Arabie saoudite : activités et visites

Saudi Arabia is the largest country on the Arabian Peninsula, with deserts, mountains and coasts on the Red Sea and the Gulf. Riyadh, the capital, rises from the central plateau, with the mud-brick Masmak Fortress, the Diriyah district, listed by UNESCO, and towers such as the Kingdom Centre. Jeddah, on the Red Sea, has Al-Balad, an old quarter of coral-stone houses with carved wooden balconies.

Medina is the second-holiest city in Islam, with the green-domed Prophet's Mosque. AlUla in the north-west is an oasis with Hegra, a UNESCO site of Nabataean tombs cut into sandstone. Taif, in the Sarawat mountains, is cooler and known for its roses, and Tabuk, near the Jordanian border, is a base for the red canyons of Wadi Disah.

Kabsa, spiced rice with lamb or chicken, is the national dish, and dates and cardamom coffee, poured in small cups, are the sign of welcome. Winters are mild and desert evenings cool, while summer afternoons are very hot except in the mountains.