Hejaz

The Hejaz (or Hijaz) covers the central Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia. Home to both commercial hub Jeddah and the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina, this is where the famous railway from Damascus led in its brief heyday, and while politically somewhat eclipsed by Riyadh, Jeddah in particular remains the most cosmopolitan city in the country.

Cities

Other destinations
The Kaaba in Mecca
  • Plain of Arafat

Understand

Talk

Arabic is the official language of the region. However, due to pilgrims coming from all over the world most if not all major world languages are spoken, especially Urdu, Hindi, Bengali and English.

Get in

King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED IATA) in Jeddah is the primary gateway to the region as well as the rest of Saudi Arabia.

Get around
High speed train

A new high speed rail line has been built on a Mecca-Jeddah-Medina route. There is also a stop at the planned King Abdullah Economic City. Jeddah airport is not serviced yet, although a branch has been built.

See
  • The Al-Hijr Archaeological Site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Do

Eat

Drink

Stay safe

Conservative clothing is not optional when traveling through here, especially for women. Women are strongly advised to wear a hijab, or head covering, and need to wear long pants and conservative upper-wear. Men are advised to be equally cautious in appearance.

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