Saudi Arabia
The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against travel to within 10km of the border with Yemen.
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.
Other wonders abound, from echoes of TE Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) along the Hejaz Railway to the sculpted red dunes of romantic deserts. Fascinating Riyadh is a showpiece for modern Saudi Arabia, while Jeddah's World Heritage coral architecture whisks you back to the history of this bustling pilgrim port. The pristine, azure waters of the Red Sea ache to be explored and in the south, the jewel in the Kingdom's crown, Asir, reveals breathtaking mountain scenery where mysterious and spectacular villages wait to be discovered.
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Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Saudi Arabia.
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Al Masjid Al Haram
The focal point for every Muslim and the biggest mosque in the world, Al Masjid Al Haram is able to host a million worshippers and covers an area of 356,800 sq metres. At its epicentre is the Holy Kaaba, covered in black and gold cloth, around which Muslims can be found circumnavigating night and day (known as tawaf). It's the holiest structure in all of Islam, and is at the heart of the Islamic pilgrimages (hajj and umrah). The Kaaba predates the Prophet Muhammad's lifetime; Muslims believe it was built by the Prophet Ibrahim and his son Ishmael. The foundations of the mosque around the Kaaba date to at least the 7th century, when the second caliph, Omar Bin Al Khattab, built a structure to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims each year. Set into the Kaaba's eastern corner is the Black Stone, a relic Muslims believe fell from the heavens and was placed into the corner by the Prophet Ibrahim. The stone came away from the Kaaba during the Prophet's lifetime, and it is said he then personally placed it back into the corner, where it sits today. At the Kaaba's northwestern edge, a curved area known as the Hatem or Hijr Ishmael represents the area believed to have been part of the Kaaba's original boundary when it was built by the Prophet Ibrahim. The mosque is in the midst of the Third Saudi Expansion, which will increase the mosque's area to 400,000 sq metres and allow 2.5 million people to pray inside it.
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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 force that the head is still lodged in the doorway. Highlights among the exhibits include maps and fascinating photographs of Saudi Arabia dating from 1912 to 1937, in galleries converted from diwans (living rooms). The roofs are covered with painted palm-tree, taramic and ethel wood and exude an old-world charm that evokes an Arabian painting. Inside, the information panels and short, chest-thumping films on the storming of the fortress and the ‘reunification’ of Saudi Arabia are reverential towards the Al Sauds but worth watching nonetheless.
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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 from Madain Saleh. Films in English shown on 180-degree screens complement the exhibits, as do virtual visits to historical sites and other excellent interactive displays.
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Al Ula Viewpoint
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 breathtaking view comes into sight and the entire Al Ula valley, surrounded by majestic red-rock mountains disappearing into the horizon, sprawls out before you like a surreal painting. Standing here, it's easy to see why the likes of the Nabataeans chose this Martian-like landscape, suited as it was to hiding entire settlements completely out of sight. Few panoramas in Saudi Arabia compare. To get to the road for the drive up, head west at the junction north of old Al Ula, where routes 375 and 70 meet. From here, drive into the mountains along the unmarked road, and soon a pair of rusty little frames will announce the start. The road is safe enough but has no lighting and should not be attempted after dark.
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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 Islam's first period, with the mihrab (niche indicating the direction of Mecca) almost 1400 years old. Stunning carved redwood doors open up to the small courtyard. Non-Muslim visitors can enter freely outside of prayer times, but must dress modestly and remove shoes when entering the carpeted prayer area.
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Exhibition of the Two Holy Mosques
This little museum is brimming with relics from the two holy mosques, Al Masjid Al Haram in Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina. These include pillars, marble insignia and historical photos. Some items date as far back as the 13th-century Abbasid period. There are two standout items: the ornate teak wooden stairwell on wheels, which the Ottomans used to access the Kaaba in the 1820s, and a historic pair of the Kaaba's spectacular giant gilded metal doors.
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Al Balad
The melancholy of Al Wajh's beautiful old Hejazi houses, as they stare wistfully out to sea, is apparent in every corner of the town's near-abandoned Al Balad (old town). This is one of the most atmospheric and complete examples of an ancient Hejazi fishing village anywhere in Arabia. The deserted streets, perched high up on a hilltop overlooking the historic fishing port, are lined with such houses, with their colourful mashrabiyyas (latticed balconies), wood-shuttered windows and ornately carved doors.
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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 the more polished examples. Old gramophones and telephones complement uneven floors, stairwells and beautiful wood ceilings. If there's a downside, it's that there's no access to the rooftop.
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Corniche
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 the Hilton and continues over traffic and right through to the northern end. Jeddah folk flock here, especially on weekend evenings, when the atmosphere is delightful.
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