Saudi Arabia

Now is the time to visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a nation with simmering potential and sharpened ambition on the very cusp of taking the world stage by storm. Dating back to pre-Islamic Arabia, this Arab country has and continues to dominate the Arabian peninsula in wealth, size, and cultural influence. The Kingdom was founded in 1932 by King Abdulaziz when he united the four historical regions into a single state, beginning with Riyadh, the ancestral home of his family, the Al Saud. When petroleum was discovered in 1938,  Saudi Arabia became the world’s second largest oil producer and a major world economy. It is also where the world’s second largest religion, Islam, was born. Within this country, religious doctrines dictate the social norms and day to day activities: each day begins with the call to dawn prayers, and worshippers pray four more times throughout the day and into the evening. Recreational activities are often a family affair and segregation of the sexes is commonplace. Though Saudi Arabia has long been a major religious destination with millions visiting Islam’s two holy cities of Mecca and Medina annually, the kingdom recently opened its doors to the rest of the world, promoting leisure travel as part of a strategy to diversify its economy. With several tourism-focused projects and high-end developments already in the pipeline, Saudi Arabia is poised to become the next world-class destination. It juxtaposes ancient souqs and modern skyscrapers in Riyadh, ruins of the ancient Nabatean civilization with upcoming luxury resorts blended into Al Ula’s desert-scape, and Jeddah’s historical landmarks with cutting-edge modern museums. Off the beaten track towns perched in the mountains, out in the desert on ancient trade routes, and along the coasts are raw and awaiting discovery.