Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Riyadh
Typical Saudi Arabian B777 (not my picture, no pictures permitted at Saudi airports)
Dubai - Riyadh :: Riyadh - Dammam :: Dammam - Jeddah :: Jeddah - Manama
Each B777 had its own unique character - leaking flaps and landing gear, for example
Fortunately they say a prayer over the PA system before each takeoff
Nonetheless, a full meal is served on each flight - great food!
View from the Marriott - not much to see
Marriott atrium
Marriott atrium
Saudi state television channel 1
Programming is interupted for prayers 'live from Mecca'
Gasoline station, 0.45 Riyals per litre = $0.47 per gallon
Al Essa air conditioning factory outside Riyadh
Desert everywhere
License #632
Golden Star air conditioning factory, Industrial Park 1
Not all signs had English translations
Large mosque along Rt 65
All mosque minarets equipped with loudspeakers to broadcast call for prayers - 5 times a day
Supermarket
Junk food on every corner
Al Faisaliyah Tower, downtown Riyadh
Lebanese restaurant in Riyadh
All restaurants have two sections - men or families, women may not enter without family
This restuarant had two separate entrances - lower portion of picture
More food - trapped inside during 3rd prayer
Businesses not permited to let anyone enter/exit during prayers - at least not officially
Construction project complete with graffiti
Residential area
Drove through the downtown area, but advised not to take any pictures.
All government buildings heavily fortified with concrete barriers and machine gun equipped Hummers
Dammam / Al Khobar
Highway exit speed sign = 35 km/h
Highway from King Fahd International Airport. Heavy dust storm - no rain in last two years
Camels taking a stroll near Dammam
More junk food
Al Zamil Air Conditioning Company, Dammam
Al Zamil laboratory control room, with pictures of Saudi leaders
Al Zamil acoustic test chamber
A nice home in Al Khobar
Another Al Khobar residence
More homes, Al Khobar
Construction, Al Khobar
Water tower under construction
All water is processed from sea water - we passed a heavily fortified desalination plant.
No pictures allowed.
Restaurant in Al Khobar on the Persian Gulf
Jeddah
View from the Jeddah Hilton
Residential area of Jeddah
Mosque and tennis courts on the Hilton complex :: Pray-and-Play
Minaret - loudspeakers must be well hidden on this one
More Jeddah
High security for the Hilton
Hummer, machine gun, and snoozing Saudi infantry (close-up of previous photo)
Residential area
Atrium of the Jeddah Hilton, from 10th floor
Red Sea - Access was cut off due to security
Shopping area
Most all gas stations had a mosque - in various degrees of disrepair
The minaret looks like a Scud missile with loudspeakers
Roadside fruit stand - claimed that it didn't rot in the 50C heat
Happy taxi driver - he used to work at Isaly's
Centrifugal fan inside an air handler - Al Salem Company
Al Salem plant manager showing Indian made propeller fan
Al Salem factory
Lunch
Shopping mall - some malls had a separate 'Ladies Mall', not sure about this one
Red Sea
Mosque on the Red Sea