Saudi Arabia - Saudi-Arabien

Saudi Arabia is lying in near East in the Arabian Peninsula. Bordering countries are Jordan, the Iraq and Kuwait in the North, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in the east and Oman and Yemen in the south.

Regions

Cities

• Riad - Capital
• Damam - City in the east of the country, gate to Bahrain
• Jeddah - Important trading city on the west coast
• Mecca - Islamic pilgrimage city, destination of the Hajj
• Medina - Islamic pilgrimage city

Other goals

• Farasan Islands
• Medina Saleh
• Ha'il

background

getting there

Entry requirements

At the end of September 2019, a electronic tourist visa introduced for Europeans. The passport must be valid for at least another six months; you must be able to show valid and paid return flight tickets. The visa fee is US $ 108. For this, it is mandatory to take out health insurance with one of four approved providers, even if one exists elsewhere. An address of an approved hotel is also requested. Unmarried couples can book a room together. Foreign women do not have to wear a full body veil. There are special regulations only for groups of Islamic pilgrims (Hajj and Umrah) visiting the holy sites of Mecca and Medina. With a "Hajj visa" you can only visit Mecca and Medina. The rest of the country is taboo.

By plane

Saudi Arabia, especially Jeddah and Riad, can be reached from almost every European airport with many international airlines. The state line Saudia flies with modern aircraft and is of high quality. Flying with Saudia is very cheap within the country as there are no taxes on the price.

Car / motorcycle / bicycle

You can drive to Saudi Arabia via Jordan-Syria-Turkey. A trip to Germany takes more than a week. A valid visa from an employer is a prerequisite for crossing the border. However, it is safer to arrive by plane, as border officials may not understand English and "stuck" at the border in the middle of the desert is not very pleasant. Petrol is very cheap at around 21 cents per liter (as of 2017) because the fuel is subsidized.

By boat

There is a ferry from Jeddah to Port Sudan in the Sudan.

mobility

Foreigners are only allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia with an international or special driver's license. Since there is hardly any well-functioning local transport, you have to rely on taxis or vehicles from the hosts. However, if you are not afraid of contact with locals, you can use the sporadic but frequent minibuses for routes within the larger cities. They are usually free, but a voluntary amount is given to the driver, who is usually Indian or Pakistani. So do most of the other passengers, as the Saudi usually has one or more cars. Until recently, women were banned from driving, boys aged 14 and over are also allowed to drive alone (officially banned due to the high accident rates, but often seen).

The distances in the country are great, so flying is the cheapest connection between the big cities. The national airline is Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA). There are also a number of smaller companies that fly across the country for very low prices.

By train

The long only railway line in the country leads from Riyadh to Al Hofuf on the Persian Gulf. It was built in the 1930s by the English for the then king. Today it can be used by everyone, the Riyadh train station is very luxurious and well worth a visit. From the beginning of 2017, passenger traffic will take place on the Riyadh railway line, Unayzah, Buraydah (Al Qassim), Hail, Al Jawf and Al Qurayya instead of.

language

The official language of Saudi Arabia is Arabic. In addition, English is very common. The street signs are bilingual, and almost everyone you meet in the cities understands the English language. Many Saudis with a higher level of education have completed an apprenticeship or a degree in a western foreign country, so you are greeted surprisingly in your own language.

Money / shopping

The Saudi Arabian currency is the riyal, divided into 100 halalas. Banknotes come in 1, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500 Riya notes. Coins come in 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 halalas, and the Saudi Arabian riyal can be converted into any currency. There are exchange offices at the airport and banks in Riyadh and other cities that exchange money.

As a rule, you can buy anything that does not violate the strict rules of the Koran. So all items can be bought that Western Europeans are used to. There are huge supermarkets, pompous shopping malls and fast food restaurants on every corner that don't have to adhere to opening times. A major exception is the time of prayer: five times a day, during the Muslim prayer times, thousands of muezzins across the country ask the faithful to pray. At this time life stands still, all shops, restaurants, medical practices and all other public facilities are closed and cannot be entered or left for about 30 minutes, the doors are closed. Anyone in the store at this time can lock themselves in or be asked to leave. It is permissible to wonder at this, but pointless to protest.

Almost all American brands are represented, whether in the form of cars, fast food restaurants or sportswear. You get the feeling that most Saudis knowingly own the brands and they are not ashamed to shine with their luxury.

Women can shop in most shops, they are either not allowed in local snack bars or there is a “family section”, a separate area in which women and children usually stay.

When shopping and otherwise spending time on public roads, women should always make sure to wear the abaya and to keep their hair covered with a cloth, otherwise the Mutawas (Religious Police) from their pickups with loudspeakers admonishes the perpetrator to put on her headgear. The religious police are part of the cityscape and ensure compliance with strict customs.

kitchen

The Arabic cuisine is adapted to the climate and is easily digestible. Basically, humus is served with almost every meal, a porridge made from dried chickpeas with a little olive oil, which is eaten with fresh flatbread.

Chicken and beef, lots of vegetables, fresh fruit and, again and again, humus and flatbread are dishes that can be found cheaply everywhere. Dates and figs, which grow on trees in many places, are almost the only native fruit. Snacks and small restaurants are almost exclusively run by Indians and Pakistani, who represent a not inconsiderable part of the population and are indispensable in the kingdom. These people have brought part of their own culture into the country and express it, among other things. with the type and preparation of food. Sweet tea is served with every meal and also in between, which tastes intense and has a slightly stimulating effect.

nightlife

Going out in the kingdom is only possible with a lot of privation. Any establishments in which men and women can come together are forbidden. This includes cinemas, discos, bars, pubs, etc. Men alone can visit the few bars that are not heavily frequented due to the alcohol ban. At night the streets are almost empty, as a young person you take a taxi to the next "residential camps" by Europeans or Americans, where a different life usually takes place with many private celebrations and freedom of movement.

accommodation

Almost all of the major hotel chains in the west are located in the major cities of Saudi Arabia, but only in the higher price range, as most short-term visitors are business people and money is not an issue. Middle-class travelers or even backpackers hardly occur due to the visa issuing practice.

Learn and study

In the major cities of the kingdom there are schools from those countries that have many of their citizens in the country. For example, American, German, British and French schools can be attended on site for a small tuition fee paid by the father's employer. Well-known universities do not (yet) exist in Saudi Arabia, so the locals who are willing to learn go to study abroad if this is required of them or if it is their wish.

Work

Physical work in Saudi Arabia is reserved for foreigners. Thousands of people from all over Asia are brought into the country for unskilled jobs such as driving a car, road maintenance, the building trade, waiting, selling and cleaning, and they work for little money. For the Asians, however, due to the low cost of living, it is enough to live on their own and to send something home to their families. For higher jobs such as telecommunications and communications technology, architecture and mechanical engineering, the experts from the West are invited to come to the country, who are pampered with lavish salaries and every comfort.

Diplomats have a special status in the kingdom and live in the so-called "Diplomatic Quarter", in which the generalized laws of western Europe prevail and alcohol and pork are legal. Saudis are not allowed to be in these areas.

public holidays

Friday and Saturday is the weekend. Friday is to Islam what Sunday is to Christianity - the holy day of the week. Ras as-Sana (August 10, 2021) - Islamic New Year celebrations on the 1st of Muharram. Ashura (August 19, 2021) - this festival is celebrated on the 10th of Muharram. First (April 12, 2021) and last (May 12, 2021) day of the fasting month of Ramadan. - last day of the fasting month of Ramadan, beginning of Id al-Fitr, on the 1st show whale (May 13, 2021) - two to four day fasting festival. Four-day Islamic Festival of Sacrifice (ʿĪd al-Aḍḥā), which begins on 10th Dhū al-Jiddjah (July 19, 2021). Birthday (Mulid / maulid) of the Prophet Mohammed on the 12th Rabi 'al-auwal (October 19, 2021).

The national holiday is September 23.

security

According to the US State Department in 2014, "US citizens and Westerners continue to report incidents of crime, including robbery and attempted robbery." The officially reported number of sexual assault cases is underestimated "as the victims are usually accused" . In 2009, a 23-year-old woman was sentenced to one year in prison and 100 lashes for adultery after she was raped by five men. In 2007, a 19-year-old rape victim of seven men received a sentence of six months in prison and 200 lashes.

While the kingdom could boast of being virtually crime-free in the 1980s, the crime rate among unemployed youth grew by 320% from 1990 to 1996. Convictions for drug possession rose from 4,279 in 1986 to 17,199 in 2001. The cause of the rise in crime is believed to be population growth, rapid social change and massive unemployment, which has led to the breakdown of traditional forms of social control and coercion.

Regulations for import and export

In Saudi Arabia, the importation of weapons, drugs, alcoholic beverages and pork products is strictly forbidden.Registration is required to import cash of more than 12,000 euros as well as religious writings, which can be done at airports and at Saudi Arabia's embassies and consulates Abroad can be made. An import ban also applies to all types of pornographic material.

Special criminal law provisions

In Saudi Arabia, the death penalty is the maximum penalty for crimes such as murder, manslaughter, theft, adultery, practiced homosexuality as well as the import and export, trade, possession and use of drugs and narcotics; this is usually carried out by public stoning. Unclearly defined criminal offenses give judges a great deal of individual discretion when choosing the level of punishment: even sexual harassment, an unclearly defined criminal offense, can justify a death sentence.

Foreigners of western origin are accepted at the above. Crimes expelled from the country. Police and the police for moral matters are present in many places, but there are very few reasons to intervene as there is hardly any crime.

Rules of conduct for tourists

In Saudi Arabia, consumption in public and the buying and selling of alcoholic beverages are generally prohibited. In some parts of the country, however, there are exemptions according to which non-Muslim tourists are allowed to consume alcohol in hotel areas and on private hotel beaches. Even if alcohol consumption is forbidden, Saudi Arabia has numerous eateries and fast-food restaurants, cafes and coffee shops of international chains such as Starbucks, coffee fellows, coffee shop companies and numerous shisha cafes, especially in the big cities, but it is in the Saudi gastronomy no pork available. Practicing homosexuality is punishable by death in Saudi Arabia, as a protection against criminal prosecution and conflicts, men traveling together should not book double rooms in hotels and other accommodations. Practicing homosexuality is also a criminal offense on airplanes flying the Saudi flag for the period between closing the doors before departure and opening the doors after landing. In the event of a traffic accident, it is mandatory to inform the police via the emergency number and to have the accident documented by the police; this also applies to accidents without personal injury. It is necessary to always have a valid driver's license, vehicle documents and proof of insurance with you when driving a vehicle. During the calls to prayer, even non-Muslim tourists should keep quiet, neither listen to music nor use mobile phones, neither for making calls nor for typing messenger messages or surfing the Internet. Men are not allowed to speak to strange women in public. When tourists ask about routes or the like, men should always be asked, police officers, taxi drivers and public transport employees are usually also happy to answer questions. Tourists also have to wear a headscarf or a veil in public, but these are advantageous to protect the head from strong sunlight and sunburn. Bright veils and headscarves are beneficial because of the sun's rays.

health

There are very well trained doctors in the country, and after a bit of searching, you can even find a doctor who knows your own language. The health system is very good, you can find help immediately and easily. The hospitals are modern and comfortably furnished, the staff is well paid and motivated. The numerous fitness and relaxation offers, some of which are only available to men, help to maintain health. Swimming pools and fitness rooms are standard in the residential camps. Even ice skating or tobogganing is possible in certain halls in the desert state.

Climate and travel time

The predominant climate in Saudi Arabia is hot and dry. The coastal areas humid and humid; Here regular precipitation falls, in the desert located in the interior, on the other hand, it does not rain at all for years.

The best travel time is from November to March, when the (average) temperatures range from 23 ° C to 27 ° C. In the other months of the year (average) temperatures of 30 ° C to 37 ° C prevail.

behaviour rules

The Koran is the basis of all manners and customs in this Islamic state. Traditionally, women's rights in particular have been severely restricted. The Islamic hours of prayer are law; Shops, coffee houses and restaurants close for the hour of prayer.

Alcohol and drugs are prohibited. Violations (possession or consumption) are severely punished. The death penalty is imposed on drug possession and use.

In terms of clothing, you should definitely adapt to the national customs. Men should always wear long trousers and shirts, even at 50 ° C in the desert, women should wear the usual veil for their own safety. But the clothes are cool and protect against the heat in the desert.

The majority of Arabs have traditionally been hostile to Jews. Discussions on this topic should be avoided unless there is a personal friendship with the local interlocutor. The Germans are generally highly respected people, because the Saudis associate them with a high level of technical expertise and competence on the one hand, and the dubious part of their past in which they declared the Jews to be enemies on the other.