Saudi Arabia is the largest country on the Arabian Peninsula, bordering Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia is famous for being home to the two holiest Muslim destinations in the world – Mecca and Medina – and this is juxtaposed with modern oil-rich metropolises.

Saudi Arabia Essential Information:

Capital: Riyadh
Major cities: Jeddah, Mecca and Medina
Places of interest: Habalah and Madain Saleh
Time Zone: GMT +3
Language: Arabic. To learn the basics of Arabic visit www.bbc.co.uk 
Currency: Saudi Arabia uses Saudi Arabian riyals (SAR). For up-to-date exchange rates see: www.xe.com/ucc
International dialling code: +966
British Embassy: visit the website for information