The websites listed below provide useful facts about Saudi Arabia as well as contacts and tools for companies operating in Saudi Arabia:

• International Finance Corporation: Saudi Arabia SME Toolkit (in Arabic)
  Guide to sustainable business management practices for SMEs.
• Business Fighting Corruption
  An online resource centre for business on collective action to avoid corruption which contains a guide and resources for partnerships with companies and other stakeholders to fight against corruption.
• CIA World Factbook: Saudi Arabia Country Profile

Sources for further reading:

• Freedom House: Freedom in the World - Saudi Arabia 2011.
• US Department of State: Investment Climate Statement - Saudi Arabia 2011.
• US Department of State: Human Rights Report - Saudi Arabia 2010.
• Freedom House: Countries at the Crossroads - Saudi Arabia 2010.
• Bertelsmann Foundation: Saudi Arabia Country Report 2010.

UNCAC Status: Signed 9 January 2004. Not Ratified.

Status on UNCAC Implementation
This field describes the country's status on the United Nations Convention against Corruption. Please note any declarations and reservations made upon ratification. The list of signatories can be found on the UNODC website. Read more about the UNCAC.

Other Relevant Conventions or Treaties:

• United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime: Signed 12 December 2000. Ratified September 18 January 2005.
  Read Transparency International's summary and assessment of the convention.
• (The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia does not consider itself obligated by paragraph 2 of article 35 of the Convention, which provide that any dispute between two or more States concerning the interpretation or application of this Convention that has not been settled by negotiation shall be submitted to arbitration or to the International Court of Justice at the request of any of the parties thereto.)

Transparency CPI: 2011: 57/182 (Score: 4.4)

Transparency CPI
This field consists of the score for the country in question on the Corruption Perceptions Index from Transparency International as well as its ranking.

World Bank CORR Index (-2.5 - +2.5): 2010: +0.15

World Bank Corruption Index
This field consists of the score for the country in question on the 'Control of Corruption' indicator in the World Bank Governance Research Indicator Country Snapshot (GRICS): 1996-2010.

OECD Country Risk Classification (0-7): 2011: 2

Country Risk Classification
The classification of countries by risk category has the aim of providing OECD countries with a basis for calculating the premium interest rate to be charged to cover the risk of non-repayment of export credits. Countries are placed in risk categories 0 - 7, with 0 being the lowest risk category and thus the least expensive. Conversely, premium group 7 is the highest risk category. Each classification is comprised of 2 components: 1) an assessment of the country's economic/financial situation, and 2) its overall political stability. Access the complete list of OECD Country Risk Classification figures.

Data Verification:

Publication date: August 2011

Data verified by: Global Advice Network