Saudi Arabia, The Kingdom Awaits You - Part 1

I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Jeddah, AlUla and Riyadh, along with some of my colleagues. I was intrigued to see how this recently closed country was adapting to tourism, and especially how female tourists would be perceived. I was pleasantly surprised that we were treated no differently from our male counterparts and that we didn’t need to cover up, just dress modestly which applied to men as well.

This blog covers Jeddah and Riyadh, part 2 will cover AlUla

Jeddah the cosmopolitan hub of the Kingdom - We flew into Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport and were instantly made to feel welcome. We met our guide who was very excited to show us around the city, he pointed out many landmarks including the King Fahd Fountain which is listed in Guinness World Records as the highest water fountain in the world – an Instagram-able feature. Our hotel in Jeddah was the Ritz Carlton Hotel right by the corniche.

Our first stops were to experience the modern side of Jeddah starting with one of its many art galleries, the Athr Gallery to see the Jeddah Photo Exhibition that was showcased. This was an impressive exhibition displaying photographs from local photographers and from further afield.

The following day started with a morning at the Oia Beach Club at the Red Sea. This for me was the biggest surprise of the tour; I really didn’t know what we would be allowed to wear or do but it was just like being at any good beach club anywhere in the world. We snorkelled in the stunning blue-green sea (known as the Red Sea due to the extensive blooms of algae that turn the sea red upon dying off), played beach volleyball, and just had a great time.

We next experienced the ancient side of Jeddah, visiting Al-Balad, the Old Town a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We wander through the labyrinth of streets with our guide who shared the history of the Old Town, especially the history of the well-preserved Roshan Tower Houses constructed of coral and wooden beams with their elaborate windows and balconies. Many of these houses are now used as retail shops, cafes, restaurants, museums, and art galleries. We were able to mix with the friendly locals, who were happy to talk to us about Al Balad and Jeddah as a whole.

There are a lot of amazing projects in progress in Jeddah, the main ones to note are the Red Sea project which will extend over 28,000 square kilometres on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast and will offer a diverse range of experiences from the island getaways, mountain retreats, and desert adventures. The second notable project is The Jeddah Central Project which will include four main landmarks – an Opera House, Museum, Sports Stadium, and an Oceanarium.

Although Jeddah is still developing as a tourist destination, it already has a lot to offer tourists and is worth a visit, whether you like art, history, shopping (over 300 shopping malls), good restaurants, diving or just chilling on the beach you will find this is Jeddah.

Riyadh is a blend of medieval and millennial - Before visiting Riyadh we visited AlUla, which is covered in my next blog. Riyadh is a city that has hit the ground running when it comes to tourism and it’s pushing forward very quickly on this front. We stayed at the Hyatt Palace Hotel in downtown Riyadh. As with Jeddah, Riyadh has a lot of history but is also very modern. We started in the old quarter and visited the restored Masmak Fortress, originally used as a garrison to protect the city. Our next stop was at At-Turaif a UNESCO-listed site that was founded in the 15th century. The site contains ruins of mud-brick houses connected by narrow alleyways, this will shortly be opened as a museum. Off to the ‘modern’ side of Riyadh. Our last visit of the day was to The Boulevard, I definitely didn’t expect what was in store. This place was buzzing, with shops, restaurants, dancing fountains, laser shows, entertainment including a live DJ in the centre of the Boulevard, it’s a really ‘happening place’! Our final day started with a trip to the National Museum, this is a very interesting museum and is worth the visit especially if you don’t have the time to visit Masmak or At-Turaif.

The final stop of our whistle tour was the Sky Bridge in the Kingdom Centre which incorporates the Four Seasons Hotel. The Sky Bridge is a stunning piece of architecture curving 300 metres above the city. From here you can get an amazing view of the Riyadh skyline and beyond.

As with Jeddah, there are plenty of hotels and restaurants to suit all budgets. There are also many tourist projects under development including ‘The Rig’ which will span an area of more the 150,000 square metres and will include three hotels, world-class restaurants, and a range of adventure activities, including extreme sports.

Would I recommend Saudi Arabia as a tourist destination? Most definitely!