Local food is often strongly flavored and spicy. The most common meats are lamb and chicken, beef is rare and pork is proscribed under Islamic law. The main meat meal of the day is lunch. Foreign cooking is on offer in larger towns and the whole range of international cuisine, including fast food, is available in the oil-producing Eastern Province and in Jeddah.

Eating, drinking and smoking in public during the fasting hours of Ramadan will incur strict penalties. Restaurants have table service. There are no bars. Alcohol is forbidden by law, and there are severe penalties for infringement; it is important to note that this applies to all nationals regardless of religion.

• Pitta bread (flat, unleavened bread) accompanies every dish.
• Rice, lentils, chick peas (hummus) and cracked wheat (burghul) are also common.
• Kultra (chicken or lamb on skewers) is popular for lunch.
• Kebabs served with soup and vegetables.
• Mezze, the equivalent of hors d’oeuvres, may include up to 40 dishes.

• Arabic coffee and fruit drinks are popular alternatives to alcohol.
• Alcohol-free beers and cocktails are served in hotel bars.

The practice of tipping is becoming much more common and waiters should be given 10%.

Visitors should not expect to find clubs and bars but evening entertainment is offered at restaurants and hotels.

Souks (markets) sell incense and holders, jewelry, bronze and brassware, richly decorated daggers and swords, and in the Eastern Province, huge brass-bonded chests. Bargaining is often expected, even for modern goods such as cameras and electrical equipment (which can be very good value).

Shopping hours: Sat-Thurs 0900-1300 and 1630-2000 (Ramadan 2000-0100). These hours differ in various parts of the country.

Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest producer and exporter of total petroleum liquids, and the world’s second largest crude oil producer behind Russia. Saudi Arabia’s economy remains heavily dependent on oil and petroleum-related industries, including petrochemicals and petroleum refining. Oil export revenues have accounted for around 90 percent of total Saudi export earnings and state revenues and above 40 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP).
Saudi Arabia’s hydrocarbon sector operations are dominated by the state-owned oil company, Saudi Aramco. Saudi Aramco is the world’s largest oil company in terms of proven reserves and production of hydrocarbons. In addition, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources and the Supreme Council for Petroleum and Minerals have oversight of the sector and Saudi Aramco directly. The Supreme Council, which is comprised of members of the royal family, industry leaders and government ministers, is responsible for petroleum and natural gas policy-making, including contract review, as well as Saudi Aramco’s strategic planning. The Ministry is responsible for national planning in the area of energy and minerals, including petrochemicals.
Energy Consumption
Saudi Arabia is the largest consumer of petroleum in the Middle East, particularly in the area of transportation fuels. Domestic consumption growth has been spurred by the economic boom due to historically high oil prices and large fuel subsidies. In 2006, Saudi Arabia was the 15th largest consumer of total primary energy, of which 60 percent was petroleum-based. The remainder was made up of natural gas, the growth of which has been limited by supply constraints.

The people of Saudi Arabia are descended from tribes of nomadic sheep and goat herders and maintain many of the traditions of their past. Traditional foods like dates, fatir (flat bread), arikah (bread from the southwestern part of the country), and hawayij (a spice blend) are still eaten by Saudis today, although most Saudis have settled in towns and cities and no longer follow the nomadic lifestyle. Saudi Arabia is also home to Mecca, the origin and spiritual center of Islam. The culture, as well as the laws of Saudi Arabia, is founded on Islamic principles, including the dietary restrictions against eating pork or drinking alcohol.

In the 1930s, oil was discovered on the Arabian Peninsula. Income from oil has allowed Saudi Arabia to become modernized and to begin to develop stronger industries in other areas such as agriculture. Saudi Arabia now produces all of its own dairy products and most of its own vegetables. Many foreign workers are needed to maintain the new industries, and foreign foods as well as fast food chains are now available in Saudi Arabia. However, it is mostly the foreigners who eat those foods; most Saudis prefer traditional fare.

Saudi Arabia is a country with many areas of beautiful oases and dramatic mountain-tops, beaches and rivers. Its cities, although having no nightlife, do have plenty of cafes and restaurants. There are also shops galore, from the souk to the huge department store. Indeed, Saudi Arabia's major cities are generally very modern, with amenities of a high standard.

In the year AD 622, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) launched a successful campaign to recapture Mecca from the Persians, who had made it a province of their empire. Afterwards, the Muslims would continue their expansion across the Arabian peninsula and into Syria, Mesopotamia (Iraq), Persia, and westwards into Egypt and North Africa.

As the birthplace of Muhammad (PBUH), Saudi Arabia contains the holiest cities of Islam. The Saudis take the responsibility for protecting the integrity of this holy land with utmost seriousness, and Islamic laws are strictly enforced by the mutawwa (religious police).

To the non-Islamic eye, Saudi Arabia also succeeds in being beautiful and praiseworthy. This complex country is likely to remain a significant part of the worldwide map for some time.

• Watch the King's Camel Race in April or May during the national Heritage and Cultural Festival at Jenadriyah. The annual event is one of the world's most important camel races, with something between 20,000 and 30,000 spectators, plus 2,000 camels and riders.
• See the ragged, coral-coloured Ottoman buildings of the ancient city of Jeddah. Its hotels and restaurants are cosmopolitan and there are good fish and meat markets.
• Witness the astonishing landscape and wildlife of the Asir, a range of coastal mountains and the only part of the kingdom where there is significant wild vegetation. Baboon, gazelle and leopard inhabit remoter areas.
• Whilst in the region, see the ancient gasaba towers, the ancient caravan city of Qaryat-al-Fau, the great dam and temple at Najran.
• See an ancient saltmine in use. The 5,000-year-old one in Abqaiq is still in operation.
• Look around in Taif to see pink palaces in between the stunning cliff-tops. Such beauty and a mild climate have made this town Saudi Arabia's the official summer capital.
• View a picturesque settlement of fishermen and weavers on Tarut Island. It is also the site of the oldest town on the peninsula.

• Muslim visitors should take the pilgrimage to Mecca in January to see the Kaabah Enclosure, the Mountain of Light, the Plain of Arafat and the House of Abdullah Bin Abdul Muttalib, where Muhammad was born. Non-Muslims are not allowed to enter these holy cities.
• Go shopping in the traditional souks, large department stores and mall complexes. Shopping is a much-loved way to spend time in Saudi Arabia - possibly since there are no bars, casinos, nightclubs, theatres or cinemas.
• Visit the royal capital, Riyadh, a modern city built on the site of the first town captured by Ibn Saud in 1902. The only trace of the old town that remains is the Masmak Fort and a few traditional Najdi palaces near Deera Square.
• Discover Hofuf, at the centre of the great Al-Hasa oasis, which has a strong Turkish influence and a very good camel market. The agriculture here thrives and the food is sensational.
• Explore the ornate ruins of Timna and Shiban, ancient cities resting amidst orchards of pomegranates, limes and bananas.
• Enjoy the Obhir Creek, north of Jeddah. It has good facilities for watersports, including swimming, waterskiing, fishing, snorkelling and sailing, and there are similar beaches on the Gulf coast south of Al Khobar.
• Drive (carefully - Saudi Arabia does not boast great driving conditions and has a high incidence of car accidents) down the astounding modern corniche road that winds along the sheer cliffs of the Taif escarpment to the hot coastal plain.
• Find some of Saudi Arabia's ancient crafts and skills. In Jebel-al-Qara, the potteries have been worked by eight generations of the same family.