 Saudi Arabia Travel Guide
Camels at Athriyah Village, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Author: Ramgarra (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Middle East. It covers 2,149,690 sq km (830,000 sq mi) and has a population of 26 million people.
Saudi Arabia is bordered by Jordon to the north, Iraq to the northeast, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to the east, Oman to the southeast, and Yemen to the south. Bahrain is linked to Saudi Arabia by the King Fahd Causeway to the east.
Guide to Saudi Arabia Hotels
It's never easy finding the hotel that's just right for your stay. Still, by taking a little time to do your research, you increase your chance of getting a good hotel at the best price. Go through the list of hotels in Saudi Arabia which we've put together, arranged city by city, with full description, star rating, address, location map and evaluation. Pick the hotel of your choice and view the rates offered by different booking sites. Yes, we show you prices from different websites, so you don't have to visit them one by one.
Pilgrim at Masjid Al-Haram, Mecca
Author: Ali Mansuri (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 Generic)
More about Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is home to two of the holiest mosques in the Islamic world, namely Masjid Al-Haram in Mecca and Masjid Al-Nabawi in Medina. The country has the largest oil reserves in the world and is also the world's largest oil exporter. Revenue from oil accounts for 90% of the export of Saudi Arabia, enabling the country to create a welfare state.
Saudi Arabia has numerous sites related to the history and heritage of Islam. However, due to fear that giving reverence to historical or religious sites may lead to "shirk", or idolatry, some 95% of the historic buildings in Mecca - many over a thousand years old - have been demolished. They include numerous mosques dedicated to various historic figures in Islam.
Visitors to Saudi Arabia are reminded to dress according to the principles of hijab, the Islamic code of modesty.
Petrochemical plant in Saudi Arabia
Author: Secl (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
Climate
Saudi Arabia is scorchingly hot in summer, which runs from May to September. During that period, temperatures may stay at 42°C, regularly exceeding 50°C, even in the shade. The coastal areas of the country is slightly less hot, moderated by the sea, and have temperatures of below 38°C.
The reverse is true of winter. Daytime temperature in Riyadh is only 7°C in December, and some places in the southern mountains may even get a bit of snow. And it does rain in Saudi Arabia, particularly in the months of April and May in most parts of the kingdom, and between May and October in the southern part of the country which receives the monsoon from the Indian Ocean.
Kingdom Center, Riyadh
Author: Ameen Mohammad (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
Going to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia imposes a very restrictive travel policy on visitors. All foreigners, except for citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council, must obtain a visa before arrival. Nationals of Israel and those with evidence of having visited Israel are denied entry. Visas are also usually not granted to women traveling unaccompanied.
By Plane
The international airports are located in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. The national airline is Saudi Arabian Airlines, or Saudia, which has a surprisingly aged fleet of aircrafts. Thankfully its safety record has remained reasonable.
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