The Central Region

The Central Region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia includes the capital, Riyadh, and a number of other important towns, north and west of the capital, such as Buraidah, Unaizah and Ha'il.

Outside Riyadh, in the towns and villages of the Najd, westerners are not as common as they are in the east or in Jeddah and are therefore objects of interest.

Riyadh has predictably undergone a major transformation since the discovery of oil. In 1932 the city was only 8.5 square kilometres in area, but by 1994 it had expanded to over 1600 square kilometres. As a matter of fact, very little of what you see in Riyadh today is older than 50 years and a great deal is less than 20.

Riyadh enjoys a winter climate that is cool and pleasant with moderate temperatures. Rain is not unusual in the winter, nor are sandstorms. Summer is dry and hot, but without the uncomfortable humidity of Jeddah or Dhahran.

It is important to note that permits for visits to all archaeological sites and forts in the country, except for those located in the Eastern province, are obtained at the Riyadh Museum. The exceptions to this rule are Dir'aiyah Permits are issued at no charge upon production of your passport or residence permit.

The Eastern Province

Bordering the Arabian Gulf and containing the towns of Dhahran, Al-Khobar, Dammam, Qatif, Hofuf and Jubail, the Eastern Province is where oil was first discovered in Saudi Arabia in the 1930s.

Dammam is the administrative centre of the province and one end of the Dammam-Riyadh railway. Trains leave daily for Riyadh at 7.30am and 4pm.

Al-Khobar is more western in orientation than Dammam. In the earliest days of oil shipment from the Kingdom, oil moved from a pier at Al-Khobar to Bahrain, where it was processed. Today, Al-Khobar is at one end of the King Fahad Causeway, a 25km feat of modern engineering that links the Kingdom to the island of Bahrain.

Dhahran is the town that ARAMCO built. The city consists of the ARAMCO compound, the airport (soon to be moved to a spectacular new site some 60km north), the US Consulate and the King Fahad University of Petroleum and Minerals.

The town of Hofuf is the centre of the Al-Hasa oasis which is one of the largest in the world. Until about a century ago, most of the dates in Europe came from here and the area remains one of the world's largest producers of dates.

Hofuf itself contains an old fort and one of the most interesting souqs in the Kingdom. Because of the enormity of the oasis and the number of picturesque villages scattered through it, a leisurely drive through the greenery is an entertaining way to spend an afternoon.


The South-west

The Asir, as the south-western corner of the Kingdom is known, is an area where there are mountains, rainy weather, green landscapes and life without air-conditioning.

The mountains of the Asir are part of the same geological fault as the Great Rift Valley in Africa. The highest point in Saudi Arabia is Jebel Soudah, reaching a peak at 2910 metres near Abha, the administrative centre of the region.

Abha is the capital of the Asir and its cool weather, mountains and beautiful scenery make it a popular weekend resort. Within Abha itself, there is the Shada Palace, built in 1927 as an office/residence for King Abdul Aziz's governors. After being restored, it was reopened as a museum in 1987. It is open from Saturday to Thursday from 9am to 1pm and from 4pm to 7pm. Admission is free.

The Asir National Park is an enormous tract of land stretching from the Red Sea to the desert east of the mountains. It is in fact a series of small non-contiguous parks with each one having its own camping ground and picnic area. The park falls naturally into two parts: the plains to the south-east of Abha and the mountains to the north-west.

There is a fort in Najran, the well of which is said to date from pre-Islamic times. The present fort dates only from 1942 but it does contain some of the most beautiful carved windows and doors, very colourful examples of this traditional Arabian art form.

Najran also has one of the Kingdom's newest and best museums. Admission is free and it is open Saturday to Wednesday from 8.30am to 2pm. It is in front of the ancient site of Al-Ukhdood which was inhabited for some 1,500 years, from 500BC through to the 10th century AD.

West of Abha on the tropical Red Sea coast is the town of Jizan, a hot and humid town which, like Najran, only came under Saudi control in the 1930s. There is an interesting traditional souq in Jizan. Jizan is today a developing port.

As far as non-Muslims are concerned, Jeddah is the most important city of Saudi Arabia's western region, known as the Hijaz.

Jeddah is by far the most cosmopolitan city in the Kingdom, hardly surprising when you realise it has been the main port for Makkah since early Islamic times. Indeed, until well into the twentieth century thousands of pilgrims arrived at Jeddah seaport annually as the first step on their trip to Makkah and Madinah.

Makkah is Islam's holiest city and it is to Makkah that all devout Muslims dream of coming at least once (the hajj) in their lifetime. The centre of the city is the Grand Mosque and the sacred Well of Zamzam beside it. The Kaaba to which all Muslims turn when they pray is in the central courtyard of the Grand Mosque and, according to Islamic tradition, it was built by the first prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael.

In the mountains above Makkah and Jeddah is the town of Taif. Its elevation gives it a climate far cooler and pleasanter than either Jeddah or Makkah and without the uncomfortable humidity of the former. Many families from both Jeddah and Riyadh maintain houses in Taif as an escape from the uncomfortable summers in those two cities.

Madinah is the holiest city in Islam after Makkah and was in fact the first to accept the Prophet's message. The Prophet fled to the city, then called Yathrib, from Makkah in AD622. (The Islamic calendar dates from His flight.) The most important place in the city is the Prophet's Mosque which contains His burial place. Everything of historical or religious significance is within the precincts forbidden to non-Muslims, although the outskirts of the city and the airport are open to all.

For those who want to visit Madain Salah, a great deal of bureaucratic bother and hassle can be avoided by booking a tour through the Madinah Sheraton. Both the hotel and the airport are on the outskirts of the city and so are open to non-Muslims.

King Fahd Stadium

Capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh is the seat of government, ministries, embassies, diplomatic missions, as well as educational, financial, agricultural, cultural, technical, commercial and social organisations.

The main features of Riyadh is the King Fahd Stadium. Designed in a shape of a large round Arabic tent, this lavish stadium contains a football field, which can accommodates 80,000 fans.

Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah

Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah is the second holy city to Moslems after Makkah Al-Mukkaramah. It also known as Taibah, Yathrib, the City of the Messenger, and Dar Al-Higra.

It is the city whose people supported Prophet Mohammad when he immigrated to it from Makkah. Comprises of Mosque of the Prophet, his grave, the Islamic University, King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Quran and many archaeological Islamic features.

Makkah Al-Mukkaramah

Makkah Al-Mukkaramah which has many other names such as Umm Al-Qura, Al-Balad Al-Amen and Al-Balad Al-Haram (Holy City), is the first holy city for Moslems. In Makkah, Prophet Mohammad was born, the Revelation was descended to him with the Holy Quran, and from it propagation for Islam was launched.

In the center of the city there is the Holy Mosque inside which is the Holy Qabaa, The Maqam of Prophet Ibrahim, the Stone of his son Ismaiel, Zamzam well which water has been pouring through hundred of years, and Safa and Marwah where Moslems make Saie. Near Makkah are the other holy shrines of Mina, Muzdalifa, and Arafat where Mount Arafat is located and where pilgrims spend the day of Arafah every year as the main ritual of Haj (pilgrimage).