The mysterious land of Arabia has intrigued travellers for centuries. Its vast swathes of desert were the swaddling clothes of infant Islam, the Arab race and of Arabic, a language considered holy by Muslims. It's also home to two of Islam's holiest cities and a host of modern, thriving, oil-rich metropolises. Its name is inextricably mixed with legend, history and incredible romance.

A cynic might argue that the mystique stems from the fact that it is so difficult to visit Saudi Arabia. However, if you can find someone to sponsor you or decide to take an expensive 'approved' tour, it's worth coming here for the desert and mountain scenery, and some of the Middle East's best archaeological sites.

Warning
Following recent attacks targeting foreigners, travel advisories are encouraging foreigners to leave Saudi Arabia unless on essential business. Security departments warn that more attacks on foreigners are being planned. If you are staying in the country, avoid public places where foreigners are known to congregate, ensure that your hotel has a good reputation for maintaining high security precautions and stay abreast of travel advisory updates. Until further notice heed UK Government FCO Warnings.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has the longest coastline on the Red Sea - over 79 percent of the sea's eastern shoreline - and a wealth of diving possibilities. From the Jordanian border on the northern Gulf of Aqaba to the Yemeni border in the far south, there are probably as many reefs in Saudi waters as the rest of the Red Sea combined and what is so intriguing is that unlike all of the other shores, they are almost entirely unexplored.

Water quality varies somewhat, given the extensive length of the coastline. In general, the northern and central reefs offer similar visibility to that found on the opposite coast. Fish distribution is similar to that of the western Red Sea coast, with all the familiar Red Sea reef fishes represented, including grouper, wrasse, parrot fish, surgeons, triggerfish, angel, and butterfly fish. There are also considerable numbers of pelagic fish: jacks, tuna, spanish mackerel and barracuda are all reported, and many of these species have substantial breeding grounds in Saudi waters. The area also supports several shark species, both reef and openwater, and of course every divers dream - whale sharks.

Very little commercial fishing has been done by the Saudis in comparison to other areas of the world. There is a fair amount of small-scale local fishing with hand lines or small nets, but comparatively little large-scale exploitation of fish stocks. This is a happy state of affairs for divers, since it leaves large stocks of reef and pelagic fishes undisturbed for you to enjoy. There are moves to protect the reefs and fish stocks but no progress as yet.

With limited dive tourism, diving areas in Saudi Arabia are relatively unexplored. The more remote regions, in particular, are very seldom dived. Most organized diving is done in the area around Jeddah since most dive operations are based here, as the best dive sites are off the coast and accessible only by boat. Some of the reefs dived in this area are Shib al Kabir, Abu Faramish, Mismari Reef, and Abu Madafi. There are some expatriate dive clubs in Saudi Arabia and it would be worth contacting them to make contact and join in their diving expeditions. There are clubs around Yanbu, Khamis Mushait and Tabu and some of the commercial operations have basies in Gizan, Yanbu and Tabuk.

There are sites suitable for everyone, from the novice to the experienced diver, and off the coast of Jeddah are also many fascinating shipwrecks to explore. There are many other reefs in this area that await exploration by recreational divers, and a big part of the pleasure of diving here is the possibility of discovering virgin sites.

The sea temperatures range from lows of 25° C (77° F) or less in winter to over 35° C (95° F) in summer. In Jeddah the average temperature range in January is 19° to 29° C (66° to 84° F) and in July 26° to 37° C (79° to 99° F). Temperatures can reach 48° C - it's hot!! Rainfall is sparse throughout the country. Annual rainfall in Jeddah averages 61 mm (2.4 in) and occurs between November and April. In July and August the humidity is extremely high, making conditions very unpleasant. It is important to keep fluid levels high - local advice is to drink approximately 5 litres of water per day. Because of the general aridity, Saudi Arabia has no permanent rivers or lakes.

Saudi Arabia still remains a very conservative country and is very cautious about opening up to visitors. Restrictions remain on alcohol and Westerners, both male and female, are required to adhere to Saudi's standards of legal morality in dress, demeanor and behavior in public. Standards of accommodation and meals are very high and it is a very fascinating country to visit, but you must be prepared to conform to the Saudi way of life during your stay. Expect great diving, but be prepared for a shopping trip to the souks, or an early night. There are a great number of restaurants offering many different types of cuisine, however, be prepared for the fact that all restaurants provide segregated dining, even seperate male and female entrances.

This is not a tourist destination in any normal sense of the word. What tourist industry there is has been developed around religious tourism i.e. catering for pilgrims on the Hajj. If you can get here safely and legally however, it is a very fascination country that is well worth exploring and clearly the reefs are as good as elsewhere in the Red Sea. There are diving operators and they are extremely well equipped although you should always check whether the dive boat has an O2 or First Aid kit on board. Money is not an issue in Saudi. You will find excellent hotels at reasonable prices.

There are so many dive sites along this coast that they are too numerous to list. And let's bear in mind that these are the ones discovered by the very few dive centres in existence. Saudi has clear potential for a world class diving destination but given its sensitive political and religious situation this may never be achievable.

Travelling to Saudi Arabia is complex. There is no such thing as a tourist visa. You can enter the country with a visitor's transit or (if you're Muslim) hajj or umrah visa. To get a visitor's visa you will have to be sponsored by a Saudi individual or company. Another option is a 24- or 48-hour transit visa - to get one you have to prove that you had no choice other than to stopover in Saudi Arabia en route to your final destination. You can now also visit the country as a non-Muslim if you join an approved organised tour. These are expensive. Visa applications are made through the Saudi host company. The cost is £36 from the Saudi Embassy in London. Your EC passport must have two clear facing pages and be valid for six months. Provide one passport photograph. Avoid presenting a passport which has an Israeli stamp in it - you will almost certainly be turned down. There are moves to introduce tourist visas but as yet they are not available - keep checking.

Getting There:

British Airways have suspended flights to Saudi Arabia. BMI have announce flights to Riyadh. Riyadh will be served by flights from London Heathrow on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, with return flights departing Riyadh on the same days. BMI will be the only British carrier offering direct flights to the Saudi Arabian capital from the UK. It is always possible to fly to the Kingdom by indirect flights via European or Middle Eastern locations. Cyprus Airways operate a cheap route from London via Larnaca.

BSAC TRAVEL CLUB BOOKSHOP SELECTION in association with amazon.co.uk

Buy Now....

Changing travellers' cheques can be a real pain. Many banks and moneychangers either won't take them, will only change brands they sell or will only cash them for account holders. Always carry your original purchase receipt with you, as the few places that change cheques will require it. Non Muslims cannot visit Mecca or its immediate vicinity. Road blocks are in place to stop your approach. You cannot drink alcohol anywhere in Saudi Arabia. You have to be careful at all times that you don't tread on a sensitive cultural toe. Women should NEVER go out without a headcovering -- and they should wear an abaya as well. This is mandatory in Riyadh; the coastal towns are more liberal. Do NOT wear crosses, do not talk about religion, do not criticize Islam. Don't even THINK about wearing shorts in public unless you're at the beach. And if you drive, make sure you keep one eye on the mirror at all times. The driving is horrific.

©2005 BSAC |  Members Home Page |  Member Services |  Technical Services |  BSAC News