Saudi Arabia Overview

Saudi Arabia can be found in the Middle East and is perhaps most famous for the city of Mecca. This city is considered to be the birthplace of the Islamic religion and draws thousands of visitors every year who arrive on holy pilgrimages. To the average western visitor, Saudi Arabia is a highly religious and conservative country with limited tourist attractions.

Tourist visas are not issued and because of this, most people visiting the country are either Muslim pilgrims, western businessmen or those working in the oil industry. Regardless of your reason for visiting, you should take the opportunity to visit the country’s most significant cities as well as a few of the numerous historical and religious sites.

In spite of its conservatism, the country does offer opportunity for leisure with a number of theme parks that can be enjoyed by expatriate parents and their children as well as a variety of sporting and outdoor activities aimed at adults only. The country’s capital city, Riyadh, is the best place to find themed attractions as well as a good spot to find quality hotels and restaurants.

Saudi Arabia is renowned around the world for the abundance of shopping opportunities with cities such as Jeddah offering majestic malls where branded clothing, accessories and electrical goods can be found at prices that are free from sales tax.

Cuisine in Saudi Arabia includes many of the favourite Middle Eastern creations such as kebabs, hummus, pita bread, tabouleh and falafel as well as a number of dishes that are exclusive to the country. Visitors with a preference for rich and spicy foods will find Saudi Arabian cuisine perfect. Visitors will find numerous restaurants offering traditional dishes as well as others offering Lebanese, Turkish and Syrian food. Regardless of where you visit, you will never be stuck for a good evening meal.

Visitors may find that public transport is limited and although it is possible to hire a car, women drivers are prohibited. Buses and trains are available and serve a variety of destinations throughout the country. The best way however of travelling between major cities is by air. There are many domestic destinations to be reached by air with more airports opening frequently.

Saudi Arabia is something of a closed shop to package holiday makers, but it still has its appeals. Those who visit for other purposes and find themselves with time for leisure and sightseeing will find it is a country with many hidden charms and is a nation whose citizens are friendly, gentle and generous people who can be very accommodating to foreigners under the right circumstances.

Saudi Arabia’s climate is typical of the Middle East, taking its influences from the deserts where days are blisteringly hot and nights are typically cool. Of all the countries in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia is one of the most arid. It experiences an intense dry heat that can be difficult to acclimatise to. Humidity increases in coastal areas however and higher inland areas can be cooler. In the months from June to August, daily highs of 42ºC are not uncommon and from a tourist perspective, this is probably the least favourable time to take a holiday here. The winter is a good deal cooler, with December, January and February seeing average temperatures of 20 to 23ºC which for most people is considerably more bearable. Hence the winter season in Saudi Arabia is the most popular time of year for visitors.

History tells us that settlers have inhabited the Arabian Peninsula for over 5000 years with groups such as the Dilmun making camp along the Persian Gulf coast in early pre-Christian times. However, the larger part of the Arabian Peninsula remained unpopulated for some time due to the harsh weather conditions which only the hardiest of settlers were able to endure. The rise of Islam in the 7^th century AD brought providence to Mecca and Medina and from here, the rulers of these two cities began to gradually spread their control and extend their empires.

In spite of a gradual increase of inhabitants in the Arabian Peninsula, it wasn’t until the middle of the 18^th century that the Saudi state was formally established. The alliance of regional ruler, Muhammad bin Saud with Islamic cleric Muhammad Abd Al-Wahhab saw the beginnings of the creation of a new political entity that was to slowly morph over the next 150 years into the country that is today.

This period of development saw troubled times for Saudi Arabia as the ruling Saud family was forced to defend their position against aggressors such as the Egyptians and the Ottomans. The Sauds prevailed however under the leadership of Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud, a king and prominent figure who is recognised as having formally established the Saudi state.

Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud conquered many lands in the process of establishing Saudi Arabia with the capture of Riyadh, the Al-Saud’s ancestral capital in 1902, noted as one of his most significant triumphs. Meanwhile, battles against Al-Ahsa, Al-Qatif, Najd, and the Hijaz occurred between 1913 and 1926 and again saw Abdul Aziz victorious. Najd was subsequently engulfed by the Saudi state and Abdul Aziz became King of Najd in 1927, an event that led to the unification of Hijaz and Nejd as well as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia being recognised as an independent sovereign entity.