Practical information Saudi Arabia

830116  sq.mi

Flight duration: 6 hours. Riyadh is 8,216 mi from London.

Air travel info.


www.easyvols.com

Since April 2006 Bmi has been offering flights from London Heathrow to Djeddah three times a week (outward journey: Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday; return journey: Monday, Wednesday and Friday).
www.flybmi.com

27601038 hab.

The country has three international airports. The airport of Riyadh, located 22 miles from the city centre (taxis do this journey in 35 minutes, for an amount of around £12); the King Abdul Aziz airport in Jeddah is 22 miles from the city (it will cost you a little less than £24 in a taxi), and the airport of Dhahran, 8 miles from the city centre (it will cost you around £5.50 in a taxi).

Following the attack on 6 December 2004 on the US Consulate, travellers are advised not to visit the country.

Maximum caution is recommended when in Saudi Arabia. In order not to take unnecessary risks, the country's customs should be scrupulously observed and you should avoid going to places habitually frequented by Westerners.
In general, any traveller or resident is strongly advised to stay in contact with the British Embassy in Riyadh or the British Consulate General in Jeddah to ensure that a return flight is available and to deal in advance with the formalities necessary to leave the Saudi territory (for example, to obtain an exit visa).

Arabic is the official language. English, the language of business, is widespread in the towns.

Saudi Arabia does not issue tourist visas and thus remains one of those countries that is closed to foreigners. However, the kingdom did show signs of an opening to the exterior world by creating an organisation to promote 'archaeological and cultural' tourism, in organised groups. Until then, the only authorised foreigners allowed to enter the country are businessmen and Muslims pilgrims going to Mecca. You can, however, ask for a 'family visit visa', providing that you know someone in the country (a Saudi Arabian or an expatriate). This person must do all the paperwork in the country and if the file is accepted, he will give you your visa number. Once you get this number, you will be able to go the Saudi Arabian Embassy and your visa will be issued there. You will have to have a passport that is valid for six months after the date of arrival in the country. Know that access to the cities of Mecca and Medina is forbidden to non-Muslims. Women should imperatively be accompanied by their husband or by a male parent. If this is not the case, the person she knows here must come and get her at the airport. Even in this case, there are some restrictions on the fact that a man and a woman, who are not related by blood, travel in the same vehicle. Ask for more information at the embassy.

Most Saudis are Sunni Muslims and follow the Wahhabi doctrine, which advocates very strict rules. The Shiites represent between 5 and 10% of the population and are largely represented in the east of the country and on the border with Yemen.

The currency is the Saudi Riyal (SAR). You will have no problem finding ATM machines that accept Visa and MasterCard cards, but travellers cheques are difficult to exchange. Many restaurants and hotels in the cities accept payment by card. Banks are open from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm, Saturday to Wednesday, and some also open in the afternoon between 4:00 pm and 5:00 pm. It is also worth remembering that all public places and businesses close during prayer times.

The country has 20 domestic airports; this is the best method of transport for travelling around the country, as the cities are very far from each other. The prices of the company Saudia are very reasonable. It has flights to all the important cities in the country. The country has a very good road network (99,400 miles of roads, of which half are tarmacked). If you have the time, a pleasant way of discovering the country is by bus. The fleet has air-conditioned buses, and you will mostly travel under good conditions. However, the network is often saturated during the Mecca pilgrimage period. If you are a man aged more than 25, it is quite possible to hire a car. When there you should, however, have your international driving licence translated into Arabic. You have to be extremely careful on the road, as Koranic law (Sharia), on which the whole of the Saudi legislation is based, imposes the spilling of blood in the case of death or permanent or temporary disability following a traffic accident. There is a short railway line that links Riyadh to Dammam, going through al-Hufuf, Dhahran and Abqayq; the service is daily. Taxis are quite expensive, and even if they accept long distance drives, it is better to use them only in the cities.

No particular vaccine is required, except for pilgrims heading to Mecca: a vaccine against meningitis is mandatory. Also, be sure that your vaccination booklet is up to date. If you are planning a visit in the west part of the country, have antimalaria treatment for a stay exceeding one week (this part of Saudi Arabia is listed in zone 2).
Water is not drinkable everywhere, so it is preferable to drink from sealed bottles. Finally, know that Saudi Arabia has a very good medical system.

Voltage is sometimes 220 V and sometimes 110V. Bring a universal electrical plug adapter.

To call Saudi Arabia from England, dial 00 + 966 (country code) + the city code (1 for Riyadh and 2 for Jeddah) + the number.
From Saudi Arabia to England: 00 44 + number without the initial 0.