Saudi Arabia Travel Guide

Country Facts

Location

Middle East.

Language

Arabic. English is spoken in business circles.

Area

2,240,000 sq km (864,869 sq miles).

Time Zone

GMT + 3.

Electricity

127/220 volts AC, 60Hz.

Population

27.6 million (2007 estimate).

Population Density

12.3 per sq km.

Capital City

Riyadh (royal). Population: 4.7 million (UN estimate 2005). Jeddah (administrative). Population: 3.2 million (UN estimate 2001; including suburbs).

Government

Absolute monarchy since 1932.

Head of State

Prime Minister and King Abdullah Bin-Abd-al-Aziz Al Saud since 2005.

Religion

The majority of Saudi Arabians follow Islam; around 90% are Sunni Muslim, but Shia Muslims predominate in the Eastern Province.

Recent History

In 2002, as the American government geared up to launch operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Saudis made it clear that they would prefer the Americans to move elsewhere from their military base in Saudi Arabia. They did, and Qatar became the main command and control center for these recent US military operations.

King Abdullah succeeded the late King Fahd, his half brother, in August 2005. As crown prince, Abdullah had been the effective ruler of Saudi Arabia since the former king suffered a stroke in the mid 1990s.

Regarded in the Arab world as a supporter of wider Arab interests, King Abdullah has criticized US support for Israel and Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory.

Communications

Telephone

Country Code: +966. A sophisticated telecommunications network and satellite, microwave and cable systems span the country.

Mobile Telephone

Visitors can apply for a mobile telephone number upon arrival at the airport. Prepaid SIM cards, which operate in most handheld devices, are affordable and reliable. International roaming agreements exist with some mobile phone companies and coverage is mostly good. Hotels and some long-term apartment rentals will include access to a landline, but local and international calls can be much more expensive than calls placed on a landline.

Internet

The Ministry of Post, Telegraph and Telephones provides internet facilities in most cities. But email can also be accessed from many hotels and internet cafes.

Media

Saudi Arabia has a very tightly controlled media environment and criticism of the government, the royal family and religious tenets are not really tolerated. Newspapers tend to follow the lead of the state-run news agency on whether or not to publish stories on sensitive subjects. The government blocks access to websites that it deems offensive. Growing signs of an increasing tolerance have recently been met with new calls for regulating the media, especially blogs and online-only media. The state-run Broadcasting Service of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (BSKSA) is responsible for all broadcasting in the Kingdom. The Minister of Culture and Information oversees radio and TV operations. But the ubiquitous availability of satellite TV has meant the viewing of many more channels than ever before.

Post

Internal and international services available from the Central Post Office. Post is delivered to box numbers. Airmail to Europe takes up to one week.

Press

Saudi newspapers are created by royal decree.
Pan-Arab papers, subject to censorship, are available.
The main newspapers include Al-Jazirah, Ar-Riyadh and Okaz.
English-language dailies include Arab News and Saudi Gazette.

Radio

Private radio and TV stations cannot operate from Saudi soil.
Saudi Radio is state-run.

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2011-December 2012 period.
2011
30 Aug Eid al-Fitr/ Djoulde Soumae (Ramadan ends)
23 Sep Saudi National Day
6 Nov Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice)

2012
19 Aug Eid al-Fitr/ Djoulde Soumae (Ramadan ends)
23 Sep Saudi National Day
25 Oct Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice)
Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Eid al-Fitr, Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Some disruption may continue into Eid al-Fitr itself. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha may last anything from two to 10 days, depending on the region. During Hajj (when pilgrims visit Mecca) all government establishments and some businesses will be closed for 10 to 14 days.

Contact Information

Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in the UK

30 Charles Street, London W1J 5DZ, UK
Visa section: 30-32 Charles Street, London W1J 5DZ, UK
Tel: (020) 7917 3000.
Website: www.saudiembassy.org.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 0900-1600, Fri 0900-1500.
Consular section: Mon-Fri 0900-1130 (visa applications); Mon-Thurs 1400-1530 (passport collection), Fri 1330-1430.

Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in the USA

601 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA
Tel: (202) 342 3800 (information section) or 944 3126 (visa section).
Website: www.saudiembassy.net