Saudi Arabia has ranked 9th on the list of the world’s most powerful countries in 2019, while the United Arab Emirates ranked 11th, according to the US News World Report rankings.

The opinion-based ranking, conducted in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania, asked 20 thousand people from 80 countries around the world on their opinion on the world’s most powerful countries.

The ranking examines the country’s political and financial influence, military strength and how it acts as an international leader.

Saudi Arabia is a large and wealthy country, with US News describing it as "the giant of the Middle East", the report said.

Millions of Muslims who wish to perform pilgrimage ‘Hajj’ in Mecca visit Saudi Arabia yearly, the report added.

Saudi Arabia's gross domestic product exceeds USD 683 billion (around JOD 484 billion), with an average per capita income of USD 540,00 (around JOD 38,269) per year and a population of 32.9 million.