The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
The Land of the Two Holy Mosques
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA is an Arab country and the largest country of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Jordan on the northwest, Iraq on the north and northeast, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates on the east, Oman on the southeast, and Yemen on the south. The Persian Gulf lies to the northeast and the Red Sea to its west.
It has an estimated population of 27.6 million, About 23% of the population is made up of foreign nationals living in Saudi Arabia. Its size is approximately 2,150,000 square kilometers.
The Kingdom is sometimes called "The Land of the Two Holy Mosques" in reference to Makkah and Medinah, the two holiest places in Islam. The current Kingdom was founded by Abdul-Aziz bin Saud, whose efforts began in 1902 when he opened the Al-Saud’s ancestral home of Riyadh, and culminated in 1932 with the proclamation and recognition of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, though its national origins go back as far as 1744 with the establishment of the First Saudi State.
All visitors traveling to Saudi Arabia require visas, with different types issued depending on purpose of visit. Saudi Embassies may issue visitors visas to businessmen with legitimate business concerns in the Kingdom. Likewise, close relatives of expatriate workers may apply for and obtain visit visas, depending on the expatriate worker's job type and position.
Religious visas are issued to Muslims wishing to perform Umrah or Hajj. The Holy Cities of Makkah and Medina are the center of activities for such visits. Hajj and Umrah requirements will be issued separately every year before the beginning of each corresponding Hajj and Umrah season.
A number of items are not allowed to be brought into the Kingdom due to religious reasons and local regulations. These include alcoholic beverages, pork and pork products, prohibited drugs and narcotics, firearms, explosives, edged weapons and pornographic materials.
Items and articles belonging to religions other than Islam are also prohibited. These may include Bibles, crucifixes, statues, carvings, items with religious symbols such as the Star of David, and others. Makkah and Medina hold special religious significance and only persons of the Islamic faith are allowed entry.
The average summer temperature range (in July) is 27° to 43 °C (81° to 109 °F) in Riyadh and 27° to 38 °C (80° to 100 °F) in Jeddah. The average winter temperature ranges from 8° to 20 °C (47° to 68 °F) in January in interior cities such as Riyadh and 19° to 29 °C (66° to 83 °F) in Jeddah, on the Red Sea coast. Annual rainfall in Riyadh averages 100 mm (4 inches) and falls almost exclusively between January and May; the average in Jeddah is 54 mm (2.1 in) and occurs between November and January.
Culture
Saudi Arabian culture mainly revolves around the religion of Islam. Islam's two holiest sites, Mecca and Medina, are located in the country. Five times every day, Muslims are called to prayer from the minarets of mosques which are scattered around the country. The weekend begins on Thursday due to Friday being the holiest day for Muslims. Saudi Arabia's cultural heritage is celebrated at the annual Jenadriyah cultural festival.
Dress
Saudi Arabian dress follows strictly the principles of hijab (the Islamic principle of modesty, especially in dress). The predominantly loose and flowing but covering garments are helpful in Saudi Arabia's desert climate. Traditionally, men usually wear an ankle-length shirt woven from wool or cotton (known as a thawb), with a keffiyeh (a large checkered square of cotton held in place by a cord coil) or a ghutra (a plain white square made of finer cotton, also held in place by a cord coil) worn on the head. For rare chilly days, Saudi men wear a camel-hair cloak (bisht) over the top. Women's clothes are decorated with tribal motifs, coins, sequins, metallic thread, and appliques. Women are required to wear an abaya or modest clothing when in public.
Accommodation
There are a good number of excellent hotels in the major cities of Saudi Arabia, including 5-star international hotel chains. It is recommended that reservations be made well in advance, as occupancy tends to be high, specially in the peak summer period and Haj period.
Travelers who make their hotel booking through this site Saudia-Online take advantage of its hotel discount arrangements with many top hotels. Hotel bookings may be arranged through this Site system.
Housing for expatriates is usually in the form of flats/apartments, separate villas or housing in compounds. Employee contracts usually provide for free housing, furnishings, water and electricity. Telephone service, with International Direct Dialing, is widely available. Mobile phones and pagers are also in use but are more expensive and more difficult to obtain.
Power supply is 110 volts, 60 Hertz AC although it is not unusual for some houses to have 220 volt wiring as well to accommodate certain home appliances. Voltage regulators are recommended to protect appliances from current fluctuations.
Food
Like other Saudi cities, the Kabsa is the most traditional lunch in Riyadh. The Mandi is also popular as a lunch meal where meat is cooked in the tandoor -hole dug in the ground and covered inside by clay. To cook mandi, dry wood is placed in the tandoor and burned to generate a lot of heat turning into charcoal. Then the meat is suspended inside the tandoor without touching the charcoal. After that, the whole tanoor is closed without letting any of the smoke to go outside. Fast food is also popular in the city.
Arabic unleavened bread, or khobz, is eaten with almost all meals. Other staples include lamb, grilled chicken, falafel (deep-fried chickpea balls), shawarma (spit-cooked sliced lamb), and Ful medames (a paste of fava beans, garlic and lemon). Traditional coffeehouses used to be ubiquitous, but are now being displaced by food-hall style cafes. Arabic tea is also a famous custom, which is used in both casual and formal meetings between friends, family and even strangers. The tea is black (without milk) and has herbal flavoring that comes in many variations.
Western cuisine also plays an important part in the young generation culture, such as McDonald's, Burger King, Domino's Pizza, KFC, Pizza Hut, Pizza Inn, Dunkin Donuts, Krispy Kreme Donuts, Starbuck's, and Subway. There are also many North American based restaurants, such as Fuddruckers, Chili's, Applebees, Tony Roma's, T.G.I. Fridays, and Planet Hollywood.Islamic dietary laws forbid the eating of pork and the drinking of alcohol, and this law is enforced strictly throughout Saudi Arabia.
There is a superb range of shopping opportunities in the major cities of Saudi Arabia. World class brands are widely available, from reasonably-priced electronic items from the Far East to high-priced fashion goods from Europe. Locally crafted gold jewelry is relatively inexpensive and of premium quality.
Transportation
Saudi Arabia has modern transportation facilities and infrastructure. Roads and highways are well paved and stretch extensively all over the Kingdom. Taxis and limousines are ordinarily available in major cities, particularly at airports and shopping malls.
Car rental companies, including international chains, maintain offices in many airports and hotels. There are also public buses but these are used primarily by local commuters.
The Saudi Arabian Public Transport Co. (SAPTCO), the national bus system, runs a fleet of buses that provides public transportation inside the city, and also an extending service transporting passengers to several cities across the kingdom and neighboring countries.
Visitors with a valid driver's license from many countries, or those with international driver's licenses, are allowed to drive in the Kingdom. Residents and expatriates, however, are required to obtain Saudi driver's licenses.
Railway
Saudi Railway Authority operates two separate passenger and cargo lines between Riyadh and Dammam passing through Hofuf, and Haradh. Two future railway projects connecting Riyadh with Jeddah and Mecca in the western region and connecting Riyadh with Buraidah, Ha'il and Northern Saudi Arabia are underway.
The telecommunications system in Saudi Arabia is modern and up-to-date. Direct Dialing is generally available and international telephone, fax, telex and telegram services are easy to access. The Kingdom's telephone country code is 966 while the main city codes are (01) Riyadh, (02) Jeddah, Mobile (05) and (03) Dammam/Al-Khobar.
Courier companies are active in the Kingdom but customs duties may sometimes be imposed on goods or items received from overseas.
Government offices are open from 7:30 a.m. till 2:30 p.m.; private businesses from 8:00 a.m. till noon, and from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.; general banking from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m; markets and shops are open till 12:00 p.m. Government offices and private businesses are closed Thursdays and Fridays.
All of the Kingdom is under one time zone. GMT + 3 hours. During Daylight Savings Time, add two hours.
Approximately 3.75 Saudi riyals (SR) to the dollar.
Saudi Arabia's official religion is Islam, which forms the basis of the nation's legal system. There are two major religious holidays; Eid Al-Fitr, celebrating the breaking of the annual Ramadan fast; and Eid Al-Adha, celebrating the pilgrimage to Makkah. Saudi Arabia follows the Islamic calendar, which is based upon lunar cycles. Thus the year is 354 days long . Friday is the weekly day of rest and worship.
Riyadh
Riyadh is capital and largest city of Saudi ArabiaIt is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Nejd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to over 5 million people. The city is divided into 15 municipal districts, managed by Riyadh Municipality headed by the mayor of Riyadh, and the Riyadh Development Authority, chaired by the Governor of Riyadh Province, Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz.
Climate
Summer temperatures are very hot, often reaching 40 °C (104 °F). The average high temperature in July is 42°C. Winters are mild with cold nights. Although the city is located in a highly arid area, it receives some rainfall. Hail often falls in Riyadh during winters. It is also known to have many instantaneous dust storms. The dust is often so thick that visibility is under 10 meters.
Landmarks
Old Riyadh
The old town includes Diriyah, King Abdulaziz district, Wadi Laban and many other historical villages which became part of the city. Many traditional multistory buildings have made way for modern development and large business projects. However, the city's recent generations have come to appreciate its traditions more and have persevered in having many of the older buildings carefully preserved. Some of these structures are Al Masmak Castle and Qasr Al Hokom.
The King Abdul Aziz Historical Centre
The origin of the King Abdul Aziz Historical Centre is the former compound of the Murabba' Palace, that was built in 1936/37 by King Abdul Aziz about one and a half Kilometers to the north of the old city and well outside of the then still existing city walls.
As such the area was chosen to be the site of several cultural institutions focusing on the national history in general and the history of the current Saudi State and its founder in detail. Consequently what had remained of the old palace compound buildings was restored or remodeled on plans similar to the original buildings. The surrounding area was made into a landscape of parks and plazas and new buildings were build such as the National Museum of Saudi Arabia.
The units on the west side of the area are from south to north: A remodeled mosque, the old original Murabba' Palace with main Diwan renovated as "living museum", the "Memorial Hall" on the outlines of an old courtyard house, a modern exhibition hall for the car collection, on the footprints of the old majlis and assembly hall the new Al-Dara main lobby and multipurpose hall, a documentation center with a separated men's and women's library each, an art gallery and a large internal garden. On the east side the new National Museum of Saudi Arabia was built together with the King Abdul Aziz Foundation for Research and Archives. To the south the area around the old water tower has been remodelled and now includes a small theme park.
Burj Al Mamlakah
The 311 m (1000 ft) high Kingdom Tower is the tallest skyscraper in Saudi Arabia and the 36th tallest building in the world. The tower is built on 94,230 square meters of land. The Kingdom Center is owned by Al-Waleed bin Talal, a prince of the Saudi royal family, and is the headquarters of his holding company: Kingdom Holding Company. The project cost 2 billion Saudi Arabian Riyals and the contract was taken by Saudi Arabian El Saif and the Italian Impregilo Kingdom Center is situated in Al-Urubah Road between King Fahd Road and Olaya Street in the growing business district of Al-Olaya in Riyadh. Kingdom Center was the winner of the 2002 Emporis Skyscraper Award, selected as the "best new skyscraper of the year for design and functionality". A three-level shopping center, which also won a major design award, fills the east wing. The large opening is illuminated at night in continuously changing colors.
Burj Al Faisaliyah
Al Faisaliyah Center was the first skyscraper constructed in Saudi Arabia, and is the second tallest building in the country after the Kingdom Center. The golden ball that lies atop the tower is said to be inspired by a ballpoint pen, and contains a restaurant; immediately below this is an outside viewing deck. There is a shopping center with major world brands at ground level.
Riyadh TV Tower
The Riyadh TV Tower (170m high) has an observation deck and was built in 1970s.
Ministry of Interior Building The headquarters for the country's Interior Ministry is widely considered one of the city's most beautiful landmarks with its unique design.