Saudi Arabia — Where to Go
Top Things to See
• Watch the King’s Camel Race in April or May during the national Heritage and Cultural Festival at Jenadriyah. The annual event is one of the world’s most important camel races, with something between 20,000 and 30,000 spectators, plus 2,000 camels and riders.
• See the ragged, coral-colored Ottoman buildings of the ancient city of Jeddah. Its hotels and restaurants are cosmopolitan and there are good fish and meat markets.
• Witness the astonishing landscape and wildlife of the Asir, a range of coastal mountains and the only part of the kingdom where there is significant wild vegetation. Baboon, gazelle and leopard inhabit remoter areas.
• Whilst in the region, see the ancient gasaba towers, the ancient caravan city of Qaryat-al-Fau, the great dam and temple at Najran.
• See an ancient saltmine in use. The 5,000-year-old one in Abqaiq is still in operation.
• Look around in Taif to see pink palaces in between the stunning cliff-tops. Such beauty and a mild climate have made this town Saudi Arabia’s the official summer capital.
• View a picturesque settlement of fishermen and weavers on Tarut Island. It is also the site of the oldest town on the peninsula.
Top Things to Do
• Muslim visitors should take the pilgrimage to Mecca in January to see the Kaabah Enclosure, the Mountain of Light, the Plain of Arafat and the House of Abdullah Bin Abdul Muttalib, where Muhammad was born. Non-Muslims are not allowed to enter these holy cities.
• Go shopping in the traditional souks, large department stores and mall complexes. Shopping is a much-loved way to spend time in Saudi Arabia - possibly since there are no bars, casinos, nightclubs, theaters or cinemas.
• Visit the royal capital, Riyadh, a modern city built on the site of the first town captured by Ibn Saud in 1902. The only trace of the old town that remains is the Masmak Fort and a few traditional Najdi palaces near Deera Square.
• Discover Hofuf, at the center of the great Al-Hasa oasis, which has a strong Turkish influence and a very good camel market. The agriculture here thrives and the food is sensational.
• Explore the ornate ruins of Timna and Shiban, ancient cities resting amidst orchards of pomegranates, limes and bananas.
• Enjoy the Obhir Creek, north of Jeddah. It has good facilities for watersports, including swimming, waterskiing, fishing, snorkeling and sailing, and there are similar beaches on the Gulf coast south of Al Khobar.
• Drive (carefully - Saudi Arabia does not boast great driving conditions and has a high incidence of car accidents) down the astounding modern corniche road that winds along the sheer cliffs of the Taif escarpment to the hot coastal plain.
• Find some of Saudi Arabia’s ancient crafts and skills. In Jebel-al-Qara, the potteries have been worked by eight generations of the same family.
