SAUDI ARABIA

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia covers four-fifths of the Arabian Peninsula which is bounded by the Red Sea in the west, the Arabian Gulf in the east, and the Arabian Sea in the south.

The other fifth of the Peninsula includes Yemen, Oman, The United Arab Emirates and Qatar, these countries cover the south and south east of the Peninsula. The small Island of Bahrain is now connected to Saudi Arabia by a 4 lane causeway. A trip to Bahrain by road from AI Khobar takes approximate one hour allowing for immigration & customs formalities.

The Kingdom extends (approximately ten times the size of the UK and similar in size to USA), and has a population of about 14 million. Most of the population is concentrated in the cities and towns, so that vast areas of the country are uninhabited.

The terrain of Saudi Arabia is predominantly desert but not all sand. South of the country is occupied by the great sand area of the RUB-AL-KHALI (commonly called the Empty Quarter). The coastal belt near the Arabian Gulf is generally flat and sandy. There is relatively abundant water in this area along with large salt flats.

The country is divided into 4 Provinces. (Central Government is responsible for the Rub-al-khali).

The Central Province (Nadj) - Main cities: Riyadh the national Capital and centre of Government activities, Buraidah and Medina and Hail, agricultural and livestock raising centres. All foreign Embassies are situated in Riyadh.

The Western Province (AI Hejaz) - Main cities: Jeddah, foremost seaport and commercial capital of the Kingdom. Makkah and Medina, the most important cities of Islam (where non-moslems are forbidden to enter) and Taif a summer resort.

The Eastern Province main cities are: Dammam, a major seaport and industrial centre, AI Khobar, a residential and commercial area. Dhahran is the focus of operation of the national oil company, Saudi Aramco and site of the international airport.

Hofuf, 170 km south of Dammam, is a famous historical agricultural area.

Northern Province - The Northern Province is a region of desert & oasis, the Nafud desert in this region is the world's second largest sand desert. Main city: Tabuk, a place of agricultural and strategic importance.

The Southern Province (Asir) is the countries most rugged and varied region. The mountains and greenery are in contrast to other regions of the Kingdom. The Southern Province (Asir) - Main city: Abha, at an altitude of 6,900 ft. and near to Khamis Mushayt.


RIYADH - The Capital

Riyadh population approximate 1.5 million walled town of 30,000 only 60 years ago. The new city is superimposed on the old. New places, public buildings, Mosques, schools, hospitals, road, boulevards and villas have replaced the old mud brick buildings. Riyadh offers some of the best and most spectacular of modern architecture.

The airport is situated to the North of the city. Most of the Ministries and other agencies of Central Government are situated along Old airport road (Sharah Mataar). There are many modern and 5 star hotels in Riyadh with excellent facilities.

The city is in the interior of the country 530 mites by road from Jeddah on the Red Sea and 240 miles from Dammam on the Arabian Gulf. About I 0 miles out along the road to Jeddah is the impressive Tuwaiq escarpment - brittle sandstone cliffs rising 200 to 500 ft. for about 30 miles. To the South about 50 miles from Riyadh lies AI Kharj, an extensively irrigated area with much agriculture.

The ancient town of AI-Dih'yah which was established about 1726 AD still exists and is situated a few miles along the Jeddah road. For tourists Riyadh also offers camel racing and a zoo.

The population of the Dammam, AJ Khobar, Dhahran conurbation is around 280,000. The area has developed rapidly since the discovery of oil in 1935. Today Dammam, is one of the most important ports in the Arabian Gulf and it ranks third in importance after Riyadh and Jeddah as a business and commercial centre.

Al Khobar is the favoured residential area for expatriates. The shopping area is mainly confined to the area around King Khaled Street and there is an extensive selection of goods and materials available. Many expatriate compounds are located near to AI Khobar varying in sizes from a few hundred houses to 6 or 8 houses.

Jubail is a major industrial city custom built over the last decade as a location for major primary & secondary industries including steel mills, refineries, petrochem complexes. It is also a major seaport and naval base.

Hofuf was the capital of the Eastern Province until 1953 and various parts of the old town still show evidence of when the OTTOMAN empire controlled most of the area.

The Arabian Gulf provides warm sea bathing and the best place for this kind of activity is Half Moon Bay where most people go for safe bathing.

Dhahran International airport is situated between Dammam and AI Khobar. A new International Airport closer to Jubail is due to open in the near future.

There are many hotels and restaurants in the area providing excellent dining facilities.

JEDDAH

Jeddah population is about 1.1 million approximate and is the leading seaport of Saudi Arabia and also financial centre and commercial city. it is the point of entry for pilgrimage to Mecca and consequently the city & airport can be extremely busy at the Haj period. The seaport has been developed to cater for the ever increasing number of ships.

There are many hotels and restaurants, sufficient to cater for the normal times of the year. During the pilgrimage acquiring accommodation is impossible and prices double.

TAIF

About 100 miles from Jeddah, the city is situated in the mountains at about 5,000 ft. Its summer climate (85 degrees F to 95 degrees F with low humidity) makes it pleasant refuge from extreme dryness of Riyadh and the Saudi Arabian Government usually spends time there during the summer. Taif at these times assumes importance as the centre of government.

YANBU

This was developed along with Jubail in the Eastern Province as an industrial city. Built on a smaller scale than its eastern cousin Yanbu comprises petrochemical & non hydrocarbon facilities plus a refinery & also the terminal of the East-West pipeline.


The precepts of Islam, together with deep rooted traditions founded on the customs of centuries, give to the Arab a deep respect for social dignity and courtesy. It is therefore important for foreigners to familiarise themselves with local custom. In particular, every personal contact, in all spheres of life begins with some form of courteous greeting and it is always much appreciated if foreigners take the trouble to learn Arabic forms of the greetings and responses which are, for this purpose, fairly standardised. Furthermore, a person visited must always stand up to greet and shake the hand of the visitor of any kind. Omission of this phase of the social or business contact give rise to automatic mild social offense. Arabs are understanding if a foreigner unwittingly commits a social blunder and make considerable allowances for shortcomings. Efforts to follow custom are highly regarded.

It is customary in Saudi Arabia for male relatives and close family friends to greet one another by kissing and for them to hold hands while walking and talking together.

The position of women in Saudi Arabia is far different from that in Western Countries. From an early age they live in extreme privacy and are not normally seen by men other than their husbands and close male relatives. In the houses of rich and poor alike, women have separate quarters into which only intimate members of the family are permitted, Accordingly, mixed social gatherings or parties are rare. The custom of purdah prevails in Saudi Arabia and women appear in public completely veiled from head to foot. It is most impolite to stare at them and on no account should they be photographed. European ladies are not expected to adopt purdah when outside the home but are expected to adopt sober, unrevealing dress, i.e. long sleeves, covered legs and high necklines. Except for taking part in sporting activities, European men are expected to appear in public with only arms and head uncovered.

The Arabs are justifiably famous for their hospitality and, while the standards of hospitality are set by custom, the Arab applies them with a warmth which reflects his enjoyment in entertaining his guest. The most usual gesture for the entertainment of an individual or small group is the serving of Arabic coffee or tea (sweetened and without milk) or soft drinks in offices and shops when the occasion arises. It is impolite to refuse these important tokens of hospitality.

Use of recreational facilities in Saudi Arabia depends very much on individual interests and a willingness to become involved in the activities that are available. Any activity that does not offend against the laws, customs and religious practices of the Saudi Arabian Government and people may be enjoyed. Most sporting pastimes are available e.g. Tennis, Squash, Cycling, Softball, Soccer, Rugby, Swimming, Diving, Sailing, and Fishing. Sand golf courses have been constructed in Dhahran and Riyadh and there is a grass course near Riyadh. Recreation and sports offer an excellent means of meeting people and therefore helps initially in adapting to social life in Saudi Arabia.

Alcohol - in any form is forbidden by Saudi Arabian Law. Any attempt to import it, manufacture it, possess it or be found in a drunken condition carries extremely heavy penalties for foreigners, long terms of imprisonment and deportation can be expected.

Saudi Arabians expect everyone to be properly dressed in public. Whilst they tolerate Western dress, and indeed usually adopt it when visiting countries of the west, it is considered improper to expose too much bare skin in public.

For expatriate men, minimum informal wear in public is slacks, and open necked short sleeved shirt - shorts should onlv be worn for sporting occasions or private and never in public places.

For women, legs and arms should be covered and low necklines avoided. The fashion of long hair for men and short skirts for women are regarded with distaste by Saudi Arabians and on occasion, this distaste manifests itself as public action against expatriates displaying such fashions in public. The action may consist of taking the offending man into the nearest barber for a severe haircut and of splashing the offending women's clothes with ink, paint or dye. The local authorities are disinclined to prevent such actions since they are directly pursuant to the teachings of the Quran. Wearing of long hair by males (particularly if coupled with a generally unkempt appearance) can also result in being refused entry into the country or possible later deportation. Foreigners must therefore avoid these fashions.

The wearing of religious symbols is strictly forbidden.