Riyadh and Saudi Arabia

[defurax]

It's not actually impossible for an unaccompanied woman to get a business visa to SA, if the sponsor company has a very good reputation.

I meant more that I was surprised they managed to make that mistake. First thing I was asked to do was to send the ID page of my passport to the company.

 

[DrA]

I meant more that I was surprised they managed to make that mistake. First thing I was asked to do was to send the ID page of my passport to the company.

The problem in this case was that the company had hired someone external to make all of my travel arrangements. So I don't think the company actually saw my passport, only the external person I was told to coordinate with. This was about 8 years ago though, so things have probably changed.

 

[defurax]

I thought I would put a few pictures from my short visit in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Riyadh is a very unique city! It is amazing how the main airport (RUH) is a complete dump considering how much money is currently being invested in infrastructure in the city. I was told they are planning to build a new airport in Riyadh and just abandon the current one...

First the hotel. They booked me at The Ritz Carlton (very nice hotel, it was originally built as a palace for visiting royals)

 

[defurax]

EK uses the Attar Travel First Class Lounge at RUH which is worst than the old QF lounge at BME or HBA...
I went to the J side because the attendant told me that EK doesn't want to pay for the F side of the lounge anymore. A quick glance made me realise that the F side was as disgusting as the J side...
Really a disgrace for EK to put their J and F customers in that lounge, they should just remove lounge access instead

 

[defurax]

This is the Masmak fortress (where King Ibn Saud reconquered part of what is nowadays Saudi Arabia)



Traditional coffee making instruments...


Inside the fortress

 

[defurax]

And finally, the esplanade of a nearby Mosque (forgot the specific name)

 

[Sprucegoose]

Seems like they don't want foreigners there and I am more than happy to oblige them, I hope we make it just as difficult for them to come here as well...

We should all drive electric cars and send them back to the Stone Age. Their treatment of females is appalling

 

[RooFlyer]

Liking this thread ... any other pics you could post would be welcome. Although it was 20 years ago, my two visits to KSA still provide me with some of my best travel stories . We got round most of the quadrant of the country SW from Riyadh in mining/geology type 'self drive' arrangement - that is, we hired a car, and set off!. I dare say things are a bit stricter now.

 

[clazman]

Work mate, just returned from ksa, and did a side trip to Iraqi. He spoke extensively to AFP about security, and was told if you go with a travel group you will be fine. 7 days seeing the sites he says he felt safe the whole time and was treated better than any other nationality.

 

[defurax]

Liking this thread ... any other pics you could post would be welcome. Although it was 20 years ago, my two visits to KSA still provide me with some of my best travel stories . We got round most of the quadrant of the country SW from Riyadh in mining/geology type 'self drive' arrangement - that is, we hired a car, and set off!. I dare say things are a bit stricter now.

Unfortunately I didn't have a lot of time to take pictures in Riyadh. We were kept on a very busy schedule by our hosts and reminiscent of dining habits in Spain, we had dinner each night from 10PM to 1AM!:shock: Luckily I could sleep until 7...but the locals were called for prayer around 5:30 AM. The Ritz Carlton has in in-house mosque, so I guess no need to go too far for hotel guests.

The locals were very very hospitable and I had a great time. They also invited us to a traditional restaurant where we ate sitting on the floor ( I have pictures...but unfortunately they all have people on them, so I won't post online).

Security of course is a concern in that region, while I was there I received an email from the Australian Embassy about a Dutch citizen having been shot at in Riyadh (presumably for no other reason than being a Westerner).