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Saudi Arabia

If there is a final frontier of tourism left, it's Saudi Arabia. The birthplace and spiritual home of Islam, Saudi Arabia is rich in attractions and stirring symbolism. For Muslims, the cities of Mecca and Medina, rich in Prophetic significance, have no equal, while the carved temples of Madain Saleh, known as the second Petra, and the sophisticated rock art at Jubbah are the Kingdom's greatest pre-Islamic treasures.

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Experience the real

　　The views as you wind your way up to this gem of a spot offer glimpses of what's to come. At the top, the road plateaus through a windswept, lunar landscape of black basalt rock, before arriving at a sad-looking park with a precarious fence at its edge. Suddenly the...

Must-see attractions

Prophet’s Mosque

　　One of only two mosques in the world that can accommodate a million people, the Prophet’s Mosque holds deep significance for Muslims all over the world. It is said to have been built by the Prophet himself in AD 622 and not only encompasses his final resting place (alongside the...

　　The Mecca gate was historically the most important gate for Jeddah, Arabia's official pilgrim port. It stands at the start of the road that led to Islam's holiest city. In the last 14 centuries, billions of pilgrims have passed beneath it. The impressive three-arched recreation is flanked by large round...

　　One of Jeddah’s best-restored old coral houses, Naseef House belonged to one of Jeddah’s most powerful trading families and was later a royal residency for King Abdul Aziz. Look out for the ramps installed by the king to allow his camel-mounted messengers to ride all the way to the upper...

Al Rahma Mosque

　　This mosque in the north of Jeddah sits on stilts and seemingly floats on the Red Sea. Visitors come to wander in the open courtyard and enjoy the cooling sea breeze, especially at sunset. The mosque is equally impressive inside, where modern twists on classical Andalusian patterns decorate the main...

Al Tayibat City Museum for International Civilisation

　　This privately owned four-floor collection has displays ranging from pre-Islamic artefacts, exquisite Islamic manuscripts, old coins and weaponry to stunning furniture, pottery and traditional Saudi dress. Replicas of home interiors from every region are also featured. Exhibits are accompanied by excellent information panels, as well as dioramas of the Kingdom's...

　　This souq runs off Al Dahab St and is the most extensive in the Kingdom. The market stalls cut into the heart of the old city and buzz with the activity of traders and pilgrims. Search long enough and you'll find genuine Arabian jewellery, Islamic art and traditional dress. Be...

　　Once a smelly, unpleasant stretch of coastline, the corniche in northern Jeddah has been transformed into a pleasant walkway and leisure space. There are artificial swimming bays, lush green landscaping, children's parks, outdoor gyms, piers, a host of fast-food places and cafes, and a great new walkway that begins near...

Matbouli House Museum

　　With so many traditional houses closed in Al Balad, this privately owned museum in a beautiful three-storey property with stunning Hejazi mashrabiyya (wooden lattice balconies) is a real find. The home has been minimally refurbished to present rooms and decor that feel more authentic than what's found in some of...

Al Shafee Mosque

　　Beautifully restored and maintained, this historic mosque, one of the finest in Jeddah, is named after one of the four great imams of classical Sunni Islam. Most of the building dates from the 16th century and is Ottoman in style, including the impressive minaret. However, the mosque's foundations date to...

　　After visiting the umpteenth mall and restaurant, head a little further out towards Wadi Namar for a pleasant change. The 2km-long dam is surrounded by green spaces, walkways, rocky hills and an artificial waterfall in the middle. You can ride bikes here, take long walks or simply relax by the...

Antiquities Museum

　　This museum is home to objects found during the Faw and Rabdha excavations (sites in the south and north of Saudi Arabia) by King Saud University in the 1970s. These include beautiful little Roman and Hellenic statues of Hercules and Apollo. There are also ancient inscriptions yet to be deciphered,...

　　Riyadh’s landmark tower, rising 302m high, is a stunning piece of modern architecture – it’s particularly conspicuous at night, when the upper sweep is lit with constantly changing coloured lights. Its most distinctive feature is the steel-and-glass 300-tonne bridge connecting the two towers. High-speed lifts fly you (at 180km/h) to...

Globe Experience

　　The Globe Experience is a spectacular viewing platform inside an enormous glass ball that's 24m in diameter, made of 655 glass panels and suspended just below the top of Al Faisaliah Tower. The panoramic views of Riyadh from inside the Globe are most magical at sunset and early evening. Designed...

　　Accessible only for children and those accompanying them, this is the largest zoo in Saudi Arabia and began life in 1957 as a small-scale menagerie housing animals gifted to the Al Saud family. Its highlights include the houbara bustard bird, which is almost extinct in the wild in Saudi Arabia....

　　Not for the faint-hearted or sufferers of vertigo, here high-speed lifts fly you at 180km/h to the 99th-floor Sky Bridge, inside the Kingdom Centre. The views from the highest place in Riyadh are truly breathtaking. Avoid weekends and evenings after 6pm, when it can get very crowded. Tickets can be...

National Museum

　　This state-of-the-art museum is one of the finest in the Middle East. Encased within modernist architecture, its two floors contain eight well-designed and informative galleries covering Arabian prehistory, history, culture and art. The galleries beautifully display evocative rock carvings, engaging models and even a full-scale reconstruction of a Nabataean tomb...

Masmak Fortress

　　Surrounded by sand, this squat fortification was built around 1865 and is like a scene out of the movies: a big fortress representing an empire. It was the site of a daring 1902 raid by Ibn Saud, during which a spear was hurled at the main entrance door with such...

Latest stories from Saudi Arabia

　　The 'Abode of Silence', or the Empty Quarter, covers almost 655,000 sq km and evokes all that was romantic and forbidden for European adventurers, such as British explorer Wilfred Thesiger who famously crossed it. The Bedouin simply call it 'the sands', and its dunes, which can reach up to 300m...

Pearl Merchants' Neighbourhood

Jubbah Rock Carvings

Al Masjid Al Haram

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