Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
British architect Norman Foster and built in 2000 by the Bin Laden construction company,
Al-Faisaliah Tower was the first of the startling new structures to rise above Riyadh's sky-
line. It's most famous for its enormous glass globe (24m in diameter and made of 655
glass panels) near the summit.
Its 44 floors contain a five-star deluxe hotel and four exclusive restaurants, offices,
perience). The tower's needlepoint pinnacle (with a crescent on the tip) sits 267m above
the ground.
Kingdom Tower
NOTABLE BUILDING
OFFLINE MAP
(King Fahd Rd)
Riyadh's landmark tower is a stunning piece of modern architecture - it's par-
ticularly conspicuous at night when the upper sweep is lit with constantly changing col-
oured lights.
Rising 302m high, its most distinctive feature is the steel-and-glass 300-ton bridge con-
necting the two towers. High-speed elevators fly you (at 180km/h) to the 99th floor
Sky
Bridge
OFFLINE MAP
( 201 1888; adult/child SR25/12.50; 10am-midnight)
from where the views
are breathtaking (you're allowed to take photos from up here). Avoid weekends and even-
ings after 6pm when it can get very crowded.
WARNING
Saudi Arabia refuses most visa applications for writers and journalists, so we were unable to conduct on-the-
ground research anywhere in the country. The information contained within this chapter has, therefore, been re-
motely researched with information obtained via the telephone and internet.
Festivals & Events
Jenadriyah National
Festival
CULTURAL FESTIVAL
Saudi Arabia's largest cultural festival runs over two weeks in late February or early
March at a special site about 45km northeast of central Riyadh. Commencing with the
King's Cup (an epic camel race with up to 2000 participants racing across a 19km track),
the festival program includes traditional songs, dances and poetry competitions, as well as
demonstrations of falconry and exhibitions of traditional crafts from around the Kingdom.
