<P> The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a country situated in Southwest Asia , the largest country of Arabia , bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea , north of Yemen . Its extensive coastlines on the Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping ( especially crude oil ) through the Persian Gulf and Suez Canal . The kingdom occupies 80 % of the Arabian Peninsula . Most of the country 's boundaries with the United Arab Emirates ( UAE ) , Oman , and the Republic of Yemen ( formerly two separate countries : the Yemen Arab Republic or North Yemen ; and the People 's Democratic Republic of Yemen or South Yemen ) are undefined , so the exact size of the country remains unknown . The Saudi government estimate is at 2,217,949 square kilometres , while other reputable estimates vary between 2,149,690 and 2,240,000 sq. kilometres . Less than 1 % of the total area is suitable for cultivation , and in the early 1990s , population distribution varied greatly among the towns of the eastern and western coastal areas , the densely populated interior oases , and the vast , almost empty deserts . </P>
what region lies immediately to the north of the middle east and the persian gulf
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia