Geography of Riyadh
Riyadh, or Al Riyad, Saudi Arabia, the country's capital and largest city. The city is in the center of the Arabian Peninsula, about 500 miles (800 km) northeast of Mecca. Riyadh lies in a fertile oasis where fruit and grain are grown and is on the route from the Persian Gulf to Mecca. A railway runs from Riyadh to the Persian Gulf by way of Dhahran, center of Saudi Arabia's oil operations. A university was established in Riyadh in 1957. The city grew rapidly with a construction boom fueled by oil wealth. An embassy compound was constructed in 1986 and most embassies moved there from Jeddah.
Population: 3,180,000.