Travel guide Saudi Arabia

Although it is no longer compulsory for women to wear the long black coat, it will take years for what has become a custom to end. Since the 1970s, Saudi women have been wearing the abaya, which hides their bodies, as well as the hijab (headscarf) and the niqab (face veil), which are also no longer mandatory.

The term means "old city" in Arabic. Long focused on development and in search of modernity, Saudi Arabia has ignored its old quarters. The country is just beginning to take an interest in them, and is enthusiastically renovating some of its old cities, such as Jeddah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and AlUla.

Nomads, the Bedouin have long lived in the desert. They were forcibly settled in the 1970s. The Bedouin now live in permanent houses. But they have kept a strong link with the desert. They still pitch tents to provide shelter while they herd their goats and sheep.

A true national emblem, the dromedary occupies an essential place in the hearts of Saudis. There are more than 100 words in the Arabic vocabulary to designate it. Hejin is the generic term, thenaya the term for the 5-year-old dromedary slaughtered for Eid, harib the camel that leads the herd, ghab the one that drinks every 2 days.

In Saudi Arabia, the keffiyeh is also known as a ghutra. This large square of red-and-white cotton is the preserve of men. It is folded in half, in a triangle, and placed on top of the head. It is held in place by an igal, a black cord, formerly made of camel or goat wool. The corners are folded over the top of the head.

The water pipe, also known as shisha or hookah, is one of the Saudi's pleasures. Both men and women indulge in this pleasure, preferably in the evening, but rarely together, except among the young. They meet in specialized bars that offer a wide range of flavored tobacco: mint, watermelon, pineapple ...

The Saudi national dish is made of rice, meat, spices, chili, dried fruits. The foods are pressed(kabasa in Arabic) together in the cooking dish. There are many variations of this dish. Depending on the region the spices or rice used will be different. In Hofuf, ahsawi rice is used, while the more affluent use saffron.

Among Arabs, the kebab is a skewer of minced meat flavored with herbs and spices. There are many different kinds of kebabs, made of beef, lamb, chicken... Shawarma is meat roasted on long swords, Turkish style, and shredded. In a sandwich, it will be served with French fries, some vegetables and a garlic sauce.

Meaning both hello and welcome, mahaba is a casual way of greeting one another. Less formal and less religious than salam aleikum, which literally means peace be upon you, the term is used when arriving somewhere. Another way of saying welcome is the formula derived from the ancient Arabic ahlan wa sahlan.

If you take a tour of Saudi Arabia, you will not see the oil wells north of Dammam, close to the border with Kuwait. However, you will see very clearly the consequences of this financial windfall in the excellent infrastructure in place and the massive investments.

National drink, the qahwa collects all the suffrages. Arabian coffee is made from unroasted beans. Its juice is yellow and its taste bitter. Saudis sip it all day long, in small quantities, and accompany it with a date or a sweet to fight the bitterness. Originally, the beans came from Yemen.

The thobe or thawb is a white cotton dress worn ankle-length by Saudis. Despite their identical appearance, thobes vary in detail, especially the embroidery on the chest. Traditionally, embroiderers specialized in one motif. They would pass the thobe from hand to hand to assemble the final design.