Saudi Arabia used to be one of the most self-isolated countries for many decades. Being the birthplace of Islam and having its two holiest cities, the Saudis had enough pilgrims to never need normal tourists. Today, the country is changing dramatically, many progressive reforms are being carried out, and they are finally opening up to the world. The modern history of this country is quite typical for the Arab world: people lived in tribes in the desert, then found oil, and this changed everything. Now Saudi Arabia is a fairly developed country, but at the same time it's still an absolute monarchy and all the wealth belongs to the royal family, while citizens mainly belong to the middle class. Unlike stereotypes, Saudi nature is very diverse, besides deserts, they have tall mountains, fertile valleys, beautiful coasts, tropical islands. But at the same time, there are surprisingly few truly historical cities here, and the old town of Jeddah is definitely the most unique one among them.
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia // Dec 2021
