Saudi Arabia or Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an Arab country located in West Asia and it covers most of the Arabian Peninsula. The land of Saudi Arabia is about 2,150,000 square km. Saudi Arabia is a country spread across the Middle East and geographically, Saudi Arabia is the fifth largest country in Asia and the second largest country in the Middle East after Algeria. Saudi Arabia is also the 12th largest country in the world. Saudi Arabia is bordered by Jordan and Iraq to the North, Kuwait to the Northeast, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates in the East, Oman and Yemen to the South. Saudi Arabia is separated from Israel and Egypt by the Gulf of Aqaba. Saudi Arabia is the only country that has both Red Sea shores and the Persian Gulf coast and most of Saudi Arabia consists of desert, lowlands and mountains. Saudi Arabia is one of the largest Islamic countries in the world. The second largest religion in the world is Islam emerging in Saudi Arabia. In the early 8th century, Prophet Muhammad S.A.W united the Arabs. After his death, his followers are quickly expanding the territory under Muslim rule outside Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia has a wide area and it has a diverse topography. The Tihama coastline, located along the Red Sea, is 1,100 kilometres long, 60 kilometres South to meet in the Gulf of Aqaba. To the East, there is a mountain named Sarawat. This mountain has an altitude of 9,000 feet in the South and 3,000 feet in the North. There are several valleys around the mountains, the valley of Jazan, Najran, Tathleeth, Bisha, Himdh, House, Yanbu and Fatima. Along the East also lies the highlands of Najd which extends towards the Eastern Desert of Samman, Dahnaa Dunes and to the South to the Dwaser Valley.

In 1902, Abdul al-Aziz Ibn Saud captured Riyadh and held a 30-year campaign to unite the Arabian Peninsula. In 1930, the oil discovery in the country changed Saudi Arabia from a deserted kingdom to one of the richest countries in the region. In 1990, Kuwait was invaded by Iraq. Following that, Saudi Arabia received Kuwaiti royal families and 400,000 refugees while the Western and Arab forces launched an attack to free Kuwait over the next year. On August 1, 2005, King Fahd passed away. Crown Prince Abdullah was confirmed as King. He is King of Saudi Arabia until his death in 2015. His successor is Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, former Governor of Riyadh and now King of Saudi Arabia.

For those who wish to travel to Saudi Arabia, you must apply for a visa before arriving in Saudi Arabia. There are various visa classes that you can choose. You can stay in Saudi Arabia for 3 months if your visa has been approved. A Saudi tourist visa will only be provided to anyone visiting Saudi Arabia to visit family or friends. However, tourist visas will be provided to tourists wishing to come to Saudi Arabia but at very limited rates. All travellers must have a passport at least 6 months remaining from the date of entering Saudi Arabia. Travellers also need to have a return flight ticket. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has the strictest rules for female travellers wishing to enter Saudi Arabia; they must have funding or relatives there. They also need to have a definite residence during their stay in Saudi Arabia.

However, there are some countries that do not require visas to enter Saudi Arabia such as Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. For travellers from Malaysia, you need a visa to enter Saudi Arabia. For the convenience of Malaysians, the Saudi Arabian government provides e-visa services for tourists from Malaysia and several other countries.

The official language in Saudi Arabia is Arabic. There are three types of Arabic language used for communication in Saudi Arabia namely Arab Hejazi, Arab Najdi and Arab Gulf.

Saudi Arabia has a desert climate with very high day temperatures and a very high-temperature drop in the evening. The average temperature in the rainy season is around 45 ° C and can reach 54 ° C. In winter, temperatures in Saudi Arabia are rarely below 0 ° C. In spring and fall temperatures, heat is moderate with average temperatures around 29 ° C. The average annual rainfall in Saudi Arabia is very low. The Asir region in Saudi Arabia is different because the weather is influenced by the monsoon of the Indian Ocean which usually occurs between October and March.

A variety of foods are available in Saudi Arabia. Famous foods are such as fatir which is roti, hawayij, kapsa which is rice and chicken, laban drinks which is yoghurt drinks and many more.  

How to Get There?

By Flight

If you want to visit Saudi Arabia for a holiday, visit friends or family, you can take a flight from Malaysia. There are many airports in Saudi Arabia. King Abdulaziz International Airport in Makkah and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh is the busiest airport in Saudi Arabia with a large number of passengers each year. However, Makkah is a city that cannot be accessed by non-Muslims.

If you wish to travel to Makkah, you can take a flight from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to King Abdulaziz International Airport. There are various flights offered from Kuala Lumpur to King Abdulaziz International Airport such as Malaysia Airlines and Saudia or also known as Saudi Arabian Airlines. Both airlines offered direct flights to Makkah. You can choose any of the flights you like. The cheapest airline ticket is offered by Saudia, MYR 2,875. However, the price of a flight ticket may change according to the dates and days you want to fly.

Apart from visiting Makkah, you can also visit Riyadh, which is the capital of Saudi Arabia. To visit Riyadh, you can take a flight from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. There are several flight options that you can choose to fly to Riyadh. Among airlines offering flights to Riyadh are like Saudia, Oman Air and Etihad. However, only Saudia offers direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Riyadh. Other flights require you to transit at some airports before making a flight to Riyadh. The cheapest airline ticket offered by Saudia is MYR 3,106. However, the price of this flight ticket can vary from time to time depending on the time and date of your flight.

What to Do There?

Great Mosque of Mecca

It is the Great Mosque of Makkah, also known as the Masjid Al-Haram or the Great Mosque of Makkah. It is the largest mosque in the world and surrounds the Islamic Qibla, the Kaaba. The Grand Mosque of Makkah is a place where you can find peace of your life and the architecture of the mosque will impress you. It is managed by local authorities.

Mount Arafat

Mount Arafat or Mount Arafah is a granite hill in East Makkah. Arafat is a plain about 20 km Southeast of Makkah. Mount Arafat reaches a height of about 70 m and is also known as Mount of Mercy.

Abraj Al Bait Mall (Makkah Clock Tower)

Abraj Al Bait Mall is one of the shopping centres in Makkah. You can come here to buy a variety of items in Makkah. Also here, is the Makkah Clock Tower which is one of Makkah's landmarks. The building is also the 5th tallest skyscraper in the world. The clock in the building is also the largest clock ever built.

Kingdom Centre

The Kingdom Centre is a 99-storey building. It is one of Saudi Arabia's skyscrapers located in Riyadh. It is the 5th highest building in the country. You can visit here to visit the building that has charming architecture.

Masmak Fort

This Masmak Fort is a fort built with clay and mud. It has 4 review towers and thick walls. It is located in the heart of Riyadh. It is an old fortress that plays an important role in the history of Saudi Arabia. You can visit here while learning about their history

Where to Stay?

Hotel Pullman Zamzam Makkah

This exclusive hotel is located in the Abraj Al-Bait Tower. If you are staying in this hotel, you only have to walk 5 minutes to go to Masjid Al-Haram and also Kaaba. The hotel is 10 km from the Hira Cave. The hotel offers stunning views overlooking the mosque and the Kaaba. Each of the hotel's rooms has facilities such as television, free Wi-Fi, mini-fridge and much more. If you choose to stay in the Hotel suites, you will have a kitchen and living room. Daily housekeeping is also available at this hotel.

Le Meridian Makkah

Le Meridian Makkah is just a 4-minute walk to the world's largest mosque Masjid Al-Haram in Makkah. This 5-star hotel is only 5 km from Abraj al-Bait Tower. Rooms at this hotel are very elegant with free Wi-Fi, television, mini-bar and marble-decorated bathrooms. The hotel also offers beautiful views over the Masjid al-Haram and the Kaaba.

Four Points by Sheraton Riyadh Khaldia

This very renowned hotel in Riyadh is located in Riyadh's main business district. The hotel is just a 10-minute walk from the Red Palace History Museum. In addition, the hotel is also just 1 km from National Parks and National Museum of Saudi Arabia.