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Since October 2019, when Saudi Arabia started issuing tourist visas, everyone is curious to explore the land of the two holy mosques, Saudi Arabia. To cater to your wanderlust, we have created a comprehensive travel guide to get you started putting a light on the best kept secrets of Saudi Arabia
Muslim Pilgrimage Spots in Saudi Arabia:
The birthplace of Prophet Muhammad : The Holy city of Mecca
Muslims take pilgrimage of Hajj mandatorily at least once in their lifetimes falling at specific dates on the calendar or they can take the lesser pilgrimage of Umrah. Read more about them below.
- Kaaba, the ‘House of God’:
During Umrah pilgrimage of Muslims, Tawaf is carried out encircling the Kaaba thrice hurriedly and four times at normal pace. - The Great Mosque of Mecca (Masjid al-Haram):
Sa’ee is followed right after Tawaf in which the person takes seven rounds back and forth between the two mountains of Safa and Marwa. This path is called Masa’a.
Hajj begins with wearing white clothing called Ihram followed by quenching thirst at Mount Arafat called Tarwiyah. During Hajj pilgrimage, the Tawaf and Saee are followed by drinking from Zamzam well water, then offering vigil and prayers at Mount Arafat. Later on, spending a night of dua at Muzdalifa and collecting at least 49 pebbles. This is followed by throwing seven pebbles at each of the three Jamarat (three walls) to kill the devil. Giving an animal for sacrifice with shaving off or cutting your hair and then repeating the Jamarat. The Hajj ritual takes 5-6 days.
iii) Aisha Mosque:
The Aisha mosque is also called Taneem mosque is 20 min from the great mosque. Prophet Muhammad’s wife Aisha prepared for Ihram here. Hajj pilgrims often begin Ihram from here.
Best Cities for Shopping in Saudi Arabia:
- Riyadh:
The capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh has some of the finest commercial shopping malls. Kingdom center tower, Al Nakheel mall, Riyadh gallery mall, Hayat mall, Panorama mall, Granada center, Riyadh Park mall, Al Hamra mall, Sahara mall, Riyadh front, Salam mall, Khurais mall, Sahara Plaza, Qasr Mall, Othaim mall, Royal mall are few of the famous malls in Riyadh for high street fashion, traditional fashion, jewelry and accessories and everything you need. - Jeddah:
The port of Jeddah leads to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. It is a commercial center with a huge range of shopping options. Most of the travel and tour packages cover shopping in Jeddah. The best malls in Jeddah are Red Sea Mall, Mall of Arabia, Al Salam mall, Aziz mall, Flamingo mall, Alandalus mall, Haifa mall, Heraa International mall, roshan mall and Corniche Commercial center. Most of the tourists enjoy the tour packages from Saudi Arabia booked by top online travel agencies in Saudi Arabia like Global Travels. Their packages allot Jeddah shopping experience to a new level.
The Largest Sand Desert in the World: Rub Al’ Khali
It is a spectacle to behold to visit the land of sand and the largest sand desert in the world uninterrupted. The Rub Al’ Khali desert in the Southern Arabian peninsula. Notoriously called as ‘The Empty Quarter’ because of its huge nature. IFor a sand enthusiast, this place is a paradise. This place is the origin of natural stones of Frankincense used to make frankincense essential oil for more than 6000 years. It separates Saudi Arabia from UAE and Oman.
Content Filters
Books, newspapers, magazines, television shows, films, over-the-top films and shows, and internet content in Saudi Arabia is closely censored. For curbing hostile conditions, content that negatively impacts the people is banned and people involved are suspended.
No music, no movie theatres were available in Saudi Arabia until 18th April 2018. After the ban was uplifted, there has been a rapid growth in movie theatres and their screenings. Although the content is closely censored, unmarried men and women still have lots of restrictions as per Islamic religious practices to meet in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Aramco
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a 50% stake in the profits of Saudi Aramco, a joint venture between Saudi Arabia and America. Saudi Aramco produces petroleum, natural gas and petrochemical derivatives in Saudi Arabia being the 5th largest public company in the world. They supply oil, gas and petrochemical products to Asia, Europe and North America with some stake in South Korea and Poland. Get on a geological exploration at Dhahran to know more about Saudi Aramco. There is a lot to learn if you book your tour carefully with a leading travel company in Saudi Arabia.
Monarchy:
Islam Quran is considered to be the constitution of Saudi Arabia and the King Salman of Saudi Arabia is Amir of Saudi Arabia, the head of the state and the government of Saudi Arabia. King Salman is one of the richest people in this world with a net worth of US $18 billion.
Female Restrictions:
Females in Saudi Arabia are prohibited from travelling alone till the age of 45. They are restricted from driving to places they would need to uncover their faces. At work, they need to cover their faces. Females are restricted from going to the gym. In schools, females are forbidden from sports and physical education or even teach them. For swimming in public places, they wear burkini, a very modest and covered swimsuit. The shopping malls cannot have changing rooms as per the law. Men and women sit on separate sides of a restaurant. Women have to abide by the decisions of their father, husbands, and sons.
While travelling to Saudi Arabia, there are many online travel agencies in Saudi Arabia but the best online travel agency in Saudi Arabia lets you explore the untouched parts of Saudi Arabia very easily. If you want to travel for a holiday, check out holiday packages to Saudi Arabia from various holiday agents online. One of the best deals you can find for tour packages in Saudi Arabia is from Global Tours and Travels. These tour operators in Saudi Arabia arrange for your airfare, accommodation, food and moving around in Saudi Arabia. Experience the best of Saudi Arabia with the finest tour and travel operators in Saudi Arabia.
