Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)

Completed in 1895, this was the sight of the Battle of Riyad in 1902 and birth of a unified Saudi Arabia.

Our lovely and knowledgeable guide, Habiba, and I in front of one of the 150 year old remaining towers in the old town. Habiba lived in Muncie, Indiana for 6 years with her family and loved it. While in the US, she learned to drive when it was still illegal for women to operate a vehicle in KSA.  In 2017, when the Saudi government lifted the ban,  she became the first instructor to teach women to drive. 

Incense burners

In 2018, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman gave women the right to choose what they wear as long as it is  "decent and respectful." Most women we saw still wore the abaya (full length robe) and hijab (head covering). Many we saw like the women above still wore the burqa (including full face covering) while we saw other, younger women in western dress.

Al Diriya is the birthplace of the first Saudi State which ruled from 1744 - 1818. Now a heavily restored UNESCO World Heritage site. 

And grand it was! We were allowed to enter all mosques  (except in Medinah) as long as my head, shoulders and knees were covered.

The new center was very impressive with construction still in progress.

"The Edge of the World:" Once the floor of an ancient sea.

Our last stop in Riyadh.

Always time for an Arabic coffee break.

Our next stop was Tabuk, located about an hour's drive from Jordan. We had a wonderful desert drive with our guide, Fawaz, and saw hundreds of petroglyphs ranging from 2,500 to 4,000 years old.

Antelope (2,500 years old)

Tabuk

Sunset in the Desert outside Tabuk

Tabuk

The Wadi Al-Disah (Diswah Valley) is known for its red sandstone rocks, lush palm groves, freshwater springs, and more petroglyphs!

Always time for coffee...

Diswah Valley

Example of "the road" through the Diswah Valley.

AlUla was definitely a highlight of the trip. This is Hegra, where the Nabataens went when they were kicked out of Petra by the Romans and needed a new capital 2,500 years ago. Today, that area - Hegra - is home to over 140 well preserved Nabataen ruins. AMAZING!

AlUla old town

AlUla old town

AlUla old town

AlUla is also home to the Dadan Kingdom, which flourished for at least a century and a half, at some point between the 5th and 1st centuries BC. 

AlUla has thousands of amazing petroglyphs from 2,500 to 4,000 years old. Once our guide understood how astonished and impressed we were by them, he took us to various crossroads of ancient civilizations to see them. 

The Prophet's Mosque is centered on a green dome, which houses Muhammed's tomb. It was the only Mosque we were not allowed to enter as non Muslims.

Our next stop was Madinah, the second most holy city in Islam (first is Mecca, which  non Muslims are not allowed to enter). It was the only place our guide requested I wear an abaya and hijab. 

Thousands and thousands of Pilgrims visit Madinah each year, each group sporting the country name or flag where he or she started. It was fun to see how many countries we could see represented.

Our last stop was the coastal city of Jeddah.  Jeddah is a modern vibrant city with a beautiful old town, currently being restored. 

Jeddah was much warmer than the other places we visited and had an active outdoor night life.

Jeddah at night

Our wonderful guide, Ali, with his adorable stepdaughter. 

Our boat captain made us a delicious lunch including barbecued salmon and  7up from glass bottles. 

We took took a boat ride on the Red Sea and discovered fantastic snorkeling in the  "the Maldives of Saudi Arabia."

Everywhere we went we experienced delicous cooking! Most Americans would recognize the Mediterannean influence, but some of our favorite dishes were Saudi specialities. 

There is no alcohol in KSA, but we quickly learned that no matter what you're doing or where you are, there's always time for coffee or tea.