Travelin’ Rick Visits Saudi Arabia

Well, boys and girls, spring is just around the corner. I’ve just come back from Saudi Arabia and I’m here to tell you all about my trip.

Saudi Arabia is situated on the Persian Gulf in the Middle East. It is a very rich country because of its vast oil reserves, although it is virtually a desert waste-land. Not being used to a desert climate, I found the temperature very hot and humid and at times I could not handle it. The average maximum temperature for the month of February is 23 degrees Celcuis. Summer lasts for about eight months of the year. The average maximum temperature in the months of June, July and August is 42 degrees Celcius.

While I was in Saudi Arabia, I stayed in Riyadh. Riyadh is the capital city of the kingdom, with a population of about two million people. Riyadh is the financial centre of Saudi Arabia and is also where many new government institutions can be found.

Saudi Arabia is governed by His Majesty King Fahd bin Abdul Azizal Saud. Saudi Arabia is the home of the Islamic religion. They speak the Arabic language. Their customs are very different than ours. For instance, women are not allowed to drive a car and alcohol is strictly forbidden.

Men and women dress in long robes. These robes keep them cool because the robes allow air to circulate underneath them.

I found a few malls that were air—conditioned. I went to a suq, which is a baazar. There were a lot of suqs where I bought some meats, vegetables and some hardware items.

I had a lot of fun in Saudi Arabia and I made a lot of new friends.