Population distribution and household conditions in Saudi Arabia: reflections from the 2010 Census

Asharaf Abdul Salam,Ibrahim Elsegaey,Rshood Khraif,Abdullah Al-Mutairi

doi:10.1186/2193-1801-3-530

Abstract

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the largest nation in the Arabian Peninsula is divided into 13 regions, which are of different development levels in terms of both population and public utility infrastructure. More than the other regions, population is high in Al-Riyadh, Makkah Al-Mokarramah, and the Eastern Region, due to urbanization. The current analysis of census results is aimed at understanding (i) regional variations in population and households and (ii) house ownership, type of housing, and housing infrastructure.Saudi Arabia’s population is 26,090,555, living in 4,655,127 households with higher concentration in Al-Riyadh, Makkah Al-Mokarramah, and the Eastern Region. One-fourth of the households are in Makkah Al-Mokarrammah while another one-fourth in Al-Riyadh. Households are small with 6 persons in each. The proportion of households in own houses is less than half – mostly Saudi households. Households in the Kingdom live in apartments, traditional houses, villas or floor in a villa with differing proportions across regions and between Saudi and non-Saudi. While apartments are the major type of housing (major regions), traditional houses (Jazan, Al-Baha, Hail, and Aseer regions) and villas (Al-Riyadh region) still exist that are built by concrete (less than four-fifths), block/brick (less than one-fifth), mud (rare), and stone (rare) with varying regional proportions. Infrastructure – electricity, water, and sewage – vary across regions. The major source of electricity is public station followed by private station and private generators. Water source is mainly the public water inside the pipe unit but catchment tank water and well water are used. Three types of sewage system are prevalent in the Kingdom - public sewage, ditch sewage, and private sewage.An inequitable distribution of population across regions shows urbanization, causing an emergence of the modern housing sector influencing house ownership. Developed regions have less ownership, more rentals and office quarters, thus, presuming that development level and migration status are driving house ownership. The impact of infrastructural variations is difficult to interpret as such variations affect the interest of the public sector and customers. A lesser dependence on the public sector requires caution when assessing the situation and when creating policies and provisions to improve quality of life.

Highlights

The population of Saudi Arabia constitutes 7.4 percent of 359 million in the Arab world and 65.1 percent in the Gulf Cooperation Council -GCC (Salam and Elsegaey 2012; Rashad 2000)
Intensive use of water resources, consumption patterns, lifestyles, and increased industrialization in Saudi Arabia exacerbate the challenges of protecting the environment and of addressing related problems – water scarcity, pollution, solid waste, and biodiversity (UNDP 2004)
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s three-fifths of the population live in major cities, which are well organized with relatively integrated transportation networks and most basic services (UNDP 2004)

Summary

Introduction

The population of Saudi Arabia constitutes 7.4 percent of 359 million in the Arab world and 65.1 percent in the Gulf Cooperation Council -GCC (Salam and Elsegaey 2012; Rashad 2000). Intensive use of water resources, consumption patterns, lifestyles, and increased industrialization in Saudi Arabia exacerbate the challenges of protecting the environment and of addressing related problems – water scarcity, pollution, solid waste, and biodiversity (UNDP 2004). The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s three-fifths of the population live in major cities, which are well organized with relatively integrated transportation networks and most basic services (UNDP 2004). This alarming overurbanization creates an increase in demand for public services such as piped water, electricity, sewage, and telephone beyond the rapid evolution of urban centers, creating a social burden (United Nations 2006; Makki 1986); and exacerbated the demand for basic necessities such as housing and transportation (Al-Gabbani 2008). The two challenges faced by urban development authorities in the Kingdom are (i) meeting the increasing demand for services due to population growth and urban expansion and (ii) enabling the private sector to play an increasing role in providing additional facilities as well as handling the operation and maintenance of existing ones (UNDP 2004)

Objectives

Results

Conclusion