Arabia has intrigued travellers for centuries. Its vast swathes of desert were the swaddling clothes
of infant Islam and the birthplace of the Arab race and of Arabic, a language considered holy by
Muslims. It's also home to two of Islam's holiest cities - Mecca and Medina - and to a host of
modern, thriving, oil-rich metropolises.
there's no such thing as a tourist visa in this country. But if you can find someone to sponsor
you or decide to take an expensive 'approved' tour, it's worth coming here for the desert and
mountain scenery, and some of the Middle East's best archaeological sites. And, of course,
there's the fascinating spectacle of a society juggling deeply conservative religious beliefs and oil
boom modernity. Foreigners should be cautious in Saudi Arabia; there have been several
bombings since November 2000, some of which were motivated by anti-Western feeling and
some by foreign nationals seeking to control the illegal alcohol market. Demonstrations
and political gatherings are best avoided.
Full country name : Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Area: 2 million sq km (1.2 million sq mi)
Population: 21.5 million
Capital city: Riyadh (pop 3 million)
People: Arabs, Bedouins, Najdis and expats from all over the world
Language: Arabic, English
Religion: Islam
Government: Monarchy
Head of State: King Fahd
GDP: US$186 billion
GDP per head: US$9000
Annual growth: -9%
Inflation 0%
Major industries: Oil, steel, cement, wheat
Major trading partners: Japan, United States, EU, India
Although Riyadh has officially been the capital of Saudi Arabia since 1932, it played second fiddle to Jeddah until the 1970s. Built with oil boom money, Riyadh is now a high-tech oasis of glass, steel and concrete, home to huge hotels, even larger hospitals and one of the biggest airports in the world. The centre of Riyadh is called Al-Bathaa and is the oldest part of the city. Al Bathaa is home to the bus station, GPO and most other things a traveller needs. Most of Riyadh's places to stay are near the bus station, as are the coffee shops and shwarma stands.
King Faisal Charity Foundation _ Riyadh
Hyperbolically known as the Paris of Arabia, Jeddah is one of the few cities in the region to have built around, rather than over, its history. Although it's definitely a modern metropolis, Jeddah (which is mid-way down the country's Red Sea coast) is also the most interesting and friendly of Saudi Arabia's big cities. Jeddah is centred on Al-Balad, the strip of buildings along its coast road and the old city directly behind them.
Humane Heritage Museum - Jeddah
In the early 1980s Dammam, the capital of the Eastern Region, was a separate city but so close to Al Khobar and Dhahran that the traveler could pass from one to the other in a few minutes. With the continuing expansion of all parts of the Kingdom, the three towns inevitably merged into one, creating a single municipality known as Dammam Area. Each of the three towns which compose the Dammam Area retain their own character and some local administrative functions but, in terms of its place in the Kingdom, the Dammam Area forms a single administrative entity.
King Fahad Mosque - Dammam
