Saudi Arabia is a Middle Eastern country that occupies most of the Arabian Peninsula and has coastlines on the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea. This mysterious and often misunderstood country provides a surprisingly wide range of exhilarating tourist activities. Spend your time exploring unfathomably vast stretches of golden desert, scuba diving through clear aquamarine waters to view fascinating ancient wrecks and a wide variety of colourful and unusual marine life, as well as visiting historic cities that have remained well preserved for centuries. Alternatively, city-slickers can marvel at the country’s grand and strikingly contemporary modern cities, each more glitzy, glamorous and sophisticated than the next and all featuring chic cafés, rows of designer boutiques and world-class hotels and restaurants. With its rich and ancient history, unique cultural heritage, and breathtaking natural beauty, it is certainly worth a visit.
Jeddah fringes the Red Sea in western Saudi Arabia. It is the Kingdom’s second largest city and a major commercial centre. Jeddah serves the main entry point, either by air or sea, for pilgrims making the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, the two most sacred cities of Islam. The city is also known for its vast, glitzy shopping districts, excellent cafes, and pretty Jeddah Corniche. This waterfront area is lined with world-class restaurants, some lovely beaches, and a slew of upmarket boutiques. The main tourist attraction is the old town, known as al-Balad, where visitors can explore a maze of ancient buildings and traditional souks, as well as the teetering, multistory houses made from coral, for which the city is famous. Another major highlight is the spectacular diving - you'll find remarkable visibility and virtually untouched coral reefs playing host to a profusion of colour aquatic life.
