Saudi Arabia Bucket List

Trace Nabatean canyons, Red Sea reefs, and date-palm oases of Saudi Arabia

Visit Jeddah, a major port city on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast. Explore the historic Al-Balad district (a UNESCO World Heritage site with traditional coral houses and markets), see the King Fahd's Fountain (one of the tallest fountains in the world, reaching 312 meters), and stroll along the Corniche (a scenic waterfront promenade with parks and beaches).

Visit Mecca, the holiest city in Islam. Perform the Hajj pilgrimage to the Kaaba (the black cube at the center of the Grand Mosque, the most sacred site in Islam) and see the Zamzam Well (a historic well believed to have miraculous properties). Explore the surrounding mountains like Jabal al-Nour, where the Prophet Muhammad received his first revelation.

Learn Modern Standard Arabic and its unique script

Visit Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Explore the Masmak Fortress (a clay and mud-brick citadel pivotal in the unification of Saudi Arabia), see the Kingdom Centre Tower (a 302-meter skyscraper with a sky bridge offering panoramic city views), and wander through Diriyah (a UNESCO World Heritage site and historic home of the Saudi royal family).

A Saudi girl saves for a bicycle she is not supposed to ride; the first film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia.

T. E. Lawrence's own account of the Arab Revolt.

The Prophet's Mosque with its green dome, the second holiest city of Islam.

Hegra, the Nabataean tombs of the southern Petra, and the Elephant Rock in a desert of sandstone.

Green highlands of terraced villages and baboons around Abha.

Al-Balad’s coral-stone merchant houses with carved wooden balconies, a UNESCO gateway for centuries of Mecca pilgrims.

Sheer desert escarpment near Riyadh.

Mud-brick birthplace of the Saudi state.

Saudi Arabia's Nabataean rock tombs.