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Mecca Hotels: 207 Reviews - 326 Photos
Medina Hotels: 212 Reviews - 320 Photos
Riyadh Hotels: 661 Reviews - 1104 Photos
Jiddah Hotels: 955 Reviews - 1191 Photos
Abha Hotels: 24 Reviews - 35 Photos
Dhahran Hotels: 86 Reviews - 129 Photos
Ad Dammam Hotels: 56 Reviews - 91 Photos
Najran Hotels: 14 Reviews - 18 Photos
Ras Tanura Hotels: 8 Reviews - 15 Photos
Sakaka Hotels: 9 Reviews - 10 Photos
Al Khubar Hotels: 66 Reviews - 144 Photos
Khamis Mushayt Hotels: 0 Reviews
`Usfan Hotels: 0 Reviews - 6 Photos
Tabuk Hotels: 13 Reviews - 4 Photos
Duba Hotels: 7 Reviews - 13 Photos

Saudi Arabia Local Customs

They discourage smoking, perhaps the...

by hajjabdullah

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They discourage smoking, perhaps the...
by hajjabdullah
This is me, hajjabdullah with some...
by hajjabdullah
Entrance to the Prohphet's Mosque in...
by hajjabdullah
Across from the Grand Mosque, Mecca;...
by hajjabdullah
You can buy a miswak [toothpick] from...
by hajjabdullah

Most Viewed Local Customs in Saudi Arabia

126.

Religion/History/Culture Jiddah

17 Reviews I recently have been to a Sufi service which is quite commong among the Sufi community men and women respectively. Since it's mainly a segregated culture when it comes to conducting such services,...

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127.

Mosques/Masjid Jiddah

13 Reviews Jeddah one of the famous cities in which the magnificence of the deep rooted past combines with the originality of the present with all its modernity. This allowed Jeddah to preserve its distinguished...

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128.

Wedding Customs Jiddah

4 Reviews this seems to be a long tradition that has originated in arabia but certainly not from jeddah. it's a mixture of henna and water i think. then, it's stirred and mixed in a bowl to make it a thick...

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129.

Holy Month of Ramadan Jiddah

8 Reviews ... you are either an invited guest in the Kingdom or by circumstance due to lack of opportunities, means, you were not forced directly by the host country to come here, therefore, you are subject to...

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130.

Schools/ Education system Jiddah

13 Reviews I liked 2 listen how school was introduced 2 Saudi Arabia & when women officially were given the right to education. Sixty yrs ago,only boys,against housekeeper girls,used 2 attend group studies...

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131.

Housing Architect. Jiddah

15 Reviews The last few years, witnessed a new architectural trend that was trying to combine modern architecture with the Arabic style. The interest in architectural heritage has gone beyond academic studies...

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132.

Wearing the veil. Jiddah

4 Reviews To cover or not to cover, that is the Western woman's question. Well, the first 3/4 of my trip I did not cover my head. The last 1/4 of my trip I did. I found that I was a lot more respected, even...

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133.

Eating Customs&Manners Jiddah

3 Reviews although i have spent most of my life in jeddah, i never thought of what the national dish could be or what jeddawi people eat in everyday life. perhaps i take everything for granted when it comes to...

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134.

Welcoming New babies to the World Jiddah

3 Reviews i guess every reader is aware that Saudia has got the highest birth rate in the world. perhaps Saudis are so proud of it, being the first generator (or exporter,lol) of human babies and resources,...

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135.

Prayertime Retreat Jiddah

3 Reviews This is what I miss most since I left home to have my break time 4 times per working day. This comes from the daily Five Islamic Prayers; Fajr (dawn), Dhohor (noon), Asr (late afternoon), Maghrib...

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136.

Local dress/Tradional wear Jiddah

1 Review For men: Shorts above the knee are not very welcome. You will feel uncomfortable anyway, cause nobody wears them. For women: Don't wear sexy clothes. Try to cover your body completely. The magic...

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137.

Eid Celebrations Jiddah

2 Reviews Eid means an annual event to be remembered by public. Jeddah celebrates two official Eids every year; Eid al Fiter and Eid al Ad'ha. The first means the celebrationf of breaking the fast, and the...

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138.

Greetings customs Jiddah

1 Review For both women and men, this greeting is common. It's to touch cheek by cheek three times on the right, one time on the left, no kissing, as one shakes hands. This greeting is only common among men to...

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139.

Services At The Corniche Jiddah

2 Reviews In Jeddah, a lot of families/friends have picnics in the evenings (once the sun sets it gets a bit cooler). Common sites are: around the monuments, sculptures and grassy median strips, and also along...

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140.

Condolence Customs Jiddah

2 Reviews its divided into 2 steps:The burial: the deceased, Islamically, should be buried ASAP as a sign of honouring them by giving them home. the deceased's body must be washed in a certain way by family...

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141.

Local Drinks Jiddah

1 Review The drink of choice in Jeddah seems to be freshly made juice. There are juice stands everywhere, and prices start at about SR 3 a glass. You choose your own fruit combinations. My favourite is...

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Pornographic or revealing materials

by kenyneo

Please take note that the authority is very strict on this issue. So better dont bring in any form of pronorgraphic material.Even bringing in diskette and CD is not advisable as it could be very very troublesome. I have a first hand experience, mine was confiscated and can only get it back after my company sent a local guy to the airport.But one thing that puzzle me is that if its so strict on this area , how come pornographic satellite channel is allowed ? Wonder why ?

Arabic name ....

by kenyneo

For men-----------For those familiar with the European tradition of using just a forename, optional middle name and surname, names in the Arab world can seem perplexing, not least because they can run to enormous length. However, there is a logical structure to the Arab naming convention that, once seen, makes it simple to decipher a person's recent ancestry. For example...A man's name is Mohammad bin Ahmed bin Saleh Al-Fulani. He is called Mohammad by his friends and family. His family name is Al-Fulani What does bin Ahmed bin Saleh mean? This simply means that he is the son of Ahmed who is in turn the son of Saleh. Bin means son of. For ladies-------------Nura bint Ahmed bin Saleh Al Fulani for ladies you can see Bint ( Binti ) means daughter of. She is named Nura, the daughter of Ahmed who is the son of Saleh. So we have her given name, her father's name, her grandfather's name and...

Its prayer time ....

by kenyneo

All outlets will be closed during prayer times ( 5 times a day for about 30 min)..and these time will differ a littl from day to day but no worries ...coz you can always check the daily for the 5 prayers' time( especially those who are going for a haircut , go atthe right time else you might end up standing outside the barber shop with your half-cut hair for 1/2 hour, this is not a joke ) this goes for lunch or dinner as well ! Its really an experience for me even though I come from Malaysia , an Islamic country .Timing is precious here !

Id al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice )

by kenyneo

Id al-Adha (i-EED ahl-OOHD-hah), the Festival of Sacrifice concludes the act of pilgrimage. It usually occures two to three months after Ramadan. Muslims offer sheep, goats, and camels in a pattern after Abraham’s offering of his son Ismail to God. The poor and needy receive the meat. Muslims observe these two festivals (Day of Hajj and Id al-Adha) whether on pilgrimage or not. Islam considers Ismail the rightful heir, the son to be sacrificed. (in the Judeo-Christian tradition, Abraham's second son Isaac, is the true heir, the son to be sacrificed]). Traditional Arabic greeting for this day is "Id Mabarak" (id moo-BAH-ahk, "may God make it a blessed feast").

’Id al-Fitr, Festival of the Breaking of the Fast

by kenyneo

’Id al-Fitr (i-EED al FAHT-ehr), Festival of the Breaking of the Fast of Ramadan. Along with ‘Id al-Fitr, Id al-Adha comprise the two main Islamic festivals. ‘Id al-Fitr celebrates the end of Ramadan. It comes on the first day of the month Shawwal which follows Ramadan. Usually the holiday lasts for three days with family members gathering to exchange presents and celebrate together. When possible, the faithful attend mosques. It is also an occasaion to pay special alms for the poor ("zakat al-fitr," ZAH-kat al FAHT-ehr).Usually locals prefer to break fast with eating dates , I enjoy the Sembosa ( triangular snacks ) sold everywhere along the road sides . They are like karipap in malaysia but just flatter , ingredient can be chicken , beef or potatoes .

Laylat al-Qadr is known as Night of Power

by kenyneo

Laylat al-Qadr (LAHAY-let al-KAHD-ehr) is known as the Night of Power. It commemorates the first revelation of the Qur’an. This event came to the Prophet Muhammad in 610 C.E. (A.D.), when he was forty years old. The observance includes the last ten days of Ramadan as no one knows the exact night the Prophet first received God's revelation. Sometimes during this event, pious Muslims seclude themselves in a mosque, leaving only when necessary

The Holy month of Ramadan...

by kenyneo

Ramadan (RAH-mah-dahn) is a holy month of fasting wherein Muslims, who are physically able to refrain, do not eat, drink, smoke or engage in sexual activity, from the first sign of dawn until sunset. This month is a time for spiritual reflection and discipline. Pious adherents remember past sins. They express gratitude to God for his guidance. Many read through the entire Qur'an during this month. The traditional Arabic greeting for Ramadan is "Ramadan Mubarak" (RAH-mah-dahn moo-BAR-ahk, "may God give you a blessed month"). Response is "Ramadan Karim (RAH-mah-dahn KAH-reem, "May God give you a generous month").

Wedding bells....ringing ...

by kenyneo

The local wedding here is a little different from any part of the world, in the sense that you cant see the ladies ( even the bride ) if you are a man or you cant see a man if you are a lady because they are all in separate hall. basically the guys will have their own fun and the ladies will have theirs . Well a little dissapointed huh , coz you can see the bride. Well custom is custom.So be prepared when you are invited to one

Women working in Saudi Arabia

by kenyneo

Opportunies are very limited because the place and profession for ladies are not many. Eventhough the country is pushing for greater involvement of women in its workforce ...its still at an infant stage. Most ladies work as doctors for ladies, nurses ( mostly expat from Phillipines, Malaysia, China etc ), bankers in ladies' bank and teachers . This is because of the fact that the custom disallowed local women from socialising with men who ar enot their family members.

No driving for the ladies ...

by kenyneo

Ladies are not allowed to drive throughout the kingdom. This applies to expat as well.Thus moving around would be a little inconvenient. Well there is always the limo service . Well for those who is used to driving, this could be something that you need to consider !

Top 3 Hotels in Saudi Arabia

Hilton Hotel Jiddah

3 Reviews and 67 Opinions i have a long history and ties with Hilton Jeddah; have been to many conferences, bazaars,...

Hotels in Jiddah

Al Faisaliah, A Rosewood Hotel Riyadh

7 Reviews and 56 Opinions The Al-Fasaliah hotel in Riyadh is part of the leading hotels of the world, from check in to check...

Hotels in Riyadh

InterContinental Dar Al Taqwa Medina

2 Reviews and 10 Opinions Dar al Taqwa is the CLOSEST hotel to the Haram in Madinah! It offers a breathtaking view of the...

Hotels in Medina

167 Hotels in Saudi Arabia

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Local Customs: Cities in Saudi Arabia

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Mintaqat Makkah Local Customs Mintaqat ar Riyad Local Customs Mintaqat al Madinah Local Customs Al Mintaqah ash Sharqiyah Local Customs Mintaqat `Asir Local Customs

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Questions and Answers

Q: Greetings! I have a friend/business partner who would like to do some traveling in the United States. He is a Saudi citizen...

A: The answer is that your friend cannot count on any "typical" scenario. He could be in and out of immigration in five minutes, or it could take 50 minutes, or 5 hours, or...

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