evidence: Which Countries Don't Have Rivers? There are 19 countries that do not have a river flowing within them. [...] Saudi Arabia is the biggest sovereign nation in the Middle East and the fifth largest Asian state. It is the biggest nation in the world without a river. It is also the only country with both the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea coasts. A considerable part of Saudi Arabia is made up of mountains, lowlands, and arid desert. Even though Saudi Arabia does not have permanent rivers, it has several wadis. Wadis are intermittently or permanently dry river beds. The supply of water in the country is characterized by a crucial investment in water distribution, seawater desalination and wastewater and sewerage treatment.