Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Red Sea littoral is famous for its coral homes. The best examples are in Jeddah
where merchants built stunning homes from Red Sea coral with lattice-work wooden bal-
conies.
The most startling expressions of contemporary Saudi architecture are found in Riyadh
with the Kingdom and Al-Faisaliah Towers. However, they could soon be overshadowed
by another Kingdom Tower (Burj al-Mamlakah) which is to be built in Jeddah. Slated for
completion in 2018, the new skyscraper is set to be the world's tallest building and the
first to reach 1km high.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Environment
The Land
Saudi Arabia takes up 80% of the Arabian Peninsula. Over 95% of Saudi Arabia is desert
or semi-desert, and the country is home to some of the largest desert areas in the world,
including Al-Nafud (Nafud Desert) in the north and the Empty Quarter in the south.
Just 1.67% of Saudi territory is considered to be suitable for agriculture and less than
2% of the land is covered by forest.
Wildlife
Illegal hunting is still a major problem in Saudi Arabia and, during your travels, the anim-
al you are most likely to come across is the Arabian
hamadrya
(baboon), which prolifer-
ates along the mountain roads of southwestern Saudi Arabia.
The waters of Saudi's Red Sea are teeming with wildlife, and include five species of
marine turtle. Whales and dolphins are also present in the Red Sea and the Gulf.
For more information on the Kingdom's wildlife, contact the
National Commission for Wild-
life Conservation & Development
OFFLINE MAP
GOOGLE MAP
(NCWCD;
01-441 8447;
7.30am-2.30pm Sat-Wed)
.
ENDANGERED SPECIES
According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the list of
endangered mammals in Saudi Arabia includes the dugong, Arabian oryx, Arabian leo-
pard and Nubian ibex. Captive breeding and reintroduction programs are at the forefront
of the government's work to arrest the slide.
