Saudi Arabia — Land of Ancient Wonders and Modern Ambition

Saudi Arabia stands as one of the most consequential and fascinating nations on earth. The birthplace of Islam, the custodian of its two holiest sites, the world's leading oil exporter, and now a country undergoing one of the most ambitious social and economic transformations in modern history, Saudi Arabia offers travelers a destination unlike any other. With the opening of the Kingdom to international tourism in 2019, millions of visitors are now able to experience a country that had for decades remained largely inaccessible — a land of breathtaking desert landscapes, ancient Nabataean ruins, bustling modern cities, and a culture of extraordinary depth and complexity.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia occupies the vast majority of the Arabian Peninsula, covering approximately 2.15 million square kilometers — roughly the size of Western Europe. It borders Jordan, Iraq, and Kuwait to the north, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman to the east and southeast, and Yemen to the south. To the west, the Red Sea coastline stretches for more than 1,800 kilometers, offering some of the most pristine and biodiverse coral reef ecosystems in the world. To the east, the Persian Gulf coast borders the oil-rich Eastern Province. The country's interior is dominated by the vast Rub' al Khali — the Empty Quarter — the world's largest contiguous sand desert, covering approximately 650,000 square kilometers.

Saudi Arabia's population of approximately 36 million people is one of the youngest in the world, with more than 60 percent under the age of 30. The country's capital and largest city, Riyadh, is home to more than 7 million people and is one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the world. Jeddah, the historic gateway to Mecca on the Red Sea coast, is the Kingdom's most cosmopolitan city. The holy cities of Mecca and Medina, access to which remains restricted to Muslims, are among the most visited cities on earth during the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage seasons.

The Birthplace of Islam

To understand Saudi Arabia is to understand the central role it plays in the world of Islam. The Prophet Muhammad was born in Mecca around 570 CE and received the first revelation of the Quran there in 610 CE. He later migrated to Medina in 622 CE — an event known as the Hijra that marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar. Both cities were scenes of pivotal moments in Islamic history, and both remain the spiritual heart of a faith practiced by approximately 1.9 billion people worldwide.

The Great Mosque of Mecca, Al-Masjid al-Haram, is the largest mosque in the world and the site of the Kaaba, the cube-shaped structure that Muslims around the globe face during prayer. The Kaaba, draped in its distinctive black cloth embroidered in gold, stands at the center of the mosque and is the most sacred spot in Islam. Every year, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage — one of the Five Pillars of Islam — more than two million Muslims from every corner of the world converge on Mecca to fulfill this religious obligation. The Hajj is the largest annual gathering of people on earth.

The Prophet's Mosque in Medina, Al-Masjid al-Nabawi, was originally built by the Prophet Muhammad himself after the Hijra and has been expanded continuously over the centuries into one of the largest mosques in the world. The mosque contains the tomb of the Prophet, making it the second holiest site in Islam after Al-Masjid al-Haram. Millions of Muslims visit Medina each year as part of their pilgrimage, praying at the mosque and paying their respects at the Prophet's tomb.