Travel Asia

Saudi Arabia is a Middle Eastern country in Asia that is flanked by Kuwait and Qatar to the east, Oman and Yemen to the south, Iraq to the northeast, Jordan to the northwest and the United Arab Emirates to the southeast.

The Attraction

Saudi Arabia consists mainly of deserts and undulating sands (about 98%) but its great attraction is petroleum and the wealth it generates. Aside from the lure of oil, there are also numerous archeological and technological attractions. Saudi Arabia is also the home of Mecca, the holy Muslim site which all Muslims try to visit at least once in their lives.

Great Tourist Destinations

Mecca

The holy city of Mecca is believed to be where the prophet Mohammed was born. Many tourists visit Saudi Arabia precisely to visit Mecca as part of a Muslim pilgrimage that all Muslims are encouraged to take, no matter where they are in the world. As many as three million Muslims visit Mecca during the month of Dhu’l-Hijjah every year. Non-Muslims are banned from visiting Mecca and the other holy sites along its perimeter. Checkpoints line the roads to stop non-Muslims from taking this forbidden journey.

Al-Imam Abdul Aziz ibn Mohammed St

The national museum thoroughly portrays Saudi Arabia’s rich history in eight galleries. It houses the tombs of royalty as well as dazzling examples of rock art as well as impressive scale models of Jeddah, the old Dir’aiyah and the holy mosques in Mecca and Medina. Aside from the relics themselves, the high-tech operation of the museum is also impressive. Visitors need only push a button and they are rewarded with virtual visits to ancient sites of yore or treated to historical narratives on small-screen cinemas with audio commentary in English and Arabic.

Riyadh

Since 1973, Riyadh has been the capital of Saudi Arabia and one of the region’s most impressive cities, filled with huge structures made of glass, steel and concrete as well as large hotels, massive hospitals and one of the biggest airports in the world. The city also hosts a camel market where you can rent a camel for a trip out of town.

Habalah

From the ground, Habalah looks like a deserted village with a few fascinating features, but the view from cable cars above is simply spectacular and among featuring some of the best-preserved houses in the region with carved interior doors.

Madain Saleh cemetery

The Madain Saleh cemetery is a sight like no other, rising up from the sands of a beautiful landscape of impressive rock formations. It hosts 131 tombs, including 45 that bear Arabic transcriptions above their doors, indicating the dead person’s place and prominence in society. All the tombs are well-preserved.

How to Get There

The three international airports located at Riyadh, Jeddah and Ad Dammam. The Kingdom is served by the national airline Saudia as well as by Gulf Air. Among the international airlines that fly to Saudi Arabia are Alitalia, Air France, Lufthansa, Pakistan International Airlines, Air India, Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM), Qatar Airways and Philippine Airlines. British Air stopped service to the kingdom in March 2005. Many tourists prefer to fly to nearby Bahrain and cross into Saudi Arabia.

Tourists may enter Saudi Arabia by car from all borders (except Irag, which is closed at the moment) and by bus from Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. A passenger ferry runs between Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Traveling Around

Saudia is the lone airline with domestic services in Saudi Arabia. By land, passenger trains and taxis are the most popular choices of tourists.