Rising from the barren desert, its towering skyscrapers glittering in the fierce sun, the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, is one of the most splendid and rich cities in the modern world, sprawling across about 600 square miles (1,600 square kilometres) in the heart of the Arabian Peninsula.

Once a small oasis known for its date orchards (hence the origin of its name which in Arabic means 'place of gardens'), Riyadh's phenomenal growth spurt began in 1902 when the desert lord Ibn Saud took over the city determined to turn it into the centre of his Arabic kingdom. Thirty years later it became the capital of the new country of Saudi Arabia, and fuelled by the revenue of the country's abundant oil fields, it has burgeoned into an awesome modern metropolis with a population well in excess of four million.

Modern it may be, but visitors to Riyadh are never likely to forget that they are in the heart of the Arab world. In between the towering, futuristic buildings, glitzy shopping malls and broad, sweeping highways are nestled ancient mosques and other remnants of times gone by, shady trees and date palms line the avenues, and camels sometimes sway between the luxury vehicles. The city is also run on a strictly Islamic moral and cultural code, and visitors should respect the rules while exploring the sights, both ancient and modern, in this fascinating city. Women have restricted access to certain attractions and sites.

Location:

 ArRiyadh lies in the center of Arab Peninsula on latitude 34° - 38 north and longitude 46 – 43 east 600 m above sea level. This location has given ArRiyadh strategic dimension where it is considered the connecting link between the east and the west North and south in addition to deriving the strategic importance of the Arab Peninsula which is linking the two biggest continents. The distance between ArRiyadh and the center of administration regions is as follows: ArRiyadh is 389 km from Dammam in the Eastern Province, 1,049 km from Arar in the Northern Province, 1,207 km from Sakaka in Juf Region, 1,310 km from Tabuk, 1,040 from Baha, 641 km from Jizan, 641 km from Hail, 338 km from Buraidah in Qassim Region, 869 km from Madinah, 880 km from Makkah, 1,051 km from Abha in Asseir Region, and 979 km from Najran.

For more information please visit:

http://www.arriyadh.com/eng/

http://www.wordtravels.com/Cities/Saudi+Arabia/Riyadh

For VISA information please visit:

http://www.saudiembassy.net/

http://www.mofa.gov.sa