Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has intrigued travelers for centuries. Its vast swathes of desert were the swaddling clothes of infant Islam and the birthplace of the Arab race and of Arabic, a language considered holy by Muslims. It's also home to two of Islam's holiest cities - Makkah and Madinah - and to a host of modern, thriving, oil-rich metropolises.

Saudi Arabia is a monarchy in southwestern Asia, occupying most of the Arabian Peninsula

Saudi Arabia is a land of vast deserts and little rainfall. Huge deposits of oil and natural gas lie beneath the country’s surface. Saudi Arabia was a relatively poor nation before the discovery and exploitation of oil, but since the 1950s income from oil has made the country wealthy. The religion of Islam developed in the 7th century in what is now Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932 by Abdul Aziz ibn Saud, and it has been ruled by his descendants ever since.

The Country's topography ranges from wide plains to deserts, valleys, mountains and plateaus. The main features are: The Empty Quarter (Al-Rub Al Khali) desert.

• The Empty Quarter (Al-Rub Al Khali) desert.
• The Eastern plateaus and plains.
• The NorthernMountains and plateaus.
• The "Najd" plateaus of the Central Region.
• The Western highlands.
• The "Tihama" plains in the southwest.
• Widespread Mountain and desert valleys.