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Travel to Saudi Arabia

     Saudi Arabia has a number of tourist areas visited by a large number of citizens for recreation during there leisure time. Through domestic tourism, citizens who come to know their country, including the tourist areas, the habit, the traditions and the architectural styles which distinguish each area. A tourist area is one which draws the visitor to its places of interest and beauty whether man-made or natural.

Capital: Riyadh

Location: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest country on the Arabian Peninsula. It borders 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, with the Arabian Gulf to its northeast and the Red Sea to its west.

Climate: Extreme heat and aridity are characteristic of most of Saudi Arabia. It is one of the few places in the world where summer temperatures above 50°C (120°F) are common, while in winter frost or snow can occur in the interior and the higher mountains, although this does not occur annually. The average winter temperature range is 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. The average summer 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. Nighttime temperatures in the mid desert can be famously chilly even in summer, as sand gives up daytime heat rapidly once the sun has set. The shamal, sand-laden winds from the northern deserts, is most frequent in early summer and can blow for days at 25-30 miles an hour. Rainfall ranges from none at all for up to 10 years in the Rub Al-Khali, to 20 inches a year in the mountains of Asir Province.

Terrain: The terrain of Saudi Arabia is virtually all desert but not all sand. The great sand areas are the Rub-Al-Khali (better known as the Empty Quarter) in the south, the Great Nafud in the north and the Dhaka, a large strip of sand desert that sweeps down between the two in a large crescent. The coastal belt near the Arabian Gulf is generally flat, often sandy and fringed with marshland along the shores. There is relatively abundant water in this area along with large salt flats.

Language: Arabic

Currency: Riyal (SAR)

Time zone: GMT +3

Internet TLD: .sa

Calling code: +966

The Arabian peninsula has supported agricultural, herding, and hunting cultures for thousands of years. Living on important ancient trade routes, the ancestors of the Saudi Arabians were touched by diverse civilizations, including those of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, Byzantium, India, Persia, and China.

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.

Many Saudi businessmen have been educated or have traveled extensively in the West and are sophisticated in dealing with Americans. For the most part travelers can rely on the usual Western manners and standards of politeness to see them through, with a few additional rules that may be observed.

Travel Advisories and Visas Travelers may not carry alcohol, firearms, pork products, religious items, or items deemed pornographic into the Kingdom. On occasion catalogs and videos deemed appropriate in the West are confiscated if they show men and women socializing together or in revealing dress. It is advisable to carry prescription drugs in their original labeled containers.

More facts about Saudi Arabia:
Saudi Arabia, country profile

Local Travel News:

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Saudi Arabia Airlines will start issuing electronic boarding passes online by mid-August, Arab News reports. The service will initially be linked with 25 travel agencies, with more to be added later. The airline offers e-tickets for some...

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