Saudis

The Saudis (Arabic: سعوديون‎ Saʿūdiyyūn), or Saudi Arabians, are the inhabitants or citizens of Saudi Arabia. According to the 2010 estimate, the population of Saudi Arabia is about 27 million. The Saudis speak Peninsular Arabic or the Southern Arabic variety. Saudi Arabia is a state governed by absolute monarchy, with the king as its head of state.

Census

Saudi Arabia's population as of the April 2010 census was 27,136,977: 18,707,576 Saudi nationals and 8,429,401 non-nationals. About 51% of the population is under the age of 25 (as of February 2012). Until the 1960s, most of the population was nomadic or seminomadic; due to rapid economic and urban growth, more than 95% of the population now is settled. 80% of Saudis live in three major urban centers—Riyadh, Jeddah, or Dammam. Some cities and oases have densities of more than 1,000 people per square kilometer (2,600/mile²). Saudi Arabia's population is characterized by rapid growth and a large cohort of youths.

Genetics

DNA tests of Y chromosomes from representative sample of Saudis were analyzed for composition and frequencies of haplogroups, a plurality (42%) belong to Haplogroup J-M267 (Y-DNA). Other frequent haplogroups are J-M172 (14%), E1-M2 (8%), R1-M17 (5%) and T-M184 (5%).