Saudi Arabia

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Flag
Location  Middle East
Capital  Riyadh
Area  2,149,690 sq km
Population  33,091,113

"All things come to those that wait"
(Proverb/Quote of the Week)

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January

January 1 Ms. Thoraya Ahmed Obaid from Saudi Arabia was appointed as the third Executive Director of the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) on 1 January 2001. Thoraya is the first Saudi Arabian to head a United Nations agency. January 2 January 3 January 4 January 5 January 6 January 7 January 8 Conjoined Palestinian twin girls were successfully separated in a surgery at the King Abdullah Specialist Children's Hospital in Saudi Arabia on 8 January 2018. They shared a leg but had separate hearts and lungs. January 9 January 10 Her Royal Highness Princess Rima bint Bandar Bin Sultan Al Saud of Saudi Arabia received the Arab Sports Personality Award at the 9th Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award ceremony held in Dubai on 10 January 2018. January 11 Saudi Arabia's king granted women seats on the country's top advisory council for the first time on 11 January 2013, giving them a long-awaited toehold in the ultraconservative kingdom's male-dominated political system. January 12 Saudi Arabia on 12 January 2018 allowed women to enter stadiums to watch men’s football matches for the first time in the kingdom’s history. Saudi women were in the stands to watch a clash between Saudi Premier League clubs Al-Ahli and Al-Batin. January 13 January 14 January 15 January 16 January 17 Yazeed al-Rajhi made history on 17 January 2025 by becoming the first driver from host nation Saudi Arabia to win the Dakar Rally in the Ultimate class. Saudi Arabia and the United States signed an agreement in the field of civil aviation security on 17 January 2013. The signing is based on both sides’ interest in the development of administrative, technical and operational cooperation in the field of civil aviation security and an affirmation of common interest to strengthen efforts to address threats and reduce risks in civil aviation. January 18 A team of archaeologists from the Saudi Geological Survey (SGS) has discovered a 225-cm long tusk of an extinct species of elephant in the Nafud Desert in the Kingdom’s northwest, as announced on 18 January 2017. January 19 January 20 January 21 January 22 January 23 January 24 January 25 January 26 January 27 January 28 January 29 January 30 January 31 Saudi Arabia has completed its biggest ground-mounted photovoltaic solar power plant, according to an official announcement on 31 January 2013. The 3.5-megawatt plant is developed in Riyadh.

February

February 1 February 2 February 3 February 4 February 5 February 6 February 7 February 8 February 9 February 10 February 11 February 12 February 13 February 14 February 15 February 16 For the first time a Saudi woman, Somayya Jabarti, was named editor-in-chief of a daily newspaper in Saudi Arabia, the newspaper English-language Saudi Gazette announced on 16 February 2014. February 17 February 18 February 19 Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah on 19 February 2013 swore in the country's first female members of the Shura Council, an appointed body that advises on new laws, in a move that is expected to advance the role of women in conservative Saudi society. February 20 February 21 February 22 A team of international astronomers, including researchers from Saudi Arabia, has detected a record seven Earth-sized planets orbiting a single star Trappist-1, a low-mass, cool star located 40 light-years away from Earth. Three of them lie in the habitable zone and could harbour water, as revealed in the journal Nature on 22 February 2017. February 23 February 24 Hana al-Omair, a female Saudi film-maker, won the Golden Palm Tree prize on 24 February 2015 at the Saudi Film Festival for her drama Complain. February 25 February 26 Saudi Arabia and India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Defense Cooperation on 26 February 2014 in New Delhi. The agreement will lead to expanded defense cooperation between New Delhi and Riyadh. February 27 February 28 February 29

March

March 1 March 2 Saudi Arabian author, Abdo Khal, won the 2010 International Prize for Arabic Fiction on 2 March 2010 for his novel Spewing Sparks as Big as Castles. The novel is a deeply dark novel which follows the confessions of a hit man, employed by a mysterious rich businessman in the Saudi city of Jeddah. March 3 Saudi Arabia and South Korea on 3 March 2015 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to cooperate on the development of nuclear energy in Saudi Arabia. March 4 Saudi Arabia and Qatar on 4 March 2013 signed several agreements, memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and ratification documents, including agreements to fight crime and regulate border authorities. The first discoveries of oil fields in Saudi Arabia took place in Dammam, later known as the “Prosperity Well,” in 1938. The first test to yield oil was made on 4 March 1938. March 5 March 6 March 7 March 8 Samar Badawi from Saudi Arabia was honored with the 2012 International Women of Courage Award by the United States Department of State for her pursuit for women's right to vote and fight against the guardianship system in Saudi Arabia, under which women cannot marry, work, or travel without a guardian’s (male relative) permission. March 9 March 10 Saudi Arabia and Iran on 10 March 2023 agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations after seven-year rift, as the announcement came after four days of talks between officials from both sides in China. March 11 March 12 March 13 March 14 Saudi Arabian author, Raja Alem, and Moroccan author, Mohammed Achaari, were announced as joint winners of the 2011 International Prize for Arabic Fiction on 14 March 2011. Raja was awarded for her book The Doves’ Necklace. This is the first time the prize has been split between two novelists and Raja became the first woman to win the award. March 15 March 16 March 17 March 18 March 19 March 20 March 21 March 22 March 23 Dr. Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Kaki of Saudi Arabia was named as the winner of the 2016 King Faisal International Prize for Islamic Studies in recognition of his distinguished research effort. March 24 March 25 March 26 March 27 The United Nations (UN) on 27 March 2024 selected Saudi Arabia to chair its Commission on the Status of Women in New York. March 28 March 29 Saudi Arabia has decided to license women's sports clubs for the first time, as reported on 29 March 2013, a major step for the women in the apparent ultra-religious country. March 30 March 31 An-132 light transport plane, developed by Taqnia Aeronautics of Saudi Arabia and Antonov of Ukraine, made its maiden flight on 31 March 2017 from the Svyatoshyn airfield in the Ukrainian capital to the Antonov airfield in Kiev region.

April

April 1 Saudi Arabia lifted ban on women riding motorbikes and bicycles, as reported on 1 April 2013, allowed only in restricted, recreational areas and must be accompanied by male relative and dressed in the full Islamic head-to-toe veil. April 2 April 3 April 4 April 5 April 6 A team of International researchers and Saudi scientists have used data from atomic bomb tests conducted during the Cold War in order to accurately age the world's biggest fish, the Whale Sharks. The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science on 6 April 2020. April 7 April 8 April 9 April 10 April 11 April 12 April 13 Saudi Arabia’s Hani Alnakhli smashed his own men’s discus F33 world record on 13 April 2017 at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Tunis, Tunisia. Hani threw 30.09m to add 59cm to his previous record at this same event in 2015. April 14 April 15 April 16 April 17 April 18 April 19 The UN Economic and Social Council on 19 April 2017 elected Saudi Arabia as a member of its Commission on the Status of Women for a four-year terms. April 20 April 21 April 22 April 23 April 24 Saudi Arabia abolished flogging as a form of punishment, according to a document from the kingdom’s top court, as widely revealed on 24 April 2020. April 25 April 26 April 27 April 28 April 29 April 30

May

May 1 May 2 May 3 Atta’a for Helping Charity Organizations of Saudi Arabia won the 2016 WSIS Prize for their project titled Ataa’ System, seeks to link all charities in Saudi Arabia in one system in order to manage their information and consolidate common work. Saudi blogger Raif Badawi was named as the winner of the Deutsche Welle Freedom of Speech Award on 3 May 2015 for his extraordinary contribution for human rights in general and freedom of expression in particular. May 4 Saudi Arabia on 4 May 2017 issued a directive relieving women from the prerequisite of obtaining the consent of male guardians in order to receive public services. Saudi Arabian girls will be allowed to play sports in private schools for the first time, according to a decision announced on 4 May 2013, the latest in a series of incremental changes aimed at slowly increasing women's rights in the kingdom. May 5 May 6 May 7 May 8 May 9 A study of the dromedary camel by researchers from Saudi Arabia and their international colleagues has shown how long-distance and back-and-forth movements in ancient caravan routes shaped the species’ genetic diversity. Their findings, based on a global sample set and ancient mitochondrial DNA analyses, were revealed on 9 May 2016 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. May 10 May 11 May 12 May 13 May 14 May 15 May 16 May 17 Saudi researcher Dr. Majed Alawad at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) received the Distinguished Innovator Award from the Global Innovation Institute for his innovative solutions to provide nations with sustainable clean energy, as widely reported on 17 May 2026. May 18 Saudi woman Raha Moharrak on 18 May 2013 made history by reaching the summit of the world's highest mountain, Mount Everest. Raha, a 25-year-old native of Jeddah, not only became the first Saudi woman to attempt the climb but also the youngest Arab to make it to the top of Everest. May 19 May 20 May 21 May 22 May 23 May 24 Team V Bionic from Saudi Arabia and Germany who won the grand prize at the 2022 Microsoft Imagine Cup for ExoHeal, a modular exoskeletal hand rehabilitation device that utilizes neuroplasticity and Azure technology to provide adaptive and gamified rehabilitation exercises to people with hand paralysis. May 25 May 26 May 27 May 28 May 29 Saudi researcher and their international colleagues have found a rare exoplanet, named as NGTS-4b, as revealed on 29 May 2019. The planet is three times the size of Earth and 20% smaller than Neptune and the planet has its own atmosphere. The Shura Council of Saudi Arabia, the country's formal consultative body, on 29 May 2018 approved a law to criminalise sexual harassment in the kingdom. May 30 May 31

June

June 1 The first sports complex for women in Saudi Arabia was opened in the Eastern Province city of Khobar on 1 June 2013. June 2 June 3 June 4 June 5 June 6 June 7 June 8 June 9 June 10 A team from King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia has built an underwater wireless system, Aqua-Fi, that supports Internet services using either LEDs or lasers. This is the first time anyone has used the internet underwater completely wirelessly, as revealed on 10 June 2020. June 11 June 12 June 13 June 14 June 15 June 16 June 17 June 18 June 19 June 20 June 21 Historic Jeddah, the Gate to Makkah, in Saudi Arabia was inscribed in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s World Heritage List on 21 June 2014. June 22 June 23 June 24 Saudi Arabian officials on 24 June 2012 announced that Saudi women are now allowed to compete in the Olympic Games starting from the 2012 London Olympics. This is the first time that Saudi women have been allowed to compete in the competition. June 25 June 26 Saudi Arabia and South Korea signed an $8.3 billion economic cooperation pact on 26 June 2019 during Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Seoul aimed at strengthening bilateral ties between the two governments. June 27 June 28 The late Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud became the first individual to receive the Outstanding Donor Award supported by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme for his commitment to humanitarian and relief work all over the world, including support for housing and income generating projects for families in Palestine. At a ceremony held in New York on 28 June 2013, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, presented the award to Ambassador Abdallah Y. Al-Mouallimi, the Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations. June 29 Al-Ahsa Oasis, an Evolving Cultural Landscape in Saudi Arabia, was inscribed on the UNESCO's World Heritage List on 29 June 2018. June 30

July

July 1 July 2 July 3 Rock Art in the Hail Region of Saudi Arabia was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List on 3 July 2015. July 4 July 5 July 6 Saudi Arabia on 6 July 2021 edged past Algeria 2-1 in the finals at Cairo International Stadium to bag 2021 Arab Cup U-20 Football title for the second time in its history. The UNESCO's World Heritage Committee named the archaeological site of Al-Hijr in Saudi Arabia as a World Heritage Site in 2008. This is the first World Heritage property to be inscribed in Saudi Arabia. July 7 July 8 July 9 July 10 July 11 July 12 July 13 July 14 July 15 July 16 July 17 July 18 Saudi Aramco, the national oil company of Saudi Arabia, was ranked as the largest oil company in the world in 2012. The list - of the world's 25 largest oil companies - was made public by Forbes business magazine. July 19 July 20 July 21 July 22 July 23 July 24 July 25 The Saudi Arabian Government's Holy Makkah Municipality (HMM) was recognized with a 2012 "Honorary Recognition Award" on 25 July 2012 by the international IT architecture firm iCMG for its new e-Government initiatives. July 26 July 27 Saudi Arabia and Greece on 27 July 2022 signed energy, military and security cooperation agreements during the official visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz to Athens. July 28 July 29 July 30 July 31

August

August 1 August 2 Women in Saudi Arabia will be allowed to hold passports and travel abroad without the consent of a male guardian, according to a royal decree announced on 2 August 2019. August 3 August 4 Saudi Arabia's Mossad Aldossar won the FIFA eWorld Cup in London on 4 August 2018 by beating Belgium's Steffano Pina in the final 4-0 at the O2 Arena. August 5 August 6 Saudi Arabia clinched an Olympic bronze medal in equestrian team jumping on 6 August 2012 in London. August 7 Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan on 7 August 2026 signed a joint defence agreement, stating that an attack on one of them would be seen as an attack on all three. August 8 August 9 August 10 Lana Nazer, a pioneer in Saudi Arabia’s wellness movement, was named as the Outstanding Yoga Teacher at the Asian Yoga Excellence Awards 2025 in recognition of her efforts over 15 years to promote wellness in the Kingdom. She became the first Arab woman to receive the award. August 11 August 12 August 13 August 14 August 15 August 16 August 17 August 18 August 19 August 20 August 21 August 22 August 23 August 24 August 25 Scientists from Saudi Arabia, the USA and Egypt have identified a 43 million-year-old fossil of a previously unknown amphibious four-legged whale species, originally discovered in Egypt's Western Desert, as revealed in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B on 25 August 2021. August 26 Saudi Arabia passed a landmark legislation on 26 August 2013 aimed at protecting women, children and domestic workers against domestic abuse, in a move aimed at reducing hidden violence against women in the kingdom. August 27 August 28 August 29 August 30 Saudi Arabia on 30 August 2016 signed 17 cooperative agreements with China in the fields of politics, energy, finance, investment, housing, water resources, quality inspection, science, technology and culture. August 31

September

September 1 Researchers from Saudi Arabia and their international colleagues have discovered archaeological sites in the Nefud Desert of Saudi Arabia associated with the remains of ancient lakes formed when periods of increased rainfall transformed the region into grassland, as reported in the journal Nature on 1 September 2021. September 2 September 3 September 4 September 5 In a world first, Saudi and a team of international researchers have transformed tissue cells into skin cells to help heal serious wounds, a technique that could revolutionise care for victims of burns and other severe injuries. Their study was published on 5 September 2018 in the journal Nature. Saudi Arabia secured qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup on 5 September 2017 with a 1-0 win against Japan. It will be Saudi Arabia's fifth FIFA World Cup participation. September 6 September 7 September 8 September 9 September 10 September 11 September 12 On September 12, 1989, US Patent 4865611 was issued to Professor Mohammed Al-Turaiki from Saudi Arabia for his invention of Knee Joint Analyzer. It was intended to provide comfort to the praying Muslims in the sitting position. September 13 September 14 September 15 The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 15 September 2022 announced the discovery of new sites for gold and copper ore deposits in the Madinah region, within the boundaries of the Aba Al-Raha in the Madinah region, as revealed by the Saudi Geological Survey (SGS). September 16 September 17 September 18 A team of international and Saudi archaeologists has found ancient human and animal footprints on the surface of an ancient lakebed in the Nefud Desert, Saudi Arabia. The footprints, dated to roughly 120,000 years ago, are contemporaneous with an early Homo sapiens out-of-Africa migration and represent the earliest evidence of our species in the Arabian Peninsula, as revealed in Science Advances on 18 September 2020. September 19 September 20 September 21 September 22 September 23 September 24 September 25 Saudi Arabia on 25 September 2018 inaugurated a long-awaited $6.7bn (£5.1bn) high-speed railway line connecting Islam's two holiest cities, Mecca and Medina. The 450km (280-mile) Haramain Express line has 35 trains that can travel up to 300km/h (186mph). Saudi women gained the right to vote for the first time as Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah decreed on 25 September 2011 that women can vote in local elections and run for local office in the year 2015. September 26 Saudi Arabia's King Salman on 26 September 2017 issued a decree allowing women to drive for the first time in the Kingdom. September 27 September 28 Saudi Arabian Airlines won the World’s Most Improved Airlines award 2021 at the Skytrax World Airline Awards. September 29 September 30 Saudi Arabia ranked as the 25th most competitive country in the world, according to a World Economic Forum report released on 30 September 2015. This report, provides insight into the drivers of a country’s productivity and prosperity, suggests Saudi Arabia has been nurturing innovation and talent.

October

October 1 October 2 October 3 October 4 October 5 October 6 October 7 October 8 October 9 October 10 October 11 October 12 October 13 Women's rights activist Loujain Alhathloul of Saudi Arabia was included in the BBC global list of 100 inspirational and innovative women for 2017. October 14 Saudi Arabia was ranked as the second Most Empathetic Country in the world according to a study by Michigan State University published on 14 October 2016. The study measured people’s compassion for others and their tendency to imagine others’ point of view. October 15 Doctors in Saudi Arabia successfully separated 13-month-old Fijian conjoined twins, Dicecea and Jesepeli Kikau, at the King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in Riyadh on 15 October 2026. October 16 October 17 October 18 Saudi woman scientist and researcher Hayat Sindi was appointed to United Nations scientific advisory board on 18 October 2013. Hayat became the first woman from the region to join this panel of renowned scientists. The new Board will provide advice on science, technology and innovation (STI) for sustainable development to the UN Secretary-General and to Executive Heads of UN organizations. October 19 October 20 October 21 October 22 October 23 October 24 October 25 October 26 October 27 Saudi Arabia was elected as a council member of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on 27 October 2014 for four years from the East Asia & Australasia region. ITU is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies. October 28 Saudi Arabia on 28 October 2016 was elected to serve on the United Nations Human Rights Council for a three-year terms beginning on 1 January 2017. The United Nations body is responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights around the globe. October 29 Saudi Arabian blogger and the creator of the website "Free Saudi Liberals" Raif Badawi was awarded the European Union’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought on 29 October 2015. October 30 October 31

November

November 1 November 2 November 3 November 4 November 5 November 6 A royal decree issued by King Faisal on 6 November 1962 abolished slavery in Saudi Arabia. November 7 November 8 November 9 November 10 November 11 November 12 The United Nations General Assembly on 12 November 2013 elected Saudi Arabia to serve on the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) for a period of three years beginning on 1 January 2014. November 13 November 14 November 15 November 16 November 17 Saudi Arabia's first women's football league kicked off on 17 November 2020, with 24 teams across Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam competing for a championship cup, and a $133,000 cash prize. November 18 Saudi Arabia and Iraq opened the Arar land border crossing for trade for the first time in 30 years, as announced on 18 November 2020. November 19 November 20 The Saudi Central Bank and the People's Bank of China on 20 November 2023 signed a local currency swap agreement, valid for three years and can be extended by mutual agreement, worth 50 billion yuan ($6.93 billion) or 26 billion Saudi riyals. November 21 November 22 November 23 November 24 Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal SFC claimed a record fourth AFC Champions League football title on 24 November 2021 by defeating Pohang Steelers 2–0 in the final. November 25 November 26 November 27 November 28 Member States of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) on 28 November 2023 elected Saudi Arabia as host country of World Expo 2030 during the 173rd General Assembly of the Organisation. November 29 November 30

December

December 1 Saudi Arabia and Russia on 1 December 2025 signed a landmark agreement granting mutual visa-free entry for citizens of both countries. December 2 Alardah dance, drumming and poetry in Saudi Arabia were added to the 2015 UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. December 3 December 4 December 5 December 6 December 7 December 8 Saudi Arabia and China signed a strategic partnership agreement on 8 December 2022 during a visit by the Chinese leader Xi Jinping to the kingdom, a series of strategic deals, including one involving Chinese tech giant Huawei. December 9 December 10 December 11 Saudi Arabia was officially confirmed by FIFA as host of the 2034 World Cup in men’s football, following a FIFA Congress meeting on 11 December 2024. Saudi Arabia lifted a 35-years-long ban on public movie theaters, meaning some Saudis will soon be able to go to the movies for the first time, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Culture and Information said in a statement on 11 December 2017. Al-Ahsa of Saudi Arabia was declared as the member of the 2015 UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the Crafts and Folk Art category. Saudi Arabia became a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), an organization commenced to deal with the rules of trade between nations, on 11 December 2005. December 12 Saudi Arabian women marked an important milestone on 12 December 2015, participating for the first time in the nation's municipal elections. Women in the conservative religious kingdom were also allowed to run for office in the same elections. December 13 December 14 December 15 December 16 The Olympic Council of Asia on 16 December 2020 announced Riyadh in Saudi Arabia as the host of 2034 Asian Games. December 17 December 18 December 19 December 20 December 21 Saudi Arabia won the 1996 Asian Cup soccer tournament on 21 December 1996. Saudi Arabia beat United Arab Emirates 4-2 in a penalty shootout after the game ended 0-0 in the regulation time. December 22 December 23 December 24 December 25 December 26 December 27 December 28 December 29 December 30 December 31

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