1954 – 18 April 1955 Saud Salman bin Abdulaziz (1st term) 18 April 1955 – 22 September 1960 Turki II bin Abdulaziz (on behalf of Salman) 10 – 21 October 1957; 31 October 1960 Fawaz bin Abdulaziz 11 September 1961 – 20 January 1963 Badr bin Saud 20 January – 5 February 1963 Salman bin Abdulaziz (2nd term) 5 February 1963 – 5 November 2011 Saud, Faisal, Khalid, Fahd, Abdullah Sattam bin Abdulaziz 5 November 2011 – 12 February 2013 Abdullah Khalid bin Bandar 14 February 2013 – 14 May 2014 Turki bin Abdullah 14 May 2014 – 29 January 2015 Abdullah, Salman Faisal bin Bandar 29 January 2015 – present Salman

Riyadh Province

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