Riyadh is the capital of Saudi Arabia and the largest city on the Arabian Peninsula. Located in the center of the an-Nafud desert, on the eastern part of the Najd plateau, the city sits at an average of 600 meters (2,000 ft) above sea level, and receives around 5 million tourists each year, making it the forty-ninth most visited city in the world and the 6th in the Middle East. Riyadh had a population of 7.6 million people in 2019, making it the most-populous city in Saudi Arabia, 3rd most populous in the Middle East, and 38th most populous in Asia.
Ta'if is a city and governorate in the Makkah Province of Saudi Arabia. Located at an elevation of 1,879 m (6,165 ft) in the slopes of the Hejaz Mountains, which themselves are part of the Sarawat Mountains, the city has a 2020 estimated population of 688,693 people, making it the 6th most populous city in the kingdom.
Jeddah, also spelled Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda, is a city in the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia and the country's commercial center. With a population of about 4,697,000 people as of 2021, Jeddah is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest city in Hejaz, the second-largest city in Saudi Arabia, and the eighth-largest in the Middle East. Jeddah Islamic Port, located on the Red Sea, is the thirty-sixth largest seaport in the world and the second-largest and second-busiest seaport in the Middle East.
Diriyah, formerly romanized as Dereyeh and Dariyya, is a town in Saudi Arabia located on the north-western outskirts of the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Diriyah was the original home of the Saudi royal family, and served as the capital of the Emirate of Diriyah under the first Saudi dynasty from 1744 to 1818. Today, the town is the seat of the Diriyah Governorate, which also includes the villages of Uyayna, Jubayla, and Al-Ammariyyah, among others, and is part of Ar Riyad Province.
Al-Balad is the historical area of Jeddah, the second largest city of Saudi Arabia. Balad can literally be translated as "The Town." Balad is the historic center of the City of Jeddah.
Badr is a town in Al Madinah Province, Al-Hijaz, Saudi Arabia. It is located about 130 km (81 mi) from the Islamic holy city of Medina. It was the location of the Battle of Badr, between the Quraishi-led Polytheists, and the Muslims under the leadership of Muhammad, in 624 CE.
Al-'Ula, is a city of the Medina Region in north-western Saudi Arabia. Historically located on the incense route, the city lies within the Governorate of 'Ula, one of seven in the Medina Region, covering an area of 29,261 square kilometres (11,298 sq mi). The city is 110 km (68 mi) southwest of Tayma and 300 km (190 mi) north of Medina. The city (municipality) covers 2,391 square kilometres (923 sq mi). The population of the city is 5,426.
Hegra, also known as Mada’in Salih, or Al-Ḥijr (ٱلْحِجْر) is an archaeological site located in the area of Al-'Ula within Al Madinah Region in the Hejaz, Saudi Arabia. A majority of the remains date from the Nabatean kingdom. The site constitutes the kingdom's southernmost and largest settlement after Petra, its capital. Traces of Lihyanite and Roman occupation before and after the Nabatean rule, respectively, can also be found.
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 be the white oil for Saudi Arabia. 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.
Omar Khairat is an Egyptian composer, pianist, conductor, and founder of the Egypt-based company "Omar Khairat Group".
Thirteen ancient towns have been discovered in Saudi Arabia up to the present day. These include Qaryat al-Fāw, the Al-Ukhdūd archeological area, Hegra, Jubbah, Tārūt, Al-Shuwayḥaṭiyah, Thāj, Taimaa and Dūmat Al-Jandal. There are still more ancient towns in Saudi Arabia, but little information is currently available on them. Saudi Arabia occupies a unique and distinctive geographic location, bridging civilizations between continents. In ancient times the Arabian peninsula served as a corridor for trade; therefore it saw the beginning of many civilizations, the relics of which are still evident today. The Saudi government has recently established the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, which is responsible for the preservation of these cities.
The Saudi Ministry of Tourism (MT) is a governmental body concerned with tourism. It is focused on encouraging and supporting domestic and external tourism through sponsoring and conducting tourism events across the country and overcoming obstacles to growth of tourism.
Prince Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz Domestic Airport is located 25 kilometres (16 mi) southeast of Al-'Ula, Saudi Arabia. It was named after Prince Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz. The airport was established on 31 October 2011.
Aziza Jalal is a Moroccan Arabic pop singer.
Wadi al-'Ula is a wadi in western Saudi Arabia. Wadi Al Ula is a tributary of the Wadi Jizal.
The Royal Commission for Al-'Ula (RCU) is a Saudi commission was established in July 2017 to preserve and develop the 2,000-year-old archaeological and historical site of Al-'Ula north-western Saudi Arabia.
At-Turaif is a historic district located in Al-Dir'iyah north-west of Riyadh which is regarded as one of the important political and historical sites in Saudi Arabia represented the capital of Saudi dynasty, it was the original home of the Saudi royal family and the country's first capital, from 1744 to 1818.
The Winter at Tantora Festival is an annual cultural festival held in the old town of Al-'Ula, Medina, located in northwestern Saudi Arabia. The first festival began on 21 December 2018, and was running a series of eight-weekend concerts for world-class musicians. In addition to this, the festival also features other activities and events. The festival's second edition began on 19 December 2019, and a third edition is currently in the works.
Saudi Seasons is an initiative launched by The Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH). In 2019, 11 festivals are planned to take place in different Saudi regions. The initiative is led and planned by different interrelated Saudi authorities including the Ministry of Culture, General Authority for Entertainment, General Sport Authority and the Saudi Exhibition and Convention Bureau under the leadership of a committee led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Saudi Seasons initiative has paved the way towards the Saudi efforts to achieve a high-standard tourism activities in Saudi Arabia. The first season of the initiative, taking place in 2019, will shed the light on the Saudi culture and heritage. Accordingly, the seasons will be held in different Saudi cities that have unique and diverse cultures. The different Saudi Seasons undertaken under this initiative would guarantee seasonal jobs to many young Saudis. For example, Jeddah Season 2019 provided 5,000 job opportunities to young males and females.
Zahrah Al Ghamdi is a Saudi Arabian visual and land artist, as well as an assistant professor at the College of Art and Design at the University of Jeddah.
Saudi Arabia