Taif is a city and governorate in the Province of Makkah in Saudi Arabia. Located at an elevation of 1,879 m (6,165 ft) in the slopes of the Hijaz Mountains, which themselves are part of the Sarat Mountains, the city has a population of 563,282 people in 2022, making it one of the most populous cities in the kingdom.
Jeddah, alternatively transliterated as Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda, is a port city in Makkah Province, Saudi Arabia, located along the Red Sea coast in the Hejaz region. Jeddah is the commercial center of the country. It is not known when Jeddah was founded, but Jeddah's prominence grew in 647 when the Caliph Uthman made it a travel hub serving Muslim travelers going to the holy city of Mecca for Islamic pilgrimage. Since those times, Jeddah has served as the gateway for millions of pilgrims who have arrived in Saudi Arabia, traditionally by sea and recently by air.
Al Qunfudhah, also known as Kunfuda, is a Saudi city in the Tihamah region on the coast of the Red Sea. Its population is the fourth largest in Makkah Province, the area of the governate is estimated at 5,195 km², which occupies about 3.65% of the area of the region and is ranked ninth among the governorates of the region in terms of area. It is also one of the large sea ports of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea. Al Qunfudhah was founded in 1311 A.C-709 Hijri according to the ancient sources.
Al-Ula is an ancient Arabian oasis city located in Medina Province, Saudi Arabia. Situated in the Hejaz, a region that features prominently in the history of Islam as well as several pre-Islamic Semitic civilizations, al-Ula was a market city on the historic incense route that linked India and the Persian Gulf to the Levant and Europe.
Saudi Arabia is the second biggest tourist destination in the Middle East with over 16 million visiting in 2017. Although most tourism in Saudi Arabia still largely involves religious pilgrimages, there is growth in the leisure tourism sector. As the tourism sector has been largely boosted lately, the sector is expected to a significant industry for Saudi Arabia, reducing its dependence on oil revenues. This is proved as tourism sector is expected to generate $25 billion in 2019. Potential tourist areas include the Hijaz and Sarawat Mountains, Red Sea diving and a number of ancient ruins.
The National Museum of Saudi Arabia is a national museum located in the al-Murabba neighborhood of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Established in 1999, it is part of the King Abdulaziz Historical Centre and is surrounded by al-Wadi Park to the north and al-Madi Park to the east, who altogether constitute eastern side of the National Museum Park.
Murabba Palace is a historic palace in the al-Murabba neighborhood of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, located in the King Abdulaziz Historical Center. One of the first buildings erected outside the walls of the old city, it served as the official workplace and main residence of King Abdulaziz ibn Saud from 1938 until his death in 1953. It is named after its square with the form of 400 by 400 metres. The palace was transformed into a museum and opened to the general public in 1999.
Masjid al-Haram, also known as the Sacred Mosque or the Great Mosque of Mecca, is considered to be the most significant mosque in Islam. It encloses the vicinity of the Kaaba in Mecca, in the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia. It is among the pilgrimage sites associated with the Hajj, which every Muslim must perform at least once in their lives if able. It is also the main site for the performance of ʿUmrah, the lesser pilgrimage that can be undertaken any time of the year. The rites of both pilgrimages include circumambulating the Kaaba within the mosque. The Great Mosque includes other important significant sites, such as the Black Stone, the Zamzam Well, Maqam Ibrahim, and the hills of Safa and Marwa.
Visitors to Saudi Arabia must obtain a visa, unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries.
Rijal Almaa or Rijal Almaʽa is a village located in the Rijal Almaa province, 'Asir Region, Saudi Arabia. It is about 50 km (31 mi) west of Abha, in the southwest of Saudi Arabia. The village is more than 900 years old. The village had an ideal location through which it linked the people coming from Yemen and the Levant through the Holy City of Makkah and Medina. As a result, it became a regional trade center.
At-Turaif is a historic district located in Ad-Dir'iyah, north-west of Riyadh. It is regarded as one of the more important political and historical sites in Saudi Arabia, as it represented the capital of Saudi dynasty. It was the original home of the Saudi royal family and was the country's first capital from 1727 until Ottoman control of the area in 1818.
Ahmed bin Aqil al-Khateeb is a Saudi Arabian bureaucrat who has been serving as Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia since February 2020. He previously led the country's General Entertainment Authority as its inaugural president between May 2016 and June 2018 and was previously Minister of Health from January to April 2015. He is also a former advisor at the Saudi Royal Court and has served as the chairman of Saudi Arabian Military Industries as well as the Saudi Fund for Development.
Al-Madinah Museum is a museum in Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia, that exhibits Al-Madinah heritage and history featuring different archaeological collections, visual galleries and rare images that related to Al-Medina. The museum exhibits around 2,000 rare artifacts that capture the heritage and culture of Al-Madinah and document the landscape, the people and how it has been shaped over the years. One of the parts of the tour is the evolution of Masjid Nabawi from a house, courtyard, and home to the massive complex that it is now.
The Historic Jeddah Festival is an annual festival held in the Al Balad district of Jeddah, western Saudi Arabia, and usually coincides with the month of Ramadan. The festival celebrates the culture and heritage of Jeddah.
The Two Holy Mosques Architecture Exhibition is located in Um al-Joud area, near the Kiswa Factory. Since its establishment it has become one of the most popular destinations in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. It was established in February 2000 during the late King Fahd bin Abdulaziz era.
Qasr Ibrahim is a historic fort in the north of Alqoat neighborhood, Hofuf, Al-Ahsa, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. It is also called the Dome Palace, AlQoat Palace or Ibrahim Castle and is the region's main architectural heritage site from the Ottoman period. It served as a Turkish military base. It was seized by King Abdul-Aziz Al Saud on April 13, 1913.
The Ministry of Tourism, before 2020 as the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH), till 2015 as the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) and prior to 2008 as the Supreme Commission for Tourism (SCT), is a government ministry in Saudi Arabia that is concerned with the tourism sector of the country. Established in the year 2000 through a royal decree by King Fahd, it was transformed into a ministry in 2020.
Below are Museums in Riyadh. The Riyadh region in Saudi Arabia is characterized by having a massive number of historical and heritage monuments and museums, which represent the successive civilizations that left these traces on the area.
Museum culture within Saudi Arabia can be traced back to 1945, when the Kingdom participated in the founding of the United Nations Educational Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and signed the Cultural Treaty of the Arab League which emphasizes, in Article 10, the need to focus on the field of antiquities in the Arab world. Plans for museums began at the first archaeological conferences held by the Arab League Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organisation (ALESCO).
