JEDDAH: A US study has ranked Saudi Arabia as the ninth most powerful country in the world in terms of political and financial influence.
Saudi Arabia was described as a "Middle East giant" and the Kingdom has very large oil reserves and exports to many countries around the world, and millions of Muslims visit Makkah throughout the year for pilgrimage.
The study published by the Business Insider magazine listed the US at the top of the list, followed by Russia, China, Germany and Britain.
The study considered the country's political and financial influences in their rankings, as well as its international alliances, the strength of its military, and how it acts as an international leader.
They come as part of US News and World Report's "2019 Best Countries" ranking conducted in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania, which surveyed more than 20,000 people on their opinions of 80 countries.
The top ten countries also included France, Japan and South Korea and the United Arab Emirates taking the eleventh spot.
