Saudi Arabia in Pictures

[Saif al-Arab]

Over 50% of Saudi Arabia's territory is mountainous and in much of Hijaz and Southern KSA there are also tropical areas where many exotic fruits, vegetables, coffee, tea etc. grow:

Asir region South Saudi Arabia KSA by Life-Style, on Flickr

faifa 2011 by al_gasemy, on Flickr

مرتفعات عسير 2010 by alkodair, on Flickr

جبال عسير by Khalid Yousef, on Flickr

faifa 2011 by al_gasemy, on Flickr

Jazan region South Saudi Arabia KSA by Life-Style, on Flickr

 

[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'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

 

[Saif al-Arab]

People are sometimes astonished or at least very surprised that there is snowfall in much of KSA during winter.

Here are some examples of this rather normal occurrence (in some parts of KSA at least - mostly the North):

Snowfall back in November 2014 near Al-Zulfi in the nearby desert. Some 260 km northwest of Riyadh.

Looks surreal.

Desert, greenery and snow. A nice and unique combination not often seen!

Snow in Northern Hijaz (Tabuk area). An yearly occurrence during winter.

Saudi Arabia Snow by ABO_TMEEM, on Flickr

This above could easily have been taken somewhere in Arizona/New Mexico/Nevada during winter. But no, that's northern Hijaz during winter.

Yes, KSA is a country of many hidden pearls. An unknown kingdom indeed. I guess that this is part of the charm for people unfamiliar with KSA and most foreigners in general. However the problem is that many people have no idea about what KSA has to offer and if I showed outsiders this thread to them I can almost guarantee that 99,99% of them would be very pleasantly surprised and many of them would afterwards like to visit if politics/laws were kept as a separate topic of discussion and had no impact on their travel.

 

[Aawish]

I spent 10 years in KSA, 8 years in Bisha and 2 years in Taif. Really miss those moments I spent in Saudia.

 

[Saif al-Arab]

Isolated bay in northern Hijaz:

جبل طيب اسم copy by عبدالله العيدي, on Flickr

كشته بحريه by عبدالله العيدي, on Flickr

Kaf Castle . by Hamoud Alhawiti, on Flickr

Architecture HDR-Explore Front Page by Tariq Almutlaq, on Flickr

The ancient mighty Mada'in Saleh (World UNESCO Heritage Site) complex:

View . by Hamoud Alhawiti, on Flickr

Madain Saleh 2 . by Hamoud Alhawiti, on Flickr

Madain Saleh 3 . by Hamoud Alhawiti, on Flickr

al-Khuraymat Madain saleh Panorama - Saudi Arabia by Eric Lafforgue, on Flickr

Those photos do not do the complex justice and only show a part of it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mada'in_Saleh

I spent 10 years in KSA, 8 years in Bisha and 2 years in Taif. Really miss those moments I spent in Saudia.

Good to hear. Welcome any time.

 

[Aawish]

Please upload some pics of Bisha, Al-Hada,Shafa,Sabt Al Alaya, Khamis Musheet.

 

[monitor]

King Fahad National Library, 1.3m items of information and over 200k historical documents. It also won 10 architectural awards. #MyArabia

0 replies 49 retweets 25 likes

 

[Hindustani78]

Janadriyah festival, Saudi Arabia’s show of culture

A woman attends Janadriyah Cultural Festival on the outskirts of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia February 8, 2017. (Faisal Al Nasser / REUTERS)

Saudi men perform a traditional dance during Janadriyah cultural festival on the outskirts of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on February 8. A Wikipedia article says the festival is organised by the country’s National Guard, and includes a camel race and musical performances. (Faisal Al Nasser / REUTERS)

People gather during Janadriyah festival on the outskirts of Riyadh. The festival, named after the village Janadriyah, showcases the heritage of the Saudi kingdom, says local media. (Faisal Al Nasser / REUTERS)

A man makes handmade ornamental products during the festival, which Saudi Arabia uses as an occasion to promote tourism. (Faisal Al Nasser / REUTERS)

 

[Rasengan]

The landscape of Saudi Arabia is very beautiful

 

[Sargon of Akkad]

The landscape of Saudi Arabia is very beautiful

You are welcome.

A big campaign to plant trees, flowers and plants has been launched in Tabuk province. Young as old are involved.

Lavender fields of Northern KSA.

Largest palm groove in the world.

The Princess Nora University in Riyadh is the largest female university in the world and home to 60.000 students and 34 colleges.

PNU's Library is one of the biggest and most exquisite in the world adorned with Arabic calligraphy and it holds more than 2M books and manuscripts.

Sahoud fortress in Al-Hasa built 400 years ago.

Southern Hijaz:

Notice the wild baboons.

Hijazi coastline:

Amazing footage from Tabuk province:

https://twitter.com/x/status/829335131470958593

Unfortunately local idiots (poachers) kill them and many other majestic animals.

 

[Rasengan]

@Sargon of Akkad

Magnificent pictures brother Saudi Arabia could become a good tourists destination and I am surprised that no PR campaign has been done to highlight this in the international media. There are 1.6 billion Muslims around the world, which is a huge customer base target. I honestly thought that Saudi Arabia was just full of desert. Please keep posting more pictures, so that more people can become more educated on the beauty of your country.

 

[Sargon of Akkad]

@Sargon of Akkad

Magnificent pictures brother Saudi Arabia could become a good tourists destination and I am surprised that no PR campaign has been done to highlight this in the international media. There are 1.6 billion Muslims around the world, which is a huge customer base target. I honestly thought that Saudi Arabia was just full of desert. Please keep posting more pictures, so that more people can become more educated on the beauty of your country.

You are most welcome brother. Yes, the potential is really big and KSA is already in the top 16 of most visited countries in the world despite having no real tourism sector and some of the harshest visa laws. Mostly due to religious tourism obviously. However to reach a new level it is required that political changes, investment in infrastructure and the lowering of prices occurs so every single Muslim and non-Muslim irrespective of his wallet can visit. Also pilgrims should be allowed to travel freely in Hijaz and visit the many historical sites and the nature (mountains, sea, tropical areas, deserts, steppe, lowland etc.).
Also another hit would be rural tourism and opening up for tourism in nature reserves and wildlife reserves of which there are many of in KSA.

http://www.nationalparks-worldwide.info/saudi_arabia.htm

https://www.hziegler.com/articles/wildlife-in-saudi-arabia.html

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

Locals who value hospitality a lot in general would love to welcome tourists from across the world and KSA opening up would also give the country the credit it deserves and which is denied due to politics. Not only it could open up for necessary political, social and economic reforms. Anyway enough of my blabbering.

Some of the coastline of KSA (Red Sea, Gulf and islands of which there are approximately 2000):

غابة المانجروف by Tayseer Alabyadh, on Flickr

 

[Sargon of Akkad]

Wild lavender fields in parts of Northern KSA:

 

[Saif al-Arab]

1 by عبدالله العيدي, on Flickr


١طريق الحوطه by عبدالله العيدي, on Flickr

كشته بحريه by عبدالله العيدي, on Flickr


Historic Jeddah_12 by AHMED SAMIR, on Flickr

JEDDAH_AL HAMRA _2 by AHMED SAMIR, on Flickr


King Fahad International Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia by KhanSaqib, on Flickr


The Facade of CMA & Tadawul Towers Dec-2-16by Bader Alotaby, on Flickr


KAFD Skyline II Dec-2-16 by Bader Alotaby, on Flickr


KAFD Skyline V Dec-2-16 by Bader Alotaby, on Flickr


KAFD Beautiful Conference Center Dec-2-16 by Bader Alotaby, on Flickr

Beautiful Riyadh Aug-18-15 by Bader Alotaby, on Flickr


KAFD Skyline Dec-2-16 by Bader Alotaby, on Flickr

Mountain Road. by Mo'men Saleh, on Flickr


HDR-0024.jpg by Linda Polik, on Flickr

Architecture HDR-Explore Front Page by Tariq Almutlaq, on Flickr


Untitled by Ayman Zaid, on Flickr
IMG_0272 by Brian, on Flickr

مسجد copy by عبدالله العيدي, on Flickr

 

[Saif al-Arab]

RM21012_Masjid_Nabawi_Panorama_012 by WaytoPixel.com, on Flickr


King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture by Rodney Wilson, on Flickr


King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals by || Msh3L Alomran ||, on Flickr

201405133 Saudi Arabia Al Namas by taigatrommelchen, on Flickr

ALMADINAH by Muhammad Bakhdar, on Flickr


تحدى وتنافس by محمد السويد, on Flickr


قلعة زعبل - سكاكا الجوف by fahd alali, on Flickr


Jeddah Gate by ajmozyien, on Flickr


Najran Emara Palace_4037 by Linda Polik, on Flickr


Alathriah Tower HDR by Tariq Almutlaq, on Flickr


Al Qassim by KhanSaqib, on Flickr


Al Qassim by waleed hider, on Flickr


Ottoman, Asfan Road, jeddah by Abi C.P, on Flickr


#Jeddah by khled @elgende2010, on Flickr

Al Tayebat Centre for Civilization and Stuff by Claudia Loughran, on Flickr


Al Tayebat Centre for Civilization and Stuff by Claudia Loughran, on Flickr


masjid nabawi by khled @elgende2010, on Flickr


Faifa Mountains. by Mo'men Saleh, on Flickr


Untitled by yaser alghamdi, on Flickr



JEDDAH by Muhammad Bakhdar, on Flickr