What I understand is that Saudi is already home to ~1 million Syrians and the government says they have granted residency visas to 500K more since 2011 -- not as refugees, but as residents. I can't say for certain if they are refusing more refugees or why. But I would guess that the political consequences for such a shift in demographics would be too complicated for the (rather rigid) system of government in Saudi to deal with. Especially with instability in the north and South of Saudi and the complications of the low price of oil. Just a guess, though.

Ihis is UNHCR report for end of 2011 http://www.unhcr.org/516286589.html , I don't see the name of Saudi Arabia in list of popular refugee hosting countries, But I see Iran as one of top to refugee hosting countries, Iran is actually one of top two since many years ago, due to hosting Iraqis and Afghanis, http://www.unhcr.org/516286589.html , you can see more of stats for other years too

This huffpost explains the discrepancy (and how western media organisations choose to ignore the reasons in their self-absorbed vilification and chest-thumping) : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anhvinh-doanvo/europes-crisis-...

" The UNHCR counts refugees by noting only those "persons recognized as refugees under the 1951 UN Convention/1967 Protocol, the 1969 OAU Convention, in accordance with the UNHCR Statute, persons granted a complementary form of protection and those granted temporary protection." Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE are not parties to any of the UN protocols on refugees, and so through this technicality, they, along with most of their refugees, are excluded from many refugee counting mechanisms."

"With Saudi Arabia's non-signatory status, the Syrians residing in Saudi Arabia are classified as "Arab brothers and sisters in distress" instead of refugees covered by UN treaties"

"The government itself of Saudi Arabia has stated that it has, over the past five years since the start of the conflict hosted 2.5 million refugees."

Iran calls Afghani,Iraqi and Syrians brothers and sister in distress too. still UNCHR should shows how many are displaced and where moved, regardless of what hosted country is calling them. visit UNCHR, I am wondering why there is no report yet for 2014 and 2015?

Iran is a signatory to the 1951/1967 convention (http://www.unhcr.org/protect/PROTECTION/3b73b0d63.pdf)

Saudi arabia (along with most gulf states) is not. As a result they are not included in UNHCR statistics.

edit: Weird. The comements above seem different from what i remember. Either they were edited different from what i orginally replied to or i replied to wrong comment