# Exploring Saudi Arabia's marine wonderland



## al-Hasani

Very interesting documentary about the largely unexplored marine wonderland of KSA. The Red Sea has the second biggest coral reef after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Also footage from the Gulf.

The whole documentary can be found in the link below:

National Geographic Wild ? Desert Seas (2011)

Behind the scenes:

The Making of Desert Seas (Saudi Arabia) - YouTube


Desert Seas - National Geographic Channel - UK

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## Yzd Khalifa

Welcome back! 
Awesome documentary bro! Thanks

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## al-Hasani

Yzd Khalifa said:


> Welcome back!
> Awesome documentary bro! Thanks



You are welcome bro.

It is a amazing documentary indeed with some stunning footage. Can't wait for the summer where I will be back and able to enjoy that beauty.

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## Yzd Khalifa

al-Hasani said:


> You are welcome bro.
> 
> It is a amazing documentary indeed with some stunning footage. Can't wait for the summer where I will be back and able to enjoy that beauty.


Yeah, I'd love going there too.

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## al-Hasani

Yzd Khalifa said:


> Yeah, I'd love going there too.



You mean the entire Red Sea and Gulf coastline? We are talking about thousands of km of coastline - some very unexplored and tropical. We are blessed with arguably one of the very best coastlines that there are not to mention what is under the water in terms of animal life, coral reefs etc. 
The nature and diversity in KSA is unique. Sadly far too many locals (for my liking as well) do not explore the country. Being the size of all of Western Europe or not should not be a excuse.

Go visit one of the tropical islands in the Red Sea, one of the stunning beaches, valleys, oasis, palm forests, tropical forests in the Southern parts, mountains, steppes, all the different and stunning deserts, ancient villages, visit all the diverse regions and the people etc.

Me, 2 of my brothers and some cousins did a little tour of parts of Hejaz and some of the Southern parts of KSA last year. That was overall a very limited tour (only 1 week) in the bigger picture but it was amazing nevertheless. I can't imagine doing it on a much bigger scale.

I guess that far too many Saudis do not even know about the wonders displayed in that BBC documentary I posted in this thread.

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## Controlled Pair

Awww cute! wahabi turtles.

Good vid bro. There's a good future for Saudi. Lots of money and lots of empty land to develop on. Time to think ahead when the Oil runs out or is less profitable.


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## al-Hasani

Controlled Pair said:


> Awww cute! wahabi turtles.
> 
> KSA has it all. Deserts, beautiful marine wildlife, plenty of oil to develop the country - and public beheadings
> 
> I bet the marine wildlife are wondering when the Saudi regime will be as evolved as they are
> 
> 
> Good vid bro. There's a good future for Saudi. Lots of money and lots of empty land to develop on. Time to think ahead when the Oil runs out or is less profitable.



What is wrong with you cousin? Are you trying to ruin another thread? KSA is much more diverse than Israel will ever be even if some of your fellow Jews dream of a "Greater Israel" will come to fruition. Anyway off-topic.

Please delete the first part of your post otherwise you will start a long trolling feast (this is how this forum works) so you force me to report your post before the thread gets destroyed.

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## Controlled Pair

al-Hasani said:


> What is wrong with you cousin? Are you trying to ruin another thread? KSA is much more diverse than Israel will ever be even if some of your fellow Jews dream of a "Greater Israel" will come to fruition. Anyway off-topic.
> 
> Please delete the first part of your post otherwise you will start a long trolling feast (this is how this forum works) so you force me to report your post before the thread gets destroyed.


Dry your tears bro, just a joke. 

I have deleted it.

But I like Wahabi Turtles. That stays


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## al-Hasani

As long as the thread is not destroyed then I do not care, cousin.

Dolphins in Jeddah Saudi Arabia - YouTube

Man, I have to say that I love dolphins.

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## al-Hasani

> During his first exploration of the Red Sea the legendary underwater explorer *Jacques Yves Cousteau* observed about the shorelines of Saudi Arabia and Sudan - "Life abounds in bank after bank of exuberant coral structures, second only to those of the Great Barrier Reef in extent and exceeding it perhaps in splendour. Here there is deep clarity, blazing colour, and active fauna".
> 
> For years cloaked in secrecy, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has exploded on to the tourist track. International Cultural Tourism has been evident for many years with groups coming from Japan, America and Europe. Saudi Arabia is now realising a national heritage and opening sustained dive tourism. Our Saudi Arabia dive trips are from Liveaboards and proving to be a great success. This is as a result of spectacular diving with newly discovered dive sites and an abundance of large pelagic activity both on our Yanbu and Farasan Banks itineraries, with several species of sharks including silkies, oceanics and tigers, as well as giant mantas.
> 
> It has been said that Saudi Arabia is one of diving's last frontiers, and it is a fact that very few westerners have ever been able to dive here. The appeal of diving almost untouched, barely explored reefs is undeniable. With an incredible variety of marine life and some of the most flourishing coral reefs to be found anywhere in the world - it is no wonder that so many famous explorers have dived here.
> 
> The Red Sea is rated as one of the top ten diving destinations in the world. Egypt, Sudan and Jordan offer fantastic diving, but how many of you have dived the Saudi Arabian Red Sea? How many of you know anyone who has? Without question, many if not most of the outer reefs in that region have never been dived. The diversity of marine life and fauna along the reefs really are quite exquisite and offer the diver a high quality and extremely memorable diving experience.



Diving holidays to Saudi Arabia | Red Sea Diving Holidays | Liveaboards in Saudi Arabia | Yabul and Farasan Banks are Saudi Arabia's top dive sites

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## BATMAN

Red sea is infested with sharks too..

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## al-Hasani

BATMAN said:


> Red sea is infested with sharks too..





They are harmless as most animals unless you frighten them/attack them. Of course you have to take your precautions like with most things in life.

Dive with Farasan Banks Silky Sharks, Saudi Arabia - YouTube

Whale Shark, Al Lith, Saudi Arabia - YouTube

Tiger sharks in Yanbu - Saudi Arabia - YouTube

Hammerhead Shark in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia - YouTube

Diving, Rabigh ,

I am great fan of the sea-life and the beautiful Red Sea in particular.

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## al-Hasani

A few more pictures from the Saudi Arabian 2000 km long Red Sea coastline:

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## al-Hasani

Another little set:



















































A interesting and probably for all very surprising fact: There are *1150* islands along the Saudi Arabian Red Sea coastline.


> "There are plenty of untapped opportunities to promote tourism through the *1,300 islands in the Kingdom's waters*. While 1,150 of them are in the Red Sea and 150 in the Arabian Gulf, only 405 have distinct names and been surveyed by the Saudi Geological Society," said a member of the JCCI Tourism Committee Khaled Fahd Al-Harthy.


1,300 Saudi islands look for investorsTravel & Tourism - Zawya

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## al-Hasani

The ancient and beautiful region of Hijaz and other Southwestern provinces of KSA that belong to the historical Greater Hijaz. Those regions border the Saudi Arabian Red Sea coastline that this thread is about.





Old Jeddah, Saudi Arabia by Eric Lafforgue, on Flickr




faifa 2011 by al_gasemy, on Flickr




faifa 2011  by al_gasemy, on Flickr




Jazan (2) by zak.abb, on Flickr




faifa 2011  by al_gasemy, on Flickr




faifa 2011  by al_gasemy, on Flickr









Farasan island - Saudi Arabia by Eric Lafforgue, on Flickr

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## Quntari

Nice pictures. Are women allowed to swim in these beautiful seas or only males are allowed?


Keep it up!

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## Yzd Khalifa

Quntari said:


> Nice pictures. Are women allowed to swim in these beautiful seas or only males are allowed?
> 
> 
> Keep it up!



Only fish are allowed to swim.

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## al-Hasani

Quntari said:


> Nice pictures. Are women allowed to swim in these beautiful seas or only males are allowed?
> 
> 
> Keep it up!



Yes, they can but not with Western bikinis, LOL. If they find a isolated spot which there are plenty of, if one bothers to make the travel (1150 islands alone along the Saudi Arabian Red Sea coastline) or the 2000 km long Red Sea coastline (most of it fairly isolated) then they can even do it naked I presume.

Otherwise there are compounds with swimming pools where foreigners, mostly non-Muslims and Westerners live and there they can swim and do what they want. There are swimming pools outside the compounds but they are segregated between men and women. Maybe that will change in the future.

The Saudi youth is rather liberal today and contrary to popular belief then Saudi Arabians are not one body it depends on the province, historical regions they belong to, families, views etc. KSA is a HUGE country and very diverse in terms of regions, landscapes, sects etc.

For example Hijazi Arabic is much closer to Egyptian/Sudanese/Yemeni/Syrian Arabic than Gulf Arabic. Many ignorants foolishly belief that all Saudi Arabians are Gulf Arabs or Khaleeji (like Kuwaitis, Qataris, Emiratis and SOME parts of Oman are) but in reality only those Saudi Arabians who ACTUALLY live along the Gulf are that and that is only in the COASTAL regions of the Eastern Province. They are a minority in KSA. Form less than 10-15% of the entire population. It's like saying that all Iraqis are Kurds for example.

Ironically many of them are Shias.

Hijaz lies nearly nearly 2000 km away from the Gulf. We are bordering the Levant region in the North, Yemen in the South and Egypt/Sudan to the West across the Red Sea. In fact you can see Israel by your barren eye from Northern Hijaz. If you want to see the Gulf region with your barren eye you would need to use a balloon for example and go 50 km above sea level then you might see the Gulf, LOL.

*More from Hijaz that borders the Saudi Arabian Red Sea coastline:*




Masjid Al-Qiblatain by Fotorix Studio, on Flickr




Masjid Al-Nabawi S.A.W by Fotorix Studio, on Flickr




Masjid Al-Nabawi S.A.W by Fotorix Studio, on Flickr




Masjid Al-Haram "Kaaba", House of Allah by Fotorix Studio, on Flickr




Masjid Al-Nabawi S.A.W by Fotorix Studio, on Flickr















Zyaan  by Mohammed Albuhaisi, on Flickr




&#1608;&#1575;&#1583;&#1610; &#1575;&#1604;&#1576;&#1585;&#1583;&#1610;-&#1610;&#1606;&#1576;&#1593; 2 by asim mawwad -&#1593;&#1575;&#1589;&#1605; &#1605;&#1593;&#1608;&#1590;, on Flickr




Lines to Reflection by Abdulmajeed Al Juhani, on Flickr



Yzd Khalifa said:


> Only fish are allowed to swim.



LOL, Yazid. Only fat half Najdis like you are allowed. You know the Devils Horn and all that!!!111

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## al-Hasani

More of Hijaz and Southwestern KSA that borders the Red Sea:

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## Yzd Khalifa

@al-Hasani



> LOL, Yazid. Only fat half Najdis like you are allowed. You know the Devils Horn and all that!!!111


On yeah, you guys are always mad at us

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## al-Hasani

Yzd Khalifa said:


> @al-Hasani
> 
> 
> On yeah, you guys are always mad at us.



Indeed. You guys are vile creatures and the root to all evil. Najd is the place where the horns of Shaitan will appear. A Mullah told me all this yesterday. I will keep distance from your likes in the future.

A few more pictures:




Coral Reef 5 by mojbel, on Flickr




Al Rijmal, Saudi Arabia by mrcdvs, on Flickr







































Al-Baha4 by haidarism, on Flickr

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## al-Hasani

*More from Hijaz and the Southwestern provinces:*




&#1605;&#1606; &#1585;&#1571;&#1587; &#1580;&#1576;&#1604; &#1591;&#1604;&#1575;&#1606; by Mohammad Ahmad Al faifi, on Flickr




&#1591;&#1576;&#1610;&#1593;&#1607; &#1585;&#1576;&#1575;&#1606;&#1610;&#1607; by Mohammad Ahmad Al faifi, on Flickr




&#1582;&#1576;&#1585;&#1610;&#1607;&#1605; &#1610;&#1575;&#1604;&#1580;&#1576;&#1575;&#1604; &#1575;&#1604;&#1605;&#1606;&#1610;&#1593;&#1607; by Mohammad Ahmad Al faifi, on Flickr




faifa 2011 by al_gasemy, on Flickr




&#1605;&#1606; &#1575;&#1604;&#1583;&#1610;&#1587;&#1577; by Mohammad Ahmad Al faifi, on Flickr




&#1583;&#1610;&#1585;&#1578;&#1610; &#1601;&#1610;&#1601;&#1575; by Mohammad Ahmad Al faifi, on Flickr




&#1605;&#1606; &#1580;&#1576;&#1604; &#1591;&#1604;&#1570;&#1606; by Mohammad Ahmad Al faifi, on Flickr




FAIFA # by Mohammad Ahmad Al faifi, on Flickr




&#1606;&#1580;&#1605;&#1577; &#1575;&#1604;&#1580;&#1606;&#1608;&#1576; 4 by Mohammad Ahmad Al faifi, on Flickr




&#1606;&#1580;&#1605;&#1577; &#1575;&#1604;&#1580;&#1606;&#1608;&#1576; 2 by Mohammad Ahmad Al faifi, on Flickr

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## al-Hasani

*More from Western and Southwestern KSA:*









From the mountains of FAIFA by Mohammad Ahmad Al faifi ~ OFF, on Flickr




FAIFA MOUNTAINS by Mohammad Ahmad Al faifi ~ OFF, on Flickr

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## FCPX

Great thread, a big thumbs up!

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## al-Hasani

FCPX said:


> Great thread, a big thumbs up!



You are very much welcome 7abibi.

Please also check those videos out below:

Dolphins in Jeddah Saudi Arabia - YouTube

Dive with Farasan Banks Silky Sharks, Saudi Arabia - YouTube

Whale Shark, Al Lith, Saudi Arabia - YouTube

Tiger sharks in Yanbu - Saudi Arabia - YouTube

Hammerhead Shark in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia - YouTube

Diving, Rabigh ,

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## al-Hasani

Dive with Farasan Banks Silky Sharks, Saudi Arabia - YouTube

Whale Shark, Al Lith, Saudi Arabia - YouTube

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## al-Hasani

More natural wonders of KSA:




Cruise to the Farasan Islands, Saudi Arabia by Arthur Anker, on Flickr




Farasan island - Saudi Arabia by Eric Lafforgue, on Flickr




Farasan Island_0392 by Bandar Yousef, on Flickr




&#1601;&#1585;&#1587;&#1575;&#1606; by jazan2013, on Flickr




Farasan Island by Alrefaeibox, on Flickr




Farasan Islands Beach by omar.sa, on Flickr




Farasan Is cruise by Arthur Anker, on Flickr

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## Abu Zolfiqar

nice geography in those pictures....many people think the region is only deserts and sand though clearly such conceptions are misconceptions


actually - what I am DYING to explore is the Soqotra Islands of Yemen. Looks like paradise on earth.

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## al-Hasani

Abu Zolfiqar said:


> nice geography in those pictures....many people think the region is only deserts and sand though clearly such conceptions are misconceptions
> 
> 
> actually - what I am DYING to explore is the Soqotra Islands of Yemen. Looks like paradise on earth.



That opinion is mostly held by ignorants and non-Arabs that barely could locate the Arab world on a map or their own country for that matter. The Arabian Peninsula, KSA included, is a very diverse region as proven by my pictures. Every kind of landscape is present. 

Regarding Yemen, another absolute world class gem, then I invite you to visit my thread about Yemen in the photography and multimedia section of PDF. There I have posted pictures of Socotra too.

I am thinking about making a thread here about the ancient and beautiful Arabian Peninsula.

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## DESERT FIGHTER

Abu Zolfiqar said:


> nice geography in those pictures....many people think the region is only deserts and sand though clearly such conceptions are misconceptions
> 
> 
> actually - what I am DYING to explore is the Soqotra Islands of Yemen. Looks like paradise on earth.



sindh lagta hai.. haha.


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## al-Hasani

Al Wadj Bank, Saudi Arabia (NASA, International Space Station Science, 12/30/07) by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, on Flickr




Red Sea Dolphins by handytom, on Flickr




&#1601;&#1585;&#1587;&#1575;&#1606; by jazan2013, on Flickr

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## MooshMoosh

al-Hasani said:


> *Yes, they can but not with Western bikinis, LOL. If they find a isolated spot which there are plenty of, if one bothers to make the travel (1150 islands alone along the Saudi Arabian Red Sea coastline) or the 2000 km long Red Sea coastline (most of it fairly isolated) then they can even do it naked I presume.*


  hmmm

Thank you, I think it's time to travel. All I need is ...

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## al-Hasani

@MooshMoosh

You better behave 7abibi.






Does this gif above remind you of some member here? I am talking about our favorite Somali brother here. @Dino


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## MooshMoosh

al-Hasani said:


> @MooshMoosh
> 
> You better behave 7abibi.


Unfortunately, where i'm living is the place for wh*res 



al-Hasani said:


> Does this gif above remind you of some member here? I am talking about our favorite Somali brother here. @Dino


The dude who likes to **** Shiites off 

With the other post, i'm just tryna **** the child murderers off but unfortunately the mod "Serpentine" targetted me for an obvious reason. We both miss Banu


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## MooshMoosh

al-Hasani said:


> ,jazan2013 on Flickr


beautiful but sometimes in reality it can look different


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## al-Hasani

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS0-nIu1oMI&feature=player_embedded

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhazX0RFk4E&feature=player_embedded

 That's a Coffea Arabica I am drinking btw. The first cultivated and the best there is.

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## Sinnerman108

Hmmm ... never knew about that .

I thought saudi sea = Hamour BBQ !


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## Yzd Khalifa

salman108 said:


> Hmmm ... never knew about that .
> 
> I thought saudi sea = Hamour BBQ !



Why not Camels  ...

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## al-Hasani

Yzd Khalifa said:


> Why not Camels  ...








Not a bad word about the camels.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dromedary

But I prefer our beautiful and world famous Arabian horses though.

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## Yzd Khalifa

al-Hasani said:


> Not a bad word about the camels.
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dromedary
> 
> But I prefer our beautiful and world famous Arabian horses though.



I don't eat fish, period. 

But if you insist then have it your way!

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## al-Hasani

Yzd Khalifa said:


> I don't eat fish, period.
> 
> But if you insist then have it your way!



That reply must have been to Salman, bro. But why no take that discussion as well.

I like fish. Especially the fish dishes served in Hijaz and Yemen. Especially if done over a bonfire, grill or oven. In other words when fried, grilled or baked. 

For example sayadiah

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## Sun Piwa

A land of wahabit terrorists Al Qaeda creators


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## al-Hasani

Sun Piwa said:


> A land of wahabit terrorists Al Qaeda creators



@Aeronaut 

I think it is about time to deal with this Vietnamese lunatic that meddles in Arab and Muslim affairs while being anti-Muslim and anti-Arab besides his trolling, posts of no value etc. He is attempting to derail this thread with his nonsense.

I can't be the only one who have reported his posts before.

The individual is a certified lunatic at least his postings here are.

Thank you.

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## Sinnerman108

@Yzd Khalifa

Try the Souk Shamal, they have good folks who will BBQ it for you and it is very very good !
I am a regular customer !
@al-Hasani

Grilled fish is just too good to pass.
if you can get fresh shrimp !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ....................... 

Guys if you get a chance you must try River Fish ! totally different from sea fish and much much more tastier !

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## Yzd Khalifa

I guess that I will be giving it a second thought.  


salman108 said:


> @Yzd Khalifa
> 
> Try the Souk Shamal, they have good folks who will BBQ it for you and it is very very good !
> I am a regular customer !
> @al-Hasani
> 
> Grilled fish is just too good to pass.
> if you can get fresh shrimp !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! .......................
> 
> Guys if you get a chance you must try River Fish ! totally different from sea fish and much much more tastier !

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## al-Hasani

salman108 said:


> @Yzd Khalifa
> 
> Try the Souk Shamal, they have good folks who will BBQ it for you and it is very very good !
> I am a regular customer !
> @al-Hasani
> 
> Grilled fish is just too good to pass.
> if you can get fresh shrimp !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! .......................
> 
> Guys if you get a chance you must try River Fish ! totally different from sea fish and much much more tastier !



Yes, it's delicious. There are a lot of good fish dishes in KSA. I don't know where you are in KSA but if you are in Riyadh then I would advice you to travel to the coastal regions of the Eastern Province and try some local fish dishes there. Or go to Hijaz.

Yes, I tried it here in Europe a few times but to be honest then I can't taste the difference. It depends on the fish and its quality obviously.



Yzd Khalifa said:


> I guess that I will be giving it a second thought.



You really should bro. Start with the Hijazi dish I mentioned and posted a picture of.

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## Ceylal

BATMAN said:


> Red sea is infested with *sharks *too..



wonder if they are shia or sunni.

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## Ceylal

One of the richest fauna in the world...Glad you created a thread for it...It need to be shown .

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## Yzd Khalifa

Ceylal said:


> wonder if they are shia or sunni.



Maybe Zoroastrians?

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## al-Hasani

Ceylal said:


> wonder if they are shia or sunni.



LOL, they are all Wahhabi of course.



Ceylal said:


> One of the richest fauna in the world...Glad you created a thread for it...It need to be shown .



You are very welcome 7abibi.



Yzd Khalifa said:


> Maybe Zoroastrians?





What about Scientology?

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## Yzd Khalifa

al-Hasani said:


> LOL, they are all Wahhabi of course.
> 
> You are very welcome 7abibi.
> 
> 
> 
> What about Scientology?



LoLz, there is no sea in Riyadh, who cares? Oh darn, others do

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## Sinnerman108

al-Hasani said:


> Yes, it's delicious. There are a lot of good fish dishes in KSA. I don't know where you are in KSA but if you are in Riyadh then I would advice you to travel to the coastal regions of the Eastern Province and try some local fish dishes there. Or go to Hijaz.
> 
> Yes, I tried it here in Europe a few times but to be honest then I can't taste the difference. It depends on the fish and its quality obviously.
> 
> 
> 
> You really should bro. Start with the Hijazi dish I mentioned and posted a picture of.




Sweety darling ... 
I am in Riyadh .. and go to Khobar regularly  

I know more about food @ Saudi than most Saudis !

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## Hussein

Ceylal said:


> wonder if they are shia or sunni.


no they are zionists (some MB said some such stupid things already )

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## Pakistani E

al-Hasani said:


> Another little set:
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> 
> Hey those are some really nice pics man, never knew such areas existed there. Do you think maybe you guys will let me buy one of those islands? or maybe lease it? I'd love to build my house there..

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## al-Hasani

Pakistani Exile said:


> Hey those are some really nice pics man, never knew such areas existed there. Do you think maybe you guys will let me buy one of those islands? or maybe lease it? I'd love to build my house there..



There are *1150 *islands along the Saudi Arabian Red Sea coastline and 1300 Saudi Arabian islands in total so there should be room for enough of investors. Jokes aside then most are uninhabited and all of them belong to the state.


> "There are plenty of untapped opportunities to promote tourism through the *1,300 islands in the Kingdom's waters*. While 1,150 of them are in the Red Sea and 150 in the Arabian Gulf, only 405 have distinct names and been surveyed by the Saudi Geological Society," said a member of the JCCI Tourism Committee Khaled Fahd Al-Harthy.



You can read more here below.

1,300 Saudi islands look for investorsTravel & Tourism - Zawya

Your best pick would be to marry an Saudi Arabian princess. Or some other rich Saudi Arabian.

Until then I present you this.

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## al-Hasani

salman108 said:


> Sweety darling ...
> I am in Riyadh .. and go to Khobar regularly
> 
> I know more about food @ Saudi than most Saudis !



Oh, Khobar. Great city.






Of course since we live in generation fast food unfortunately. One of my sisters is planning to write a book about Saudi Arabian cuisine. Watch out for it if it ever finalizes.

Don't say that you are a part-time fisherman as well Salman, like those guys below.

&#x202b;ØµÙ&#352;Ø¯ Ø§Ù&#8222;Ø³Ù&#8230;Ù&#402; Ø¬Ø¯Ù&#352;Ø¯ Ø·Ø¨Ø±Ù&#352;Ø§ (2013)&#x202c;â&#8364;&#381; - YouTube

Of course you live in Riyadh. Not much water there.

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## Pakistani E

al-Hasani said:


> There are *1150 *islands along the Saudi Arabian Red Sea coastline and 1300 Saudi Arabian islands in total so there should be room for enough of investors. Jokes aside then most are uninhabited and all of them belong to the state.
> 
> 
> You can read more here below.
> 
> 1,300 Saudi islands look for investorsTravel & Tourism - Zawya
> 
> *Your best pick would be to marry an Saudi Arabian princess. Or some other rich Saudi Arabian.*
> 
> Meh back to the drawing board.
> Until then I present you this.



It's white


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## Sinnerman108

Babyyyyyyyyyyyyy @al-Hasani

It is NOT a great city.

It is the greatest ! I swear there is some thing about that place, I feel happy when i go there.
and I feel sad when i come to riyadh. 

Life @ Khobar is so much better, so very much better !
Food choice is second to Madinah only. 
Less traffic and more fun !

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## al-Hasani

Pakistani Exile said:


> It's white



Camels come in different colors you know.



salman108 said:


> Babyyyyyyyyyyyyy @al-Hasani
> 
> It is NOT a great city.
> 
> It is the greatest ! I swear there is some thing about that place, I feel happy when i go there.
> and I feel sad when i come to riyadh.
> 
> Life @ Khobar is so much better, so very much better !
> Food choice is second to Madinah only.
> Less traffic and more fun !



Yeah, I hear you. Great city and very friendly people. Riyadh will be and to some extent is already a great city. It has its particular charm too. Lots of new projects going on and a big potential. Much more international too. One more great thing about Riyadh. Plenty of restaurants and cheap and delicious food. Nature next door too.

Speaking about fish.

&#x202b;ØµÙ&#352;Ø§Ø¯ Ø§Ù&#8222;Ù&#8225;Ø§Ù&#8230;Ù&#710;Ø± 2&#x202c;â&#8364;&#381; - YouTube

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## kalu_miah

@al-Hasani Nice pictures and video's. I had no idea there is high mountains with snow fall in KSA:
Saudi Aramco World : In the Alps of Arabia

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## bangstick

As a diver, I'd love to dive the area if it weren't for all those Saudis, Egyptians and Sudanese around. Clear them out and I'd be right over.

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## al-Hasani

bangstick said:


> As a diver, I'd love to dive the area if it weren't for all those Saudis, Egyptians and Sudanese around. Clear them out and I'd be right over.



What a useless comment. You are neither welcome with that attidude. Besides I struggle to see what Egyptians and Sudanese people have to do with KSA or the SAUDI ARABIAN Red Sea coastline and all the hundreds of islands.

Something tells me that you are a false flagger anyway.



kalu_miah said:


> @al-Hasani Nice pictures and video's. I had no idea there is high mountains with snow fall in KSA:
> Saudi Aramco World : In the Alps of Arabia



You are very welcome 7abibi. KSA is a very beautiful country indeed with all types of landscapes and amazing unspoiled nature.

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## al-Hasani

@BLACKEAGLE 

&#1575;&#1582;&#1610; &#1575;&#1606;&#1575; &#1587;&#1593;&#1610;&#1583; &#1580;&#1583;&#1575; &#1575;&#1606; &#1575;&#1585;&#1575;&#1603; &#1605;&#1585;&#1577; &#1575;&#1582;&#1585;&#1610;

&#1606;&#1575; &#1571;&#1605;&#1604; &#1576;&#1589;&#1583;&#1602; &#1575;&#1606; &#1610;&#1603;&#1608;&#1606; &#1603;&#1604; &#1588;&#1574; &#1593;&#1604;&#1610; &#1605;&#1575; &#1610;&#1585;&#1575;&#1605; &#1605;&#1593;&#1603; &#1608;&#1605;&#1593; &#1593;&#1575;&#1574;&#1604;&#1578;&#1603;

The "Blackeagle thread" was closed so could not write it there

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## -SINAN-

@ al-Hasani

Wonderful pics bro. Are there any Turkish buildings left in Saudi Arabia from the Ottoman Era ?

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## al-Hasani

Sinan said:


> @ al-Hasani
> 
> Wonderful pics bro. Are there any Turkish buildings left in Saudi Arabia from the Ottoman Era ?



Yes, quite a few fortifications and a few castles. Some architecture here and there as well. Mostly mixed with local traditions since it already pre-dated the Ottomans by many hundreds of years. You also need to remember that most parts of KSA were not part of the Ottoman Empire but self-ruled (kingdoms, emirates etc.) and those that were (parts of Hijaz and parts of the Eastern Province) were ruled by local rulers such as the Sharifs of Makkah. There were also some Emirates in what is now Northern Najd in the Al-Rashid's that ruled the Emirate of Jabal Shammar who were not formally part of the Ottoman Empire but allies. In general those were pro-Ottoman rulers that gave their allegiance to the Sultan/Caliph. In the case of parts of modern day KSA that were officially a part of the Ottoman Empire.

There are also Turks or descendants of Turks living in KSA (mostly mixed now) just like there are Arab communities in Turkey. People by far have mostly a positive view of Turkey and Turks especially in these days were Arab-Turkish relations have improved.

Anyway you are welcome, bro.

You can explore more here below. Some of your countrymen already visited.

http://www.defence.pk/forums/arab-defence/222471-saudi-arabia-pictures-44.html

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## -SINAN-

al-Hasani said:


> Yes, quite a few fortifications and a few castles. Some architecture here and there as well. Mostly mixed with local traditions since it already pre-dated the Ottomans by many hundreds of years. You also need to remember that most parts of KSA were not part of the Ottoman Empire but self-ruled (kingdoms, emirates etc.) and those that were (parts of Hijaz and parts of the Eastern Province) were ruled by local rulers such as the Sharifs of Makkah. There were also some Emirates in what is now Northern Najd in the Al-Rashid's that ruled the Emirate of Jabal Shammar who were not formally part of the Ottoman Empire but allies. In general those were pro-Ottoman rulers that gave their allegiance to the Sultan/Caliph. In the case of parts of modern day KSA that were officially a part of the Ottoman Empire.



Thanks for the info, appreciated very much. 



al-Hasani said:


> There are also Turks or descendants of Turks living in KSA (mostly mixed now) just like there are Arab communities in Turkey. People by far have mostly a positive view of Turkey and Turks especially in these days were Arab-Turkish relations have improved.



I really learned much in PDF about Turkish-Arab relations both for Turkey Era and Ottoman Era.

I used to think that "Arabs stabbed us in the back while we were in need of a help." But later on i discovered different perspectives of the situation. ( Thanks goes to @BLACKEAGLE for his explanatory posts ).

I hope Arab-Turkish relations continues to flourish.

I'm going to place a good luck talisman here. 






^^ This one is for the Arab and/or Turkish haters.

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## al-Hasani

Sinan said:


> Thanks for the info, appreciated very much.
> 
> 
> 
> I really learned much in PDF about Turkish-Arab relations both for Turkey Era and Ottoman Era.
> 
> I used to think that "Arabs stabbed us in the back while we were in need of a help." But later on i discovered different perspectives of the situation. ( Thanks goes to @BLACKEAGLE for his explanatory posts ).
> 
> I hope Arab-Turkish relations continues to flourish.
> 
> I'm going to place a good luck talisman here.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ^^ This one is for the Arab and/or Turkish haters.



You are very welcome, bro.

Regarding the Caliphate talk then you need to remember that we Arabs ruled the Caliphate for nearly 1000 years. From the very beginning and throughout the most vital and important parts of Islamic history - Rashidun (4 rightly guided Caliphs), Umayyads, Al-Andalus, Abbasids, Golden Age of Islam, nearly all the Islamic conquests etc. 

The Ottomans or rather the House of Osman (originally Turks from modern-day Turkmenistan) proclaimed themselves as Caliphs and replaced the Abbasids who ruled as nominal "Caliphs" from Cairo after the sacking of Baghdad by the Mongols in 1258. It was Selim I the grandson of Mehmed the Conqueror (who conquered modern-day Istanbul) that crowned himself as Caliph in 1512 after he gained control of Hijaz. This is all history and no Arabs are angry about that today or is blaming the Ottomans/Turks for "stealing" their Caliphate. I believe that the Turks should do the same the other way around. Because we all know that many of the Caliphs were more rulers/sultans than Caliphs. This is why we Sunni Muslims at least distinguish between the 4 Rightly guided Caliphs (Rashidun) and all the others including all the Arab Caliphs that ruled for 800 years after and the Ottoman/Turkish ones.

Besides many Arabs were also pro-Ottoman and even fought for the Ottoman Empire despite their opponents fighting for their own countries. Anyway all history today as I told.

Let us hope for a continued brotherly Arab-Turkish relations in the future at least.

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## Serpentine

Great pics.

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## al-Hasani

Lastly regarding Saudi Arabian families of Turkish descent then there is the rather famous Khashoogi family who were originally a Turkish family but now have mixed with Arabs - local Saudi Arabians (Hijazis) and Syrians.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adnan_Khashoggi

Adnan Khashoggi is and was among the richest persons in the entire Middle East.

In general you can find families or people of mixed origins from every single Islamic country be they Arab or non-Arab in Hijaz. Makkah and Madinah has attracted Muslims for 1400 years from every corner of the world. Back in the old days were pilgrimages were made on foot, sea, by animal (horse, camel etc.) many people stayed and settled. Many others emigrated. In fact just like the entire Middle East we are mixed and have come under influence of various people. You can see that by just walking in Jeddah for example. Besides I have not even included the recent migration to KSA from all kind of countries Arab, non-Arab, Muslim and non-Muslim. This forum alone is a good example of it.

Likewise there are other Saudi Arabian/Turkish families just lesser known than the Khashoggis who are based in Hijaz.

I also learnt a few minutes ago when I was looking at this topic that Dodi Fayed (not his real name) the "lover" of Princess Diana mother was a Saudi Arabian Khashoggi.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodi_Fayed

His father Muhammad al-Fayed was the owner of Harrods and the current owner of Fulham FC. He is a billionaire. Anyway his mother was this lady.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samira_Kashoggi

Both are now deceased though.

Totally off-topic I know but just wanted to tell this since you were around.

You can read more here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turks_in_Saudi_Arabia

The Turks in that Wikipedia article are only new arrivals and do not include the Ottomans who settled before the 1970's. We know for a fact that thousands settled not only in parts of KSA that were formally under Ottoman rule (although ruled by local rulers that had pledged their allegiance to the Sultan/Caliph in Istanbul) but other former Ottoman territories in the Arab and non-Arab world. Be it Yemen, Iraq, Syria etc. So the number is probably bigger than 200.000. At least partially. But again the Ottomans themselves came from a mixed background. Some were Turks some were Caucasians, Albanians etc.

You probably know all this already.

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## -SINAN-

al-Hasani said:


> You are very welcome, bro.
> 
> Regarding the Caliphate talk then you need to remember that we Arabs ruled the Caliphate for nearly 1000 years. From the very beginning and throughout the most vital and important parts of Islamic history - Rashidun (4 rightly guided Caliphs), Umayyads, Al-Andalus, Abbasids, Golden Age of Islam, nearly all the Islamic conquests etc.
> 
> The Ottomans or rather the House of Osman (originally Turks from modern-day Turkmenistan) proclaimed themselves as Caliphs and replaced the Abbasids who ruled as nominal "Caliphs" from Cairo after the sacking of Baghdad by the Mongols in 1258. It was Selim I the grandson of Mehmed the Conqueror (who conquered modern-day Istanbul) that crowned himself as Caliph in 1512 after he gained control of Hijaz. This is all history and no Arab are angry about that today or is blaming the Ottomans/Turks for "stealing" their Caliphate. I believe that the Turks should do the same the other way around. Because we all know that many of the Caliphs were more rulers/sultans than Caliphs. This is why we Sunni Muslims at least distinguish between the 4 Rightly guided Caliphs (Rashidun) and all the others including all the Arab Caliphs that ruled for 800 years after and the Ottoman/Turkish ones.
> 
> Besides many Arabs were also pro-Ottoman and even fought for the Ottoman Empire despite their opponents fighting for their own countries. Anyway all history today as I told.
> 
> Let us hope for a continued brotherly Arab-Turkish relations in the future at least.



We are thought Arab Caliphate Eras in school. I think this is the only historical teaching that doesn't belong to Turkic history.

I understand that there is no bad-blood for caliphate "exchange" 

What about the abolish of caliphate ? I mean we ended caliphate, a very important figure in Islam which has been founded by Arabs...

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## al-Hasani

Sinan said:


> We are thought Arab Caliphate Eras in school. I think this is the only historical teaching that doesn't belong to Turkic history.
> 
> I understand that there is no bad-blood for caliphate "exchange"
> 
> What about the abolish of caliphate ? I mean we ended caliphate, a very important figure in Islam which has been founded by Arabs...



Well, that is great. It is part of fundamental Islamic history that every Muslim know or at least have heard about. Yes, among some. I look at it as history and a struggle of power that I had no role in.

Well, correct me if I am wrong bro, but did the Turks themselves not abolish the Caliphate? At least they ousted the last nominal Caliph. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdülmecid_II

Or Abdul-Majid as he was also known as. He is buried in Madinah btw.

Later came Ataturk and the rest is history I guess.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decline_of_the_Ottoman_Empire

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_National_Movement

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atatürk's_Reforms

Most Turks I know are happy about that transformation but at the same time are Muslims and proud of their Ottoman past. Times changes and history too. Maybe in 200 years the Turks will look at that period differently? Who knows? Rulers come and go but the people, land they inhabit, history, culture etc. often remain although they can change too. That's my philosophy.

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## -SINAN-

al-Hasani said:


> Well, that is great. It is part of fundamental Islamic history that every Muslim know or at least have heard about. Yes, among some. I look at it as history and a struggle of power that I had no role in.
> 
> Well, correct me if I am wrong bro, but did the Turks themselves not abolish the Caliphate? At least they ousted the last nominal Caliph.



Yes yes, I'm not saying otherwise.



al-Hasani said:


> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdülmecid_II
> 
> Or Abdul-Majid as he was also known as. He is buried in Makkah btw.
> 
> Later came Ataturk and the rest is history I guess.
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_National_Movement
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atatürk's_Reforms
> 
> * Most Turks I know are happy about that transformation but at the same time are Muslims and proud of their Ottoman past.*



Most true bro. Me and most of the Turks believe that whatever Atatürk done at that time was necessary. Great Ottoman Empire reduced to nothing, Sultan sold his people and our land. Allied forces invaded our country. The whole nation was war weary ( There were 300.000 Ottoman army deserters living in mountains across Anatolia as bandits.... some of them had been recruited as a boy and fought in many fronts for 10-15 years.) All of our armies disbanded, most of the weapons captured by allies. Even on these terms he managed to unite the Turkish people. And gained a deceive victory against invaders. We are most glad for him... 



al-Hasani said:


> Times changes and history too. Maybe in 200 years the Turks will look at that period differently? Who knows? Rulers come and come but the people, land they inhabit, history, culture etc. often remain although they can change to. That's my philosophy.



So true my brother, so true.....

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## al-Hasani

Sinan said:


> Yes yes, I'm not saying otherwise.
> 
> 
> 
> Most true bro. Me and most of the Turks believe that whatever Atatürk done at that time was necessary. Great Ottoman Empire reduced to nothing, Sultan sold his people and our land. Allied forces invaded our country. The whole nation was war weary ( There were 300.000 Ottoman army deserters living in mountains across Anatolia as bandits.... some of them had been recruited as a boy and fought in many fronts for 10-15 years.) All of our armies disbanded, most of the weapons captured by allies. Even on these terms he managed to unite the Turkish people. And gained a deceive victory against invaders. We are most glad for him...
> 
> 
> 
> So true my brother, so true.....



Yes, read about the situation of Turkey and the decline of the Ottoman Empire. What is intersting is that if you study history, the ancient Middle Eastern/Near Eastern history - largely Semitic be it Arab, Jewish, Akkadian, Babylonian, Assyrian, Phoenician, ancient Yemeni ones ( Saba', Ma'&#299;n, Qatab&#257;n, Ha&#7697;ramawt, Aws&#257;n, and Himyar), ancient Ethiopian ones, Egyptians etc. or non-Semitic in the region or just European you will see similar situations showing themselves again and again under different time periods, situations etc. Also Islamic and non-Islamic. The key word here is the struggle for power, greed etc. All we see every day across the whole world manifested in different ways. Same with the Turkic dynasties I imagine and every other.

It has been said that the wisest rulers are those who rule the longest but no matter how long they rule or how good they rule their time will also come. This is certain. At least history has taught us this time and time again. So with or without Atatürk the Ottoman Empire would have ended. Already from the second Selim I crowned himself as Caliph in 1512 the Ottomans had created enemies and later most areas although formally part of the Ottoman Empire were ruled by local rulers that had their own agendas often conflicting with the Sultan/Caliph in Istanbul. Same happened when the Rashidun, Umayyad (in Damascus or Al-Andalus (Spain/Portugal), Abbasid, Fatimid etc. ruled. Just different scenarios, territories etc.

When I say that the time of every ruling family will come then I am not referring to the constitutional monarchies in Europe who have no political rule or influence but are purely ceremonial figures. They as institutions have the support of most of their population (70-80% +) but even they can be removed from that ceremonial position in 100 years time if not sooner.

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## -SINAN-

Thanks man, great info.



al-Hasani said:


> We know for a fact that thousands settled not only in parts of KSA that were formally under Ottoman rule (although ruled by local rulers that had pledged their allegiance to the Sultan/Caliph in Istanbul) but other former Ottoman territories in the Arab and non-Arab world. Be it Yemen, Iraq, Syria etc. So the number is probably bigger than 200.000. At least partially. But again the Ottomans themselves came from a mixed background. Some were Turks some were Caucasians, Albanians etc.
> 
> You probably know all this already.



It's true we have mixed background. My father side is pure-turcomans. But mothers ancestors lived in Egypt as Ottoman officers, than later moved to Crete island. My grandfather has a slightly dark skin and sharp outlines (probably from Egytian heritage) and Dark Green eyes ( probably from Crete/Greek heritage).

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## al-Hasani

Sinan said:


> Thanks man, great info.
> 
> 
> 
> It's true we have mixed background. My father side is pure-turcomans. But mothers ancestors lived in Egypt as Ottoman officers, than later moved to Crete island. My grandfather has a slightly dark skin and sharp outlines (probably from Egytian heritage) and Dark Green eyes ( probably from Crete/Greek heritage).



Yeah. Can give you many examples from my own siblings or just family members LOL. Difference in eye color, hair color, natural skin color and when exposed to the sun etc. What we forget is that we are not only a reflection of our parents, grandparents but thousands of other ancestors. Mutations etc. I once read about a pure white couple that became parents of a black child and the child was theirs. The other way around too. Proven by genetics. Don't remember what caused it but something about genetics and all of us supposedly carrying black genetics. But I am not an anthropologist.






Anyway we are completely off-topic. This is also a certainty the longer any discussion on the internet or outside of it continues.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qPh09zA0nY



Why is the program called "Young Turks"? You know why, bro?

WTF are those two clowns talking about in that studio? The Boston bombers were Chechens for God's sake. Not Arab let alone Saudi Arabian. The stupidity.....

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## -SINAN-

al-Hasani said:


> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qPh09zA0nY
> 
> 
> 
> Why is the program called "Young Turks"? You know why, bro?



I know them, one of them is a Turk named Hakan. But i don't know why they call themselves "Young Turks"...i researched sometime ago but there was to many suggestions.





al-Hasani said:


> WTF are those two clowns talking about in that studio? The Boston bombers were Chechens for God's sake. Not Arab let alone Saudi Arabian. The stupidity.....



Mate, i'm here for some time and i have seen lot's of people from different nationalities bash on Arabs for no or non-sense reasons. I think you guys learned to give a sh&#305;t about their thoughts.... 

Keep it that way.

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## al-Hasani

Sinan said:


> I know them, one of them is a Turk named Hakan. But i don't know why they call themselves "Young Turks"...i researched sometime ago but there was to many suggestions.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Mate, i'm here for some time and i have seen lot's of people from different nationalities bash on Arabs for no or non-sense reasons. I think you guys learned to give a sh&#305;t about their thoughts....
> 
> Keep it that way.



Yes, I believe that he is usually the host. I just picked a random episode.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ckfEYpx-fQ

Haha you don't tell me, bro? On this forum no nationality are free from such things. At the same time many here are also friendly toward us Arabs which we appreciate and then return the favor.

Well, I just find it strange that they can be so wrong. Even basic facts they seem not to know anything about. After all this happened in THEIR country - the US. There was first of all not just one Boston bombing suspect but two. Brother's who happened to be from Chechnya. Or Russia. Use what you want. How they can spin that to an Arab or let alone an Saudi Arabian (there are over 100.000 Saudi Arabian students in the US) I really don't know. Especially days if not weeks after the Boston Bombings. They are excused if the program was just made a few days after where the perpetrators were unknown but I somehow doubt that.

Anyway off-topic. Let us end it here before this thread is unrecognizable. Anyway it was a pleasure talking with you.

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## -SINAN-

al-Hasani said:


> Anyway off-topic. Let us end it here before this thread is unrecognizable. Anyway it was a pleasure talking with you.



It was a pleasure for me too. You are writing very fast and detailed, i *can't* write as *fast* or *detailed* as you but that doesn't mean, i don't appreciate for taking your time. Thank you again for taking your time to speak with me bro.

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## al-Hasani

Sinan said:


> It was a pleasure for me too. You are writing very fast and detailed, i *can't* write as *fast* or *detailed* as you but that doesn't mean, i don't appreciate for taking your time. Thank you again for taking your time to speak with me bro.



You are very welcome bro as well once again.

A few more photos:




&#1601;&#1585;&#1587;&#1575;&#1606; by jazan2013, on Flickr




Gizan virgin islands and beaches &#1580;&#1586;&#1585; &#1608;&#1588;&#1608;&#1575;&#1591;&#1574; &#1580;&#1610;&#1586;&#1575;&#1606; &#1575;&#1604;&#1576;&#1603;&#1585; by CLICK GROUP &#1605;&#1593;&#1610;&#1606; &#1575;&#1604;&#1588;&#1585;&#1610;&#1601; Moeen, on Flickr

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## al-Hasani

@Yzd Khalifa

As cute, rare and expensive as the Najdi sheep are then they cannot compete with that below!

Is that not right, @Hyperion?





&#1575;&#1604;&#1576;&#1585;&#1583; &#1601;&#1610; &#1605;&#1606;&#1591;&#1602;&#1577; &#1581;&#1585;&#1610;&#1605;&#1604;&#1575;&#1569; - &#1581;&#1601;&#1585; &#1575;&#1604;&#1576;&#1575;&#1591;&#1606; by Talal Qatar &#1345;&#847;0&#847;1&#847;&#439;&#847;, on Flickr

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-9I6Z0FCSE

I have to buy one from a Najdi farmer one day, haha.

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## Yzd Khalifa

al-Hasani said:


> @<u><a href="http://www.defence.pk/forums/member.php?u=145565" target="_blank">Yzd Khalifa</a></u>
> 
> As cute, rare and expensive as the Najdi sheep are then they cannot compete with that below!



Yes, it is

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## al-Hasani

Yzd Khalifa said:


> Yes, it is



The Arabian horses are truly amazing horses. No wonder they have such a great reputation. Besides the migrant workers and locals are doing a great job of keeping an eye on them as the one in clips that you posted in your post. I have seen a few farms back home and in general they are in a excellent conditions.

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## Yzd Khalifa

al-Hasani said:


> The Arabian horses are truly amazing horses. No wonder they have such a great reputation. Besides the migrant workers are doing a great job of keeping an eye on them as the one in the last clip in your post. I have seen a few farms back home and in general they are in a excellent conditions.



I got my bro hooked up on them for real! He just bought some horse for 30k, and I was like

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## al-Hasani

Yzd Khalifa said:


> I got my bro hooked up on them for real! He just bought some horse for 30k, and I was like



30k? That's some money. Yeah, they are quite expensive. My uncle and other family members own a few of them but no large scale breeding program like many other families. My father adores horses in general and I think that I inherited that likeness. It is not cheap to look after them and it is time consuming. Not sure if I would be able to have one anywhere. Unless I became a farmer back home. Then I could also buy plenty of Najdi sheep. The idea has grown on me lately. A bit tired of the academic life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_90VnRQHzsY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxCg2uefhiI

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## Yzd Khalifa

According to him THIRTY THOUSAND is nothing; some make MILLIONS. But I found it ridicoulsly high :/ .. 


al-Hasani said:


> 30k? That's some money. Yeah, they are quite expensive. My uncle and other family members own a few of them but no large scale breeding program like many other families. My father adores horses in general and I think that I inherited that likeness. It is not cheap to look after them and it is time consuming. Not sure if I would be able to have one anywhere. Unless I became a farmer back home. Then I could also buy plenty of Najdi sheep. The idea has grown on me lately. A bit tired of the academic life
> 
> &#x202b;
> 
> &#x202b;

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## al-Hasani

Yzd Khalifa said:


> According to him THIRTY THOUSAND is nothing; some make MILLIONS. But I found it ridicoulsly high :/ ..



That is correct. It is really not a lot but for us or at least for a student like me it is A LOT. Arabian horses are expensive everywhere. To buy and not at least to look after.

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## W.11

nice pictures there, looks very similar to carribean

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## Yzd Khalifa

al-Hasani said:


> That is correct. It is really not a lot but for us or at least for a student like me it is A LOT. Arabian horses are expensive everywhere. To buy and not at least to look after.



I'm not buying even a cat bro, forget about horses

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## al-Hasani

Yzd Khalifa said:


> I'm not buying even a cat bro, forget about horses



Not even a Najdi sheep?

You disappointed me big time, bro.

A Newborn Lamb -

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## Yzd Khalifa

Why do you keep bringing this guy all the time?  



al-Hasani said:


> Not even a Najdi sheep?
> 
> You disappointed me big time, bro.
> 
> A Newborn Lamb -

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## al-Hasani

Yzd Khalifa said:


> Why do you keep bringing this guy all the time?



Haha, because that little guy is awesome!

You have to admit that. You can't disappoint a fellow little Najdi like that ever again.



W.11 said:


> nice pictures there, looks very similar to carribean



Thanks. You are welcome, bro. Anytime.

Indeed we have among the best marine wonderlands and coastlines in the world. Even internationally recognized. The Red Sea is a real gem. 1150 Saudi Arabian islands there alone. All of them tropical!

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## Yzd Khalifa

Eeeh? Really? 


al-Hasani said:


> Haha, because that little guy is awesome!
> 
> You have to admit that. You can't disappoint a fellow little Najdi like that ever again.
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks. You are welcome, bro. Anytime.
> 
> Indeed we have among the best marine wonderlands and coastlines in the world. Even internationally recognized. The Red Sea is a real gem. 1150 Saudi Arabian islands there alone. All of them tropical!


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## bangstick

al-Hasani said:


> What a useless comment. You are neither welcome with that attidude.
> 
> Dude , a joke...it was a friggin' joke. Lighten up. But really, I wouldn't go there anyway. Too many other places I'd rather dive.
> 
> Something tells me that you are a false flagger anyway...



What's with the 'false flagger' sh!t ? Guys on this site LOVE to whip out that stupid phrase. I've seen it a million time in the short time I've been here. Nope, just a dude from Philly. Sorry.


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## al-Hasani

bangstick said:


> What's with the 'false flagger' sh!t ? Guys on this site LOVE to whip out that stupid phrase. I've seen it a million time in the short time I've been here. Nope, just a dude from Philly. Sorry.



Well, you can do whatever you want to. Like anyone cares. The Red Sea is known as the best diving sea in the world. Only the Great Barrier Reef in Australia has a bigger coral reef but that's not a entire sea nor do they have the same huge amount of islands.

Philladelphia. Sounds "great".

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## bangstick

al-Hasani said:


> Well, you can do whatever you want to. Like anyone cares. The Red Sea is known as the best diving sea in the world. Only the Great Barrier Reef in Australia has a bigger coral reef but that's not a entire sea nor do they have the same huge amount of islands.
> 
> Philladelphia. Sounds "great".




Not true. Palancar Reef is the second largest coral reef in the world. Dove it plenty, Belize to Cancun. Red Sea would be nice... but EVERYONE knows wreck diving the North Atlantic is the SH!T !!! Coral reefs are pretty, but a New Jersey wreck separates the men from the boys in diving. I like Philly and everyone DOES care what I do !!


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## al-Hasani

Whatever dude. The Red Sea has among the biggest coral reefs in the world and among the most rich marine biologies and nearly 2500 islands. A leading destinations for divers too. 

Regarding wrecks than there is plenty of those too.

I am sure you do otherwise you would not be living there!

NYC/LA>Philladelphia.

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## al-Hasani

Shoqaiq Beach by Abdullah AlJasser, on Flickr






























Untitled by Unique xm, on Flickr

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## al-Hasani

Farasan Islands:




Farasan3-1 by Hassan Mashi &quot; netsmart11 &quot;, on Flickr




1 by Riyad Sohail ^. .^ رياض سهيل, on Flickr




من تراث جزر فرسان by owyed alowyed, on Flickr




من رجال جزر فرسان by owyed alowyed, on Flickr

*Tarout Island with a history spanning 7000 years*. If I remember correctly it is the third biggest island in the Arabian Gulf.




Tarout Island by waltherhetzer1, on Flickr




This is Tarout Island. by Al Sughayir Mahdi, on Flickr




Tarout Farms مزارع تاروت by Lutfi Al-Basarah لطفي احمد البصاره, on Flickr




غابة المانجروف by Tayseer Alabyadh, on Flickr

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## al-Hasani

Various Saudi Arabian islands: (most of those below are located in the Red Sea)





















Coral reefs in the Eastern Province of KSA:




GulfPrintFilm02-08.tif by mikee84, on Flickr

Small uninhabited island, either Karan or Kurayn:




GulfPrintFilm02-28.tif by mikee84, on Flickr

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## al-Hasani

KSA has one of the richest bird colonies and one of the richest sea life in the region and world.

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## al-Hasani

View attachment 13392















List of Red Sea sharks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

@Arabian Legend @JUBA @Bubblegum Crisis @Yzd Khalifa @BLACKEAGLE @Awadd @Full Moon

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## al-Hasani

_Extinct volcano in Red Sea off coast Ad Darb in Jizan Province_

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## Sinnerman108

al-Hasani said:


> 30k? That's some money. Yeah, they are quite expensive. My uncle and other family members own a few of them but no large scale breeding program like many other families. My father adores horses in general and I think that I inherited that likeness. It is not cheap to look after them and it is time consuming. Not sure if I would be able to have one anywhere. Unless I became a farmer back home. Then I could also buy plenty of Najdi sheep. The idea has grown on me lately. A bit tired of the academic life



Didn't you ever ask what @Yzd Khalifa does for a living ?

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## al-Hasani

salman108 said:


> Didn't you ever ask what @Yzd Khalifa does for a living ?



He bullies Iranians and make them cry.

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## Sinnerman108

al-Hasani said:


> He bullies Iranians and make them cry.



No sweet heart ... that is a Hyundai Santro job .. at best Azeera.

@Yzd Khalifa will be very unhappy with this underestimation.

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## al-Hasani

salman108 said:


> No sweet heart ... that is a Hyundai Santro job .. at best Azeera.
> 
> @Yzd Khalifa will be very unhappy with this underestimation.



I think that I know what he is doing. He works for the government, more precisely the Ministry of Foreign Affairs if I remember correctly. Or was it the Riyadh police? Or the Ministry of Interior? I don't keep a notebook of what users are doing here, LOL.

@Yzd Khalifa do I remember correctly?
Anyway back to topic.











_Extinct volcano in Red Sea off coast Ad Darb in Jizan Province_



































List of Red Sea sharks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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## al-Hasani



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## al-Hasani

​

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## al-Hasani

One of the many hundreds of isolated islands in Tabuk Province.

Ahmad al-Balawi in action again:

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## Black Eagle 90

KSA and other GCC countries need to develop a potent military especially their Navies and Air Force


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## al-Hasani

*KSA has 1,300 islands with no inhabitants*​

RIYADH: ARAB NEWS
Published — Friday 12 April 2013
Last update 12 April 2013 8:42 pm
*The Saudi Geological Survey (SGS) revealed that there are more than 1,300 Saudi islands scattered along the Kingdom’s coastline in the Red Sea and the Gulf, across 3,800 kilometers.*
The continental shelf led to the formation of a variety of small and large islands, situation above sea level in the formation of rocks.*These islands differ in origin and composition, however the vast majority are coral, while the remaining are desert, continental and volcanic islands.*
Most of the islands along the Saudi coastline are flat, while some islands in the Red Sea are above sea level with highlands such as Tiran Island at 581 meters above sea level, Sanafir and Yabua islands at 112 meters above sea level.
The director of the SGS said that the majority of those 1300 islands are uninhabited due to their tough natural composition and climatic conditions as well as the lack of economic resources, with the exception of Farasan, Sajid Islands and Qummah Islands in Red Sea, in addition to Tarout, Abu Ali and Qannah Islands in the Arabian Gulf, which are inhabited by a small population size.

KSA has 1,300 islands with no inhabitants | Arab News — Saudi Arabia News, Middle East News, Opinion, Economy and more.





Farasan Island, Saudi Arabia جزيرة فرسان، المملكة العربية السعودية by Alrefaei_A, on Flickr​


Le Lagon bleu (sans Brooke Shields) by Délirante bestiole [la poésie des goupils], on Flickr



Purity by منصور العطياني, on Flickr













*Biodiversity of Saudi Arabian Red Sea Coral Reefs*​*Details*
‪The Red Sea is one of the most understudied areas in the world in terms of marine biodiversity, and yet the high level of endemism indicates that additional evolutionary partitions await discovery. Beginning in late 2012, we plan to operate a series of regional research cruises to complete a survey of reef fauna over the next three years. The underlying motivation is to demonstrate how coral reef biodiversity is produced and maintained; the conservation motivation is therefore compelling. A core team of experts will address particular fish and coral taxa on every cruise, while other taxa will be addressed by experts participating in at least one of the cruises. All participants will sample reefs near KAUST to create a common, central study location with comprehensive coverage. By using information on the geographic distribution of reef fauna, along with our inferred genetic relationships, we will provide a much stronger scientific foundation for establishing MPA networks that can maintain representative examples of biodiversity in each region and preserve source populations that may act to replenish coastal stocks.














‪Working with the IUCN, we intend to establish the conservation status of species from numerous families, many targeted by local fisheries, in order to determine levels of protection needed to preserve the biodiversity of the region. The connectivity data from the research proposed herein would therefore be especially valuable, as would the goal of identifying previously-unrecognized endemic species. Based on preliminary findings, we believe this project will result in a number of new species descriptions. Further, this research will be the first to address whether the Red Sea reef communities survived glacial salinity crises, or whether they are the product of recent and rapid speciation under diversifying ecological conditions. Are the Red Sea reef communities millions of years old, or thousands of years old? We hope that these expeditions can provide insight to this long-standing evolutionary enigma.

‪If you have taxonomic expertise with a particular group of coral reef organims and would like to discuss potential collaboration or participation in one of the sampling cruises, please contact Prof. Berumen.
*Collaborators*
Brian Bowen, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology
Luiz Rocha, California Academy of Sciences
Andrew Baird, James Cook University
Howard Choat, James Cook University
Joseph DiBattista, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology
numerous others to be determined!

Coral Reef Ecology Lab - Biodiversity of Saudi Arabian Red Sea Coral Reefs
​




Dangerous Red Sea sharks | INFOgraphics | RIA Novosti
​Any trolling/off topic posts/derailing of the thread from the usual suspects here will be reported directly to the moderators by PM.

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## Abu Zolfiqar

because of lack of tourism - meaning fewer deep sea divers and snorkelers - i'd imagine that on Saudi side of the sea the coral reefs are less molested and look nearly flawless

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## al-Hasani

Abu Zolfiqar said:


> because of lack of tourism - meaning fewer deep sea divers and snorkelers - i'd imagine that on Saudi side of the sea the coral reefs are less molested and look nearly flawless



This is a very correct observation.



> During his first exploration of the Red Sea the legendary underwater explorer *Jacques Yves Cousteau* observed about the shorelines of Saudi Arabia and Sudan - *"Life abounds in bank after bank of exuberant coral structures, second only to those of the Great Barrier Reef in extent and exceeding it perhaps in splendour. Here there is deep clarity, blazing colour, and active fauna".*
> 
> For years cloaked in secrecy, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has exploded on to the tourist track. International Cultural Tourism has been evident for many years with groups coming from Japan, America and Europe. Saudi Arabia is now realising a national heritage and opening sustained dive tourism. Our Saudi Arabia dive trips are from Liveaboards and proving to be a great success. This is as a result of spectacular diving with newly discovered dive sites and an abundance of large pelagic activity both on our Yanbu and Farasan Banks itineraries, with several species of sharks including silkies, oceanics and tigers, as well as giant mantas.
> 
> *It has been said that Saudi Arabia is one of diving's last frontiers, and it is a fact that very few westerners have ever been able to dive here. The appeal of diving almost untouched, barely explored reefs is undeniable. With an incredible variety of marine life and some of the most flourishing coral reefs to be found anywhere in the world - it is no wonder that so many famous explorers have dived here.*
> *The Red Sea is rated as one of the top ten diving destinations in the world. Egypt, Sudan and Jordan offer fantastic diving, but how many of you have dived the Saudi Arabian Red Sea?* How many of you know anyone who has? Without question, many if not most of the outer reefs in that region have never been dived. The diversity of marine life and fauna along the reefs really are quite exquisite and offer the diver a high quality and extremely memorable diving experience.



Diving holidays to Saudi Arabia | Red Sea Diving Holidays | Liveaboards in Saudi Arabia | Yabul and Farasan Banks are Saudi Arabia's top dive sites

Jacques Cousteau - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Basically it's one of the best out there!

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## Abu Zolfiqar

al-Hasani said:


> This is a very correct observation.
> 
> 
> 
> Diving holidays to Saudi Arabia | Red Sea Diving Holidays | Liveaboards in Saudi Arabia | Yabul and Farasan Banks are Saudi Arabia's top dive sites
> 
> Jacques Cousteau - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> 
> Basically it's one of the best out there!



Mashallah. 

In my life hopefully i'll see the coast lines. I have gone snorkeling and diving in Sharm el Sheikh (Misir), that was 2003. Good times.

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## al-Hasani

Abu Zolfiqar said:


> Mashallah.
> 
> In my life hopefully i'll see the coast lines. I have gone snorkeling and diving in Sharm el Sheikh (Misir), that was 2003. Good times.



Insha'Allah you will when a real tourism sector becomes a reality in KSA and the restrictive visa rules change. Even today it is quite hard for citizens to get the opportunity to explore the coastline through diving as many of the areas are protected and thus restricted.

But some people have dived in those protected areas despite that. You just don't want to encounter the coastal guard while doing that, LOL.

I was on the beach here in Denmark today and the sea is not comparable to anything in KSA by any stretch of imagination despite Denmark being famous for having some of the best beaches in Europe.​

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## al-Hasani




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## al-Hasani

*Jeddah kicks off Cruise Arabia road show*​


​*Saleh Fareed*

Tourism experts have expressed hope that the GCC states could become cruise tourist destinations in the near future. This hope was raised on Monday as the Cruise Arabia road show 2015 kicked off here in Jeddah with the attendance of a delegation consisted of the Ministry of Tourism Oman, Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) and Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) .

On the occasion, speeches and presentations by Oman Tourism, TCA Abu Dhabi and DTCM were followed by presentations. According to the attending delegations, Cruise Arabia road show aims at raising awareness of the Arabian Peninsula's unique destination offering among major players from the international cruise industry.

The Cruise Arabia partners showcased cruise tourism opportunities in the Arabian Peninsula and the diversity of the region’s destination offering — including its city skylines, desert landscapes, mountains, tropical areas and beaches; the world’s most sophisticated malls and traditional souks; natural wilderness and adventure experiences; and its art, culture and heritage.

The partners also shared details of the region’s world-leading hotels and burgeoning gastronomy scenes to encourage tourists to extend their stays prior to or post cruise travel.

“Following significant investment in infrastructure for cruise tourism across the region, the Middle East is increasingly recognized as a key growth market for the industry and by working closely with our partners from Oman and Abu Dhabi, we can contribute to this growth,” said Hamad Bin Mijrin, Executive Director of DTCM.

He also pointed out that Cruise Arabia, the collaborative initiative formed by Oman, Abu Dhabi and Dubai aimed to make the Gulf region an attractive route to the cruise industry as it gains in prominence as a cruise location. “We are aware of the importance of the cruise industry and are working towards making significant investments in infrastructure to meet the opportunity and drive demand in the region. This collation aims to play a major role in developing regional itineraries and facilities,” he said. Bin Mijrin noted that Awareness has definitely grown among GCC tourists and we hope that the cruise industry grows up in Abu Dhabi as a cruise destination.

After highlighting the main touristic spots in Oman, Khalid Al Zadjali, director of tourism events, ministry of tourism, said, “The joint venture agreement between Oman’s Ministry of Tourism, the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in Dubai and Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority proves to in position the region as a premiere cruising destination.”

Meanwhile, Sultan Al Dhaheri, Director, Tourism Eco-Systems, Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, said, “Abu Dhabi has long-term cruise industry ambitions and is working closely with our regional destination partners to progress a GCC-wide approach to fulfil the needs of operators.”

He added, “We are all putting intense effort behind reaching our goals and anticipate a gradual evolution of the regional cruise industry and uptake in cruise offerings from within the GCC and beyond.”

The delegation will visit next Riyadh, Khobar and Kuwait over the six day road-show, targeting a number of leading travel agents. MSC , Royal Caribbean and Costa Cruises, globe’s most popular cruise providers, have been chosen for Cruise Arabia.

Jeddah kicks off Cruise Arabia road show | Kingdom | Saudi Gazette










Man, I miss KSA and its immense beauty. What I would not give for some warm and sunny weather with some tropical beaches nearby like in KSA now! Or diving among some of the best coral reefs out there in crystal clear and warm waters! Especially when you are currently based in cold, windy and cloudy Denmark. On the other hand you don't miss certain other things.

@Arabian Legend

When will they remove that shipwreck in Haql bro? Just joking now it has become a tourist attraction just like that shipwreck in Zakynthos. Of course only on a local scale.

Sometimes I imagine myself as an old man in some resort/coastal city alongside the Red Sea in KSA welcoming foreign tourists etc. Hope that this one day can happen on a much bigger scale but still while keeping our millennium old culture and customs alive.

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## Arabian Legend

al-Hasani said:


> *Jeddah kicks off Cruise Arabia road show*​
> 
> 
> ​*Saleh Fareed*
> 
> Tourism experts have expressed hope that the GCC states could become cruise tourist destinations in the near future. This hope was raised on Monday as the Cruise Arabia road show 2015 kicked off here in Jeddah with the attendance of a delegation consisted of the Ministry of Tourism Oman, Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) and Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) .
> 
> On the occasion, speeches and presentations by Oman Tourism, TCA Abu Dhabi and DTCM were followed by presentations. According to the attending delegations, Cruise Arabia road show aims at raising awareness of the Arabian Peninsula's unique destination offering among major players from the international cruise industry.
> 
> The Cruise Arabia partners showcased cruise tourism opportunities in the Arabian Peninsula and the diversity of the region’s destination offering — including its city skylines, desert landscapes, mountains, tropical areas and beaches; the world’s most sophisticated malls and traditional souks; natural wilderness and adventure experiences; and its art, culture and heritage.
> 
> The partners also shared details of the region’s world-leading hotels and burgeoning gastronomy scenes to encourage tourists to extend their stays prior to or post cruise travel.
> 
> “Following significant investment in infrastructure for cruise tourism across the region, the Middle East is increasingly recognized as a key growth market for the industry and by working closely with our partners from Oman and Abu Dhabi, we can contribute to this growth,” said Hamad Bin Mijrin, Executive Director of DTCM.
> 
> He also pointed out that Cruise Arabia, the collaborative initiative formed by Oman, Abu Dhabi and Dubai aimed to make the Gulf region an attractive route to the cruise industry as it gains in prominence as a cruise location. “We are aware of the importance of the cruise industry and are working towards making significant investments in infrastructure to meet the opportunity and drive demand in the region. This collation aims to play a major role in developing regional itineraries and facilities,” he said. Bin Mijrin noted that Awareness has definitely grown among GCC tourists and we hope that the cruise industry grows up in Abu Dhabi as a cruise destination.
> 
> After highlighting the main touristic spots in Oman, Khalid Al Zadjali, director of tourism events, ministry of tourism, said, “The joint venture agreement between Oman’s Ministry of Tourism, the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in Dubai and Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority proves to in position the region as a premiere cruising destination.”
> 
> Meanwhile, Sultan Al Dhaheri, Director, Tourism Eco-Systems, Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, said, “Abu Dhabi has long-term cruise industry ambitions and is working closely with our regional destination partners to progress a GCC-wide approach to fulfil the needs of operators.”
> 
> He added, “We are all putting intense effort behind reaching our goals and anticipate a gradual evolution of the regional cruise industry and uptake in cruise offerings from within the GCC and beyond.”
> 
> The delegation will visit next Riyadh, Khobar and Kuwait over the six day road-show, targeting a number of leading travel agents. MSC , Royal Caribbean and Costa Cruises, globe’s most popular cruise providers, have been chosen for Cruise Arabia.
> 
> Jeddah kicks off Cruise Arabia road show | Kingdom | Saudi Gazette
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Man, I miss KSA and its immense beauty. What I would not give for some warm and sunny weather with some tropical beaches nearby like in KSA now! Or diving among some of the best coral reefs out there in crystal clear and warm waters! Especially when you are currently based in cold, windy and cloudy Denmark. On the other hand you don't miss certain other things.
> 
> @Arabian Legend
> 
> When will they remove that shipwreck in Haql bro? Just joking now it has become a tourist attraction just like that shipwreck in Zakynthos. Of course only on a local scale.
> 
> Sometimes I imagine myself as an old man in some resort/coastal city alongside the Red Sea in KSA welcoming foreign tourists etc. Hope that this one day can happen on a much bigger scale but still while keeping our millennium old culture and customs alive.



Haqal and Diba are very nice places for tourism but unfortunately tourism in Saudi Arabia need a huge push and that many of the country institutions should cooperate. The SCTA is moving in the right direction yes and have some much for now but one hand can't clap. 

What I would like to do is diving in the red sea and get some of treasure buried underneath.

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## al-Hasani

Arabian Legend said:


> Haqal and Diba are very nice places for tourism but unfortunately tourism in Saudi Arabia need a huge push and that many of the country institutions should cooperate. The SCTA is moving in the right direction yes and have some much for now but one hand can't clap.
> 
> What I would like to do is diving in the red sea and get some of treasure buried underneath.



Very correct. Hence my thread about the tourism sector here on this section. SCTA is indeed moving in the right direction which is the most important thing and also that there has been a real push for the tourism sector from those in control. Firstly domestic and later foreign. The potential is literary enormous and KSA is already the 15th most visited country in the world although half of those visitors are religious pilgrims. Still vastly superior to over 90% of all the world's countries.

Our seas/islands/tropical waters/coral reefs/sea life is a treasure house and should be protected and become much more known for the common man. The potential for tourism cannot be underestimated on this field.

Diving in the Red Sea is a must.

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## al-Hasani

Amazing video;


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## al-Hasani



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## al-Hasani

*Biodiversity of Saudi Arabian Red Sea Coral Reefs*​‪The Red Sea is one of the most understudied areas in the world in terms of marine biodiversity, and yet the high level of endemism indicates that additional evolutionary partitions await discovery. Beginning in late 2012, we plan to operate a series of regional research cruises to complete a survey of reef fauna over the next three years. The underlying motivation is to demonstrate how coral reef biodiversity is produced and maintained; the conservation motivation is therefore compelling. A core team of experts will address particular fish and coral taxa on every cruise, while other taxa will be addressed by experts participating in at least one of the cruises. All participants will sample reefs near KAUST to create a common, central study location with comprehensive coverage. By using information on the geographic distribution of reef fauna, along with our inferred genetic relationships, we will provide a much stronger scientific foundation for establishing MPA networks that can maintain representative examples of biodiversity in each region and preserve source populations that may act to replenish coastal stocks.​






‪Working with the IUCN, we intend to establish the conservation status of species from numerous families, many targeted by local fisheries, in order to determine levels of protection needed to preserve the biodiversity of the region. The connectivity data from the research proposed herein would therefore be especially valuable, as would the goal of identifying previously-unrecognized endemic species. Based on preliminary findings, we believe this project will result in a number of new species descriptions. Further, this research will be the first to address whether the Red Sea reef communities survived glacial salinity crises, or whether they are the product of recent and rapid speciation under diversifying ecological conditions. Are the Red Sea reef communities millions of years old, or thousands of years old? We hope that these expeditions can provide insight to this long-standing evolutionary enigma.

‪If you have taxonomic expertise with a particular group of coral reef organims and would like to discuss potential collaboration or participation in one of the sampling cruises, please contact Prof. Berumen.
*Collaborators*
Brian Bowen, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology
Luiz Rocha, California Academy of Sciences
Andrew Baird, James Cook University
Howard Choat, James Cook University
Joseph DiBattista, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology
numerous others to be determined!

Reef Ecology Lab - 
Biodiversity of Saudi Arabian Red Sea Coral Reefs

*Red Sea Coral Reefs*
​Red Sea coral reefs are the northernmost in the Indian Ocean. Most of the Red Sea coast is rimmed by shallow submarine shelves and extensive fringing reef systems, by far the dominant reef type found here.

Red Sea fringing reef platforms are over 5000 years old, and the entire coastal reef complex extends along some 2,000 km (1,240 miles) of shoreline.

Most such reefs grow directly from the shoreline. The dominant, most actively growing corals include most notably highly branched species of the genera _Acropora_ and _Porites_.





Red Sea coral reef​
The Red Sea also contains numerous offshore reefs that defy classic reef type categorization.

Included in this catch-all category are atoll-like rings of coral, elongated coral ridges that rise abruptly from considerable depths on both sides, and peculiar complex reef patterns of odd shapes.

Such Red Sea coral reef formations are almost certainly the result of the active and unusual tectonic forces that have been at work here for millennia and continue today.

There are a few true atolls in the Red Sea (several off the coast of Sudan), but no true barrier reefs.

*Characteristics of Red Sea Coral Reefs*

The geological history of the Red Sea region is distinctive, and there is only slow and restricted water (and larval) exchange between this sea and the remainder of the Indo-Pacific region as a whole.

Thus, Red Sea reefs have developed a number of features that distinguish them from reefs found throughout most of the rest of this vast oceanic area.

Particularly important in the light of global warming predictions is the fact that Red Sea corals have developed an unusually high tolerance to the extreme temperatures, salinity, and occasional turbidity (caused by huge seasonal dust storms) that occur in the region. Such conditions that would be lethal or highly damaging to most hard corals found elsewhere.

Also, water clarity is exceptional in the Red Sea because of the lack of river discharge and low rainfall. Thus, Red Sea reefs are not heavily impacted by the suspension and dissipation of fine sediments that plague reefs in tropical oceans near large land masses.





The Al Wadj Bank, Saudi Arabia. Courtesy NASA.​
Red Sea coral reefs are particularly well developed in the north and central portions (off the coasts of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Sudan), with large sizable offshore reef complexes containing small islands, fringing reefs, and a variety of reef-associated habitats (see photo, above).





Endemic Red Sea reef fish (_Chaetodon semilarvatus_). © Fotolia.​
Further south, coral growth is somewhat inhibited by the influx of nutrient laden water where the Indian Ocean enters the Red Sea. This surface waters of the more southerly areas are also subject to far greater mixing with deeper water caused by strong winds coming off a high mountainous coast.

In general, the marine biota of Red Sea coral reefs is characterized by high endemism. For example, of the 1200 or so coral reef fishspecies recorded, about 10% are endemic (found nowhere else).

About 300 hard coral species have been recorded from the Red Sea as a whole. The Egyptian coast alone supports about 200 species of reef building corals belonging to almost 50 genera. This represents about four times the hard coral diversity found on Caribbean reefs, and is comparable to the coral diversity found in the Maldives and Seychelles in the Indian Ocean.

Nonetheless, the biodiversity of Red Sea reefs does not rival that of reefs of the richest parts of the Indo-Pacific region.

*Status Of Red Sea Reefs*

Despite the extreme conditions characteristic of the region, Red Sea coral reefs are generally healthy. Coral reefs range widely in condition and cover, with up to 85% living coral cover at the best sites and over 50% live coral cover at many other locations. There is usually minimal coral bleaching evident, although some localized outbreaks are reported from time to time.





A fringing reef rims the shore of Egypt's Ras Mohammed National Park. © Fotolia.com​
Still, many Red Sea coral reefs situated near urban centers and other developed parts of the coast have been heavily damaged or lost due to the predicatable effects of poorly planned or regulated population expansions and coastal development, along with associated declines in water quality.

In some of the once most pristine reef areas, insufficiently managed dive tourism (damage from anchors and recreational scuba divers) has also taken its predictable toll on the reefs.

Studies of diver effects on reefs suggest that continued dive tourism expansion at some of the more popular tourist destinations would be ill-advised and will inevitably lead to serious reef degradation.

A growing number of marine number of protected areas (MPAs) have been established in the Red Sea to help alleviate some of these problems. Ras Mohammed National Park was established by Egypt in 1983 and includes miles of healthy fringing reefs. The Red Sea Marine Peace Park in the Gulf of Aqaba was founded in 1994 by the governments of Jordan and Israel to preserve and protect the area's coral reefs.

*Red Sea Geography and Oceanography*
The Red Sea is an extension of the Indian Ocean, lying between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa, with a surface are roughly equal to the US state of California.





Map of the Red Sea and surrounding region​
The only natural connection between the Red Sea and the rest of the Indian Ocean is Bab el Mandeb, a narrow strait that transitions into the Gulf of Aden.

To the north, the Red Sea splits into two narrow branches (the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba) that flank the Sinai Peninsula.

Overall, the Red Sea is a comparatively shallow body of water with an average depth of only about 1600 feet. However, it is in reality a young ocean in the early stage of formation.

As the African and Arabian continents slowly rift apart, new oceanic crust is formed and slowly but surely the Red Sea is gradually widening. The tectonic forces at work are most evident in the deep narrow trench (Rift Valley) that runs most of the length of the sea at its center, reaching a maximum depth of over 8,600 feet (2,600 m) below sea level.

The region surrounding the Red Sea is one of the hottest, driest areas on earth. The extreme air temperatures result in very high levels of evaporation, making this one of the hottest and saltiest bodies of seawater in the world.

The average salinity is 40 parts per thousand (ppt), as compared to about 35-36 (ppt) in the tropical Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans. Recent measurements found surface water temperatures to be 28 degrees C. (82 degrees F.) in winter and up to 34 degrees C. (93 degrees F.) in summer.

*Exploring Red Sea Reefs*
Scuba diving and snorkeling on the fringing reefs of the Red Sea became popular soon after the publicity, books, and films of the expeditions of Hans Hass and Jacques Cousteau in the 1950s and 1960s were widely disseminated.





Shallow reefs, clear water, and abundant marine life make for excellent Red Sea reef exploration © Fotolia.​
Today, the most popular dive destinations along the northern coast of the Gulf of Aquaba (known as the "Red Sea Riviera") include Eilat in Israel and Aqaba in Jordan. Other popular destinations in the Gulf of Aquaba on the the Egyptian side of Sinai are Dahab and Taba.

Further south, along the western shore of the Red Sea, reef diving is well supported at Marsa Alam, El Gouna, Safaga, and Hurghada.

The very popular Egyptian reef diving center of Sham-el-Sheikh, located on the southern tip of the Sinai, has undergone rapid expansion recently.

In the most southerly portions of the Red Sea, recreational diving (or tourism of any kind) is presently considered risky because of the presence of pirates originating from uncontrolled zones of Somalia. The situation is even worse in the Gulf of Aden between Somalia and Yemen.

Red Sea Coral Reefs: Types, Characteristics, Biodiversity

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## al-Hasani

*1,290 islands in the Kingdom untapped*



​Last updated: Saturday, December 13, 2014 10:09 PM

*Saudi Gazette report*

*BURAIDAH* — There are over 1,290 islands in the Kingdom that have not been invested in, said Dr. Abdullah Al-Masnad, associate professor of the Geography Department at Al-Qassim University, Al-Jazirah daily reported.

Eighty-nine percent of the islands can be found in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba and the remaining 11 percent in the Arabian Gulf. Farasan Islands, a large coral-island group in the Red Sea, are the largest in the country and their total area is similar to that of Riyadh.

“If 25 million Saudis decided to move to live on the Red Sea islands, they would discover that the islands can accommodate all of them,” Dr. Al-Masnad said.

Al-Baghla Island, part of the Farasan Islands archipelago, is the farthest from the coast. It is located 104 kilometers away while Al-Arabiya Island in the middle of the Arabian Gulf is the farthest island from the east coast.

Jabal Hassan Island, opposite to Umluj, is the best choice for any investor as it is close to the Gulf of Aqaba and enjoys a mild climate.

“Dubai government had to bury coral reefs and oyster beds to make tourist islands that were sold even before completion. We have more than 1,290 islands with untapped potential,” Dr. Al-Masnad said.

“Maritime tourism is important. None of our islands have a single palm tree or any tree for that matter. The Saudi Commission of Tourism and Antiquities does not provide much information about the islands nor any photographs or maps of them,” he added.

1,290 islands in the Kingdom untapped | Front Page | Saudi Gazette
​KSA has endless potential for tourism and the "Muslim market" (2 billon big almost and increasingly becoming more wealthy for each year) alone could give billion big revenues on a yearly basis.

We have the longest coastline (and least explored) along the Red Sea which is one of the most beautiful seas in the world with coral reefs only rivaled by those in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Makkah and Madinah are just nearby the Red Sea as is Hijaz in its entirety.

It's sad and criminal that this can first become a reality the day the laws in KSA change when this should have happened a long time ago. But that has been the story of KSA. Wasting potential, negativity and self-harm.

The leaderships have failed on many aspects in the GCC. We should be in a much better position overall although we are very privileged already but had we had leaders of a Western European standard we would be so much better.

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## al-Hasani

*Islands in Saudi Arabia*​
Visiting the islands is very interesting thing to do, where you can enjoy diving in the buried secrets, and stretch on the charming beaches, swim in the clear waters.

Saudi Arabia includes a large number of islands estimated at 1300, including the 1150 Island in the Red Sea, 150 Island in the Arabian Gulf

Such islands enjoy fascinating tourism attractions. They have different areas, terrain and environments, ranging from coral reefs, sandy, continental, and volcanic islands. The beaches are surrounded by soft sand highlands, gathering plants, as well as various coral reefs; this positioned them to be tourist destinations for fishing and diving in most of the seasons.

Here are some of the most prominent islands scattered near the coast of the Kingdom:

*Red Sea islands:*

The number of islands in the Red Sea about 1150 of them constituting 88% of the total Saudi islands, characterized by sandy beaches and coastal reefs. They are divided into four main groups:

The 1st Group: These islands exist in the northern tip of the Saudi coast between the entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba in the west and Al-Kharibah Bay in the east. For instance, there are Tiran, Sanafeer, Shoushah, Um Al-Hasani (  ), Sindalah, Al-Thaqba, Al-Farsha, Barqan, and Um Qusour islands.

The 2nd Group: These islands are located in the middle of the northern half of the Saudi coast in the area between Al-Wajh and Umluj towns. They include Rikha, Quwar, Um Roqah, Shibarah, Suwaihel, and Jabal Hassan (Al-Hassani) (  ) islands.

The 3rd Group: These islands lie in the middle of the southern half of the Saudi coast in the area between Al-Laith and Al-Qunfudah towns. For example, there are Jabal Al-Laith, Jabal Doqah, Thara Al-Tawilah, Um Al-Qamari, and Jabal Al-Sabaya islands.

The 4th Group: These islands are situated in the southern tip of the Saudi coast west of Jazan. They are represented in Farasan archipelago, which contains the richest environmental and biological diversity. For instance, there are different types of birds, coral reefs, and aquaculture of mussels and snails. Also, Farasan Islands are rich in crude amber that is a source of livelihood for some residents of the Farasan islands.

Farasan Islands are the richest areas of coastal mangrove forests, and their water has several groups of rare coral reefs. Besides, there is a rich growth of red algae and sea grass, as well as there are nesting sea turtles and seabirds on the beaches.

*The Arabian Gulf Islands:*

There are 150 islands in the Arabian Gulf constituting (11%) of the total Saudi islands. They are divided into three groups:

The Northern Group: These islands are concentrated in the north and northwest of Al Jubail city. For example, there are Abu Ali, Al-Batinah, Al-Qarmah, Qannah (Jannah), Al-Maslamiyah, Al-Jareed and Al-Daginah, Karan, and Harqous islands. Harqous Island is one of the most important one since it has many types of sea birds and turtles.

The Central Group: These are located opposite to Dammam. They include Al-Heeza, Al-Binah Al-Kabirah, and Tarout islands. In Tarout Island many Phoenician, Sassanid, and Islamic antiquities were found as well as pottery shreds, which are displayed in the National Museum. In addition, there is the Tarout castles situated in the center of Tarout Island.

The Southern Group: These islands lie near the entrance of Khor Al-Adeed, which is located to the north of Ras Abu Qamis. They include Al-Huwaisat, Hathbah, and Sayyad islands.

http://sauditourism.sa/en/About/Pages/l-Islands.aspx




​


HAIDER said:


> If Hasani don't invite us in his marriage ban him permanent...hehehe



LOL, bro, rather than speculate about my potential future wedding (if I live that long) you should rather visit this thread. Visit the Arab section of the forum and I will happily reply to all your questions about KSA or the Arab world (those I can answer).

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## al-Hasani

*12 reserves to protect Red Sea ecology*




​JEDDAH: ARAB NEWS

Published — Sunday 21 December 2014

Last update 21 December 2014 12:07 am

Secretary-General of the Regional Organization of the Environment of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden Dr. Ziad Haza Abu Gharara said that 12 offshore reserves have now been established to protect the ecology of the Read Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
He said that these reserves were established across a number of parts of the Red Sea and Gulf with the objective of developing the regional ecologies of the areas, and ensuring the sustainable use of marine life from here on.
Abu Gharara said that the organization achieved good results thanks to joint projects with international organizations through their signing of agreements related to financing strategic marine projects through the World Bank, and applying an organized methodology to create environmental stability for the precious areas.
He added that the Regional Organization increased its projects to over 35 in total, including sessions and workshops at a national and regional level. Indeed, 25 workshops were held during this year, along with the activation of the joint actions among regional parties.
Within the regional program, the Environmental Monitoring Program has occurred to protect marine life, and to provide information to the public to ensure the water quality of the Red Sea and Gulf. There has also been much discussion of the different trends occurring within the local and regional environments, resulting in the drafting of management plans to tackle the issues identified.
Abu Gharara noted that the program continually tracks the physical and chemical changes in the water of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and works to increase the countries capabilities in the technological and human resources fields. Part of the program is also to educate people of the surrounding marine life environment.

12 reserves to protect Red Sea ecology | Arab News

Wonderful news! Please continue the good work as the nature must be protected appropriately. People polluting and damaging the nature must also be severely punished either by significant jail sentences or huge fines otherwise the vandals will continue. No garbage or leftovers thrown directly in the sea either.

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## raptor22

Nice country hope to visit it once it my life at least to perform Haj,

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## al-Hasani

raptor22 said:


> Nice country hope to visit it once it my life at least to perform Haj,



The problem with KSA is that there is no real tourism industry for foreigners. People going for Hajj or Umrah to Makkah and Madinah do not see anything of the country otherwise although there is a lot to see just in that area of Hijaz. Be it if you like old historical towns and villages, mountains, tropical sea (Red Sea), islands, desert, steppe, volcanic areas, forests, some semi-tropical areas (Southern Hijaz) etc.
They are just confined to hotels and the usual trips. It is very sad. KSA is a closed off country and the biggest problem is that nobody has enforced this but this is just how it is due to moronic laws. Hajj and Umrah visitors cannot travel freely in KSA either.

I hoped that the regime would make real tourism visas like they spoke about and promised 1 year ago but to my disappointment 1-2 weeks ago they canceled this.

Then they again say that there might be real tourism visas.

Saudi Arabia could issue tourism visas | Arab News

Saudi tourism visa could be big news for the Kingdom | Global News | WTTC

In reality this will probably be nonsense and not true.

I made a thread about this issue 1 year ago actually.

Tourist visas to be introduced in KSA

Oh, you like any other person is very welcome. Hospitality plays a very big role in Arabian and Arab culture and most people still follow this especially when it comes to foreigners. The most friendly people in Hijaz are found in the coastal villages or mountain villages. City people are like city people everywhere. Although you have exceptions.

Also I suggest that you avoid visiting during June, July and August if you do not like hot weather. Average daily temperatures in most areas are around 30-35 degrees Celsius. I know that the summer temperatures in Iran are not much different so maybe this is not a problem but for non-ME/South Asia/South America/Central America/Africa/South East Asia tourists this is a problem probably. Here I mean mostly Westerners unless they like hot weather.

The good thing is that the summer days are not that long and the sun is rising early so by 17.00-18-00 the temperatures are not that bad in the summer. Most people stay indoors during the summer in the warm areas of KSA (non-mountainious areas) between 12.00-17.00.

Is this similar to Iran during that time (summer) and time period?

Apologizes for the long post.

To see more of KSA and the Arabian Peninsula and Arab world then I can recommend those two threads below;

The Arabian Peninsula and Arab world in photos | Page 35

Saudi Arabia in Pictures | Page 78

Also if you are from Eastern Iran (the 3 Khorasan provinces) I want to ask some questions if you do not mind. We can find another thread.

@raptor22

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## raptor22

al-Hasani said:


> The problem with KSA is that there is no real tourism industry for foreigners. People going for Hajj or Umrah to Makkah and Madinah do not see anything of the country otherwise although there is a lot to see just in that area of Hijaz. Be it if you like old historical towns and villages, mountains, tropical sea (Red Sea), islands, desert, steppe, volcanic areas, forests, some semi-tropical areas (Southern Hijaz) etc.
> They are just confined to hotels and the usual trips. It is very sad. KSA is a closed off country and the biggest problem is that nobody has enforced this but this is just how it is due to moronic laws. Hajj and Umrah visitors cannot travel freely in KSA either.
> 
> I hoped that the regime would make real tourism visas like they spoke about and promised 1 year ago but to my disappointment 1-2 weeks ago they canceled this.
> 
> Then they again say that there might be real tourism visas.
> 
> Saudi Arabia could issue tourism visas | Arab News
> 
> Saudi tourism visa could be big news for the Kingdom | Global News | WTTC
> 
> In reality this will probably be nonsense and not true.
> 
> I made a thread about this issue 1 year ago actually.
> 
> Tourist visas to be introduced in KSA
> 
> Oh, you like any other person is very welcome. Hospitality plays a very big role in Arabian and Arab culture and most people still follow this especially when it comes to foreigners. The most friendly people in Hijaz are found in the coastal villages or mountain villages. City people are like city people everywhere. Although you have exceptions.
> 
> Also I suggest that you avoid visiting during June, July and August if you do not like hot weather. Average daily temperatures in most areas are around 30-35 degrees Celsius. I know that the summer temperatures in Iran are not much different so maybe this is not a problem but for non-ME/South Asia/South America/Central America/Africa/South East Asia tourists this is a problem probably. Here I mean mostly Westerners unless they like hot weather.
> 
> The good thing is that the summer days are not that long and the sun is rising early so by 17.00-18-00 the temperatures are not that bad in the summer. Most people stay indoors during the summer in the warm areas of KSA (non-mountainious areas) between 12.00-17.00.
> 
> Is this similar to Iran during that time (summer) and time period?
> 
> Apologizes for the long post.
> 
> To see more of KSA and the Arabian Peninsula and Arab world then I can recommend those two threads below;
> 
> The Arabian Peninsula and Arab world in photos | Page 35
> 
> Saudi Arabia in Pictures | Page 78
> 
> Also if you are from Eastern Iran (the 3 Khorasan provinces) I want to ask some questions if you do not mind. We can find another thread.
> 
> @raptor22



Thanks for long informative comment , you're really a fast typist ...
Actually my parents performed Haj last year and as they described their journey it was tremendous , I wanna do it too but due to the number of people standing in line to perform I am pretty sure it's gonna be a heck of long time to my turn .... 
On temperature, we experienced 40-41 C in previous summer and it's normal for me .... actually I originated from Semnan province (but I've lived my entire life in Tehran) which is a dry and hot place in middle of desert with a breathtaking spectacular scenery esp in night .... hence I am accustomed to such a climate ...
But as far as Iran is a 4 seasons, temperature would be variable from -10 C to 53 C in some areas .. it mostly depends on your destination ....

As I said I am not from Khorasan province , but if you've got any question it would my pleasure to answer.

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## Serpentine

@al-Hasani

If you have any questions, raise it in the chill thread in Iran's section and some members may help you, including myself, if we know the answer.

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## al-Hasani

raptor22 said:


> Thanks for long informative comment , you're really a fast typist ...
> Actually my parents performed Haj last year and as they described their journey it was tremendous , I wanna do it too but due to the number of people standing in line to perform I am pretty sure it's gonna be a heck of long time to my turn ....
> On temperature, we experienced 40-41 C in previous summer and it's normal for me .... actually I originated from Semnan province (but I've lived my entire life in Tehran) which is a dry and hot place in middle of desert with a breathtaking spectacular scenery esp in night .... hence I am accustomed to such a climate ...
> But as far as Iran is a 4 seasons, temperature would be variable from -10 C to 53 C in some areas .. it mostly depends on your destination ....
> 
> As I said I am not from Khorasan province , but if you've got any question it would my pleasure to answer.



You are very welcome. Yes, the typing is correct.

Oh, that sounds good. I am happy for them. Yes, unfortunately this is due to limitations and due to expansion work in both Makkah and Madinah. I have actually tried to cover this in a separate thread here on PDF.

"Makkah and Madinah News and Updates"

That sounds very interesting. I very much like open spaces and nature too. Although I like city life as well. From what I have seen of Iran then you guys also have this mix of mountains and desert that become one. I mean that "meet each other". Don't know how to explain it.
At night such places are very beautiful. Especially the skyline (stars) and also the chilly weather. Bonfires etc. is great fun in such a environment.

Actually I wrote to you about daily temperature in the June, July and August being between 30-35 degrees celsius during the time period of 12.00-17.00. I must correct myself. In quite a few historical regions, provinces, cities this is actually rather 35-45 degrees celsius. But obviously this also depends on the country. For instance there is in general 10-15 degrees celsius of difference overall in daily average temperature all year around between Makkah (hottest city in KSA) and nearby Ta'if. Let alone other areas of KSA.

The good thing is at least that the humidity is generally low outside of coastal areas so it does not feel as hot when not in the sun. Hence even early hours in the morning and late evening being manageable during the hottest days even. I have been to Thailand once (Bangkok and elsewhere) and although the temperature is almost always "only" between 30-33 degrees celsius day in and day out the humidity levels are so insane that it feels like being in a sauna. I hear that the same is the case in many areas of South Asia and most of South East Asia. So in a way our summers are "better" although people really get tired of the hot weather during the summer.

Winter, spring and autumn are really nice periods to visit the Arabian Peninsula, Arab world and I imagine Iran as well and most of the ME.

Yes, I will. Sadly the relations between Arab-Iranian users are not the best so I fear trolling if I venture inside "enemy territory" so this is why I usually ask @ResurgentIran because we have good ties and he also lives in Denmark.

Although I ventured into the "Iran photo thread" when the user @New wanted to show me olive trees and olive production (I have a slight interest in agriculture) in Iran which was very nice. I had made a thread about olives and olive production in Northern KSA.

Olive and olive oil production in KSA

This paradise is called Iran | Page 77



Serpentine said:


> @al-Hasani
> 
> If you have any questions, raise it in the chill thread in Iran's section and some members may help you, including myself, if we know the answer.



Yes, I will try if I want to ask about something. Although I know Iranians in private none of them live in Iran so locals are always better to ask IMO.

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## Serpentine

al-Hasani said:


> Yes, I will try if I want to ask about something. Although I know Iranians in private none of them live in Iran so locals are always better to ask IMO.



Anytime. Most of Iranians on this forum including myself are living inside Iran, so we can help you for any questions if we can. I don't want to derail your thread anymore, that's why I asked to have your questions in the other thread.

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## raptor22

al-Hasani said:


> You are very welcome. Yes, the typing is correct.
> 
> Oh, that sounds good. I am happy for them. Yes, unfortunately this is due to limitations and due to expansion work in both Makkah and Madinah. I have actually tried to cover this in a separate thread here on PDF.
> 
> "Makkah and Madinah News and Updates"
> 
> That sounds very interesting. I very much like open spaces and nature too. Although I like city life as well. From what I have seen of Iran then you guys also have this mix of mountains and desert that become one. I mean that "meet each other". Don't know how to explain it.
> At night such places are very beautiful. Especially the skyline (stars) and also the chilly weather. Bonfires etc. is great fun in such a environment.
> 
> Actually I wrote to you about daily temperature in the June, July and August being between 30-35 degrees celsius during the time period of 12.00-17.00. I must correct myself. In quite a few historical regions, provinces, cities this is actually rather 35-45 degrees celsius. But obviously this also depends on the country. For instance there is in general 10-15 degrees celsius of difference overall in daily average temperature all year around between Makkah (hottest city in KSA) and nearby Ta'if. Let alone other areas of KSA.
> 
> The good thing is at least that the humidity is generally low outside of coastal areas so it does not feel as hot when not in the sun. Hence even early hours in the morning and late evening being manageable during the hottest days even. I have been to Thailand once (Bangkok and elsewhere) and although the temperature is almost always "only" between 30-33 degrees celsius day in and day out the humidity levels are so insane that it feels like being in a sauna. I hear that the same is the case in many areas of South Asia and most of South East Asia. So in a way our summers are "better" although people really get tired of the hot weather during the summer.
> 
> Winter, spring and autumn are really nice periods to visit the Arabian Peninsula, Arab world and I imagine Iran as well and most of the ME.
> 
> Yes, I will. Sadly the relations between Arab-Iranian users are not the best so I fear trolling if I venture inside "enemy territory" so this is why I usually ask @ResurgentIran because we have good ties and he also lives in Denmark.
> 
> Although I ventured into the "Iran photo thread" when the user @New wanted to show me olive trees and olive production (I have a slight interest in agriculture) in Iran which was very nice. I had made a thread about olives and olive production in Northern KSA.
> 
> Olive and olive oil production in KSA
> 
> This paradise is called Iran | Page 77
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, I will try if I want to ask about something. Although I know Iranians in private none of them live in Iran so locals are always better to ask IMO.




As Serpentine said you are welcomed to ask your Qs in Iranian thread , let this thread remains clean and on topic ... 
If you have any plan to visit Iran I recommend you to visit Shiraz and Azarbaejan Gharbe( west azarbayejan) in spring ... the scent of Bitter orange in Shiraz would make you crazy ...

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## al-Hasani

@raptor22 @Serpentine

I sure will. Thanks for the discussion guys.

Oranges? That's a great fruit. In KSA oranges are also grown but mostly in the Western and Southwestern parts of the country. Shiraz seems like a interesting city and it also lies quite close to KSA (Eastern Province). I mean compared to other areas of Iran.

Yanbu, Hijaz:





You lived in Yanbu @Imran Khan or am I wrong? It seems that Yanbu has some of the most beautiful coral reefs and sea life that I have seen. So tranquil and beautiful. I would be shitting myself a bit though and looking back frequently because of all the sharks in the Red Sea. It's really infested with them but apparently they are harmless as long as one does not threaten them. I guess like any other predator. Despite this I still hear about occasional deadly shark attacks in the Red Sea. Mainly in nearby Egypt due to the popularity of the Red Sea resorts there.

@Aegis DDG

This thread might interest you. Also can you tell me how the Red Sea coastline is in Eritrea? Thanks.

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## al-Hasani

@Ahmed Jo @Gasoline

See this thread.

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## Gasoline

@al-Hasani 

You did such a wonderful job bro !

Very nice medias & infos.

I appreciate your effort masha' Allah nice .

Thanks a lot .

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## al-Hasani

Gasoline said:


> @al-Hasani
> 
> You did such a wonderful job bro !
> 
> Very nice medias & infos.
> 
> I appreciate your effort masha' Allah nice .
> 
> Thanks a lot .



You are very welcome brother. Glad that you liked it. We must be better to show the world how beautiful our country is and understand the huge potential for tourism.

Unfortunately so many of my photos from Arabic pages have disappeared if you take a look but there are still a lot photos thankfully!

*Diving Holidays to Saudi Arabia, Red Sea*​

*During his first exploration of the Red Sea the legendary underwater explorer Jacques Yves Cousteau observed about the shorelines of Saudi Arabia and Sudan - "Life abounds in bank after bank of exuberant coral structures, second only to those of the Great Barrier Reef in extent and exceeding it perhaps in splendour. Here there is deep clarity, blazing colour, and active fauna living under the most arid and least populated of coasts". *For years cloaked in secrecy, the Kingdom of *Saudi Arabia* has exploded on to the tourist track. International Cultural Tourism has been evident for many years with groups coming from Japan, America and Europe. Saudi Arabia is now realising a national heritage and opening sustained dive tourism. Our Saudi Arabia dive trips are from Liveaboards and proving to be a great success. This is as a result of spectacular diving with newly discovered dive sites and an abundance of large pelagic activity both on our Yanbu and Farasan Banks itineraries, with several species of sharks including silkies, oceanics and tigers, as well as giant mantas.





*It has been said that Saudi Arabia is one of diving's last frontiers, and it is a fact that very few westerners have ever been able to dive here. The appeal of diving almost untouched, barely explored reefs is undeniable. With an incredible variety of marine life and some of the most flourishing coral reefs to be found anywhere in the world - it is no wonder that so many famous explorers have dived here.*




The Red Sea is rated as one of the *top ten diving destinations in the world*. Egypt, Sudan and Jordan offer fantastic diving, but how many of you have dived the Saudi Arabian Red Sea? How many of you know anyone who has? Without question, many if not most of the outer reefs in that region have never been dived. The diversity of marine life and fauna along the reefs really are quite exquisite and offer the diver a high quality and extremely memorable diving experience.


*Diving sites in Saudi Arabia*

YANBU DIVE SITE​



​The city of Yanbu al Bahar , which in Arabic means “Yanbu by the Sea”, is located 300km North of Jeddah, on the same longitude as the Zabargad Islands in Egypt . Leaving the port of El Sharm several dive sites located in the stretch of sea between Al Hasani Island, north of Yanbu and Sha’ah al Abjad in the South can be reached. 8 miles to the West is the Gotha el Sharm reef , a first taste of this untouched sea with its magnificent coral sculptures still intact. Close by, on the north side of the reef one can dive on the wreck of the Shouna. The epicentre of the cruise is the Seen Reefs complex, found approx. 27 miles from the departure port. Sha’ab al Markeb , Abu Sulul , Mansi , Tawil , Abu Galawa , Shabarir and Testes; each has its own unique characteristics but all have in common the spectacular surroundings and strong presence of large pelagic fish. These dives are considered to be among the best the Red Sea has to offer, clear waters, intact coral, steep walls and many pelagic fish that are becoming used to the presence of man. Numerous hammerhead, longimanus, white and grey sharks swim freely and undisturbed in these waters. The cruise continues towards the northern reefs and the dives sites of sha’ab Gurush , sha’ab Suflani and sha’ab Sadiki, true coral atolls emerging from the blue depths. Dives around here are exceptional and the untouched atolls provide a fitting backdrop.

FARASAN BANKS DIVE SITE




​The Farasan archipelago is made up of a vast coral bank comprising a multitude of reefs and islands extending from south Jeddah up to the coast of Yemen. The Saudi part of the Farasan is divided into two areas called Farasan Banks and the Farasan Archipelago. The Banks are made up of small islands and a multitude of reefs most of which rise above the surface. The port of Al Lith, located 230 km south of Jeddah, is the departure point, and after a journey of approximately 3 hours the first dive sites are reached; small white sand islands alternate with semi-submerged reefs. Real volcanic cones rise up with vertical walls and depths of around 500 metres, upon which are formed islands such as Mar Mar, which apart from offering splendid dives is also the stopover point for the night. The islands of Dohra, al Jadir, Malothu and the Gorgonia, Bandu and Long reefs are nearby. 25 miles south is sha’ab Ammar, a horseshoe shaped reef, also used as a night stopover point. A few miles to the south are the Jabbara and Mudar reefs, setting the scene for spectacular dives. Common characteristics of these sites are the incredible variety of hard coral found on the peaks and the large quantity of fish found in the currents. On descending, one can observe the passage of large pelagic fish, including the much admired tiger shark. Colourful Canyon reef closes this tour of the twilight zone. Before returning to port there is a stop on the mountainous Abu Latt island, to view the breathtaking natural scenery.




*Diving holiday liveaboard Prices, Saudi Arabia: Red Sea*



Prices start at £1650 per person for one week. All prices are per person –Saudi Arabian Airlines return flights. Full board accommodation on liveaboard - 5 1/2 days diving on board (incl 3 tanks, guide diver).

Diving holidays to Saudi Arabia | Red Sea Diving Holidays | Liveaboards in Saudi Arabia | Yabul and Farasan Banks are Saudi Arabia's top dive sites

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## al-Hasani

It will be great to have cities and infrastructure like this along the beautiful tropical Red Sea in the near future.

*KAEC*;



















































Al Murooj​Looks absolutely awesome.

#KAEC - King Abdullah Economic City 2015 - YouTube

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## Gasoline

al-Hasani said:


> It will be great to have cities and infrastructure like this along the beautiful tropical Red Sea in the near future.
> 
> *KAEC*;
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> Al Murooj​Looks absolutely awesome.
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> #KAEC - King Abdullah Economic City 2015 - YouTube



OMG . 

All that will be in KSA !

I can't wait to see that by my eyes. 

Very impressive . Thanks for share ,brother.

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## al-Hasani

Gasoline said:


> OMG .
> 
> All that will be in KSA !
> 
> I can't wait to see that by my eyes.
> 
> Very impressive . Thanks for share ,brother.



Yes, brother.

See this thread below;

KAEC to have 2m people, projects worth $100bn on completion: CEO | Page 5

We have been blessed with some of the most beautiful coastlines in the world. This must be taken advantage of to a much, much bigger extent!

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## Pangu

Wow! KSA, you guys have wonderful natural heritage & incredible urban development projects to boot, well done! Very impressive!

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## Banu Hashim

@Rakan.SA

I discussed Yanbu with you in that other thread after you said that your family is originally from there.

Many of the photos and videos in this thread are actually from Yanbu.






















ARAC Yanbu Resort -- شاليه اراكـ في ينبع by ALdowayan, on Flickr



Beach Yanbu by √-Fahad Al-Sayari ™, on Flickr



















The last video is from January this year.






Also check this forum out;

http://www.yanbufuture.com/vb/index.php

Look at all that potential man! Yanbu is close to Madinah too and the new top modern airport.

@Gasoline bro this might also interest you.

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## Gasoline

Banu Hashim said:


> Thank you xudeen.
> 
> @Rakan.SA
> 
> I discussed Yanbu with you in that other thread after you said that your family is originally from there.
> 
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> http://www.yanbufuture.com/vb/index.php
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> Look at all that potential man! Yanbu is close to Madinah too and the new top modern airport.
> 
> @Gasoline bro this might also interest you.




Of course it will .Thanks brother 

Wow.

That's amazing, I wish I can have a chance to move around our beloved country especially Jazan,Yanbu and Madinah 

There are many additional places to visit except Jeddah because I live there ,Riyadh because I didn't find it interesting at all ,and Taif because I'm already from there !

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## Gasoline

Banu Hashim said:


> Thank you xudeen.
> 
> 
> 
> There is so much to see and visit in KSA. I have much to visit myself. The distances are huge though.
> 
> Haha, another Hijazi.
> 
> Ta'if and nearby areas are beautiful! It is one of the highest situated towns in the ME and world actually. Not Al-Baha or Abha levels but 1879 meters above sea level is still a lot.
> 
> You definitely should visit Yanbu.
> 
> Some of the almost 2000 Saudi Arabian islands (most are tropical):
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> فرسان by jazan2013, on Flickr
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> غابة المانجروف by Tayseer Alabyadh, on Flickr




My brother , Start a private conversion with me I need you in something

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## Banu Hashim

Who the hell is deleting my posts time and time again? Is it now illegal to post photos of amazing tropical islands and beaches?



Gasoline said:


> My brother , Start a private conversion with me I need you in something



Brother, I cannot write on other users pages yet due to being a new user. Wait until I get my old account back.

Will post my post again.



xudeen said:


> Wow! KSA, you guys have wonderful natural heritage & incredible urban development projects to boot, well done! Very impressive!



Thank you xudeen.



Gasoline said:


> Of course it will .Thanks brother
> 
> Wow.
> 
> That's amazing, I wish I can have a chance to move around our beloved country especially Jazan,Yanbu and Madinah
> 
> There are many additional places to visit except Jeddah because I live there ,Riyadh because I didn't find it interesting at all ,and Taif because I'm already from there !



There is so much to see and visit in KSA. I have much to visit myself. The distances are huge though.

Haha, another Hijazi.

Ta'if and nearby areas are beautiful! It is one of the highest situated towns in the ME and world actually. Not Al-Baha or Abha levels but 1879 meters above sea level is still a lot.

You definitely should visit Yanbu.

Some of the almost 2000 Saudi Arabian islands (most are tropical):














فرسان by jazan2013, on Flickr





غابة المانجروف by Tayseer Alabyadh, on Flickr

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## Banu Hashim

*Ancient shipwrecks discovered in Jeddah*





HIDDEN TRUTH: A member of the Saudi-German team of archaeologists checks the wreck of a ship in Jeddah’s Red Sea. (Photo courtesy: Gerd Knepel)​JEDDAH: FOUZIA KHAN

Published — Saturday 7 March 2015

Last update 7 March 2015 12:14 am

Saudi and German archaeologists have discovered two ancient shipwrecks along the Jeddah coast, in a joint project between the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) and the Philipps University of Marburg in Germany.
This was revealed recently at a lecture organized by the German Consulate in Jeddah. Michaela Reinfeld, a German archaeologist who spoke at the event, had been part of the dive team that made the find.
The Roman ship discovered is the oldest archaeologically documented shipwreck found along the Saudi Arabian coast, she said. The other ship dates to the early Islamic era. There was also an ancient jetty found, she said.
The team had made dives near Jeddah, Rabigh in the north and Al-Shoaibah in the south, along 200 km of coastline. Reinfeld said that citizens in Jeddah had provided the dive team with many leads on other archaeological sites.
The team would be following up on the information.
Reinfeld said the team, with archaeologists from the SCTA, plan to document all discoveries made in Jeddah. There are also initiatives underway to help Saudi Arabian scientists and archaeologists protect ancient relics found under the sea and set up public exhibitions.
Reinfeld said the project is being run over five years, with 16 people receiving training. The project started in 2013.
The Saudi team members would soon sit for their final exams to get their diving licensees, she said.
Annette Klein, the new consul general of Germany, had said earlier that the project was an opportunity to further develop cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Germany because it would see students from the countries working together.
The team included Winfried Held, a professor and head of the institute for classical archaeology at Philipps University of Marburg, Gerd Knepel, an archaeologist from the university and dive instructor, six archaeologists from the SCTA, and archaeology students from the university.

Ancient shipwrecks discovered in Jeddah | Arab News

I wonder if they found old Arabian scimitar swords such as those ones below as I have heard that they have found in other shipwrecks.







@Rakan.SA @Gasoline

I never told you but I am a collector of old Arabian/Arab swords and daggers. In general old artifacts. This passion is inherited in the family. I should make a topic about this on the Arab section of the forum.

@ebray @Antaréss

This thread might interest you both.

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## Madali

Saif al-Arab said:


> You should not care should you? Nobody forces you or other Farsis to visit. The Arab section of the forum is strictly for military discussions. Last time I checked the Arab world is the heart of the ME and MENA region. 90% of it are Arab lands.



Why is it everything farsi farsi farsi with you?

I'm Iranian.


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## Saif al-Arab

@Jungibaaz 

Brother, please delete post 146 and 147 in this thread as they are troll posts/posts of no value. I will then proceed to delete my post number 148.

Thanks in advance.

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## Saif al-Arab

Great diving video from Yanbu and Al-Wajh along the tropical Red Sea.





The other video is spearfishing in Yanbu in the Red Sea.

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## Irfan Baloch

stunning scenery and photography
thanks for sharing

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## OTTOMAN

Saif al-Arab said:


> The other video is spearfishing in Yanbu in the Red Sea.



You can rent scuba diving gear in Yanbu and explore the famous red sea marine life.
Don´t forget to eat the fresh fish from the fish market... Egyptian vendors make unforgettable oven baked fish out side fish market.
Yanbu is a historic city, it takes you back to history. For Muslims, Yanbu´s historic connection is equally fascinating and the road to Madina is breath taking. You start feeling that you exist in hundreds of years back.
Stop by at mount Uhud jog your history knowledge.

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## Saif al-Arab

Moving the latest two updates to the next page.

Great diving video from Yanbu and Al-Wajh along the tropical Red Sea.





The other video is spearfishing in Yanbu in the Red Sea.












































Irfan Baloch said:


> stunning scenery and photography
> thanks for sharing



You are very welcome Irfan.



OTTOMAN said:


> You can rent scuba diving gear in Yanbu and explore the famous red sea marine life.
> Don´t forget to eat the fresh fish from the fish market... Egyptian vendors make unforgettable oven baked fish out side fish market.
> Yanbu is a historic city, it takes you back to history. For Muslims, Yanbu´s historic connection is equally fascinating and the road to Madina is breath taking. You start feeling that you exist in hundreds of years back.
> Stop by at mount Uhud jog your history knowledge.



Very correct Ottoman. Yanbu is a ancient city with great potential for mass-tourism.

Also Yanbu is famous for its yearly flower festival. One of the biggest in the world.

See here below.

Yanbu Flower Show enters Guinness Book of Records | Yanbu Industrial College

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## OTTOMAN

I have spent some time in Yanbu and also in Royal commission but that was decade ago, honestly never seen the flower festival, must be a relatively new thing, but i have very sweet memories with Yanbu.
I used to be a crazy young man

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## Saif al-Arab

OTTOMAN said:


> I have spent some time in Yanbu and also in Royal commission but that was decade ago, honestly never seen the flower festival, must be a relatively new thing, but i have very sweet memories with Yanbu.
> I used to be a crazy young man



Yanbu is an ancient city and the nearby area of Hijaz is also beautiful. The authorities have even started to renovate all of those old buildings and houses in Yanbu which is a very good thing.

Yes, that flower festival is a fairly new idea. It's very popular among families, children, locals and expats alike.

From earlier this year;











*Unraveling the mysteries of the Red Sea: A new reef coral species from Saudi Arabia*​Aug 18, 2014





These are colonies of the new hard coral species _Pachyseris inattesa_ from the Arabian Red Sea in situ. Credit: Dr Francesca Benzoni​
The hard corals primarily responsible for the construction of coral reefs around the world have attracted the attention of taxonomists for hundreds of years. Despite the important role such corals play in building what are arguably the world's most diverse ecosystems, coral reefs in some parts of the world still hold surprises for modern scientists.

An international team of scientists has recently described a new hard coral species, _Pachyseris inattesa_, from the Saudi Arabian Red Sea. The study, led by the University of Milano-Biccocain collaboration with the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), highlights the opportunities for scientific discovery in a region that has historically been difficult to access.

Corals in the genus _Pachyseris_ are reef dwellers often referred to as "elephant skin corals" or "corduroy corals" due to their wrinkled appearance. Tullia I Terraneo, the lead author of the paper, explains that the name for the new species was chosen because of the reaction she and Francesca Benzoni, the co-author who collected the species, had when examining a specimen closely. "We were looking at the SEM [scanning electron microscope] images, and realized that we had something completely unexpected." The word 'inattesa' translates from Italian as 'unforeseen'.

The coral indeed has a superficial resemblance with some common and widespread coral species of the genus _Leptoseris_ and this led others in the past to misidentify it. "After detailed micromorphological and molecular analyses, we can confirm that this is a unique and novel lineage," Terraneo says. The new species was recorded from different reef habitats along the coast of Saudi Arabia, between 10m-35m depth and to date its distribution seems to be limited to the Red Sea region.





This is the skeleton of the new hard coral species _Pachyseris inattesa_ described from the Arabian Red Sea. Credit: Dr Francesca Benzoni​
The finding is the latest outcome from the "Biodiversity in the Saudi Arabian Red Sea" project organized by Michael Berumen, co-author of the study and PI of the Reef Ecology Lab at KAUST. This project was initiated in 2012 and has brought numerous scientists and taxonomic experts to the Red Sea from around world, with the overall aim to increase our understanding of the biological diversity present in Saudi Arabian coral reefs. Although the Red Sea played a pivotal role in the early history of scientific works on coral reefs, the region has been understudied in more recent times.

The discovery of _Pachyseris inattesa_ highlights that our knowledge regarding the Red Sea is still far from complete, and that our understanding of hard coral diversity globally is likewise not perfect.

"As far as we can tell, this species is endemic to the Red Sea," Terraneo said. "Although our current sampling has only identified it in Saudi Arabia, I suspect that further research in other Red Sea countries would reveal a broader range."

In any case, continued discovery of new species in the Red Sea has been steadily increasing the known endemism of the region. "Findings such as those presented in this paper continue to highlight how special the Red Sea is and provide even more reasons to make sure that conservation efforts in the region preserve these natural treasures, including those that we have yet to discover," said Berumen.

Read more at: Unraveling the mysteries of the Red Sea: A new reef coral species from Saudi Arabia

Some photos of the coral reefs in the Red Sea (second only to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia) along the Saudi Arabian Red Sea coastline.





























​Also hopefully humans also learn to pollute less so marvels such as the Red Sea and its astonishing marine life will remain as they are and even improve their environment. The problem is that almost 1/3 of the world's entire ship traffic is going through the Red Sea and the oil which creates pollution.

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## Saif al-Arab



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## Saif al-Arab

North West Saudi Arabia by David Smith, on Flickr



The Beach by fahad aloudah, on Flickr



Farasan island - Saudi Arabia by Eric Lafforgue, on Flickr



aramco beach by ahmed alamri, on Flickr



IMG_4165 by Amani Samad, on Flickr




Red Sea coast by Creative sense, on Flickr





Farasan Is cruise by Arthur Anker, on Flickr





Jazan (2) by zak.abb, on Flickr

I wonder if tourists will one day be able to freely travel between nearby Eilat (Israel), Aqaba (Jordan) and Haql (KSA) in the Gulf of Aqaba? Would be cool if that occured.

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## IR-TR

Red Sea hmmm. I've been in Egypt a few times. Come to think of it, I was in Sharm El Sheikh, we went to an island which was next to Saudi Arabia. So I've almost been there

Anyway, snorkeling in the Red Sea is a slice of heaven. 8 days of baking in the heat and swimming with the fish. Last went in februari 2014. I'm afraid to go now, hopefully it'll be more safe in the near future.

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## Saif al-Arab

IR-TR said:


> Red Sea hmmm. I've been in Egypt a few times. Come to think of it, I was in Sharm El Sheikh, we went to an island which was next to Saudi Arabia. So I've almost been there
> 
> Anyway, snorkeling in the Red Sea is a slice of heaven. 8 days of baking in the heat and swimming with the fish. Last went in februari 2014. I'm afraid to go now, hopefully it'll be more safe in the near future.



I visited Sharm el-Sheikh as a toddler, lol. I know that Sinai and nearby Northwestern Hijaz are very similar.

In terms of islands then KSA has almost 2000 islands if I recall. Most are uninhabited but the potential is enormous for tourism.

1,290 islands in the Kingdom untapped | Front Page | Saudi Gazette

Regarding the Red Sea then indeed the marine life of the Red Sea is very rich (it's a tropical sea after all - the most northernmost located one too) and it has the second biggest coral reef. The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is number 1.

Also the Saudi Arabian Red Sea coastline is the longest of all countries bordering the Red Sea and arguably the most untouched and with most islands.

Many excellent photos, articles and videos in this thread.

Southern Sinai is safe. It's the northern part of Sinai that is unstable. In any case I would avoid traveling to Egypt right now.

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## IR-TR

Saif al-Arab said:


> I visited Sharm el-Sheikh as a toddler, lol. I know that Sinai and nearby Northwestern Hijaz are very similar.
> 
> In terms of islands then KSA has almost 2000 islands if I recall. Most are uninhabited but the potential is enormous for tourism.
> 
> 1,290 islands in the Kingdom untapped | Front Page | Saudi Gazette
> 
> Regarding the Red Sea then indeed the marine life of the Red Sea is very rich (it's a tropical sea after all - the most northernmost located one too) and it has the second biggest coral reef. The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is number 1.
> 
> Also the Saudi Arabian Red Sea coastline is the longest of all countries bordering the Red Sea and arguably the most untouched and with most islands.
> 
> Many excellent photos, articles and videos in this thread.
> 
> Southern Sinai is safe. It's the northern part of Sinai that is unstable. In any case I would avoid traveling to Egypt right now.



Yep, and Egypt is dirt cheap right now too. It's funny I was in Marsa Alam in februari 2014, and the day I returned, a new batch of Dutch tourists arrived. The next day, when I was back in holland, I saw on the news how they'd been evacuated because of the danger. 1 day in Egypt

As for Saudi, if it wants to develop it's snorkeling/diving tourism industry, perhaps they could create some 'free zones', like I envision for Iranian Persian Gulf islands (meaning no sharia, allow booze and bikinis). It might also become a nice laboratory for democracy/reforms. Let people do whatever they want on those islands, and tourism revenue could skyrocket. I think Saudi is more safe than Egypt right now? The islands at least?


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## Saif al-Arab

IR-TR said:


> Yep, and Egypt is dirt cheap right now too. It's funny I was in Marsa Alam in februari 2014, and the day I returned, a new batch of Dutch tourists arrived. The next day, when I was back in holland, I saw on the news how they'd been evacuated because of the danger. 1 day in Egypt
> 
> As for Saudi, if it wants to develop it's snorkeling/diving tourism industry, perhaps they could create some 'free zones', like I envision for Iranian Persian Gulf islands (meaning no sharia, allow booze and bikinis). It might also become a nice laboratory for democracy/reforms. Let people do whatever they want on those islands, and tourism revenue could skyrocket. I think Saudi is more safe than Egypt right now? The islands at least?



Hopefully they got their money refunded.

There is enormous potential really. I guess that this thread speaks for itself. There has been increasing talk of creating a real tourism sector and introduce a "tourism visa" but so far nothing concrete yet although I believe that it will eventually happen.

KSA is already the 15th most visited country in the world but that's mostly due to hajj, umrah and business. There are to this day few actual tourists from abroad who visit solely for tourism although the numbers have increased especially among Westerners in recent years.

But advertising tourism among the Muslim public alone (along with hajj and umrah trips) would be a potential goldmine.

This thread below might interest you.

Tourist visas to be introduced in KSA

Well, compounds are for that in KSA.

The islands are fully safe and so is most of KSA.

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## IR-TR

Yes, but if they want to really expand tourism, they should make 'western islands', where there is no Sharia etc, so that millions of Westerners can go there and just do whatever they want (why not, it's just islands of sand with nice water around it). So sure, muslim travel is important, but why not have cake and eat it too? Make a few little 'Dubais' there, for Western tourism only, put in some shiny new buildings/resorts, quad rentals, dune safaris and lots of snorkeling/diving. Because indeed, it's probably more safe than Egypt, and the sea is the same, as are the beautiful fish.

I just wonder what the conservative clerics would think of such an idea? Or Egypt for that matter, taking away their only bread (tourism).


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## Saif al-Arab

IR-TR said:


> Yes, but if they want to really expand tourism, they should make 'western islands', where there is no Sharia etc, so that millions of Westerners can go there and just do whatever they want (why not, it's just islands of sand with nice water around it). So sure, muslim travel is important, but why not have cake and eat it too? Make a few little 'Dubais' there, for Western tourism only, put in some shiny new buildings/resorts, quad rentals, dune safaris and lots of snorkeling/diving. Because indeed, it's probably more safe than Egypt, and the sea is the same, as are the beautiful fish.
> 
> I just wonder what the conservative clerics would think of such an idea? Or Egypt for that matter, taking away their only bread (tourism).



Compounds are such places or could be potentially turned into such a thing de facto but I doubt that it will happen de jure.

The Muslim market alone is 1.7 billion big. Millions upon millions of wealthy Muslims in the West. Millions of wealthy Muslim elsewhere too.

Western tourists can practically go to all other GCC states if they want nightlife and partying. I don't see this happening in KSA in the foreseeable future. Visiting KSA would thus be something unique for them besides I highly doubt that every tourist wishes to indulge in partying and alcohol.

If they can't live without partying or alcohol for 2 weeks then KSA is not the place for them.

Several enormous industrial cities in KSA that are about to be built or have kickstarted will have such facilities. Besides there are actual tourism resorts in KSA already.

The clergy would obviously be against it. If I recall they were the ones that pressured the government to abandon the plans of creating a tourism visa. For now at least.

You should check this thread out for more news and read the articles/posts posted.

Tourist visas to be introduced in KSA

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## Saif al-Arab

*New islands created in the Red Sea yet again after volcanic eruptions*​
In recent years several new volcanic islands have emerged in the Red Sea due to volcanic eruptions. More specifically in the waters close to KSA and Yemen. Most recently a few weeks ago.






This video is 3 weeks old.






This on 3 years old.






It's quite amazing really.

KAUST wrote a paper on the subject not long ago.

Plate separation births two volcanic islands | KAUST Discovery

Another article from another source.

Birth of two volcanic islands in the southern Red Sea : Nature Communications : Nature Publishing Group

Might interest you brothers.

@Full Moon @azzo @BLACKEAGLE @Ahmed Jo @JUBA @Falcon29 @Indos @Halimi @ebray @Belew_Kelew etc.

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## Indos

@Saif al-Arab 

Thank for tagging me brother, yup, indeed interesting, I will put my comment here so that I can find this page again easier......

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## Saif al-Arab

Indos said:


> @Saif al-Arab
> 
> Thank for tagging me brother, yup, indeed interesting, I will put my comment here so that I can find this page again easier......



No problem. Good to see you around brother. I wish you and your family a blessed Ramadan.

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## Indos

@Saif al-Arab 

I wish you well also, I hope you can accomplish your dream as soon as possible while having very good faith in Islam.

It is me on the picture, in case we can meet someday............ 


Yup, I have been to Jeddah as well...........

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## Ahmed Jo

Saif al-Arab said:


> *New islands created in the Red Sea yet again after volcanic eruptions*​
> In recent years several new volcanic islands have emerged in the Red Sea due to volcanic eruptions. More specifically in the waters close to KSA and Yemen. Most recently a few weeks ago.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This video is 3 weeks old.
> 
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> 
> This on 3 years old.
> 
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> 
> 
> 
> It's quite amazing really.
> 
> KAUST wrote a paper on the subject not long ago.
> 
> Plate separation births two volcanic islands | KAUST Discovery
> 
> Another article from another source.
> 
> Birth of two volcanic islands in the southern Red Sea : Nature Communications : Nature Publishing Group
> 
> Might interest you brothers.
> 
> @Full Moon @azzo @BLACKEAGLE @Ahmed Jo @JUBA @Falcon29 @Indos @Halimi @ebray @Belew_Kelew etc.


I call dibs! I want to create my own kingdom there, will need some advisors if anyone is interested..

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## Saif al-Arab

Some photos from Jeddah (biggest coastal city of the Red Sea) and some of the coastline there.




Colorful evening by
Ali:18 (علي الطميحي), on Flickr




Fountain &amp; sunset! by Ali:18 (علي الطميحي), on Flickr




Blue evening! by Ali:18 (علي الطميحي), on Flickr






















Another thing, although some futuristic mosques/new buildings/skyscrapers have their charm I would love to see a modern architecture based on the local Hijazi arhictecture (it's Jeddah after all) one day too. Or at least more of it.

A good example below:








Indos said:


> @Saif al-Arab
> 
> I wish you well also, I hope you can accomplish your dream as soon as possible while having very good faith in Islam.
> 
> It is me on the picture, in case we can meet someday............
> 
> 
> Yup, I have been to Jeddah as well...........



Insha'Allah brother. I wish you all the best in life too.

Yes, I could imagine that the gentleman in your avatar was you. I for sure will contact you here if I ever visit Indonesia which I very much would like too.

Really? I did not know that. Hopefully when a real tourism sector emerges in KSA one day you will be able to see many corners of the diverse and rich country that is KSA. It will for sure surprise. I myself have yet a lot to visit, many regions and historical provinces to discover.



Ahmed Jo said:


> I call dibs! I want to create my own kingdom there, will need some advisors if anyone is interested..



Yes, if anyone ever dreamt about wanting their own private islands the opportunity is now. Unfortunately those new islands belong to Yemen but since that country is unfortunately in chaos I guess that it's up for grabs. The question is if anyone would bother to live on a volcanic island that could erupt further any given moment. I would stick to the 800 or so uninhabited, mostly tropical islands of KSA in the Red Sea alone instead.

Good to see you around brother as well and Ramadan Mubarak. You might take a look at the Arab Section where I wished the entire gang a blessed month of Ramadan.

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## Saif al-Arab

Tarout Island (7000 years of history)

Tarout Island - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Tarout Island - Qateef - SA by Al Sughayir Mahdi, on Flickr





غابة المانجروف by Tayseer Alabyadh, on Flickr





Tarout Island by waltherhetzer1, on Flickr

Coral reefs in the Gulf:




GulfPrintFilm02-08.tif by mikee84, on Flickr

Small uninhabited island, either Karan or Kurayn:




GulfPrintFilm02-28.tif by mikee84, on Flickr










Haql in the Gulf of Aqaba.



Georgious G (Haql) K.S.A. by Donald E. Curtis, on Flickr

So much potential for tourism yet….No comment.

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## HAIDER

Saif al-Arab said:


> Tarout Island (7000 years of history)
> 
> Tarout Island - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> 
> 
> 
> Tarout Island - Qateef - SA by Al Sughayir Mahdi, on Flickr
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> غابة المانجروف by Tayseer Alabyadh, on Flickr
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Tarout Island by waltherhetzer1, on Flickr
> 
> Coral reefs in the Gulf:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> GulfPrintFilm02-08.tif by mikee84, on Flickr
> 
> Small uninhabited island, either Karan or Kurayn:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> GulfPrintFilm02-28.tif by mikee84, on Flickr
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Haql in the Gulf of Aqaba.
> 
> 
> 
> Georgious G (Haql) K.S.A. by Donald E. Curtis, on Flickr
> 
> So much potential for tourism yet….No comment.
> 
> @HAIDER
> 
> Delete your utter nonsense post in that other thread before I start.


Its nice , but if I being a shia travel, what are the prospect I will get the visa ,and allow freely to roam around these spots? ....They are beautiful, but how can people cross the red tape of Suadi bureaucracy...........has many spots in my list, but few friends told that Suadi govt or cab driver discourage to go those historic places.


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## Saif al-Arab

HAIDER said:


> Its nice , but if I being a shia travel, what are the prospect I will get the visa ,and allow freely to roam around these spots? ....They are beautiful, but how can people cross the red tape of Suadi bureaucracy...........



Haider, have you forgot that 15-20% of KSA's population is Shia Muslim (Twelver, Zaydi and Ismaili) and that millions upon millions of Shia Muslims visit KSA yearly due to Hajj and Umrah, business and work?

I don't know if I should laugh or cry about your comment. You are basically fearing that foreign Shia's cannot obtain a VISA without knowing about the ground realities.

We don't know when it will end but I personally hope that it will end soon so KSA can open up to tourism and that some of the silly laws can be changed.

Anyway this thread has nothing to do with religion.

Some more photos:



IMG_4165 by Amani Samad, on Flickr





Al Wadj Bank, Saudi Arabia (NASA, International Space Station Science, 12/30/07) by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, on Flickr

























فرسان by jazan2013, on Flickr

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## HAIDER

This is number one prime location in my traveling list, but there is no detail for foreign tourist to get this spot...Because its not only historic but place is mention in Quran...

*Mada'in Saleh*


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## Mabs

To Saudi members here: I recently moved to Riyadh and was wondering if there're any must-see sights/activities to do here. I also wouldn't mind driving to any place (coastal town) between Riyadh and Dammam.


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## Saif al-Arab

@HAIDER 

That is Mada'in Saleh. A World UNESCO Heritage Site and the complex is very big. Built by the ancient Semitic Nabateans (Hijazi Arabs basically) in Northern Hijaz some 2000 years ago. The Nabateans built many World UNESCO Heritage Sites in 4 different countries of today (KSA, Jordan, Israel and Syria). Petra in Jordan, Shivta in Israel, Avdat in Israel, Bosra in Syria etc. for instance They were present in Egypt too (Sinai mostly).

Mada'in Saleh - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nabataeans - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You can see more of Mada'in Saleh and those other World UNESCO Heritage Sites in those two threads below:

Saudi Arabia in Pictures | Page 82

The Arabian Peninsula and Arab world in photos | Page 43

Anyway let's try to stick to the topic. Please use the other threads for questions and I or some other Arab member might answer them.

More photos:






























Farasan island - Saudi Arabia by Eric Lafforgue, on Flickr




​

P.S:

I really don't want to "insult" you (or anyone else for that matter) but sometimes when you are ignorant about a topic it's better to do some research or at least ask knowledgeable people before writing silly claims or making bombastic statements. On the internet everyone is an expert about everything that's just not how the real world looks like.



Mabs said:


> To Saudi members here: I recently moved to Riyadh and was wondering if there're any must-see sights/activities to do here. I also wouldn't mind driving to any place (coastal town) between Riyadh and Dammam.



Ask your questions in those 3 threads below and I am sure that natives of Riyadh/Najd/people living there can help you out.

Saudi Arabia in Pictures | Page 82

The Arabian Peninsula and Arab world in photos | Page 43

Arab affairs News and Discussion Thread | Page 2

Users such as @azzo @JUBA @Frosty @Full Moon should be able to help you out here better than me although I can give you my advice but I am not from Riyadh or Najd so I am less familiar with that region of KSA.

This thread is about the marine life, coastline, beaches, islands etc. of KSA.

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## Mabs

Saif al-Arab said:


> @HAIDER
> 
> That is Mada'in Saleh. A World UNESCO Heritage Site and the complex is very big. Built by the ancient Semitic Nabateans (Hijazi Arabs basically) in Northern Hijaz some 2000 years ago. The Nabateans built many World UNESCO Heritage Sites in 4 different countries of today (KSA, Jordan, Israel and Syria). Petra in Jordan, Shivta in Israel, Avdat in Israel, Bosra in Syria etc. for instance They were present in Egypt too (Sinai mostly).
> 
> Mada'in Saleh - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> 
> Nabataeans - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> 
> You can see more of Mada'in Saleh and those other World UNESCO Heritage Sites in those two threads below:
> 
> Saudi Arabia in Pictures | Page 82
> 
> The Arabian Peninsula and Arab world in photos | Page 43
> 
> Anyway let's try to stick to the topic. Please use the other threads for questions and I or some other Arab member might answer them.
> 
> More photos:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Farasan island - Saudi Arabia by Eric Lafforgue, on Flickr
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ​
> 
> P.S:
> 
> I really don't want to "insult" you (or anyone else for that matter) but sometimes when you are ignorant about a topic it's better to do some research or at least ask knowledgeable people before writing silly claims or making bombastic statements. On the internet everyone is an expert about everything that's just not how the real world looks like.
> 
> 
> 
> Ask your questions in those 3 threads below and I am sure that natives of Riyadh/Najd/people living there can help you out.
> 
> Saudi Arabia in Pictures | Page 82
> 
> The Arabian Peninsula and Arab world in photos | Page 43
> 
> Arab affairs News and Discussion Thread | Page 2
> 
> Users such as @azzo @JUBA @Frosty @Full Moon should be able to help you out here better than me although I can give you my advice but I am not from Riyadh or Najd so I am less familiar with that region of KSA.
> 
> This thread is about the marine life, coastline, beaches, islands etc. of KSA.



Thanks man. Do you have any suggestions for the eastern province since a lot of it has a coastline and i don't mean your normal everyday beaches because I used to live in Khobar as well and i have pretty much seen your usual beaches. Are there any hidden gems that people don't know about?


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## Saif al-Arab

Mabs said:


> Thanks man. Do you have any suggestions for the eastern province since a lot of it has a coastline and i don't mean your normal everyday beaches because I used to live in Khobar as well and i have pretty much seen your usual beaches. Are there any hidden gems that people don't know about?



Please kindly use those 3 threads that I have linked to where people, including myself, might be able to answer you.

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## Saif al-Arab



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## Saif al-Arab

*44 different shark species can be found in the waters of the tropical Red Sea
*​List of sharks in the Red Sea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia










Photo taken by Tane Sinclair-Taylor





Photo taken by Tane Sinclair-Taylor​




Photo taken by Tane Sinclair-Taylor


*Diving Holidays to Saudi Arabia, Red Sea*​
*During his first exploration of the Red Sea the legendary underwater explorer Jacques Yves Cousteau observed about the shorelines of Saudi Arabia and Sudan - "Life abounds in bank after bank of exuberant coral structures, second only to those of the Great Barrier Reef in extent and exceeding it perhaps in splendour. Here there is deep clarity, blazing colour, and active fauna living under the most arid and least populated of coasts". *For years cloaked in secrecy, the Kingdom of *Saudi Arabia* has exploded on to the tourist track. International Cultural Tourism has been evident for many years with groups coming from Japan, America and Europe. Saudi Arabia is now realising a national heritage and opening sustained dive tourism. Our Saudi Arabia dive trips are from Liveaboards and proving to be a great success. This is as a result of spectacular diving with newly discovered dive sites and an abundance of large pelagic activity both on our Yanbu and Farasan Banks itineraries, with several species of sharks including silkies, oceanics and tigers, as well as giant mantas.




*It has been said that Saudi Arabia is one of diving's last frontiers, and it is a fact that very few westerners have ever been able to dive here. The appeal of diving almost untouched, barely explored reefs is undeniable. With an incredible variety of marine life and some of the most flourishing coral reefs to be found anywhere in the world - it is no wonder that so many famous explorers have dived here.*




The Red Sea is rated as one of the *top ten diving destinations in the world*. Egypt, Sudan and Jordan offer fantastic diving, but how many of you have dived the Saudi Arabian Red Sea? How many of you know anyone who has? Without question, many if not most of the outer reefs in that region have never been dived. The diversity of marine life and fauna along the reefs really are quite exquisite and offer the diver a high quality and extremely memorable diving experience.

Diving holidays to Saudi Arabia | Red Sea Diving Holidays | Liveaboards in Saudi Arabia | Yabul and Farasan Banks are Saudi Arabia's top dive sites

Jacques Cousteau - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## Saif al-Arab

من رجال جزر فرسان by owyed alowyed, on Flickr













... by Fahad Almazyad, on Flickr


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## Saif al-Arab

mosque by the sea by edward musiak, on Flickr



meditation moment by sultan alghamdi, on Flickr




briman 01 by Bam Lagdameo, on Flickr



Sunset by Justin Minns, on Flickr



shoots from my life ♥ by Abdulellah Al-Mahdali, on Flickr


من رحلة املج شمال غرب المملكة عام ١٤٣٤هـ شهر ٥ by ابو ريان, on Flickr



DSC00933 by Aiwaah Dot Com, on Flickr




Tabuk area منطقة تبوك by tabuk تبوك, on Flickr


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## Saif al-Arab

Change the VISA policy currently in place, invest heavily in tourism (religious and non-religious), ease some of the domestic laws and KSA WILL easily be in the top 10 of most visited countries on the planet very quickly. It already is in the top 15 with the most hostile VISA rules second only to North Korea in place.

World Tourism rankings - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Endless potential but the regime fears rapid changes that could potentially lead to their downfall quicker than foreseen. Wasting potential has been the modus operandi for the Arab world in the past many decades so nothing new on this front, sadly.


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## Saif al-Arab

حقل عندما يعانق البحر الجبل by khaled alamrani, on Flickr








Isle of Umm Almalik by Akram Saleh Alsinany, on Flickr



Georgious G (Haql) K.S.A. by Donald E. Curtis, on Flickr















Tabuk area منطقة تبوك by tabuk تبوك, on Flickr




​As I wrote in the previous post.

Change the VISA policy currently in place, invest heavily in tourism (religious and non-religious), ease some of the domestic laws and KSA WILL easily be in the top 10 of most visited countries on the planet very quickly. It already is in the top 15 with some of the most harsh VISA rules out there.

World Tourism rankings - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There is endless potential. It's time to introduce a real tourism visa and continue the infrastructural investments that can make the tourism sector a booming industry.

Also @JUBA @Full Moon @Bubblegum Crisis @alarabi @Naifov @Frosty @Altamimi @KTOOOOM @Majesty etc. it would be good if some of you could join me here once in a while.

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## haviZsultan

A beautiful land...

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## Saif al-Arab

haviZsultan said:


> A beautiful land...



This is just a small glimpse and obviously the focus is on the marine life, coastline, beaches, the over 1500 or so islands found in KSA etc.



من رحلة املج شمال غرب المملكة عام ١٤٣٤هـ شهر ٥ by ابو ريان, on Flickr

... by Fahad Almazyad, on Flickr



ALlith sea_Panorama-Part2 by タリク طارق, on Flickr


KAUST aerial view by LIK BATON BOOT, on Flickr


394-09 Island in the Red Sea by Doug and Liz Herbst, on Flickr


فرسان by Jazan Know, on Flickr






DSC00933 by Aiwaah Dot Com, on Flickr






*




*​

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## Bilad al-Haramayn

Al Wadj Bank, Saudi Arabia (NASA, International Space Station Science, 12/30/07) by NASA&#x27;s Marshall Space Flight Center, on Flickr























غابة المانجروف by Tayseer Alabyadh, on Flickr​------------

*Ancient shipwrecks discovered in Jeddah *​
ABHA:* A joint team of Saudi and German archaeologists has found the remains of a Roman shipwreck along the Red Sea coast. 
In addition to it, the remains of another ship dating back to the early Islamic period have also been discovered in the area between Rabigh in the north and Al-Shoaibah in the south.*
The items have been delivered to the National Museum in Riyadh for public display, said the discoverers at a seminar.
*German archaeologist Michaela Reinfeld said many underwater remains are waiting to be discovered. *
She said it was part of her team’s job in the Kingdom to train Saudis in the field of underwater archaeology.
*Reinfeld added that the Saudi coast is rich in these wrecks and their presence has prompted the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage to step up efforts to discover the treasures with the assistance of international experts.
Mahdi Al-Qarni, head of the Saudi team, said the successive civilizations on the Arabian Peninsula were major contributors to underwater relics in the Red Sea which has been a trade route since ancient times. He said the Saudi and German team had earmarked 50 locations for more exploration.*

He stressed that the discovery of underwater archaeological finds requires specialized expertise, especially as the Red Sea waters contain a good deal of waste and other pieces that are not of archaeological interest.
Al-Qarni added, “The underwater cultural heritage is part of our identity and national history, and protecting it is the responsibility of all of us.”
Al-Qarni praised the German team’s efforts in providing expertise through intensive training, and pointed to the success of the Saudi team in getting diving licenses. This promises to produce specialized archaeologists, and will contribute to the discovery of submerged relics by trained national cadres in the near future. *There is a growing interest in underwater archaeology all over the world with a number of universities and scientific institutions involved in the search. *
He said that the monuments system, museums and architectural heritage sites are devoted to discovering underwater relics. In addition he highlighted the cooperation between relevant government agencies to preserve the underwater cultural heritage and encourage the immediate reporting of new discoveries.
Reinfeld pointed out that the protection of sunken/underwater monuments depends on several elements, including spreading awareness of the importance of the sunken relics/discoveries by qualified archaeologists, and by adopting scientific procedures that teach how to explore and protect the discoveries as well as the museum’s role in preserving and presenting the items as well as educating the public about them.
There is also a need for laboratories dedicated to the study of archaeological finds under the sea and the way to deal with them scientifically. In this context, she mentioned the Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage.

http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/912136


In other news in 14 years time (2030) the number of Umrah pilgrims is expected to number* 35 million (each year)* from the current 8 million. Hajj pilgrims will number around *8 million* from the current 2 million. That's a HUGE number when we are only talking about 2 cities. No wonder that the government wants to invest heavily in the tourism sector and give pilgrims the opportunity to combine their Umrah, Hajj with a tourist visit that would allow them to travel freely across the country. Hijaz has a tremendous potential when it comes to tourism. The whole country in fact. Many tourist hotspots across the world only have good weather for a certain amount of time each year but KSA is blessed (if we are talking about beach/marine tourism) with good weather all year around. At least Hijaz is. If only the country would open up more socially, politically and economically there is no telling where the potential could lead to. It's a similar story with most Arab countries.

@alarabi @azzo @Frosty @Full Moon @Falcon29 @BLACKEAGLE @Halimi etc.

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## Sargon of Akkad

Some of the over 1500 Saudi Arabian islands:











​









*

*

*

*

Tarout Island, one of the largest islands in the region and with a recorded history spanning some 7000 years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarout_Island

Portuguese had a presence on the island for around 150 years. Like in many areas in and around the Red Sea and Gulf.

A quite famous statue of the pagan God Ishtar from the Sumerian (neighboring area) period was found on the island. A farmer found it. Dilmun, Magan and other civilizations in Eastern Arabia were very close to neighboring Sumer or even in some fields extensions of each other. Many historians and experts believe that Sumerians themselves came from neighboring Eastern Arabia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Arabia#History

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumer






Article in Arabic about the finding. Amazing what kind of heritage that you can find in our part of the world. Nowhere else can such things of this age be found at this rate. We are talking about a statue that is almost 5000 years old.

http://www.alsharq.net.sa/2014/05/04/1134854​

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## Sargon of Akkad

Dramatic Sunrise by Mohammed Swidah, on Flickr



KAUST aerial view by LIK BATON BOOT, on Flickr



Farasan Islands by Rodney Wilson, on Flickr

















​All this wasted potential. For how much longer will this occur before sanity prevails?

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## Al-Andalus

A few resorts in Khobar:
















Ras Tanura:

Aramco camp next to the beach:











The tropical Red Sea waters and coastline:

Largely completely unspoiled and home to the second largest coral reefs in the world after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. The Saudi Arabian Red Sea coastline is almost 2000 km long.






@Malik Alashter so when are you going to visit again? I promise you that you won't encounter many "Wahhabis" (Hanbalis) along the Red Sea coastline in mainly Hijaz or the coastal regions of the Eastern Province.
You will have to do with mainly us Shafi'is, Malikis and fellow Twelvers.

@500 will we ever see (one peace prevails in the region) Saudi Arabian-Israeli cooperation in the Red Sea (as territorial neighbors) and in regards to the conversation of the Red Sea? Maybe the tourism sector as well? After all you can see KSA from Eilat and Israel from Haql and vice versa.

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## Al-Andalus

*44 different shark species can be found in the tropical waters of the Red Sea*​
List of sharks in the Red Sea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia















Al Wadj Bank, Saudi Arabia (NASA, International Space Station Science, 12/30/07) by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, on Flickr




Tabuk area منطقة تبوك by tabuk تبوك, on Flickr

Resort in the ancient coastal Hijazi city of Yanbu​












Farasan Islands:






The Red Sea home to the second largest coral reef in the world and one of the richest marine environments. Likewise the only tropical sea this far north.





KSA is also home to over 1500 islands. This is an example of 1 such island. Tabuk Province. A stunning video.





There is a* tremendous *tourism potential on this front but sadly it is not fulfilled for various reasons. Likewise great beach weather is guaranteed all year round. Few tourist spots can offer that. Not to say the longest Red Sea coastline (almost 2000 km) which is moreover not as densely populated as other coastlines in the world. I hope that we will be able to welcome millions of tourists in the future on a yearly basis when the necessary investments, infrastructure and changes (political and social) occur. Although the future Hajj and Umrah numbers alone would turn KSA into the top 10 of most visited countries (if not top 5) automatically but the focus should not only be on Muslim tourists or in particular religious pilgrims but everyone that has money they can spend. Let the resorts of KSA, on the Red Sea for instance, be overrun by Mongols, Eskimos and Papuans for all I care.

Speaking about tourism:

http://saudigazette.com.sa/business/movenpick-hotel-city-star-jeddah-operational/

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## Al-Andalus

Farasan islands






A sea turtle:






Block of corals:






Some beach in Southern Hijaz:



southern coast by Saud Ashamsan, on Flickr

Traditional boats near Dammam











​Corniche mosque in Jeddah. I like the design.



Corniche Mosque by ali, on Flickr

A shark near the Farasan Islands. Sharks are actually harmless if you do not bother them.

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## Al-Andalus

IMG_5470 by Roberto Catanzaro, on Flickr





Beach next to an ancient settlement/ruins near Haql.



















Tabuk area منطقة تبوك by tabuk تبوك, on Flickr

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## AZADPAKISTAN2009

Saudia has the world most unspoiled beaches in world crystal clear waters

Would have been had they allowed tourist and some reduction in their laws for beach attire

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## Al-Andalus

Beach in Jeddah:






Jubail:








__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/714431827780509696

























Yanbu:








AZADPAKISTAN2009 said:


> Saudia has the world most unspoiled beaches in world crystal clear waters
> 
> Would have been had they allowed tourist and some reduction in their laws for beach attire



Give it a few years and that wonderland will be used correctly. I am very hopeful.


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## AZADPAKISTAN2009

Saudis is sitting on Gold mind with views like this such unspoiled beauty 

Saudia can gain Billions from Tourism only if it enhances its rules and regulations for tourist or visitors like UAE etc specially for foreigners and tourist zones 

Personal favourite 





I must admit this part of Saudia I never remotely seen due to lack of advertisement





However if Saudi Government can just rebrand and become a bit more open 
similar like UAE , I am sure this is a multi billion dollar economy for Saudia but they will need to change policies to attract diverse toursist to visit

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## Safriz

I been to Shuqaiq in western Suadia. hecoral refs are healthy and host plenty of colorful fish and it's Muslim friendly without those Bikini clad mases on he lose while drunk.

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## Saif al-Arab

*Marine life flourishing around Manifa complex offshore Saudi Arabia*
01/05/2017




(Courtesy Saudi Aramco)

_Offshore staff_

*DHAHRAN, Saudi Arabia* – Work to protect the ecosystem around the offshore Manifa oil field has been successful, according to operator Saudi Aramco.

The company staged a recent update session at the Center for Environment and Water at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals.

Manifa, which started production in 2013, has the capacity to deliver 900,000 b/d of Arabian heavy crude oil. However, Manifa Bay is also one of the leading fish and shrimp nurseries on the Gulf Coast.

Aramco, working with the university, devised an innovative development plan for the largely shallow-water field involving man-made islands housing production facilities.

Computerized modeling of the 27 drilling islands, connected by a 42-km (26-mi) causeway and 14 bridges to allow natural water circulation at Manifa Bay, shows the arrangement has enhanced the natural flow of water, Aramco claims, maintaining the bay as a healthy environment for shrimp and fish to breed.

During design, construction, and dredging on the islands, the project adhered to strict environmental policies and standards concerning marine measures. These included placement and configuration of causeway islands so as to avoid impacting coral reefs, while at the same time fulfilling requirements for drilling and oil production.

According to Mohammed H. Al-Ghamdi, manager of the Manifa Producing Department, dissolved oxygen rates in the surrounding seawater are higher than before construction started, which explains the benefits for fish and shrimp larvae.

The coral reefs have grown in size and seem to be spreading onto the rocks of the Manifa causeway itself. In addition, seagrass meadows have increased, covering a 70% greater area than before construction.

Consultant Khaled A. Abdulkader, also speaking at the event, said Aramco made many modifications to the Manifa project’s design, including removing the northwestern portion of the causeway and building bridges in other parts of the causeway to increase tidal circulation; introducing zero discharge of drilling wastes, through cutting reinjection and “skip and ship” to safer onshore locations; and the plantation of mangrove forests, construction of shrimp nurseries and of artificial reefs to revitalize marine life after construction was complete.

The initial plans for a causeway would have slowed the “flush rate” of Manifa Bay to 71 days from the 17-day natural rate, but by opening up the bay with the causeway and bridge design, the flush rate was in fact improved to 15 days.

Today, monitoring data shows the actual flush rate is 11 days, much faster than computer models had projected.

01/05/2017





Reports presented at the Manifa review meeting show that marine health has increased since the project began operations. (Courtesy Saudi Aramco)

http://www.offshore-mag.com/article...und-manifa-complex-offshore-saudi-arabia.html












Qandal Bay, Farasan Islands:

























شاھین میزایل said:


> I been to Shuqaiq in western Suadia. hecoral refs are healthy and host plenty of colorful fish and it's Muslim friendly without those Bikini clad mases on he lose while drunk.



Jazan is conservative even for KSA's standards. Beautiful coastline indeed.

Hopefully you visited the tropical Farasan islands. Some of the most amazing coastlines, coral reef and marine life in the world in fact. The Red Sea is famous for this and is second only to the Great Barrier Reef in this regard.


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## Saif al-Arab

KSA has a very rich marine life and a long beautiful and largely untouched coastline. For instance the Red Sea is home to the second largest coral reef in the world after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.



Al Wadj Bank, Saudi Arabia (NASA, International Space Station Science, 12/30/07) by NASA&#x27;s Marshall Space Flight Center, on Flickr




فرسان by Jazan Know, on Flickr











Tabuk area منطقة تبوك by tabuk تبوك, on Flickr




















​There are almost 2000 islands in KSA as well. The vast, vast majority are uninhabited. Most are found in the Red Sea.

In recent years several new volcanic islands have emerged in the Red Sea due to volcanic eruptions. More specifically in the waters close to KSA and Yemen. Most recently last year.











This video is 5 years old.






It's quite amazing really.

KAUST wrote a paper on the subject not long ago.

Plate separation births two volcanic islands | KAUST Discovery

Another article from another source.

Birth of two volcanic islands in the southern Red Sea : Nature Communications : Nature Publishing Group

During his first exploration of the Red Sea the legendary underwater explorer Jacques Yves Cousteau observed about the shorelines of Saudi Arabia and Sudan - *"Life abounds in bank after bank of exuberant coral structures, second only to those of the Great Barrier Reef in extent and exceeding it perhaps in splendour. Here there is deep clarity, blazing colour, and active fauna"*. 

For years cloaked in secrecy, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has exploded on to the tourist track. International Cultural Tourism has been evident for many years with groups coming from Japan, America and Europe. Saudi Arabia is now realising a national heritage and opening sustained dive tourism. Our Saudi Arabia dive trips are from Liveaboards and proving to be a great success. This is as a result of spectacular diving with newly discovered dive sites and an abundance of large pelagic activity both on our Yanbu and Farasan Banks itineraries, with several species of sharks including silkies, oceanics and tigers, as well as giant mantas.

It has been said that Saudi Arabia is one of diving's last frontiers, and it is a fact that very few westerners have ever been able to dive here. The appeal of diving almost untouched, barely explored reefs is undeniable. With an incredible variety of marine life and some of the most flourishing coral reefs to be found anywhere in the world - it is no wonder that so many famous explorers have dived here.

The Red Sea is rated as one of the top ten diving destinations in the world. Egypt, Sudan and Jordan offer fantastic diving, but how many of you have dived the Saudi Arabian Red Sea? How many of you know anyone who has? Without question, many if not most of the outer reefs in that region have never been dived. The diversity of marine life and fauna along the reefs really are quite exquisite and offer the diver a high quality and extremely memorable diving experience.​
http://www.diving-world.com/saudi.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Cousteau

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## Saif al-Arab

Isolated bay in northern Hijaz:



جبل طيب اسم copy by عبدالله العيدي, on Flickr



كشته بحريه by عبدالله العيدي, on Flickr



شاطئ الخريبه by عبدالله العيدي, on Flickr



١على الكورنيش by عبدالله العيدي, on Flickr



المويلح by عبدالله العيدي, on Flickr



قارب by عبدالله العيدي, on Flickr



سياحه by عبدالله العيدي, on Flickr



... by Fahad Almazyad, on Flickr

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## Sargon of Akkad



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## haviZsultan

Very beautiful. Thanks for sharing...


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## Sargon of Akkad

haviZsultan said:


> Very beautiful. Thanks for sharing...



Welcome.



































غابة المانجروف by Tayseer Alabyadh, on Flickr​A Hijazi beach:


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## Sargon of Akkad

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/838430146549940224


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## Saif al-Arab

*Al-Birk: Saudi islands dot the Red Sea with virgin nature*
Arab News | Published — Monday 3 April 2017





The islands are characterized by their charming nature and environmental diversity, which is different from other Saudi islands in the Red Sea. (SPA)​
JEDDAH: The islands belonging to the province of Al-Birk on the Red Sea coast west of Asir region have a virgin nature that attracts lovers of marine tourism and fishing. 
The islands are characterized by their charming nature and environmental diversity, which is different from other Saudi islands in the Red Sea.
Photos by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) captured during a tour of Al-Birk showed the natural elements of the islands that qualify it to be one of the most important tourist destinations in the near future. Moreover, it is characterized by the white sand of its beaches, the coral reefs that permeate its depths, next to a variety of trees that are no more than a meter high and are called “mangroves,” and rocky islands where elements of erosion and sea waves have painted beautiful portraits.
These islands are Hasr, Muqt, Marka, Qutoa, Mount Dhahban and Umm Al-Qusha. Muhammad Al-Hilali is part of the governorate of Al-Birk and specializes in the profession of sea fishing. The distances traveled by tourists to the islands vary, and the nearest one to the beaches of the governorate is the island of Hasr, which covers an area of about 3 square kilometers and is about 1 nautical mile off the coast. Many species of seabirds and wild pigeons live in the mangrove trees.
He told the SPA that some of the most famous birds on the island are the Hilali, Nawras, Flamingo and Al-Bahtha.
The island of Mount Dhahban, which is about 10 miles from the coast, is famous for the existence of many old buildings in its eastern side. It is said that it was inhabited for a period and is surrounded by mangroves.
The island of Hadara, or what fishermen know as Moqt Island, is about 15 nautical miles northwest of Al-Birk. It is a sandy island containing multiple species of sea birds such as seagulls and swans, in addition to groups of dolphins. It is surrounded by coral reefs rich with fish including coral trout. It is also considered one of the most popular places for fishermen.
The Marka sandy island lies west of Al-Birk province and is 12 nautical miles from the coast. It was one of the first islands frequented by foreign tourists. It is famous for its large number of seagulls. Northwest of Al-Birk stands the island of Qutoa, which is about 29 nautical miles from the province. It is a large island with an area of more than 20 million square meters.
It is characterized by harboring a small lake. The island is surrounded by eight rocky islands that abound with coral reefs.
One of the highlights of the island is the presence of rocks carved by the waves in an attractive manner.
Like other islands, Al-Birk contains various species of animals and plants, especially birds, of which swans are the most popular.
There are several other smaller islands off the shores of Al-Birk including Mount Douka, Mount Kadembel, Jasim, Jana, Jannah, Hattebah, Halet Za’al, Habar, Doama, Damsak, Dushak and Zolraka.

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## Saif al-Arab

Simply amazing.

The day KSA opens up for wide-scale tourism (the country with the largest potential for tourism due to Hajj and Umrah alone and the fact that there is virtually no real tourism sector in KSA - still KSA is the 13th most visited country in the world out of almost 200 countries) such and many other places can be visited by foreigners in KSA (a country the size of Western Europe).

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## waz

Sharif al-Hijaz said:


> Simply amazing.
> 
> The day KSA opens up for wide-scale tourism (the country with the largest potential for tourism due to Hajj and Umrah alone and the fact that there is virtually no real tourism sector in KSA - still KSA is the 13th most visited country in the world out of almost 200 countries) such and many other places can be visited by foreigners in KSA (a country the size of Western Europe).



Uninhabited right bro?

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## Saif al-Arab

waz said:


> Uninhabited right bro?



Yes, most of the 2000 or so Saudi Arabian islands are uninhabited although many are not.

Fish and shrimp farming:











Very nice.






The giant whale sharks:







Italian divers in KSA:






Hijazi fish kabsa:





Saudi Arabian fish curry (Samak Quwarmah):





Saudi dough with king fish:

















*



*

Hijazi sayyadiyah:











There are so many delicious seafood dishes in KSA, in particular Hijaz.

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## waz

Sharif al-Hijaz said:


> Yes, most of the 2000 or so Saudi Arabian islands are uninhabited although many are not.
> 
> Fish and shrimp farming:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Very nice.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The giant whale sharks:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Italian divers in KSA:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hijazi fish kabsa:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Saudi Arabian fish curry (Samak Quwarmah):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Saudi dough with king fish:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *
> 
> 
> 
> *
> 
> Hijazi sayyadiyah:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> There are so many delicious seafood dishes in KSA, in particular Hijaz.



I'd like to go these islands, the issue is of infrastructure. I don't think there would be anything there. I hope SA goes beyond the typical Haj/umrah tourist, there is so much diversity there.
As for the food, I'm so upset I couldn't find these dishes when I visited the holy cities.

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## Saif al-Arab

waz said:


> I'd like to go these islands, the issue is of infrastructure. I don't think there would be anything there. I hope SA goes beyond the typical Haj/umrah tourist, there is so much diversity there.
> As for the food, I'm so upset I couldn't find these dishes when I visited the holy cities.



No, there is nothing to find on those uninhabited islands in terms of infrastructure other than nature at its finest, beautiful and exotic marine life and a rich animal life. When it comes to the inhabited islands there is infrastructure but it is only geared partially for tourism and mostly local one.

Insha'Allah bro. This is also the stated goal by the government and things have been moving in a positive direction in this regard in KSA and others in the past 1 year. Basically since the Saudi Vision 2030 was announced.

http://vision2030.gov.sa/en

Part of this vision is also to highlight the cultural diversity in KSA and focus on not only the Islamic but also pre-Islamic heritage which is amongst the richest in the world.

As for Makkah and Madinah they have been huge building sites for years. This will be the case for at 5 years more. Once this is done and accomplished necessary changes will occur and more focus will be given to introduce tourists, pilgrims etc. to local culture. The problem is that unless you are an local, an Arabic-speaker or know locals/residents it is difficult to find the places that locals attend. For instance restaurants. This is due to the fact that Makkah (especially) and Madinah are some of the most cosmopolitan cities not only in the Muslim world but the entire world. So naturally those cities gather for people from every corner of the world. This is why you can restaurants and other cultural elements that make various people feel more at home. It was differently in earlier times. For instance pre-WW2 the average pilgrim had more exposure to local culture. Also due to pilgrims coming in much smaller numbers.

Anyway there are tons of local traditions that pre-date the birth of modern-day KSA (naturally) such as for instance local Hijazi women having a tradition of inviting female pilgrims into their homes and introducing them to the cuisine, culture, welcoming them, having them stay overnight, showing them the historical areas, interesting areas etc. However this is nowadays only done by a few 100 families and not on a big scale so very, very few pilgrims get to experience this. In earlier times pilgrims used to stay at locals homes mostly. That was how it was. In short it was a very different world.

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## waz

Sharif al-Hijaz said:


> No, there is nothing to find on those uninhabited islands in terms of infrastructure other than nature at its finest, beautiful and exotic marine life and a rich animal life. When it comes to the inhabited islands there is infrastructure but it is only geared partially for tourism and mostly local one.
> 
> Insha'Allah bro. This is also the stated goal by the government and things have been moving in a positive direction in this regard in KSA and others in the past 1 year. Basically since the Saudi Vision 2030 was announced.
> 
> http://vision2030.gov.sa/en
> 
> Part of this vision is also to highlight the cultural diversity in KSA and focus on not only the Islamic but also pre-Islamic heritage which is amongst the richest in the world.
> 
> As for Makkah and Madinah they have been huge building sites for years. This will be the case for at 5 years more. Once this is done and accomplished necessary changes will occur and more focus will be given to introduce tourists, pilgrims etc. to local culture. The problem is that unless you are an local, an Arabic-speaker or know locals/residents it is difficult to find the places that locals attend. For instance restaurants. This is due to the fact that Makkah (especially) and Madinah are some of the most cosmopolitan cities not only in the Muslim world but the entire world. So naturally those cities gather for people from every corner of the world. This is why you can restaurants and other cultural elements that make various people feel more at home. It was differently in earlier times. For instance pre-WW2 the average pilgrim had more exposure to local culture. Also due to pilgrims coming in much smaller numbers.
> 
> Anyway there are tons of local traditions that pre-date the birth of modern-day KSA (naturally) such as for instance local Hijazi women having a tradition of inviting female pilgrims into their homes and introducing them to the cuisine, culture, welcoming them, having them stay overnight, showing them the historical areas, interesting areas etc. However this is nowadays only done by a few 100 families and not on a big scale so very, very few pilgrims get to experience this. In earlier times pilgrims used to stay at locals homes mostly. That was how it was. In short it was a very different world.



Thank you for the informative post my brother.
Yes I'm greatly looking forward to the Hijaz diversity drive. By the way where is the pre-Islamic heritage to be found? 
You are right about the difficulties of being non-native, or being unable to speak Arabic. It would have been so much easier to find the local Hijazi cuisine. Are you currently in Saudi? If you are, you will have to be my guide haha.
I really do like the local custom you spoke of, ah the days Rasool Allah(saws). I mean that's what it feels like.

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## MultaniGuy

lovely pictures of the marine life.

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## Saif al-Arab

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/d...saudi-arabia-to-develop-island-beach-resorts/





Sebastian Farmborough, _An Emerging Mystery_

https://www.thesolutionsjournal.com...of-saudi-arabia-through-a-photographers-lens/













http://blog.radissonblu.com/9-attractions-you-need-to-see-when-in-jizan/

A beach in Jeddah:





Ras Tanura beach in the Eastern Province:



Ras Tanura Beach by Andrew A. Shenouda, on Flickr



Beaches of Saudi Arabia - Ras Tanura by Justin Scott, on Flickr

Neighborhoods nearby:


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## Saif al-Arab

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/d...saudi-arabia-to-develop-island-beach-resorts/





Sebastian Farmborough, _An Emerging Mystery_

https://www.thesolutionsjournal.com...of-saudi-arabia-through-a-photographers-lens/













http://blog.radissonblu.com/9-attractions-you-need-to-see-when-in-jizan/

A beach in Jeddah:





Ras Tanura beach in the Eastern Province:



Ras Tanura Beach by Andrew A. Shenouda, on Flickr



Beaches of Saudi Arabia - Ras Tanura by Justin Scott, on Flickr

Neighborhoods nearby:
















Al Wadj Bank, Saudi Arabia (NASA, International Space Station Science, 12/30/07) by NASA&#x27;s Marshall Space Flight Center, on Flickr




فرسان by Jazan Know, on Flickr










Tabuk area منطقة تبوك by tabuk تبوك, on Flickr

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## Fledgingwings

Beautiful Indeed!

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## Saif al-Arab

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/859453907638124545
Isolated bay in northern Hijaz:



جبل طيب اسم copy by عبدالله العيدي, on Flickr



كشته بحريه by عبدالله العيدي, on Flickr



شاطئ الخريبه by عبدالله العيدي, on Flickr



١على الكورنيش by عبدالله العيدي, on Flickr



المويلح by عبدالله العيدي, on Flickr



قارب by عبدالله العيدي, on Flickr



سياحه by عبدالله العيدي, on Flickr



... by Fahad Almazyad, on Flickr











No beaches or marine life in the region (MENA) can be compared to that of KSA and Arabia. Few in the world can.



Fledgingwings said:


> Beautiful Indeed!



You are welcome brother.

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## Fledgingwings

Beautiful Indeed! Its Saudi Arabia in colours.The one thing media never shows to the world.western media in specific.only showing war,fire and blood.Long Live The Holy Land worth living.

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## Saif al-Arab

*Do you know there are over 1000 islands in Saudi Arabia?*
​




Saudi Arabia has 1285 islands in the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf. (supplied)

Mohammed al-Harbi, Al Arabiya.net
Tuesday, 2 May 2017

When we think of Saudi Arabia, what comes to mind is vast oceans of sand dunes and enchanting deserts. However, did you know that the Kingdom also has 1285 islands in the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf?

The Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba alone host 1150 islands making 89 percent of their total number, while the remaining 135 islands in the Arabian Gulf constitute 11 percent of them.






The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has 1285 islands in the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulfs. (Supplied)

These islands are considered major tourist attractions because of the diverse nature of their geology. Whether they are coral, sandy or volcanic, the islands have shores that vary between soft sands and high rocky mountains.

*The largest Saudi islands*
Farasan Island is the largest island of the archipelago, which has more than 200 islands one of which is dedicated to diving explorations. Farasan is spread across 380 square kilometers and is the biggest.

The island of Sajid comes second in terms of size with an area of 150 square kilometer while Abu Ali Island in the Arabian Gulf has an area of 59 square kilometers followed by the island of Batinah, 33 square kilometers. Tarot Island stretches 20 square kilometers.






The island of Farsan has an ecologically diverse marine life that can only be found on a few islands in the world. (Supplied)

The island of Farasan has an ecologically diverse marine life that can only be found on a few islands across the world. There are multiple kinds of birds, coral reefs and rare marine life.

Raw amber is abundant and is a main source of income for many inhabitants of the island. Farsan is also rich with coastal mangrove trees. In addition, the water in this part of the island also contains unusual coral reefs, flowering plants and seagrass.

Turtles and seabirds are found on the island's beaches in large groups at specific times of the year. Other islands include Amna, Kadmil, Kamah Island, Damask, Zafaf, Dushk, Safeed and Kira. Among the islands of the Red Sea are “Sanafir and Tiran”, which are located near the Gulf of Aqaba.

*The Arabian Gulf islands*
The Arabian Gulf is home to 150 islands including Abu Ali in north of Jubail, the largest of the Arabian islands in the Gulf. The Arabian Gulf also harbors well-known Saudi Arabian islands, including Batinah, Qarmah, Jannah, Musallamah, Al-Jarid, Daghina, Karan and Harkos.






Turtles and seabirds are nestled as well on the island's beaches in large groups at specific times of the year. (Supplied)

“Harkos” is one of the most important Saudi islands as a natural habitat for many kinds of birds and turtles dwelling in the Arabian Gulf. Alarabiya is the Kingdom’s farthest island within the Arabian Gulf. It is located 50 nautical miles away from the Saudi coasts.

The most significant three Saudi islands in the south of the Arabian Gulf can be found near the entrance of Khor al-Adid north of Ras Abu Qamis, and they are Hawisat, Huthba and Sayad.








The Arabian Gulf is home to 150 islands including Abu Ali in north of Jubail. (Supplied)

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/li.../2017/05/02/Saudi-Arabia-s-1000-islands-.html

















Saudi Arabian soldiers patrolling the beach of Al-Khafji during the First Gulf War. Almost 30 years ago.































Nice article about surfing in KSA:

http://www.blueabaya.com/2017/05/surfing-in-saudi-arabia.html

@Arabi please take this thread out brother and contribute if you can.

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## Saif al-Arab

Wadi Tayyib al Ism in Tabuk.

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## Saif al-Arab

*Saudi crown prince launches mega Red Sea tourism project*
Arab News | Published — Tuesday 1 August 2017




Red Sea Tourisms Project. (SPA)




Red Sea Tourisms Project. (SPA)




Red Sea Tourisms Project. (SPA)




Red Sea Tourisms Project. (SPA)

JEDDAH: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, chairman of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), on Tuesday announced the launch of an international tourism project in the Kingdom called The Red Sea.
Envisioned as a resort built across a lagoon of 50 untouched islands, The Red Sea will be situated in one of the world’s last natural hidden treasures, between the cities of Umlaj and Al-Wajh. It will be developed in partnership with the world’s leading hospitality firms.
Situated just a few kilometers from one of the most diverse Saudi nature reserves and captivating dormant volcanoes in Harrat Al-Rahat, the resort promises to be a blissful coastal island retreat set against a backdrop of the ancient ruins at Mada’in Saleh, renowned for its beauty and historical significance.
Visitors will be able to explore hidden treasures, including a nature reserve that boasts a stunning diversity of flora and fauna at the foothills of the dormant volcano nearby.
An array of marine-oriented resort developments will allow for unparalleled scuba diving among stunning coral reefs. The project will form an archipelago that is home to environmentally protected coral reefs, mangroves and several endangered marine species, including the hawksbill sea turtle.
It will also boast dormant volcanoes, the most recently active of which has a recorded history of activity dating back to the 17th century AD.
The project’s nature reserve is inhabited by rare wildlife including leopards, wolves, wildcats and falcons. Also on offer will be parachuting, trekking and rock climbing.
With tourism representing the second most important sector in the Kingdom, The Red Sea will spearhead the diversification of the Saudi leisure industry.

In line with Vision 2030, it will diversify Saudi tourism offerings to create a year-round hospitality sector while promoting cultural conservation and economic stimulation.
The Red Sea will serve as a wellness center while setting new standards for sustainable development and environmental protection, which will be central to the project’s development.
To ensure the highest standard of environmental conservation, the number of visitors annually will be capped and heritage sites will be restored.
Laws on par with international standards will govern the newly mapped semi-autonomous area, with initial groundbreaking expected in the third quarter of 2019.
Completion of the project’s first phase is anticipated by the last quarter of 2022, which will include development of hotels, luxury residential units and all logistical infrastructure such as air, land and sea transport hubs.
The project will be developed with seed capital from the PIF, while partnerships with top-tier international companies will be formed.
This will attract the world’s leading names in hotel and tourism operations while contributing to Saudi economic growth. The project aims to generate SR15 billion ($4 billion) annually to the Saudi economy and create 35,000 jobs.

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1137781/saudi-arabia#photo/0







__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/892239999168655360















We will welcome all visitors with open arms to Hijaz. Very pleased about the worldwide publicity.

Not trying to act more smug than necessary but I don't think that many countries are able to offer what KSA can offer to tourists (politics and a few temporary moronic laws aside), in particular in terms of marine life, beach and sea tourism.

Let alone fantastic weather all year round expect for June, July, August and September where temperatures (in particular in lesser mountainous areas - 50% of KSA is mountainous and in inland areas far away from the Red Sea) can reach 45 + celsius at the hottest days which is not something that everyone can cope with. At least the humidity is low which makes a world of difference, if you ask me and most humans.

Not a problem when the weather in those regions is absolutely fantastic for the remaining 8 months of the year.

In fact many Hijazi coastal cities have an excellent climate all year around.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Wajh

Median yearly temperature of 24.5 degrees. Heaven on earth!

Add to that the ever present and ever increasing number of visitors during Hajj and Umrah (24/7 hours a week 365 days a year) and you have a future top 5 position, at least a top 10 position, when it comes to most visited countries by tourists. KSA is already in the top 20 today (18 if I am not wrong). Not bad, not bad. Once again something that few (in this case no other country) is in such a position.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Tourism_rankings

So much potential. Nobody can deny this.

BTW, the visa laws are some of the harshest in the world. We need to change this.


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## Saif al-Arab

*Saudi crown prince launches mega Red Sea tourism project*
Arab News | Published — Tuesday 1 August 2017




Red Sea Tourisms Project. (SPA)




Red Sea Tourisms Project. (SPA)




Red Sea Tourisms Project. (SPA)




Red Sea Tourisms Project. (SPA)

JEDDAH: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, chairman of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), on Tuesday announced the launch of an international tourism project in the Kingdom called The Red Sea.
Envisioned as a resort built across a lagoon of 50 untouched islands, The Red Sea will be situated in one of the world’s last natural hidden treasures, between the cities of Umlaj and Al-Wajh. It will be developed in partnership with the world’s leading hospitality firms.
Situated just a few kilometers from one of the most diverse Saudi nature reserves and captivating dormant volcanoes in Harrat Al-Rahat, the resort promises to be a blissful coastal island retreat set against a backdrop of the ancient ruins at Mada’in Saleh, renowned for its beauty and historical significance.
Visitors will be able to explore hidden treasures, including a nature reserve that boasts a stunning diversity of flora and fauna at the foothills of the dormant volcano nearby.
An array of marine-oriented resort developments will allow for unparalleled scuba diving among stunning coral reefs. The project will form an archipelago that is home to environmentally protected coral reefs, mangroves and several endangered marine species, including the hawksbill sea turtle.
It will also boast dormant volcanoes, the most recently active of which has a recorded history of activity dating back to the 17th century AD.
The project’s nature reserve is inhabited by rare wildlife including leopards, wolves, wildcats and falcons. Also on offer will be parachuting, trekking and rock climbing.
With tourism representing the second most important sector in the Kingdom, The Red Sea will spearhead the diversification of the Saudi leisure industry.

In line with Vision 2030, it will diversify Saudi tourism offerings to create a year-round hospitality sector while promoting cultural conservation and economic stimulation.
The Red Sea will serve as a wellness center while setting new standards for sustainable development and environmental protection, which will be central to the project’s development.
To ensure the highest standard of environmental conservation, the number of visitors annually will be capped and heritage sites will be restored.
Laws on par with international standards will govern the newly mapped semi-autonomous area, with initial groundbreaking expected in the third quarter of 2019.
Completion of the project’s first phase is anticipated by the last quarter of 2022, which will include development of hotels, luxury residential units and all logistical infrastructure such as air, land and sea transport hubs.
The project will be developed with seed capital from the PIF, while partnerships with top-tier international companies will be formed.
This will attract the world’s leading names in hotel and tourism operations while contributing to Saudi economic growth. The project aims to generate SR15 billion ($4 billion) annually to the Saudi economy and create 35,000 jobs.

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1137781/saudi-arabia#photo/0







__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/892239999168655360















We will welcome all visitors with open arms to Hijaz. Very pleased about the worldwide publicity.

Not trying to act more smug than necessary but I don't think that many countries are able to offer what KSA can offer to tourists (politics and a few temporary moronic laws aside), in particular in terms of marine life, beach and sea tourism.

Let alone fantastic weather all year round expect for June, July, August and September where temperatures (in particular in lesser mountainous areas - 50% of KSA is mountainous and in inland areas far away from the Red Sea) can reach 45 + celsius at the hottest days which is not something that everyone can cope with. At least the humidity is low which makes a world of difference, if you ask me and most humans.

Not a problem when the weather in those regions is absolutely fantastic for the remaining 8 months of the year.

In fact many Hijazi coastal cities have an excellent climate all year around.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Wajh

Median yearly temperature of 24.5 degrees. Heaven on earth!

Add to that the ever present and ever increasing number of visitors during Hajj and Umrah (24/7 hours a week 365 days a year) and you have a future top 5 position, at least a top 10 position, when it comes to most visited countries by tourists. KSA is already in the top 20 today (18 if I am not wrong). Not bad, not bad. Once again something that few (in this case no other country) is in such a position.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Tourism_rankings

So much potential. Nobody can deny this.

BTW, the visa laws are some of the harshest in the world. We need to change this.

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## Saif al-Arab

*286 islands on offer for tourism investment in southern Jazan*
Arab News | Published — Friday 13 October 2017




The 286 Farasan Islands are one of the biggest island groups in the southern part of Red Sea.

JAZAN: The Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) has announced that 286 islands off the Jazan coast will be on the market for tourism investment to raise the state’s income.
Rustom Al-Kubaisi, head of the SCTH’s branch in Jazan, said that an executive committee has been formed to encourage tourism investment by Jazan Gov. Prince Mohammed bin Nasser bin Abdul Aziz on Wednesday, along with a center for tourism investment services.
Al-Kubaisi, who was appointed secretary-general of the committee, told Sabq e-newspaper that forming this committee aims to publicize the Jazan region and the tourism investments available, facilitate and accelerate investment procedures so that the region can attract more investors from the tourism sector and make a qualitative shift to tourism services, in accordance with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
The committee aims to raise the competitiveness of the tourism investment environment in Jazan by resolving obstacles facing investors; accelerating investment procedures; offering investment opportunities in a professional way; studying investors’ needs, wishes and reasons keeping them from investing; creating a well-studied and intensive marketing campaign to introduce the region; and offering investment opportunities through the participation in specialized exhibitions in the Kingdom as a first step, and in the Arab Gulf as a second step.
The 286 Farasan Islands, are one of the biggest island groups in the southern part of Red Sea, and one of the most important touristic locations, thanks to its natural beauty.
The SCTH has allocated SR3 billion ($800 million) to develop and transform the islands into a touristic environment. Farasan is the largest island of the Farasan Islands, located some 50 km offshore from Jazan. A number of uninhabited islands serve as breeding sites for large numbers of birds and Arabian gazelles.
Farasan Island was considered a major part of the trade in pearls in the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea in ancient times.

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1176856/saudi-arabia

Interesting. However there might be almost 2000 islands in KSA but I don't think that more than 20-25% should be allocated for tourism. A healthy balance must be found between tourism and preservation of nature, animal and marine life. Especially when we are talking about some of the most precious marine life on this earth. The coral reefs found in the Red Sea are the second largest in the world after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia for instance. It would be highly idiotic to endanger such nature. Especially as it is mostly unspoiled due to the lack of massive tourism in KSA, let alone those areas of the Kingdom.

I would hate to see this destroyed for the sake of monetary gains.


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## Saif al-Arab

*PHOTOS: A volcanic mountain in the middle of Red Sea in Saudi Arabia*




The island is visited by many tourists who have to take a boat to reach it. (Supplied)

Mohamed al-Harby, Al Arabiya.net
Monday, 8 January 2018


An island alongide an island in the middle of the Red Sea on the Saudi Arabian side exists within the blue waves of the ocean right across from al-Qahmah beach in the Asir region, southwest of Saudi Arabia.





The island is visited by many tourists who have to take a boat to reach it. It is also considered a volcanic mountainous island which is covered in sand and rocks with little greenery, and a 360-degree view of the ocean.







The island attracts hunting enthusiasts, who hunt birds including pigeons and eagles which can be found around the island.







It is also believed that 11 ancient cemeteries were built there.







These pictures were taken by photographer Adel Asiri who documented different areas of the island and the surrounding sea.







Last Update: Monday, 8 January 2018 KSA 15:07 - GMT 12:07

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/lif...ntain-amidst-the-Red-Sea-in-Saudi-Arabia.html

Incredible video.






It seems that the establishment of a real tourism sector is a question of time with the recent decision to allow tourist-visas again. Fantastic decision due to the enormous potential of KSA in this regard.


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## Saif al-Arab

DJI_0005 copy by عبدالله العيدي, on Flickr










https://uw-media.usatoday.com/video...ment=uw-smallarticleattophtml5&pagetype=story

*Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and its wealth of potential*
*Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 programme will drive growth across the country, most notably in its asset management, tourism and insurance sectors*






The effects of Vision 2030 on various Saudi sectors are far-reaching, but among those set to benefit is the asset management sector 
ASSET MANAGEMENT | WEALTH MANAGEMENT
Interview with: Khaled Waleed Al Braikan, Head of Asset Management at NCB Capital

January 8, 2018
According to Tadawul data, Saudi Arabia’s economy accounts for around half the $1.6trn represented by the GCC overall, making it the biggest market in the Arab world and the 19th-largest on the planet. The country is undoubtedly a global behemoth – however, tumbling oil prices and subsequent OPEC cuts in oil production over the past two years have dealt their share of blows to the economy. In January 2017, the IMF slashed its 2017 forecast from nearly two percent to 0.1 percent. However, its forecast for 2018 – announced in October – predicts an increase of one percentage point.

In May 2016, the Saudi Government laid out plans to modernise, diversify and globalise its economy under its Vision 2030 plan, implementing a series of wide-ranging reforms designed to open the kingdom to foreign investors, reduce its reliance on oil exports and bring it in line with the world’s most powerful emerging economies.

“My first objective is for our country to be a pioneering and successful global model of excellence on all fronts, and I will work with you to achieve that,” declared King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud at the project’s outset. By loosening restrictions on outside investors and introducing new regulations, Saudi Arabia’s predominant goal under the programme is to rank itself among the top 15 economies in the world by 2030.

Vision 2030 aims to reduce Saudi Arabia’s reliance on oil exports and bring it in line with the world’s most powerful emerging economies

The effects of Vision 2030 on various Saudi sectors are far-reaching, but among those set to benefit is the asset management sector. One company capitalising on such opportunities is NCB Capital, the investment banking and asset management arm of National Commercial Bank, Saudi Arabia’s first bank.

As the largest asset manager in Saudi Arabia and the biggest Sharia-compliant asset manager in the world, NCB Capital is in a strong position in Saudi Arabia. World Finance spoke to Khaled Waleed Al Braikan, Head of Asset Management at NCB Capital, to find out his views on Vision 2030 and whether it will create opportunities for the asset management industry and NCB Capital itself.

*What the future looks like*
Though the Vision 2030 reforms are wide-ranging and carry significant positive implications for the Saudi economy in the longer run, they have also sped up the process of opening the Saudi market to international investors. Al Braikan believes the potential inclusion of Saudi Arabia in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (a decision expected to be made in mid-2018, according to The National) is among the most significant outcomes of the ongoing stock market reforms: “The MSCI and FTSE Russell indices are benchmark indices for equity investment managers globally. As Saudi Arabia becomes part of these indices, we expect to see many more regional and international investors coming to the Saudi market.”

If the MSCI inclusion goes ahead, it is expected to bring significant international portfolio inflows to the Saudi stock market. Beyond that, there are various regulatory reforms already underway to help achieve the targets and encourage the interest of overseas investors. Since June 2015, for example, international equity investors with assets under management of more than $5bn have been able to access the Saudi exchange by applying to become Qualified Foreign Investors (QFIs). In 2016, market authorities lowered this assets under management cap to $3bn in order to facilitate more QFIs’ entry into the kingdom.

April 2017, meanwhile, saw the switch from a T+0 to a T+2 settlement cycle for listed securities – a model used by the majority of leading emerging markets to make stock market transactions more secure, and to attract more investment from overseas. Whereas execution and settlement previously took place on the same day, investors now have two days to verify deals and arrange funds.

“The right steps are being taken in terms of regulation to accommodate the needs of international investors,” said Al Braikan. “The authorities are in dialogue with the international investors; they’re listening to them and are acting quickly to address any potential concerns.”

Al Braikan refers to the recent authorisation of short selling as a further incentive to foreign investors, who now have the option to sell borrowed stocks and hedges. There is also the Independent Custody Model, which means international investors can now allocate a global custodian bank to hold their assets, rather than having to use a local broker.

It is not all about larger corporations, though. Just as important has been the increased focus on the SME sector. According to Al Braikan: “The government is looking to especially support this area in order to help drive the growth of non-oil revenue. One of the initiatives has been the creation of the Nomu-Parallel market, designed to allow SMEs to access and raise additional equity capital.”

Developed as an alternative to the traditional stock exchange, Nomu is a lighter market with more flexible listing requirements than the Tadawul. It has been designed to enable smaller companies to get listed which, in turn, will stimulate the wider local economy.

The Nomu market is restricted to qualified investors, whereas companies require a minimum market cap of SAR 10m ($2.7m). So far, the new market seems to be proving a success. “There appears to be a great deal of initial interest from the companies seeking to list on the Nomu-Parallel market, which is expected to grow significantly over the coming years,” continued Al Braikan. “Some of these companies, though relatively small, could eventually become future champions in the sectors in which they operate.”

*Tourism and business*
*The reforms under Vision 2030 and Saudi Arabia’s National Transformation Programme 2020 (NTP 2020) have far-reaching effects across many sectors at Tadawul. Al Braikan highlighted a number of sectors that stand to benefit as a result of these reforms. The Saudi telecoms sector, for example, will see growth in three key areas: higher fibre optic coverage across the kingdom; improved availability of frequency spectrums to Saudi telecoms companies; and extensions in wireless broadband availability to remote areas. Al Braikan also highlighted that, under Vision 2030 and NTP 2020, the Saudi Government intends to fully privatise the electricity generation capacity while restructuring the existing power utility.

The government will also bring power tariff reforms through the removal of further subsidies. Speaking about the Saudi minerals sector, Al Braikan referred to these reforms as the future growth engine of the industrial sector, as Vision 2030 incorporates major investment plans to develop the mineral sector. On Saudi healthcare, Al Braikan revealed that Vision 2030 promises major reforms, including the privatisation of government hospitals, further optimisation of current healthcare spending, incentives for the private sector to step up its investments, and addressing lifestyle diseases through lowering smoking levels and curbing obesity.

Al Braikan is also extremely positive about the future of religious tourism. Vision 2030 aims to increase the number of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims through sustained investments in the physical infrastructure of the two holy cities. Accordingly, this should benefit the listed enablers of this sector. Al Braikan is also of the view that developments such as the evolution of real estate investment trusts (REITs), the imposition of white land taxes, and higher government spending commitments to build houses for the masses will create opportunities for the listed real estate sector. Al Braikan also named the insurance sector as a key beneficiary of Vision 2030.

According to Al Braikan: “Saudi Arabia has strong investment capabilities and tremendous growth potential. This is on the back of the kingdom’s strategic location, immense natural and mineral resources, and favourable dynamics.

“Saudi Arabia is ideally located in the midst of Asia, Europe and Africa. This enables the kingdom to offer transit and gateway facilities. Ultimately, Saudi Arabia can emerge as a major regional trade hub. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia can build upon its industrial base that takes advantage of its vast natural resources. Given the mining potential in the kingdom, sectors and industries can further be developed in areas such as phosphates, metals, energy and petrochemicals.

“The general dynamics of Saudi Arabia are also heavily in favour of investment development, and steps in this regard include the development and expansion of religious tourism and the expansion of physical infrastructure, such as airports and other supporting transport systems. The demographic dynamics of the kingdom are also extremely favourable – this enables the development and furthering of local talent and technological penetration in new and unique areas.”

Al Braikan highlighted the marked reduction in the government budget deficit from SAR 91bn ($24.3bn) in Q1 2016 to SAR 26bn ($6.9bn) in Q1 2017. This allowed the government to reinstate allowances for public sector employees. NCB Capital believes that restoring these allowances will increase average household income and may also increase the discretionary spending capability of a household in general. Al Braikan also pointed out that recent international sukuk issuance will further improve liquidity in the local market.*

*Targeted growth*
Al Braikan believes the reforms will have a long-lasting impact on the overall health of the Saudi economy. He said: “Over the longer term, the market should benefit and grow in terms of both depth and breadth, as more companies are listed, including privatisations, and additional sectors are added. The more the listed companies reflect the overall economy, the more relevant it will be for investors seeking liquid access to the long-term Saudi economic story.”

NCB Capital’s own part in all of this is clear. By matching sources of capital with investment opportunities, the company will continue to support local firms as they develop, helping them raise essential capital. “NCB’s existing business strategy focuses on capitalising on the opportunities brought about by the kingdom’s ongoing transformation into a more diverse economy,” said Al Braikan. “We are closely watching the market dynamics of REITs, for example, and may come up with appropriate products in the medium term to capitalise on this opportunity.”

He concluded: “During 2018, our focus is likely to stay on growing our businesses within asset management, brokerage and advisory services. The changes coming as part of Vision 2030 will accelerate growth in many sectors, and therefore create opportunities for companies and investors alike.”

https://www.worldfinance.com/wealth-management/saudi-arabias-vision-2030-and-its-wealth-of-potential

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## Saif al-Arab

Asir province alone.

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## Saif al-Arab

*Heat-resistant corals in the Middle East could save the world's dying reefs*​
By Sarah Lazarus, CNN

June 27, 2018
*
(CNN)Coral reefs are in crisis. Around the world, they are being wiped out by rising sea temperatures -- a consequence of climate change.*

But in one region, some corals are withstanding the heat.
Off the coast of the Arabian Peninsula, there are pockets of resistance. Consequently, this area has become a hotbed for research as marine biologists try to figure out what gives these corals their ability to survive warming seas and whether genetic technology could -- and should -- be used to save dying coral reefs, before we lose them forever.
*
Reef life*

Corals are not only beautiful -- they are also a vital part of the marine ecosystem.
"Coral reefs are home to a quarter of all marine species and support fisheries by providing foraging habitats for adult fish and nursery habitats for juveniles," says John Burt, a marine biologist at NYU Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. "So they're really important biologically and economically."
Although they look like plants, corals actually consist of tiny, soft-bodied creatures called polyps that cluster together in huge numbers to form colonies. In most coral species, the polyps secrete limestone which forms a hard skeleton. A reef is a collection of corals, which come in a dazzling array of shapes and sizes, and a glorious rainbow of colors.
However, it's not the coral itself that creates the brilliant hues, but colorful microscopic algae that live within the coral. "It's a win-win relationship," says Burt. The coral provides the algae with essential nutrients and a safe place to live, while the algae provides the coral with about 90% of its food.
But when sea temperatures reach a tipping point that relationship breaks down. "The coral is either digesting the algae or expelling it -- we're not quite sure of the process," says Burt. As the density of algae drops, the coral "bleaches" -- becoming progressively paler until it turns bone white.





Bleached coral on Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

Bleaching does not spell instant death. "Like humans, corals deposit fats, so they can live for a short period of time off their fat reserves," says Burt. And if the hot spell subsides, he says, the coral can "pull algae back into their tissue" and revive. But if that doesn't happen within one to two weeks, the corals starve to death.
Between 2014 and 2017, corals around the world suffered the longest and most widespread bleaching event on record. In Australia, during 2016, 29% of the 3,863 reefs that comprise the world's largest coral reef system -- the Great Barrier Reef -- were severely damaged.
During this period, the corals in the Gulf of Aqaba -- a narrow finger of water at the northernmost tip of the Red Sea, bordered by Israel, Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia -- appeared healthy. Jessica Bellworthy, from Israel's Bar Ilan University, says that although the Gulf is warming at a faster rate than the global average, mass bleaching has never been observed there.

Bellworthy is studying the Gulf of Aqaba's corals to find out just how resilient they are. "We tested the corals in the lab by raising the temperature by five degrees above the summer maximum of 27 degrees Celsius, and sustaining that for a number of weeks," she says.
In most places, corals start bleaching at one or two degrees Celsius above the maximum summer temperature, but the corals in Bellworthy's lab "still show resilience" even when subjected to these extreme increases.
An average global increase of five degrees Celsius in ocean temperature is "what we would expect to see towards the middle of the next century if we did nothing to reduce global gas emissions," she says.
Bellworthy subjected her corals to further tests by increasing the water's acidity. Climate change drives acidification, which does not cause bleaching but hampers the corals' ability to recover.
"The sea has a current pH level of 8.1," says Bellworthy, "and we anticipate that will decline to pH 7.8 by the end of the century. We've been lowering the pH of water in the tanks to that same level."





Jessica Bellworthy working with corals in her laboratory's Red Sea Simulator system.

Again, the Gulf of Aqaba's corals coped remarkably well. What makes them so hardy?
Bellworthy's supervisor, Professor Maoz Fine, has suggested that their remarkable resistance stems from the last Ice Age. "Sea levels were extremely low because much of the water was trapped in ice and the southern entrance to the Red Sea was blocked by a land barrier," explains Bellworthy. "The Red Sea was isolated, and became so hot and salty that most life died out," she says, adding that a gap in the fossil record supports this theory.

About 8,000 years ago, the ice melted, sea levels rose and water flooded back into the Red Sea, bringing organisms with it. But the entrance acted as a thermal bottleneck and only those species that could cope with super-heated water survived.

"With time these organisms stepping stoned their way north, up to the Gulf of Aqaba," says Bellworthy.

The Gulf of Aqaba is now relatively cool but, according to Fine's theory, the corals have retained their ancient ability to survive bath-warm temperatures. "The current temperatures are even a little suboptimal," says Bellworthy. "In some cases, the corals perform better at 1 to 2 degrees Celsius above the current summer maximum."





Jeremy Delafosse from the Energy Observer Project examing coral in the Gulf of Aqaba.

Bellworthy says that the Gulf of Aqaba corals have an unusually good chance of surviving global warming and protecting them is vital. In an effort to protect them from local pollution, which threatens them, she and her colleagues are seeking to achieve international recognition -- ideally UNESCO World Heritage Site status -- for the reefs.

*Back from the brink
*
Further south, researchers at Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) are using genetic analyses to decipher why Red Sea corals are much less prone -- although not immune -- to bleaching, than the exact same species living on the Great Barrier Reef.
They are also comparing individual corals to determine why some show more heat tolerance than others. Once key lifesaving genes have been identified, the next step will be to breed the corals that carry them. "The question is: If we can identify the 'supermom' and 'superdad' corals, can we create 'superbabies' that will be more resilient to stressful conditions?" says Michael Berumen, who leads KAUST's Red Sea Research Center.
*
If we can identify the 'supermom' and 'superdad' corals, can we create 'superbabies'...?*

Michael Berumen​
The KAUST scientists are also examining the corals' microbiomes -- the bacteria, viruses and fungi that live in association with them. "Each individual coral may have up to a thousand types of bacteria living on or inside it. We don't yet know how important a role they play in heat resilience, but we assume it's significant," says Berumen.
In Abu Dhabi, Burt is conducting research in the southern Persian Gulf, the hottest coral reef habitat on the planet, where the sea temperature frequently hits a whopping 36 degrees.


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"It's a natural laboratory for studying how coral reefs might respond to climate change," says Burt. "These corals exist in hotter conditions than are projected for at least another century in places like the Great Barrier Reef and the Caribbean."
Working with colleagues from the UK's University of Southampton, Burt's team examined the corals' algae component, and in 2015 discovered a new species of algae that dominates virtually all corals across the southern Persian Gulf.
The team named the algae Symbiodinium thermophilum -- thermophilum means "heat-loving."
"Over 99% of the algae in Persian Gulf corals are from this one species," says Burt, adding that he believes the algae enable the corals to survive the extreme environment.
It's possible, he says, that Symbiodinium thermophilum will spread to corals elsewhere, as ocean temperatures heat up. But natural processes are slow and climate change is occurring at an alarming rate.

*Ethical dilemmas
*
Most marine biologists say that experimental measures being tested in the lab should not be deployed in the wild unless absolutely necessary and, even then, with extreme caution.
"Some scholars have talked about human-assisted migration -- moving heat-resistant corals from the southern Persian Gulf to other parts of the world," says Burt, "but we don't know the genetic implications, and there's a risk of introducing disease and parasites."





Soft coral.

And as with any genetic engineering technology, the application of breeding research could lead to unexpected pitfalls.
"Our remit as scientists is to say which options are on the table," says Berumen. "The real dilemma comes later in the form of the ethical question: Should we use these technologies or not?" He adds that good quality data that quantifies the pros and cons is key to decision making. Ultimately, though, "it is up to reef management authorities to decide what to do within their jurisdictions."
There is consensus among coral experts that we should do more to preserve the reefs we already have, rather than relying on a scientific fix.
At the moment, Berumen says he's not ruling anything out. "The situation is critical in some parts of the world and large areas of coral reef have been killed by climate change stress, so extreme options might need to be on the table."






Photos: Red Sea coral reefs
Coral head – Coral reefs are hotspots for biodiversity and a vital part of the marine ecosystem, home to a quarter of all marine species. 
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Photos: Red Sea coral reefs
Soft coral – Most corals secrete limestone which forms a hard skeleton, but "soft" corals like this one do not. Although they don't help to build a permanent coral reef, soft corals provide food and shelter for lots of organisms.
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Photos: Red Sea coral reefs
Basket star – By day, basket stars coil their long arms and hide in small nooks and crannies on the reef. At night they feed, unfurling their arms and capturing small particles with their "branchlets."
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Photos: Red Sea coral reefs
Crown-of-thorns sea star – This large sea star, named for its sharp, spiky skin, feeds on living coral tissue and can cause severe damage to coral reefs. The triton shell -- a very large sea snail -- is one of its few natural predators. But triton shell populations have been badly depleted in many parts of the world because they are collected for use as food and ornaments.
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Photos: Red Sea coral reefs
Cuttlefish – Despite its name, the cuttlefish is not a fish -- it's a cephalopod, and closely related to octopuses and squids. Considered one of the most intelligent non-vertebrate animals, cuttlefish hunt prey on the reef, mostly by night. Masters of camouflage, they can change color patterns almost instantly. They use color changes to catch prey, avoid being eaten by predators, and communicate -- both with other cuttlefish and other species.
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Photos: Red Sea coral reefs
Sponge – Despite their outward appearance, sponges are animals. They draw water in through small pores (visible in this close-up photo) to capture floating food particles. Sponges tend to live in mutually beneficial relationships with other species -- crabs, shrimps, barnacles and brittle stars spend their entire lives on or inside the host sponge. Many sponges also harbor a vast diversity of microbial life -- in some, the biomass of microbes can outweigh the biomass of the sponge itself.
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Photos: Red Sea coral reefs
Sponge on a shell – The exterior of this shell has been covered with a red encrusting sponge, while the interior has been filled with small anemones or "mushroom" corals. Vacant space is hard to come by on a coral reef and competition is intense -- every spare surface is colonized quickly.
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Photos: Red Sea coral reefs
Feather duster worm – These striking worms live in areas where they can capture plankton or other food particles in the water.
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Photos: Red Sea coral reefs
Sea slug – This fairytale-looking creature is a type of sea slug called a nudibranch. Like land slugs it is very similar to a snail, but doesn't have a shell.
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Photos: Red Sea coral reefs
Feather star – Closely related to sea stars, feather stars are typically seen on coral reefs after sunset, when they perch on high parts of the reef and extend their feathery arms up into the water to catch plankton and other small food particles.
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Photos: Red Sea coral reefs
Yellow frog fish – The yellow frog fish lives on the coral reef and relies on it for food and safety.
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Photos: Red Sea coral reefs
Grouper – A carnivorous fish, the grouper lives and hunts prey on the coral reef.
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https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/26/middleeast/middle-east-corals/index.html


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## Saif al-Arab

*Saudi Arabia’s Mysterious Coral Reefs Documented by International Team*




A coral reef off the Saudi Arabian coast of the Gulf of Aqaba. Photo credit: King Abdulaziz University.

U.S. and Saudi Arabian scientists launched the most extensive baseline survey to-date of coral reef ecosystems along the Saudi coast of the Gulf of Aqaba during late September 2016 — investigating multiple reef species in detail to support conservation.

Mote Marine Laboratory in Florida and King Abdulaziz University (KAU) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, partnered in the initial, two-week expedition focused on coral abundance, diversity and stress, along with the abundance and diversity of butterflyfish, sea urchins, seagrasses and other species that may indicate the health of this critical environment. Preliminary results suggest that some life forms may be healthier or more diverse in southern Gulf of Aqaba waters further from denser human populations. More data and analyses are needed to verify the possible significance of trends, and the researchers aim for another expedition in summer 2017.

The Gulf of Aqaba is bordered by Egypt on the west, Israel and Jordan in the north, and Saudi Arabia on the east. Though relatively small – about 111 miles long (180 kilometers) and 12 miles wide (20 km) – the Gulf is one of the northernmost living coral reef ecosystems and estimated to host approximately 210 species of hard corals and 120 species of soft corals. Coastal development and industry are denser in and around the northern-Gulf cities of Eilat, Israel, and Aqaba, Jordan, while the Saudi Arabian coast is far less populous and its waters are far less studied.

“I have had the good fortune to lead comprehensive, multi-year studies with colleagues in the northern Gulf since the mid-1990s, and the Gulf of Aqaba is known for its beautiful coral reefs. However, the Saudi Arabian portion of this significant body of water is largely unexplored — in particular, comprehensive studies of reef biodiversity and coral health down the length of this coast are lacking,” said Dr. Michael P. Crosby, President & CEO of Mote and leading U.S. partner in the expedition.

“With this expedition, we’ve initiated the first in what we expect to be a continuous time series of multi-discipline data acquisition and analyses spanning from the northern border with Jordan south along the Saudi Arabian coast of the Gulf and into the Straits of Tiran. We’re excited to partner with the outstanding marine science faculty and students of King Abdulaziz University to gather these baseline data, which are necessary for understanding and addressing emerging challenges to their coral reefs.”

Reefs worldwide face growing challenges from climate change and ocean acidification due to excess carbon dioxide from human activity. Reefs in the Gulf of Aqaba may also be vulnerable to pollution from the developed northern Gulf coast, fishing, oil spills and tourism impacts.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has committed to protecting its marine resources through several agreements and consortia. One is PERSGA, the Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden — an intergovernmental body dedicated to conserving marine and coastal environments of the Red Sea, Gulf of Aqaba, Gulf of Suez, Suez Canal and Gulf of Aden surrounding the Socotra Archipelago and nearby waters. Member states include: Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

“Scientific research has become an essential and effective contributor to understanding and addressing the various environmental impacts on the marine environment of the Gulf of Aqaba,” said Dr. Ali M. Al-Aidaroos, Professor at KAU and Saudi Arabian lead for the expedition. “International cooperation among scientists is aimed at understanding the risks and challenges of the Gulf environment in order to find innovative and sustainable management strategies. Mote Marine Laboratory is perfectly suited to help take on the challenges of the Gulf of Aqaba marine environment, which will benefit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the world in general.”

September’s research expedition, funded by a grant from KAU, covered four Saudi Arabian sites from north to south: Haquel, Ras Dhabrah, Maknah and Ras Alsheikh Hamid. At each site, the researchers surveyed four transects at 5, 10 and 20 meters deep. Through observations, photos and samples, they worked to document coral abundance, diversity, health and microbial community; abundance, diversity and behavior of butterflyfish — indicator species for reef health; Diadema sea urchins and other reef-related organisms, including sediment-dwellers; and water chemistry, nutrients and plankton.

Some samples have yet to be processed. So far, preliminary results include:

*Healthy corals*: Of the 6,751 coral colonies examined in Saudi Arabian waters of the Gulf of Aqaba, 6,652 appeared healthy. Only 1.5 percent showed signs of stress. Corals tended to be healthier in deeper waters and at sites further south.

“We saw very few unhealthy corals,” said Dr. Erinn Muller, staff scientist at Mote. “When we did observe stress, it was usually due to predators or other natural causes of tissues loss, and some corals had signs of bleaching or harmful interactions with algae. We saw a few incidences of coral disease, but they were minimal.”

Among the four study sites, the researchers collected 59 coral samples and extracted DNA to identify their resident bacteria – a first for Saudi Arabian corals in the Gulf of Aqaba. Some bacteria will be cultured to test whether they fight coral disease or even produce compounds useful for human medicine.

*Coral diversity and abundance*: “The Saudi coral reefs along the 180-kilometer Gulf of Aqaba are generally in good condition, with high living coral cover, often exceeding 60 percent at the best sites,” said participating KAU scientist Dr. Abdulmohsin Abdullah M. Al-Sofyani. “Of the three depths surveyed, the best reefs were at 5 meters and 20 meters deep, where coral cover averaged 40 percent and 60 percent, respectively.”

*Possible butterflyfish trend*: Butterflyfish species that feed on corals respond to subtle changes in coral communities, making them excellent indicators of reef health. In the September survey, researchers counted the number of butterflyfish species, the number of individuals per species, and key territorially and feeding behavior traits. “Preliminary analyses of our first bit of data indicates an increasing richness of butterflyfish species going from north to south, which correlates with dense human population centers in the north to less populous areas in the south,” said Crosby of Mote. “This trend appears statistically significant, but we need to increase our sample size through future surveys and examine trends over time.”

*Seagrasses*: Seagrasses were more common toward the southern end of the Gulf. The invasive seagrass Halophila stipulacea was found at the two southern sampling sites, Maknah and Ras Alsheikh Hamid, and the native species Thalassodendron ciliatum was found at Ras Alsheikh Hamid, the most southern site, near the confluence of the Gulf and the Red Sea.

*Invertebrate animals*: “In general, we saw few crustaceans and mollusks — though we did observe Tridacna giant clams,” said Mote Senior Scientist Jim Culter. “The sediment was dominated by tiny polychaete worms.” Culter sampled sediment patches, which KAU staff will analyze for grain size, organic and carbonate content.

Culter noted that very few macroalgae (conspicuously large) were visible on the reefs studied. However, Diadema sea urchins, which feed on algae and help prevent excess algal growth on reefs, did increase in abundance from south to north. Close examination of the reef surface and sediment showed sparse, closely cropped algae and the presence of microscopic cyanobacteria also known as blue-green algae. These results may be explained more clearly when water quality data are processed.

“One possible explanation is that there are more nutrients in the upper Gulf near human population centers, which would support more algae for these urchins to eat,” said Dr. Dave Vaughan, Senior Scientist at Mote.

*Water quality*: The team collected water samples that will be analyzed for metals indicative of pollution, for pH, organic carbon, phosphorous and nitrogen compounds — all of which may affect the health of reef ecosystems. They also sampled for chlorophyll from marine algae and for tiny drifting organisms called plankton, which play important roles in the marine food web.

Mote scientists have focused on the Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba since the Lab’s founder, Dr. Eugenie Clark, began studying the region’s fishes in the 1950s. Later in her career, Clark advocated preserving the Ras Mohammad area of the Red Sea, home to stunning coral reefs. Her voice provided crucial support and the area became Egypt’s first national park in 1983. Today, the Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba remain major areas of focus for Mote.

Mote CEO Crosby has championed marine science and conservation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba since the mid-1990s. He worked with international partners to lead the Red Sea Marine Peace Park Cooperative Research, Monitoring and Management Program — an effort to protect coral reefs that support thousands of species in the Gulf of Aqaba. In 2002, Crosby also organized a Middle East Regional Marine Science Symposium and Workshop on Butterflyfish that was held in Jordan with participating researchers from 16 countries.

Said Crosby: “For us at Mote, this is an opportunity to carry forward what Dr. Eugenie Clark started, which has been a major focus for me over the past 20 years — building international marine science partnerships with outstanding researchers in the Middle East to study these crucial ocean resources so they can be conserved and sustainably used for future generations.”

_By: Hayley Rutger, Mote Marine Laboratory_

https://www.ecomagazine.com/news/sc...-coral-reefs-documented-by-international-team


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## Saif al-Arab

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1019212279504691200

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1015877023598891008


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## Saif al-Arab

I believe that this video speaks for itself. Landscapes not far away from coastal Southern Hijaz.


__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1036041698261061632



























__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1036154959614627840




































Al Wadj Bank, Saudi Arabia (NASA, International Space Station Science, 12/30/07) by NASA&#x27;s Marshall Space Flight Center, on Flickr




فرسان by Jazan Know, on Flickr










Tabuk area منطقة تبوك by tabuk تبوك, on Flickr



... by Fahad Almazyad, on Flickr

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## Saif al-Arab



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## Saif al-Arab



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## ArabianEmpires&Caliphates

@PakFactor now that tourism visas have been introduced in KSA and 100.000's of foreign tourists (travelers - many from the West) have been visiting, I hope that you and your family will one day visit KSA outside of the Hajj and Umrah (where frankly visitors don't get to know much about KSA or even Hijaz) so you can discover the many vast historical regions of KSA. KSA is the size of Western Europe. There are many treasures to see of every type, diverse nature, unspoiled nature, ancient and some of the best kept heritage sites in the world, an archaeological paradise where so much is yet to be discovered and you can literally dig up the past off the ground due to the arid climate and huge geography being ideal to protect ancient artifacts well, ancient/old villages and towns, modern ones, different cultures etc. Add to this the fact that KSA is one of the most cosmopolitan places in the Muslim world (I often compare it to the US in this sense) and KSA already hosting the largest Pakistani diaspora in the world.

KSA/the government did a horrible job of keeping KSA hidden from the world and appeasing the most conservative elements within the clergy since the Sahwa period began in the 1970's. Luckily this is being eroded but sadly I see many not well informed Muslims thinking that KSA will somehow abandon its Muslim identity and other nonsense due to much needed modernization/development/removal/national pride/rediscovery of our great past - not solely Islamic era past/removal of the last idiotic laws etc. I hope you will understand what I am trying to get to here.

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## PakFactor

ArabianEmpires&Caliphates said:


> @PakFactor now that tourism visas have been introduced in KSA and 100.000's of foreign tourists (travelers - many from the West) have been visiting, I hope that you and your family will one day visit KSA outside of the Hajj and Umrah (where frankly visitors don't get to know much about KSA or even Hijaz) so you can discover the many vast historical regions of KSA. KSA is the size of Western Europe. There are many treasures to see of every type, diverse nature, unspoiled nature, ancient and some of the best kept heritage sites in the world, an archaeological paradise where so much is yet to be discovered and you can literally dig up the past off the ground due to the arid climate and huge geography being ideal to protect ancient artifacts well, ancient/old villages and towns, modern ones, different cultures etc. Add to this the fact that KSA is one of the most cosmopolitan places in the Muslim world (I often compare it to the US in this sense) and KSA already hosting the largest Pakistani diaspora in the world.
> 
> KSA/the government did a horrible job of keeping KSA hidden from the world and appeasing the most conservative elements within the clergy since the Sahwa period began in the 1970's. Luckily this is being eroded but sadly I see many not well informed Muslims thinking that KSA will somehow abandon its Muslim identity and other nonsense due to much needed modernization/development/removal of the last idiotic laws etc. I hope you will understand what I am trying to get to here.



Inshallah. We plan on visiting again very soon once everything settles down with the virus. 

Their are many plans I’m making during my next visit and areas I want to go.

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## ArabianEmpires&Caliphates




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## AsianLion

Saudis marine lands could all be made luxury beaches and toourist spots.

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## ArabianEmpires&Caliphates

AsianLion said:


> Saudis marine lands could all be made luxury beaches and toourist spots.



Which is being done while we speak.

Check this thread and some of the more recent updates.

https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/saudi-arabia-launches-mega-red-sea-tourism-project.510699/
















Isolated coastline






Red Sea islands, there are some 1500 Saudi Arabian islands in the Red Sea alone, almost all of them are uninhabited:

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