Petroleum was discovered on 3 March 1938 and followed up by several other finds in the Eastern Province.Saudi Arabia has since become the world’s largest oil producer and exporter, controlling the world’s second largest oil reserves and the sixth largest gas reserves.
As of 2013, the state had a total population of 28.7 million, of which 20 million were Saudi nationals and 8 million were foreigners. As of 2017, the population is 33 million. The state’s official language is Arabic.
