View from the Al-Faisaliah (Globe) tower, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

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Saudi Arabia Middle East

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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A handout picture provided by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah on October 4, 2020, shows Saudis and foreign residents circumambulating the Kaaba (Tawaf) in the Grand Mosque complex in the holy city of Mecca, as authorities partially resume the year-round Umrah for a limited number of pilgrims amid extensive health precautions after a seven-month coronavirus hiatus. (Photo by - / Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umra / AFP) (Photo by -/Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umra/AFP via Getty Images)

History

Ask LP: Will there be a Hajj in 2021?

Jan 25, 2021 • 3 Min read

With strict COVID protocols for 2021, here's what you need to know about the Hajj, Islam's most important religious pilgrimage.

Hotels
This extraordinary hotel will be carved into the desert near AlUla
Nov 20, 2020 • 2 Min read
Famous French architect Jean Nouvel has unveiled the conceptual plans for a new cave hotel in the deserts of Saudi Arabia near AlUla.
Art
Coachella Valley art exhibition heads from the California desert to Saudi Arabia
Nov 1, 2019 • 2 Min read
From 31 January to 7 March 2020, California-based Desert X is bringing its contemporary art exhibitions from the deserts of the Coachella Valley to the sands…
Art
Hajj Diaries: returning home
Sep 24, 2019 • 6 Min read
In the final instalment of the Hajj Diaries, Tharik documents his return home to England after performing the Hajj.
Festivals & Events
Hajj Diaries: the devil within
Sep 20, 2019 • 6 Min read
Lonely Planet writer Tharik Hussain takes us through the most daunting chapter of his Hajj experience yet, the jamarāt (ceremony of ‘stoning the devil’).
Art
Hajj Diaries: the day of reckoning
Sep 6, 2019 • 5 Min read
The latest installment in Tharik Hussain's Hajj Diaries focuses on the intense experience of the day of reckoning.
History
Hajj Diaries: performing the Hajj
Aug 26, 2019 • 6 Min read
The eagerly awaited third instalment of Tharik's Hajj diaries sees his experience of performing the Hajj proper.
Art
Hajj Diaries: my arrival in Saudi Arabia and the question of hardship
Aug 9, 2019 • 5 Min read
In the second instalment in Lonely Planet writer Tharik Hussain’s Hajj diaries, he guides us through his family’s experience as they leave England for…
Art
Hajj Diaries: my invitation
Aug 6, 2019 • 4 Min read
In the first of a series of posts documenting his attendance of the Hajj in 2019, Lonely Planet writer Tharik Hussain documents his experience from the…
Wildlife & Nature
Botox still banned: Saudi Arabia's camel beauty contest is back
Feb 28, 2019 • 2 Min read
In pursuit of perfectly pouting lips and wrinkle-free noses, competitors at last year’s camel beauty pageant in Saudi Arabia made international headlines…