Mecca is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the holiest city according to Islam. It is 70 km inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley 277 m above sea level. Its metropolitan population in 2022 was 2.4 million, making it the third-most populated city in Saudi Arabia after Riyadh and Jeddah. Around 44.5% of the population are Saudi citizens and around 55.5% are Muslim foreigners from other countries.