Riyadh Tour

The capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, lies in the central region, the Najd, and is a growing city, fast moving and surrounded by the desert of Central Arabia. The contradictions between old and new are striking and the glitz and glamour of Kingdom Centre and Faisaliah Tower is only a drive away from the old souk with its narrow alleys. Dir’iyah, the first capital and today a UNESCO site, is only half an hour away. Riyadh is the heart of the country, where Saudi Arabia’s vision for 2030 is created and where plenty of examples can be found.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is known for its oil production, and for the holy cities of Mecca and Medina where millions of Muslims gather every year for pilgrimage. What is less known, is that Saudi Arabia has 5 UNESCO Heritage Sites, has outstanding natural beauty with deserts and mountains up to 3,200 m high and hospitable people. The country is huge; in fact it is the largest country in the world without a river; and is about 3,5 times the size of France, 9 times the size of the UK, 70 times the size of Belgium and roughly 6 times the size of Germany. The country has about 34 million inhabitants. The country is diverse, with the Red Sea Cost mountains up to almost 300 m, 3 deserts, and archaeological sites and historical places that stem from its strategic location on the trading routes from Yemen and Iraq to the Levant and of course the pilgrim routes that have been running to Mecca and Medina for centuries.